How It Rolls (12 page)

Chapter 16

Reed

“You don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone” my ass.  I knew exactly what I had.  And I knew that he deserved so much better than a girl who lived in her car.

              I didn’t sleep that night at all. But it was colder than a penguin’s ass out here.  I thought about going to the Safehaven but I thought the comfort and safety of my car was probably better than a cot in a room full of people any day.  That was my brain talking.  My heart?  Yeah, she was a whiny assed heifer.  She made me want to drive to his apartment, knock on his door and beg. 

             
If I was brave enough, I would just confess to him what was going on with me.  But knowing him, he would try to find me a place to live and probably pay for it.  That was the least of my worries.  Tonight, I realized that I didn’t belong in his world.  He had this perfect family who always were there for each other and actually cared.  I didn’t even know how to begin to fit into that family as Falcon’s girlfriend or person he was dating or whatever.  I just didn’t.               

             
The next week was pure Hell.  I finally asked Nellie on Saturday morning why Falcon wasn’t showing up for work and she told me that he was working at night now.  I apologized to her but she wasn’t having it. 

             
“Look Reed, we all know Falcon.  We know how he is.  I know it’s different for someone who doesn’t know him.  He’s really an incredible person.  When Owen and I broke it off one week before our wedding, do you know who was the first person to text me and call me?  It was Falcon.  And Falcon didn’t speak to his brother for months until he came back and was on his way to get me back.  Falcon was the one who remembered to make sure Owen brought my ring with him.  Sylvia is the matriarch of our family but Falcon is the glue.  I know it can be overwhelming at first.  He’s just so intense sometimes.  But that boy’s had it bad since he first saw you.  That’s all I’m gonna say.”

             
“I know.  I was sitting there at dinner and it just hit me how different we are.”

             
“Just because you live in different circumstances, doesn’t mean you are different people.” 

             
“I’m an idiot.”

             
“Yes, you are. What? I call ‘em like I see ‘em.”  Nellie was a spitfire, that was for sure.

             
“You do.  That’s great.”

             
“Work the rest of your shift, ok? We’ve got our bout tonight and I need your head in the game. After that, go get your boy.”

             
“Yes ma’am.  I can do that.”

             
“Oh, and speaking of your boy.  You see these three bags behind me?”

             
Of course I saw them.  They had skate shop written all over them.  I practically drooled every time I had passed her office this week.

             
“Yeah.”

             
“They’re all for you.  New skates, socks, tights, shorts, skirts, t shirts, you name it, it’s in there.  The boy went nuts. Take a look.” 

             
In shock, I walked behind her and looked into the bags.  She was right.  There were two bags worth of everything a girl would want.  And I left the third bag for last.  He bought me new skates.  Most guys who are with girls who derby just put up with it.  But to go out and buy me skates? 

             
I went back to work with a smile on my face.  After the bout I would have to go see if he’d have me back again. 
If he’d date me again?  Were we more than dating now?
I didn’t care what the official status was.  I just wanted to be in his arms again.

             
The bout was rough and I was in a killer mood.  It felt so good to be on the track again.  I heard one girl from the other team talking about Falcon after the first jam and it was all I could do not to knock her into next week.  So I waited, bided my time until I got a clear shot and slammed her in the nose with my elbow.  I got put in the sin bin so many times that they sent me to Pink Cheek Alley at halftime.  It was this thing where whoever has the most penalties gets pushed around the track and all the fans slap her ass for being such a bad girl—Hence the name pink cheek. 

             
We finished out the exhibition bout and the other team won and Nellie was hella pissed.  Maddox found me after the bout and said that Falcon had left during halftime.  I was sure he was still upset with me and I didn’t blame him one bit. 

             
I relented to Maddox’s persuasion and we went to some kind of lame 18 and over club with loud techno music and no one who looked over 19.  They carded me at the door and I was grateful that my driver’s license hadn’t expired.  We only stayed for about an hour or so and Maddox dropped me off at my car at the rink.

             
I slept for a couple of hours and after waking up for the umpteenth time gave up, heeded my heart and went to Falcon’s. 

Chapter 17

Falcon

When I was pissed off I felt like spouting off words like the Cajun Man on SNL.  Confusion, Constitution, Retribution, Calibration, Institution, Multiplication, Aggravation, Frustration…See? It helps.

              A few hours after being home from the bout, I got a call from Maddox.  He usually hated talking on the phone so I answered immediately.

             
“Yeah?”

             
“Hey, can I come talk to you?” Maddox never ever wanted to come talk to me.  He always went to Owen.

             
“Yeah, come on.”  A few seconds later he knocked on the door.  He must’ve been downstairs when he called.

             
He walked in and looked around.

             
“Looks better in here.  It used to look like someone abandoned this place during a zombie apocalypse. And what the Hell happened to your hair?”  Leave it to Maddox to relate everything to the Walking Dead.

             
“It’s called scissors. What’s up?”

             
He sat down on the couch and scrubbed his face with his hands. 

             
“Ok, I try to usually mind my own business.  But I know that Reed really likes you and she’s been kinda hanging out with me lately.”  I knew he was my brother and all but if he came here to ask my permission to see Reed I was going to clock him—period. 

             
“And?”

             
“So tonight we went to this 18 and over club after the bout and they asked for ID.  So Reed pulls out her driver’s license and I saw a different kind of ID underneath it.”

             
I sat down next to him, in close proximity, in case the clocking was still in order.

             
“Ok.  What was it?”

             
“It said something about transient youth safe-haven.  It had her name and her picture and everything.  So I was going to look it up when I got home.”

             
“So, how’d you get in? You’re only 17.”  He smiled a mischievous smile.

             
“Focus man, focus.  Ok, so anyway—then I went back to drop her at her car and started back home.  Then Mom calls and said she thinks she left her phone at the rink.”

             
“Good Lord Mad, make an f’in point already.”

             
“I’m getting there.  So I go back and find Mom’s phone on one of the tables.  And on my way out I spot a car parked in the back and it looks like Reed’s.  So I go over there and—shit—she’s sleeping in her car, like full on blanket, pillow, everything.  But I didn’t want to embarrass her so I just went home and gave Mom her phone and didn’t say anything.  Then I got on the internet and looked up that place on her ID and it’s a place for homeless youth to eat, take showers, wash their clothes, stuff like that.”

             
I wracked my brain for an explanation, not ready to admit what my gut already knew.  “Well, maybe she was just taking a nap.”

             
“Come on man.  Look, I didn’t want to tell you but I saw her over at Theo’s the other night same deal, sleeping in her car.”

             
“Oh yeah?  And what were you doing over there?” Like I didn’t know—Maddox was a girl magnet.

             
“Hey, I have a social life.  So, I hate to say this out loud.  It’s hard to say.  I think she’s homeless.”

             
“Shit.” So that was it.  She
was
homeless.  It all made sense now.  Her using my address, when I saw her sleeping in her car, she didn’t want me to pick her up or drop her off.  I nearly fell to my knees at the thought of her without a place to lay her beautiful head.  I needed to go find her.

             
Maddox caught my thought process and put his hands out. “Whoa man, think slow.  Don’t go out there on a rampage.  If she’s been homeless all this time then she knows how to take care of herself.  Let’s think this through.”

             
“I don’t want to think it through Mad, I want to find her and drag her ass here so she’s not out there alone.  What if she gets mugged or worse!” 

             
“There’s nothing you can do tonight Falcon that won’t humiliate her beyond belief.  Take tonight and think this through before you go nuts.  Look, I’ve got to get home.  Mom is already pissed that I left out without telling her where I was going.”

             
“OK, thanks Mad.”

             
“Yeah, anytime.” He shut the door behind him. 

             
I paced the square footage of my tiny apartment for at least two hours, keys and wallet in hand, deciding what to do.  I didn’t want to embarrass her, but at the same time I couldn’t stand the thought of her out there, in the cold, alone.  I threw my keys and wallet on the counter, my brain winning the argument.  I decided to try to get some sleep, and that’s when there were three tiny knocks on the door.

             
I ran the short distance to the door and opened it and the sight of her nearly pushed me over the edge of sanity. 

             
“Hi.  I’m sorry it’s so late.  I just couldn’t wait.” And neither could I.  I pulled her to me, through the threshold and closed the door behind us.  I didn’t know if it was because of stress, worry, or just plain missing her but my legs went flaccid beneath me and still holding her, I slid down to the floor, back against the door. And then it hit me that she might not be here because she changed her mind.  She might be here to talk about something maniacal like dodo birds or Salvador Dali paintings.  I started to let go of her and face whatever she had to say to me and it was then her arms closed in around my neck.  Even her knees and thighs clamped tighter around my torso. 

             
“You cut your hair,” She whimpered as she reached up to smooth her hand over my lack of spike. 

             
“Yeah, felt like a chump.  Remind me to hide the scissors.”

              Her body shook in laughter against mine.  I didn’t care why she was here.  She was here and that was better than nothing.  Her hand found the back of my neck and her fingers were icicles. 

             
“You’re freezing.” I held her tighter in response.  “Come on.” We disentangled and I led her to the couch and pulled a blanket over the edge to cover her. 

             
“I’m sorry.” She whispered and leaned against my side.  She didn’t have anything to apologize for in my book but I needed to know what she meant.

             
“What in the world are you sorry for?”

             
“For making you work at night to avoid me.”  She was still shivering.  I put my arms around her and pulled her closer.

             
“I didn’t work nights to avoid you.  I worked nights because I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable with me around.  I know who I am and that I’m a lot to handle so I didn’t want you to feel weird at work.”

             
She sat up and looked on me in aggravation.  “Falcon, that is Nellie’s business.  You worked there first.  I thought you just didn’t want to be around me.”

             
“There’s nothing you could ever do or say that could make me not want to be around you Reed—Nothing.”

             
Two tears escaped from the inside corners of her eyes along with a whimper from her mouth.  She had to know that she couldn’t rid me of my feelings for her that easily.

             
“I was wrong and stupid.  I do still want to see you.  But I’m not ready to tell you some things.  But I don’t want to lie to you either.”

             
And now, thanks to Maddox, I knew what those things were.  I put my hands on either side of her face to make sure I had her attention. “If we get to something you don’t want to tell me then just say so.  Like I said, it’s not going to change anything anyway.  I’m not willing to let whatever it is get in the way.”