Page 33

Christian

True to his word, Taylor waits for me in the parking lot after work.

A cigarette hangs from his mouth, and when he spots us approaching, he leans down to put it out on my tire. “Let's get this shit over with. I've got places to be.”

“Oh, yeah?” I let out a slow breath and toss Devon my leather jacket. “Like at home with your stepbrother?”

“Yeah, asshole.” He rolls his shoulders before raising his fists. “You could come over too if you'd stop being a salty bitch.”

We start to circle each other slowly. “Funny, cuz I thought you were the one being a bitch.”

“Your face looks like a bitch.”

Devon snorts as he tugs my jacket on. “You guys flirting or fighting?”

Taylor flips him off, not breaking eye contact. “Stay in your lane, fucker.”

I lunge at my best friend without warning, but he dodges and hooks an arm around my neck, putting me in a sleeper hold. My elbow connects with his rib as I fight against him, trying to free myself.

“Tap out,” he grunts against my ear. “Tap, you dick.”

“Fuck you.” Grabbing his waist, I lift just enough to throw him off balance. We hit the asphalt hard, but it doesn't slow Tay down in the slightest.

He twists out of my hold effortlessly and plants a knee on my chest. “Say sorry!”

“For what?” I wheeze, wrestling to get out from under him.

“For ditching me on my birthday, motherfucker.”

I shove him to the ground before jumping to my feet. “I didn't ditch you! I had to go get Devon out of jail.”

“Pretty sure Logan had that handled,” Dev mutters under his breath.

I point at him without looking. “Shut the fuck up. No one asked you.”

Taylor leaps upright and charges me again. We end up locked in another tangle, both of us panting like dogs.

“First birthday ever we didn't go riding. What the hell, man?” He headbutts me lightly, not enough to cause any real damage. “I miss your dumb ass.”

“Then why'd you leave me?” I shoot back.

He freezes, only to push me away. “You could’ve just said that you've been sad, asshole.”

“I’m not soft like you.”

“Eat ass.”

We come to an impasse and simply glare at each other, breathing hard.

Taylor's jaw tightens. “What'd you think was gonna happen, man? Huck and I would just live in that little apartment with you, Logan, and Owen forever?”

My mouth opens, but nothing comes out at first, because I guess I… I didn’t think. I just assumed things would stay the same because that’s what I wanted. My crew, my people. My constants. “You all left at once,” I snap, curling my fists. “First Arya, then Salem. Then you. Everyone's fucking leaving me.”

He huffs and shakes his head. “We just got our own stuff going on, dude. We’re not kids anymore.”

“I know—” I start, but he cuts me off with a sharp bark of laughter.

“Do you?”