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It was a cycle.
But it felt like everything holding me back or trying to force me down was here in this small suburb of Denver. I couldn’t wait to shed all the negativity from my skin.
Maybe in five years I’d be able to come back here and remember senior year, the year I found Astrid, my brother, and the friends that were better than any family I’d ever hoped to have.
Or in ten years. I didn’t want to be too overly optimistic.
“Damn, you guys are always hard at work. Is this the wrong time to tell you that you guys only got the job because you’re family?” A grinning Angel asked as he popped around the corner. “We hadn’t realized you all were such good worker bees. Definitely a good decision on our part.”
I snorted as Rhys nodded and kept working.
“It’s quitting time. Actually, quitting time was twenty minutes ago, but you all were zoned out. Ready to head out? We’re doing another family cookout at the compound.” He picked up a handful of the small boxes and deftly stacked them on the shelf next to his head.
“Shit, I didn’t realize it was that late.” Rhys used the hem of his shirt to wipe dirt and sweat from his forehead.
“I need to see what Beck and Astrid are doing first,” I answered, grabbing the last two small boxes off the cart. At least we wouldn’t leave a half-finished cart in the middle of the aisle.
“They’re already there.” Angel hoisted the very last box left up to Rhys.
“Then I guess that answers that.” I shrugged.
The Devil’s Hands, or at least this leftover version of them, weren’t so bad. I enjoyed hanging out with them, not that I’d ever admit that to Graves after the way I dodged them for so long.
Rhys wheeled the cart back over to the shipment of boxes by the loading zone, and then we piled into his car while Angel followed behind on his motorcycle.
We didn’t chat on the ride. One, we were talked out from our shift. Two, we’d developed a friendship level with comfortable silences, and Rhys seemed to appreciate those.
Perky bikers were scattered in the lot, some sitting on their motorcycles chatting, drinking a beer, some walking around to different groups. But that was nothing compared to the bikers in the backyard.
Rock and roll blared from the slightly grainy sound system almost hiding the roar of laughing conversation. The sizzle of food on the grill accompanied the smell of hot dogs and hamburgers.
Back in the corner, the family corner, Beck had Astrid on his lap as Thatcher lounged back, pulling a drink from his beer bottle.
We beelined it for their corner.
“Hey guys,” Astrid said through a wonky grin, clearly on at least her second drink.
I dropped a kiss to her upturned lips before Rhys could get there, then took a seat next to Thatcher.
“Here,” Thatch handed me and Rhys our own bottles. Rhys plucked Astrid from Beck’s lap, who gave her up with a roll of his eyes.
“Does it feel real yet?” Astrid leaned forward, gaze on me.
“No, but close. I can taste how close it is.”
“Don’t be too excited.” Thatcher grinned. “Beck and I have been living the adulthood dream for years, and paying bills sucks.”
We all laughed. “Yeah, but combining incomes will lighten the financial burden significantly. I’ve already created a spreadsheet with projected bills and how much would be needed from each person to cover basic costs such as rent, food and stuff. We should probably open a joint account to pool household funds or designate someone to take care of the bills and we send them money every month.”
“I vote that person is you, Mr. Overachiever,” Thatcher said through a laugh. “I mean you did all that work, it would be a pity to hand it off to someone else.”
“I bet your spreadsheet is interactive too, isn’t it?” Beck quirked a brow.
Bristling, I glared at him. “Of course, it is. How else would I be able to allow for changing factors such as rent or groceries? I don’t want to have to start all over each time a variable changes.”
Beck chortled, falling sideways. “Ah, Jonah, you’re such a geek. If anyone is designated as house bill payer, it’s going to be you. You know that, right?”
Rhys and Thatcher both nodded solemnly, while Astrid’s smile softened. At least she appreciated my brain.
