Chapter Ten #2
I nod, though my mind keeps spinning. “Did he say what it could be a symptom of?”
She chuckles softly. “No. And I honestly don’t think we need to worry, Mercs. I’m fine. You worry too much.” She nudges me playfully, which does absolutely nothing to calm the tension sitting in my chest.
Maybe I do worry too much.
But isn’t that part of loving someone?
“So,” she continues lightly. “What are we going to do today?”
Some of the tightness in my shoulders eases.
Maybe she is okay.
Maybe it really was a one-off.
I need to breathe. I need to stop expecting the worst and enjoy the fact that she’s sitting beside me, alive and smiling in my hometown.
Then a strange grating noise drags my attention left, and Effa and I both look up at the same time.
Andi and Casey are barreling toward us at an alarming speed.
Effa bursts into laughter. “It’s nice to see the cousins out and about.”
The noise finally clicks when I notice the roller skates strapped to their feet.
“Holy shit! How did I let you talk me into this?” Casey shouts as she picks up speed, her arms flailing wildly as if she has lost complete control. Andi glides beside her, laughing so hard she’s practically in tears, her aqua hair looking a hell of a lot better than the black she had not long ago.
“Effa… help!” Casey yells.
Effa springs to her feet and races down the stairs just in time to catch Casey before she plows into the bandstand. They collide in a heap of giggles, Effa steadying her friend while I head down as Andi rolls in smoothly, turning sideways in a surprisingly controlled stop.
“See? I told you this would be fun, Case. Fresh air, weird town folk… what more could you want?” Andi teases.
“It is nice to be out,” Casey admits breathlessly, clinging to Effa. “Even if I can’t get the hang of these fucking death traps.”
Effa is glowing, the happiest I’ve seen her since she woke up from the coma. Watching her laugh like that makes something inside me unclench.
“Where did you find the skates?” she asks.
Andi shrugs. “Some kid had them. I asked if we could borrow them. I wanted to get Case out of the Inn and into the sun… well, what little sun we’ve got. Plus, I wanted to explore the square. This place is cute as hell.”
Effa nods enthusiastically. “There’s an aura here, right? The energy is so…”
“Peaceful,” Casey finishes.
They all share that look, and I grin because I get it.
“I don’t know why you ever wanted to leave here, Mercs,” Andi says.
“That’s because when you grow up here, you know everyone. And when you know everyone, you can’t escape anyone.”
They nod knowingly.
“Well, I’m glad you left,” Andi says, bumping my shoulder. “Our bubble girl wouldn’t be happy without you.”
I glance at Effa and smile. “I’m glad I left too. It’s nice coming home, but I love being on tour with you girls more.”
Effa loops her arm through mine as Casey suddenly sniffs the air.
“Do you smell that?” she demands.
I frown. “Smell what?”
“Cheesesteaks. Fuck, yes,” she declares, taking off on her skates and nearly toppling over in the process.
Andi laughs. “Guess we’re getting cheesesteaks. Catch you later!”
“Bye,” Effa and I call together as we watch them roll off.
She settles beside me again, practically glowing. I take her hand, and she studies me with that open, honest smile that undoes me every time.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” I say.
She raises a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“I want you to know, without any doubt, that the way you treated Jett, your friendship with him, none of that led to what he did. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
Her gaze drops, and she swallows. “You heard that?”
“I did. And I suspected you might be thinking that way. That’s part of why I brought you here… to face it. But we both have to let go of Jett and what he did. He’s the one who made that choice. Definitely not you.”
She looks up sharply. “You think you’re to blame?”
“I kept pushing him. Kept telling him you were mine. Maybe he wanted to make me pay. But if we keep dissecting it and blaming ourselves, it’ll destroy us. He’s out of our lives, for good. It’s just you and me, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again, Vespa. That I promise you.”
She smiles softly. “I believe you, Kaden. I don’t want to live my life thinking about that asshole. Let’s make a pact… from today on, we wipe him from our minds.”
I pull her into me, our legs brushing. “Agreed. He’s gone. We move forward, together. I see good things for us, Effa.”
She rests her head against my shoulder. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
“So… what’s next?”
I straighten slightly. “I wanna show you all the hot spots this town has to offer.”
“Sounds epic.”
“Oh, it will be.” I lift my brows suggestively.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, still smiling, until I see the name on the screen.
Vex.
My stomach drops, a cold ripple sliding over my skin. I subtly angle the phone away from Effa and swipe the message open.
Vex: Mercs, your debt is owed. You need to think about your options, son. Soon there won’t be any options left. Choose wisely…
A bead of sweat forms at my temple despite the cool air. Getting involved with Vex and that Sportshark app wasn’t my smartest move. I told myself it was temporary, a necessity, and I was using it for the right reasons. But that doesn’t matter now.
Because the debt is real.
And it’s due.
“You okay? You look weird,” Effa says, studying me.
I lock my expression down and force a grin before shoving the phone back into my pocket. “I’m fine.”
She narrows her eyes. “Who was the text from?”
“Tank. He’s asking where to get pie. Why’s everyone so damn hungry around here?” I joke, standing and wiping my damp palms on my jeans.
She stands beside me, rubbing the back of her neck. “Kammie’s?”
“You bet.” I nod quickly. “C’mon, I’ll show you the place I carved my name into when I was a kid.”
Her eyes light up. “Ooh, secrets. Where?”
“In a barricade at Fort Ligonier. Total badass move.”
She gasps. “Isn’t that a war history site?”
“Yep, part of the gateway for the French, Indian, and Pontiac’s War. I etched my name into the woodwork. But no one knows except Shane and me. You’d have to really look to find it.”
She laughs, slipping her hand into mine as we head back toward the house to grab the car. As we walk, she is bouncing beside me, carefree and excited.
All thoughts of the message have erased from her mind.
But not from mine.
Vex wants his money.
And I have no idea how I’m supposed to come up with that kind of cash when the tour’s on hold and there’s no income coming in. I’m going to have to think fast. Because if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I don’t want a bookie sniffing around me, or anywhere near the people I care about.
Vex isn’t a man you ignore.
One stupid, weak decision…
And now I’m buried in it.
Fuck.