Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Sutton
Gliding away from Gemini and the guys, I portray a woman who’s calm and collected for onlookers, but on the inside, I’m steaming mad.
Who does he think he is? And since when did he start judging people?
More specifically, me. He was always a person I looked up to and admired the most, but right now, I wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire.
“Who was that and what was that about?” Skippy asks as I slide into the booth opposite of her. Thankfully, my back is to them so I’m not forced to look into his opinionated eyes.
“Someone I thought I knew back in the day,” I answer, being aloof, hoping it’ll appease her nosiness so I don’t have to go into more detail.
But I should’ve known better. Skippy has the personality of a curious cat and once she sinks her claws into something, she doesn’t release them until that curiosity has been pacified.
She snorts before giving me a lackluster look, one that digs in deep and holds me hostage. “That’s it? Someone you thought you knew and that’s all you’ve got to say about it? That’s kinda lame, Sutton. I thought we were building a beautiful friendship.”
“We are,” I defensively say. “Are you ready to lay all of our skeletons out on the table and examine them bone by bone?”
“It’s one way to get to know one another faster,” she states, dipping a chip into the hot sauce before fanning her mouth and uttering, “Watch out, that’s got a kick to it.”
I sigh because my past brings up many painful memories, but then again, maybe sharing what I went through with Skippy will exorcise them once and for all and I’ll no longer be bound in my head at least by the Sutton from years ago.
“Well, where should I begin?” I ask.
“The beginning is always the best place,” she replies. “How about this, you show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”
“That sounds like a line from a cheesy romance book,” I tease. She giggles then pins me with the kind of stare that lets me know I’m not getting out of telling her about my painful past.
“Come on, do I need to order you a margarita to get you to loosen your lips?” she asks. “I mean, they don’t actually have their liquor license, but we can always get our food to go, hit up the liquor store then head to your place.”
I think about her offer; it might just take alcohol to get through that myriad of memories.
“Deal,” I finally say. “Let’s conquer and divide, though.
I’ll go get the fixings for margaritas, you get the tacos and we’ll meet at the car as soon as we’re both done.
I’ve got a man to pick a bone with first.”
Standing, I toss down some money to cover our food and stomp my way out the door, ignoring the low murmurs coming from the table of bikers. I have only one on my mind right now and my thoughts are not pleasant at all.
When I see him sitting in his truck, my first instinct is to rush over there, however, I don’t want to slip on the sidewalk.
Instead, I walk with intention until I’m next to his driver’s side door and knock on the window, drawing his attention.
He rolls down the window and I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“Just what the hell was that about?” I question, anger lacing my tone.
“What was what about?” he parries back. “I merely said that the Sutton I knew years ago was a different person, is all. You weren’t a hard ass back then, and from what I know about those in risk management, they usually have balls of steel.”
“Well, guess I grew up some while in college,” I sneer.
“Sutton Alexander, the Sutton Alexander you knew in school died the day she was hit with that bucket of blood during graduation. While it was upsetting, it gave me the impetus to make some much-needed changes in my life, Gemini. I may not be who you thought I was any longer, but I actually like myself now. I don’t take anyone’s shit, I put boundaries in place in everything I do, and having a reminder like you around isn’t good at all.
What are you doing here anyhow? Last I knew, you and your whole family were well-established in our hometown with their club. ”
“Yeah, well, everyone but me, Mercury, Orion, and Pisces, as well as the aunts, are dead,” he states, his voice monotone. I can see the pain etched in his eyes and what he just said has shocked me to my core, to be honest.
Because those men and women pulled me into their world, albeit briefly, on graduation day. The women were kind and soothing, something I wouldn’t have gotten at home, and the men were out for blood as if I was one of their own.
“I… I’m sorry, Gemini, I didn’t know,” I stammer. “All the aunts are good?”
He chuckles but there’s no humor behind it.
“Yeah, they bought a couple of those huge ass RVs and are driving around the country. We were still in Texas but got an offer we couldn’t really refuse to become part of the Kings of Anarchy and take over the club up here. Now, how did you end up in Montana?”
“Got a job offer I couldn’t refuse,” I reply. “Money was good and I’ve gotta eat, so I came here. Is this going to be an issue with us living in the same town?”
I figure I need to know and asking is the best way to get the answers I seek.
“Not for me,” he says. “I never had an issue with you Sutton, in fact, I thought of you as one of my friends. We might not have hung out, but I always had your back, as did my cousins.”
My smile is small as memories flit through my brain about times when he or one of his cousins would step in and stop someone from treating me like shit just because they could.
“Would’ve been nice to have friends that would’ve spoken to me back then,” I point out.
“I did talk to you back then, Sutton,” he argues. “The guys and I are the reason you didn’t have to watch your back as much as you would’ve if we hadn’t given you a head’s up.”
“You gave me warnings, Gemini. We didn’t have true conversations until that last day,” I remind him, gulping past the lump in my throat as once again, those memories resurface.
Then I remember how we talked about a certain movie, though it was more in reference to one of the characters and comparing her to one of our classmates.
“I take it back, we had one conversation that lasted longer than three seconds.”
“We didn’t have a lot in common, Sutton. I had a lot going on at home and wasn’t worried about forming friendships.”
“If anyone gets that, it’s me,” I remind him. “Parents who didn’t give a shit and a grandmother who treated me like I was a nuisance. At least you had your cousins, aunts, and uncles to rant to. I had four walls and book boyfriends, that was it.”
He smirks and I know something ridiculous is about to come out of his mouth. “You never asked for a pity party back then, Sutton. Would you like one now?”
A grin spreads across my face. Two can play that game. “Depends, will there be cake and ice cream at this party?”
He barks out a laugh before saying, “Touché, Sutton. If you want cake and ice cream, we don’t have to throw a party. That’s a typical Friday night at the clubhouse.”
“Pisces still has that sweet tooth, huh?” I inquire, remembering how I never saw him without a candy bar or some other sort of sweet treat in his mouth as he walked down the hallways.
“There are some things a person never grows out of,” he remarks. “How are you really doing, Sutton?”
“Well, right now, I’m freezing to death.
If you want to catch up, can we do it another time when we can be indoors and have the heater running?
” I suggest before wrapping my arms around my chest to try and keep my bones from shivering.
It’s that damn cold. That’s one thing I can say I miss about my home state, even during the winter season we could still wear shorts three out of the four weeks.
“Works for me, gotta head to the bowling alley, do you wanna tag along?” he asks.
“Do they have a liquor license?” I question. “Because I was on my way to get margarita fixings while Skippy gets our food. Since I rode with her, she can just meet me there.”
“They do but you’ll definitely have to pick up stuff to make your drinks because there’s a blender, I think, but mostly beer and wine are served. Come on, hop in, text your friend, and we’ll go get what you need.”
I don’t think twice; Gemini has always captivated me and even though Bryan destroyed my notions of a happily ever after, there’s no reason not to reconnect with one of the few bright spots in my life.
* * *
“Wait, they did what?” Skippy shrieks as I relay the events of graduation day. “Holy fucking hell.”
“They did, but my dad called the cops on them and every single one of the kids who was involved was arrested,” Mercury says.
“Hell, they even had to pay fines to get the gymnasium floor redone because the shit they used ruined it. The superintendent was pissed, they weren’t allowed to graduate with the class and had to complete six months of community service before they received their diplomas in the mail. ”
“Yeah, Uncle Jed was a fucking pistol, wasn’t he?” Pisces muses. “Sure miss those guys.”
Skippy leans over the tabletop, and I know her interest has been piqued. “So what, you guys didn’t talk again after that day? That blows, you know.”
“We went our separate ways and did our own thing,” I defend. “I went to college, reinvented myself, learned some hard life lessons, and graduated. The end.”
“Nooo… not the end,” Skippy whines, adamantly shaking her head. “That’s a horrible cliffhanger.”
“Welcome to my life,” I snort before laughing. “Parents who couldn’t be bothered with their only child, a grandparent who dressed me like I was a homeless servant, and no friends to count on. Let’s hope the saga doesn’t continue.”
“It won’t,” Gemini quickly asserts. “This is a whole new chapter… for all of us. This time, we get to write the manuscript and choose our happily ever afters.”
“Damn, brother. That was deep,” Orion says, pretending to wipe a non-existent tear from underneath his eye. “You should be writing sonnets and shit.”
Leaning over, I bump shoulders with Skippy, informing her, “In case you didn’t figure it out, that’s the class clown. Always has been and always will be.”
“The ladies love it, Sutton,” Orion insists, running his hands over his torso. “There’s a lot of me to love.”
“Yeah, a lot of bullshit,” Skippy teases.
“Damn, she’s only just met you and she’s already got your number,” Pisces adds. Looking at Skippy, he says, “You remember that if he turns his Casanova ways in your direction.”
Skippy scoffs then replies, “Yeah, well, better men have tried and failed. My standards are high and not everyone gets an invitation into my world.”
“Noted,” Orion states, a suspicious gleam in his eye. My eyes widen because I know Orion, and Skippy just gave him the challenge of a lifetime. This is not going to end well.