Page 11 of Ryder

“It’s my birthday.” She has to lean in closer to me because of the music, and in doing that I get a view of her impressive rack. Not that I mean to look — it’s right there in front of my face.

The guys start to rouse, and I shove one of them with my foot. He and his buddies quickly scamper away. I glance in their direction and thankful no security are coming our way. My ass won’t be in jail tonight.

Her birthday, huh? I glance at the button on her tank strap that reads21 Today!

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I’m partying with my friends.”

“I can see that,” I murmur, then add, “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.” She shakes her head. “I can't believe it’s you, after all these years. You look good.”

I open my mouth to say something when Bronco decides to butt in.

“Hey, stranger.” Bronco, his arm slung around her friend's shoulders, grins at her. “Long time no see.”

“Torin? Holy shit!”

She pulls him into a hug as he laughs. “I go by Bronco now.”

“How come?”

“We’re with the NOLA Rebels MC, though you know that already.”

The fact I didn’t keep in contact with her and Bronco did, is a testament to how much I meant it when I said she had to make a better life for herself than staying in Greenlark and getting mixed up with somebody like me. I can’t help but wonder what her strict parents think of that tattoo, though. A lot, I’ll bet.

“I keep tabs on the two of you,” Crystal muses.

She’s different. Confident. She’s always had spirit, but not like this. I can see it in her eyes. The way she holds herself, the way she speaks with confidence, her head held high and a cheeky grin on her face. She knows she can do no wrong. The little brat.

“It’s been a long time,” I murmur. Too long.

I still keep in contact with Luca, but he’s a big hotshot law student who got offered a placement in California. I hear fromhim from time to time, but our circles don’t exactly mix these days. Still, he never forgot his roots.

He talks about Crystal sometimes in passing, and Casey’s still in high school but thinking about becoming a nurse or an EMT. I think Luca drops those comments just to let me know that they’re both doing okay. After that night at their parents’ house, I called Luca to tell him what happened, explaining everything. He believed me. He was mad at his father for punching me, but in some respects, now that I'm older, I can see how it looked. If I had a teenager daughter, I probably would have done the same thing.

“A very long time,” she says. “Stay and have a drink with us.”

I motion to the table. “Looks like we might have to relocate.”

“Fine by me,” Crystal singsongs. She turns to motion to the others that they’re moving tables. With those wings on her back, and that golden hair cascading around her face, she really does look like a fucking angel.

“We don’t wanna ruin the party,” I interject. “Probably best if we?—”

She puts her hands on her hips. “It’s my birthday and you won’t even stay and have one drink with me?”

Looking like that? No fucking way. I haven’t forgotten about that night, but maybe she has?

“One drink.” I look over my shoulder at Bronco, who’s now got the girl he rescued all over him. “Then I’m gonna split.”

She pouts. “Fine, don’t be happy to see me.”

I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face. I forgot about the pout. “Still know how to get me with that sulk.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But the mischievous glint in her eyes tells me otherwise.

So we get caught up. Which isn’t something I envisioned doing when I started my night having a quiet beer with one of my best friends at Logan’s bar.

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