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Taking the Polaroid camera in her hand, she examines it like a found treasure. “This is the best birthday present anyone has ever gotten me.” Her happiness is contagious, and I can’t help the smirk that spreads across my face as I watch her place the film inside the camera. In this moment, I know the chunk of my summer savings from doing odd jobs with Ford and G was money well spent.??
“Seriously, today has been the best birthday I’ve ever had.” My heart aches at the thought of her birthdays before this one, mind whirling back to two years ago on this very day. I have no clue what she has been through in life, but I know she has her demons just like I do. No one fights in the ring like she does at such a young age who doesn’t have something to fight for. Maybe that’s why I’ve always felt so drawn to her.?
She crouches down to the window, camera still in her hand, and throws her arms around my neck. “Thank you… thank you.” When she leans back into her room, our faces are still close where I stand just outside of her window.?
“There is so much more to you, Lennox Monroe… and one day I am going to know it all,” she says, sounding so sure of herself, as she leans back slightly and snaps a picture of me.?
“You were kinda smiling, and that’s a rare sighting, so I figured you deserved to be the very first picture I took on my brand-new camera,” she snarks, and I playfully throw up my middle finger right as I hear the click of the camera again.?
I watch her closely, unable to take my eyes off her as she shakes the photos and sets them on her bed, waiting for them to develop. Both of us are so fascinated by what we are studying, she doesn’t even know I’m staring.??
“I love them. I’m keeping them forever. When you’re a big, famous fighter, I’ll tell everyone I knew you once upon a time.” She smiles proudly, still looking at the pictures now in her hands.?“The Robbins actually gave me a nice pair of Vans for my birthday this year,” she tells me, picking up the sneaker box her foster parents gifted her and placing the second picture inside.?
“That was nice… so they are treating you, okay?” I ask, because even though Mr. Robbins is a deputy sheriff, I know first-hand that he turns a blind eye to abuse. And their son normally keeps to himself, but I’ve also heard he’s starting to partake in whatever drugs he can get his hands on.
She nods. “Yeah, they’re decent. They leave me to myself for the most part… which is fine by me. And I have Lucian now too.”
Emerson walks over to the corkboard above her makeshift vanity and tacks the first picture of me beside one of her and my little brother. The reminder that she’s my brother’s happy place in our fucked-up life is my cue to leave.?
“Well, I just wanted to give you that. Happy Birthday, Em.”?
“You can come in if you want,” she says, and the hope in her voice has me almost saying fuck it.?
“Greyson and Ford are waiting on me at some party we got invited to, so I need to go check on them and make sure they aren’t doing anything too stupid.”?
“Oh, is that the one Kameron Buchanan is throwing? Her sister was talking to Colton about it at school yesterday. Sounded like she wanted you there really bad.” She’s trying to keep her voice even, but I hear the curiosity. “I’m sure I’ll hear all about it on Monday.”?
“There won’t be anything to hear.” I make up my mind right then and there that there won’t be. Not involving me, at least.?“I’ll see you at Lights Out after school Monday. Night, Em,” I say, pulling her window down before she can respond. But I see the soft smile on her face from my peripheral and hear one last “thank you” beyond the glass.
My stomach flips, and I don’t look back. Because hanging out with her sounds so much better than this party…and I know I can’t do that.?
* * *
An hour later,I’m pulling up to the big-ass house across town in Richmond Hills. It took me over half that time to convince my mom to let me drive her pickup truck, even though I don’t have a license. The only reason she agreed was because I told her I needed to go check on the guys and make sure they didn’t ride home with anyone who had been drinking.?
I call Greyson’s phone as I park. “Yo, you here?” he asks as he answers.?
“Yeah, y’all inside or out back?”?
“Honestly, it's kinda whack. A bunch of rich ass college boys… It's a fucking cockfest in here. Frankie texted she’s having a kickback since her dad's at the clubhouse. Want to head there?”?
“I thought she wanted to wait till tomorrow night since Lucian will be back in town?” Frankie doesn’t do much without her best friend at her side. He’s quickly become one of us. I respect the dude. He’s good to Frankie, but more than that, he moved in with The Robbins last year and has treated Emerson like a true sister ever since.??
“I guess she’s bored. You never know with her.” Frankie is like a sister to all of us. Growing up closely with Greyson, since their dads are best friends, she’s part of the Rebel Knights family that Ford and I were welcomed into. She’s biker royalty and plans to be riding her own Harley as soon as she can buy one.??
“Alright, come out front. I drove my mom’s truck.”?
Before I even have the chance to hang up, my phone rings, but it's my brother.?
“What's up, Colt?”?
“Nox, where are you?” I hear the anger and fear in his voice, and my blood runs cold.?
“Did he show back up?” Our piece of shit father likes to pop up whenever he sees fit, and our mother just doesn’t know how to say no to his sorry ass.?
“No…it’s Emerson,” he says in a shaky voice.?
“What do you mean? Is she okay? Where are you?” Almost blurting out, I just left her safe and locked away in her room.?
