Chapter 1 #2
Austin broke away first. And that stung. Worse, he apologized to me. For once, I didn’t want to be Pinner’s girl. Or a childhood friend. I wanted to be a woman, falling deeply and madly in lust with a man ten thousand leagues more beautiful than I was.
It took an act of will to be professional and take down Austin’s information so he could start work. Sprout escorted him out, showing him around the site, and introducing him to the crew. And I wasn’t eavesdropping out the window. I wasn’t.
I’d almost recovered my sanity and managed to get a head start on documenting the variables for the personnel shift Sprout requested, when the screen door slammed against the side of the trailer, and the main door did that whoosh-sucking thing a finely sealed frame should.
“Mamasistah!”
I cringed. Lily had been calling me that since she was eight. It was cute then. Once she turned fifteen it took on a flavor. And now that she was an adult, it was a reminder of my failures.
“Have you seen that man crop of hotness out there? Who is the tall, dreamy, and deadly newbie? Dibs!”
That would be Austin. I know she wasn’t talking about Sprout. He wasn’t deadly. Just tall.
I greeted my half-sister, “I thought you had work?”
“I do, tonight. I uh… need gas money though.”
Why don’t you ask your mother for it? I squashed that thought down. And the next one that maliciously replied, “because dear old mom smoked it up.”
“Pleeeeeeese, bestest half-sister of mine? Pretty please?”
“I’m your only half-sister.”
“Still, the best.” Lily flashed me a brilliant smile. It was so sweet and not devious at all. It was kind of magical how she could do that when I knew there was much more to her request. Yet, sucker that I was, I asked, “How much do you need?”
“Only forty. I hope that’s okay?” She looked down, then back up at me through her fading dyed-black hair. It was naturally honey blonde. Perhaps lighter than that. I hadn’t seen the real color since she was ten.
“I can do forty.” I reached for my purse.
“I get paid Friday, I’m good for it.”
No, she wasn’t. By Friday she’d either forget she owed me money, or a new catastrophe would hit. “How’s the new job?”
“Ah, it sucks, like all jobs do. You’re so lucky Sprout keeps busy here. Can you put in a good word for me? Maybe-please?”
Instead of answering, because I made the mistake of asking already, I dug faster for my wallet. “Are you sure forty is going to be enough to tide you over?”
“Absolutely.”
She was lying. I didn’t push. Instead, I pulled out three twenties. “Here, make sure you eat. And if you want, stop by the house for dinner tonight so you have a cushion. I’m working from home the rest of the week.” If there was food at her mother’s house, it was expired and potentially deadly.
Lily took the money and hugged me. She smelled faintly of cigarettes, as her clothes trapped the odor despite me never catching her smoking. I tried to not let it worry me. “You are the best sister ever, thank you!”
I tried. She didn’t make it an easy task.
“And you are the prettiest, warmest, greatest sister.” I infused my words with positivity, because I knew she needed them.
It wasn’t easy for her. We were nine years and different mothers apart.
Things weren’t great with my father and mother, but Lily was proof of his cheating that my mother couldn’t ignore.
No sooner than I found out I was going to have a baby sister, my mom packed everything that would fit into two suitcases and dragged me to Hawaii where her parents lived.
I’d only ever known Skilletsville, Pennsylvania.
With its bikers and small-town backwater roots.
Hawaii was her home, her heritage. Dad and the Destroyers were mine.
I missed them, my home, and the sister I never got to hold.
Nine years later, I moved back to Pennsylvania.
I enrolled in a community college nearby, lived in the basement of Dad’s little ranch house, and took care of Lily after her mother almost got her killed the first time.
Unfortunately, Dad had to split custody.
If things had been different, Lily would have turned out better. And Dad would still be free.
Every chance I got, I tried to repair the damage I couldn’t prevent.
Tears gathered at the inside edges of Lily’s eyes. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Yes, you do. You are the most awesome person ever.”
She shook her head. “Nope.” Quickly she turned around so I wouldn’t see her swipe at her eyes.
“Hey, wow. Is that guy naked?” Lily leaned to peer out the window.
I would not look, I would not…
“Holy shit, he’s bending over. Fuck me, that ass is worthy of framing.” She held her hands up, fingers and thumbs squared off to gawk.
“Lily!”
She sighed and turned from the window. “When are you going to give into the dark side and fuck someone?”
I covered my ears. “You’re not old enough to talk like that.”
“Bullshit. I turned eighteen last month. Legal in every US state. And you’re what? Eighty?”
“Lily!”
She stuck out her tongue. “Got ya!” She pulled a twenty from her hand out and handed it back. “Ask that new beefcake out there to lunch. On me.”
That was my money. I pushed it back. “That wouldn’t be appropriate, I work here.” Besides, I heard her call dibs.
“God, you’re such a stickler for the rules. It’s hard to believe we’re related. If you won’t ask him, I’ll ask him myself.”
“Ask who?” For an obscenely tall person, Sprout moved like a ninja.
“That beefcake out there. The one Poppy’s been staring at through the window for the last ten minutes.”
Sprout snorted. “I saw your nose plastered against the glass, so I call bullshit. Don’t you have a job or something?”
“Fucking work. When are you going to tell Wolf to hire me at the strip club? I’m eighteen.”
“That would be when your dad says you can. Which will be…hum… never. Better haul your butt out of here and leave my men alone. Pinner will kick my ass if you get knocked up by a biker. Then Poppy’ll finish the job.”
“FYI, I have an IUD. I can’t get knocked up.”
“Thank God,” I muttered.
“What was that?” Lily glared around Sprout.
“Gah…Both of you stop! This is a construction site.” Sprout covered his ears. “La la la… not listening to chick talk.”
I winked at Lily. She nodded back.
“Taylor Swift…” I said.
“Tampons…” Lily added.
“Menopause…”
“Aaaack!” Sprout exited the office as if the hounds of hell were on his ass.
“High five.” Lily held her hand up, and I slapped it.
“Sisters forever,” I replied.
“Hell yeah. Forever. Nothing’s going to tear us apart,” Lily vowed.
Not if I could help it.