Chapter Seven
Cal
Two and a half months later…
“Y ou’re awfully broody,” Roan says, dropping onto the lawn chair beside me.
I shrug. “So?”
“Is everything okay?”
Clenching my teeth, I stare into the fire. Tonight is one of the last Campfire Chaos meetups we’ll have before the start of the school year. Kids will go back to high school or off to college. Always such a transitional night. It just doesn’t feel right without Trey.
Just thinking about him makes me shrivel the fuck up inside.
“Peachy, man,” I finally grunt out, fixating on some chick way too young to be gyrating in a pair of cutoff shorts.
“Right. I believe that.”
We remain in amicable silence until Jordy returns from his walk along the river with Roux. It’s weird as hell seeing her with a baby bump. I still can’t believe Jordy impregnated Little Hornet. Come Christmas, we’ll have a mini Hornet join our ranks.
“Where’s the rat?” Jordy asks, taking the empty chair beside me and pulling Roux into his lap.
“Work.” A smile tugs at Roan’s lips.
I want to joke and give him shit like old times. Give him a hard time about thinking about dick, because that’s the same stupid smile he gets when Hollis is on his mind.
“Do I want to know?” Jordy rumbles, already coming to the same conclusion as me.
“I get it now. He always says the whole firefighter uniform thing is hot,” Roan says, making his sister pretend to gag. “His EMT uniform is so fucking sexy.”
I snort out a laugh, finally finding humor in the situation. “Good thing Hollis can’t get pregnant like fertile Myrtle over here,” I say, playfully poking Roux’s cute stomach. “You guys would be like the damn Brady Bunch with a million kids.”
“We want more,” Roan admits, his voice serious. “Not right now, but before Sebban gets too much older.”
“Speaking of that little terror. Where is he?”
“Karen and Kelsey wanted to take him see a new Disney movie. He’s spending the night. Hollis gets off early, so we’re making it a date night.”
I notice he’s not drinking and is dressed kind of nice.
“When did you get so old?” I tease.
Roan smirks. “It’s called being an adult. You should try it sometime.”
“Trey and I,” I start, but my words die in my throat.
“Me and Roux went by and saw him today,” Jordy says. “Still looks good.”
As good as one can look, relying on machines to keep him alive. And it’s a lie. We all know it. I have been up there every single day since the accident. He doesn’t look good. Trey looks like shit. I watched him deteriorate over the past couple of months. All of his muscle tone is just melting off him. Rose keeps his hair cut and attempts to keep his facial scruff trimmed, but there’s only so much she can do with him in his situation.
The situation that doesn’t get any better.
Rose’s been looking at coffins. She thinks he’ll die soon. I nearly lost it when she told me she was starting to get things in order for when he dies. If it weren’t for Sonya being there, I would’ve lost my shit on an old lady.
“How’s the new place?” Roan asks, changing the subject once he senses my dark mood.
“Better than an apartment,” I admit. “Dad was renting it out and the assholes bailed, leaving the cabin to shit. I’ve spent the last week ripping up carpet that smells like cat piss. I tried for this cabin, but he wouldn’t let this one go.”
“’Cause this is our cabin,” Roan teases. “You don’t want all these assholes showing up at your house. Trust me.”
Speaking of assholes, some senior kids get in a fight. We all watch with mild interest as they beat the shit out of each other. Eventually, their friends tear them apart.
“Wannabe Hornets,” Jordy grumbles.
“No one could ever be us,” I agree. I just wish all of us were here.
“Charlotte looks good,” Roux pipes up, gaining my attention. “Now that she’s finally back from rehab, we’re going to go wedding dress shopping tomorrow.”
I arch my brow. “Do they even sell wedding dresses in the maternity shop?”
She sticks her tongue out, making her seem too young to be pregnant with dipshit Jordy’s baby. Fuck. When the hell did she grow up?
“Seriously,” Roan chimes in. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“I’m not the first woman to get pregnant before her wedding—”
“You’re not a woman,” Roan tosses back at her. “Girl. Little girl.”
Jordy smirks. “She’s not a little girl. Trust me.” He splays his hands over her belly and nuzzles her neck.
Gross.
Ignoring them, I think about the shit I’d read on the internet earlier. I fell down a rabbit hole of families whose comatose family member woke up. It was wishful thinking, but it gave me hope nonetheless. I even joined a group on social media to eavesdrop on all their success stories.
Headlights shine as someone comes up the road toward us. A few minutes later, several students holler with excitement as several guys join the fray. As soon as I see Ryan motherfucking Cunningham, I’m on my feet.
“Off my property, dickhead. You’re not welcome here,” I call out.
Jordy has shifted Roux to the seat and stands. Roan mirrors him. We’re a trio of we’ll fucking kill you if you come closer . Ryan wisely stays on the other side of the fire, his clan of idiots backing him up like they’re the shit.
“I’m looking for Char. Heard she’s back in town,” Ryan bellows. “I don’t want to stir up shit. Just want to see my girl.”
“She’s not your girl,” Roan snarls. “Go the fuck away.”
Ryan tenses, his hands fisting at his side. “Is she at home?”
“None of your business, asshole. Go before I call your daddy to tell him you’re trespassing.” I pin him with a fiery glare. “Better yet, maybe I should call my daddy and tell him you’re trespassing. He’s been looking to shoot a Cuntingham in the fucking face for years now.”
Jordy elbows me, a silent warning to calm the fuck down. I can’t, though. This guy pisses me off. I hate him. Hate his father. I want to ram my fist right through his teeth.
“Fucking losers,” Ryan barks out. “Come on. Let’s go.”
They leave and the tension floods out of me in a quick rush of air.
“I’ll call Garrett and warn him,” Roux says. “She’s doing too well to have him mess with her life again.”
While she calls Charlotte’s dad, I crack my neck, letting my gaze drag over each and every partygoer. Many are scared of us. Just one look in the eye and they break the stare. Most just want to be us. That’ll either help or hurt Sonya. Being a Hornet is mostly good, but sometimes it associates you with some bad shit. No matter what, though, I’m going to look after her. Since T is out, it’s up to me to keep our little cuz safe.
“Hey, Cal,” a familiar girl says, emerging from the shadows beyond the fire. “Missed you, baby.”
I frown, trying to remember who this girl is. “What’s up,” I greet coolly. It’s as polite as I have it in me to be.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, Tarrin,” Roux says after ending her call. “They’re all taken.”
I don’t correct her that I’m not.
“No one’s talking to you, slut,” Tarrin hisses at her.
Jordy shakes his head. “Get her, Little Hornet.”
“I’m not the slut here,” Roux bites back at her, fire in her tone. “I’ve slept with one man. How many have you fucked, Tarrin? Oh, that’s right, you can’t count that high. My bad.”
I start to laugh because pregnant Roux has fucking balls.
“Fuck you guys,” Tarrin spits out. “I was just going to blow Cal over here because he looks so pathetic without Trey. Excuse me for trying to cheer him the hell up.”
Pathetic?
Try destroyed.
Screw her.
“Go home, Tarrah.”
“It’s Tarrin—”
“Who the fuck cares?” I bark out. “You’re not going to come here and talk trash to my family.”
She turns on her heel, her black hair swooshing out behind her before storming back to her friends. I rub at the back of my neck and pace the porch. Am I really seen as pathetic? All because I miss my goddamn friend?
Fuck everyone.
I hop off the porch and start to stalk past the fire. Roan calls out after me. Ignoring him, I trek the three hundred feet or so through the woods to my cabin. By the time I reach the porch, Roan catches up to me.
“Cal, stop. Talk to me, man,” he pleads, his voice catching with emotion.
“What’s there to talk about?” I ask, swiveling around to face him. “The one thing I want to talk about, everyone wants to forget. So, unless you want to talk about how fucking pathetic I am for missing T, then go the fuck away.”
His throat bobs as he swallows and he shoots me a pained look. “Dude, I don’t want to forget him. I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I pray to fuck he’ll wake up because we need him. He’s our best friend.”
“No,” I shout. “You have Jordy. I had Trey. Now I have no one.” My voice cracks. I grit my teeth so hard they nearly crack from the pressure.
Roan walks right up to me, yanking me to him for a hug. “Shut the fuck up, Cal. You’re my best friend too. Don’t say shit like that.”
Guilt stabs at me, making me feel like a huge dick. “If he dies…” I trail off, squeezing my eyes shut so I don’t fucking cry.
“He won’t die,” Roan assures me, though he sounds uncertain. “He’s a fucking Hornet. We’re like roaches in the apocalypse. Invincible.”
I manage a laugh, shoving him away. “Only you would compare us to roaches.”
“Would you rather I call us Horn River rats instead?”
“Nah, your hubby has that title all for himself.”
“He fucking owns it too,” Roan says with a chuckle.
“Fucking weirdo,” I joke.
Roan grins a stupid, happy smile we never saw growing up. I’m jealous of his happiness, but thrilled to hell all the same. “Yeah, he’s a weirdo. My weirdo.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go slob your weirdo’s knob, asshole. I’m headed to bed. It’s my last weekend of freedom.”
“Monday starts adulthood, man. Next thing you know, you’ll be married.”
I roll my eyes and he laughs. “Can’t wait,” I deadpan.
He grows serious, gripping my shoulder. “When the time comes, I won’t even fight T on who’ll be the best man.”
His confidence that Trey will be there one day for my wedding does wonders for my mood.
“I’d kinda like to see you two douchebags fight it out,” I joke with a shrug.
“Everyone knows I can whip Trey’s ass.”
“Does Trey know this?” I snort out a laugh. It feels good talking about him. Remembering him as tough and a hellion like us.
“Trey’s grandma knows,” Roan says with an evil grin. “Someone had to kiss all his boo-boos when I beat him up all those times.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I dare you to talk shit to his face.”
“I’m going to one day. That’s a motherfucking promise.”