Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“Oh, I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “It’s just my silly allergies acting up.”
She accepted my answer with a simple nod and slipped her hand into mine, offering a little support, just in case. It was such a sweet gesture, and it actually worked. Having her there, searching for her next favorite read, gave me a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in days.
It took a few minutes, but I managed to find Kayla a book I knew she would love, and once she’d checked it out, I followed her out to the hall. As I watched her hurry back to her class, I made a decision.
It was time to let it go.
All of it.
Dan and CeeCee had a life of their own now, and it was time I had the same.
5
DRIFTER
Twelve hours behind the wheel wasn’t for the faint of heart. Twelve hours on a motorcycle was straight up insanity, especially at night when the roads are at their worst. Slick from dew and lined with exhausted drivers, it’s a damn disaster waiting to happen.
But by pure luck, I made it to Little Rock without any major catastrophes, unless you count my aching fucking back and the fact that my ass had gone numb two hundred miles back. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything a couple of ibuprofens and a strong cup of coffee wouldn’t fix.
With that in mind, I pulled into a little diner just off the highway and headed inside. The place looked a little rough. Paint was peeling off the walls, and the bell on the door sounded like it was at death’s door.
But I didn’t care what the place looked like. I just wanted some food in my empty belly, and I wasn’t the only one. Hell, the place was packed. So much so, I almost turned around, but I didn’t have it in me to search for somewhere else. So, I barreled my way through and claimed a spot in the back.
I grabbed one of the menus and tried to ignore the fact that I felt grimy as hell. I barely had a chance to look at the menu before I heard, “What can I get ya?”
I glanced up and found an older waitress, maybe in her late fifties, with graying dark hair and a smile that looked like it took a lot of effort. I didn’t want to keep her waiting any longer than I already had, so I answered, “Coffee, black, with three eggs, sunny side up, bacon, and toast.”
“White or wheat?”
“Whichever will get my coffee here faster.”
She nodded like she understood my pain, then jotted my order down on her notepad. “I’ll get this put in for ya.”
“Appreciate it.”
“No problem.”
She turned and started for the kitchen, and I returned the laminated menu to its spot at the end of the booth. I took out my phone and checked my messages. I wasn’t surprised to find there were none.
I’d already talked to Prez earlier in the week, and the weekends were busy, especially Saturdays. It was a time when he and the guys would be out on a run or at the clubhouse preparing for a club gathering.
Those were good times. I wouldn’t admit it to just anyone, but I often missed those days. I missed a lot when it came to the club, but those days were behind me. At least, they had been. I was about to step back into the fold, but only long enough to warn Preacher and the others about what I’d heard.
As promised, my waitress returned with my coffee. It was steaming and black, just the way I liked it. I took a long sip and grimaced. It wasn’t all that great. It was bitter and stout, but I couldn’t have cared less. I needed the caffeine, and I needed it bad.
I was midway through my second sip when I overheard two boys talking in the booth in front of me. One sounded a bit older than the other, but I could tell they were both relatively young when one of them said, “He busted out crying in front of everyone. You should’ve seen him. It was so cringe.”
“Cried over what?”
“Cause Coach hit him in the head with a dodgeball.” The kid chuckled. “It was so funny, bruh. Dude went flying back and landed right on his ass. The whole place busted out laughing.”
I sighed and took another drink. Kids could smell weakness a mile away, and they pounced on it the second they spotted it. I remembered being that age. I remembered the feeling, too. Nothing worse than being pushed until something cracked, and when it did, they used it against you, laughing and teasing. Fucking sucked.
I could’ve told the kid he was a real shithead for making fun of that kid, but someone beat me to it. “I don’t see what’s funny about that.”