Page 5 of Ride or Die
We didn’t have any bonfires in Arizona. We didn’t have the right kind of yard for it. That, and I couldn’t stomach the memories bonfires brought me. I didn’t want to have one tonight, but Minx and Rivet talked to Shade without me around and he was all for it. I knew I’d have to suck it up and deal eventually. Now is as good a time as any.
I finish at the grocery store and make my way back to the house. I pull into the driveway and Rivet’s car is there, telling me she and Minx are already here. I climb out of my car, grab about half the bags of groceries, and take them inside.
“Shade! Go grab the rest of the groceries!” I call out as I walk into the kitchen. “Hey Minx, hey Riv.”
“Hey B. Need us to grab anything?” Minx asks. I set the groceries on the counter and see a cake sitting there.
“No, Shade will grab the rest. What’s this?” I question as I take a closer look at the cake. I recognize this. It’s an . . .
“Apple cake!” Rivet’s voice is laced with excitement, and my stomach drops. Someone in my past used to make apple cakes for me all the time. Only, she called them something else. Something in Russian. They were my favorite dessert. “We found this super cute little bookstore and bakery called A Novel Bunch. The girl who owns the place is Russian and she has such an awesome accent.”
A bookstore and a bakery. There’s only one person I’ve ever met who loved baking and reading enough to want to open a place like that. The only girl to ever have my heart and I fucked it all up. It can’t be her, though. Can it?
“We tried to get her and Emma to come tonight, but they already had plans,” Minx tells me.
“Wait, what did you say her name was?” I ask, studying at them.
“Her name is Cali.” As soon as Minx says it, my heart stops.
“Woah, you alright, bro? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Shade says, walking into the kitchen with the last bags of groceries. Could it bemyCali? I haven’t seen her in five years. I’ve thought about her every day I was gone. I tried not to, but I couldn’t help it. I’ve been beating myself up about how we ended things. How I ended things. If it is her, I doubt she’d want to talk to me, let alone see me.
“Uh, yeah . . . ” I glance at Shade. “Yeah, I’m fine. Can you two manage not to burn the kitchen down while I take a shower?”
“I don’t know how we’ll ever manage without you,” Minx jokes and I chuckle.
“Tell doofus here if you need anything,” I say, hooking my thumb in Shade’s direction. Minx nods and Rivet giggles. Minx is messing with her phone. I’m sure either texting Raze or turning on some music. Sure enough, music starts playing. It’s Halsey, Bad at Love.
I pat Shade on the back. “Good luck, brother.”
He shakes his head and I laugh as the girls belt out song lyrics. This isn’t anything new. This was a regular occurrence with them in Arizona. They’re entertaining, to say the least. I walk to my room, my mind going back to the girl Minx and Rivet were talking about. How much of a coincidence it would be for us to know two different Cali’s, who are both Russian and both wanted to open their own bakeries. Maybe it isn’t a coincidence at all. Maybe she’s the Cali I knew and loved. Only one way to find out for sure. I’ll go with the girls to the bakery next time they go.
The first thing I do when I walk into my room is grab some fresh clothes. Clean jeans, a black t-shirt, socks, black boxer briefs, and my favorite Hooey hat. It’s black with a turquoise bill and logo. I lay my clothes out on my bed and make my way into the bathroom. I turn the water on, closing the curtain and step away. While it’s warming, I strip to my boxer briefs. I rest my hands on the counter, leaning forward and let my head hang.
What the fuck would I say to Cali if I were to see her again?Hey, sorry I’m a complete dumbass and ruined what could have been the greatest thing in my life?I shake my head and hop in the shower. The water is perfect. Hot but not melt your skin off hot. I let it hit my back and shoulders for a minute, hoping it will maybe melt some tension away. I go through my routine of washing my hair and body as quickly as possible, rinse off and shut the water off. I grab a towel without opening the shower curtain fully and dry myself off.
Once I’m dressed, I go check on the girls. I walk into the kitchen and Headphones by Florida Georgia Line is playing. Fucking perfect since it’s been nearly impossible getting Cali out of my head lately. I glance around and Shade isn’t anywhere in sight. The girls are quietly preparing hamburgers and some different side dishes. They’re so engrossed with what they’re doing, they don’t even notice me. I clear my throat, causing them both to jump.
“What the fuck, B? Are you trying to give us a heart attack?” Rivet scolds and I laugh.
“Y’all need to be more aware of your surroundings and I wouldn’t have scared you,” I tell her. “Where did Shade disappear to?”
“His sister called or something,” Minx says. “Check out back.”
“Do y’all need help with anything?” I ask them.
“We’re good. Go check on Shade. He seemed a little off.” Minx smiles at me. I nod at her and go search for Shade. I find him in the backyard, sitting in a lawn chair. He’s not on the phone, but he seems deep in thought.
“Everything okay, brother?” I ask, sitting down next to him.
He sighs. “My sister is going to be the fucking death of me.”
“What happened?”
“She was supposed to come to the BBQ tonight but called to tell me she’s not coming anymore. Said she’s going out with her boyfriend. She won’t bring him here. She’s worried I might kill him or something.” I can’t help but laugh at him and earn myself a glare.
“Now, why would she think that,” I ask him.
“I may have threatened to. No one is good enough for my little sister,” he growls out, making me laugh again. Shade has always been super protective of his sister. If she called him crying, he’d find whoever made her cry and fuck them up, if not kill the bastard. Whoever wins that girl’s heart will have to meet Shade’s approval. I don’t blame him one bit either. I’m the same way when it comes to my little sister. She’s a junior in high school. Ben, my little brother, and I are always warning her off little dipshit dudes at her school.
