Chapter Twenty-One #2
Pulling up to Taleah’s house, I park my bike right in front of the garage that’s not attached to her house.
I didn’t even notice it before because I could see the commotion going on inside her house and needed to know what was going on.
To ensure Taleah was safe. I just didn’t expect to walk into her home and find her standing over a beaten and bound TJ in the middle of her living room.
I walk to the door of her home and hear music playing from inside.
It’s not loud enough to disturb her neighbors, but it tells me everything I need to know.
Taleah doesn’t always work in the house with music playing.
She’s more likely to have some show streaming on her TV instead.
One she’s watched a million times and knows by heart.
The only time she plays music is when she’s upset or scared and the shows she watches aren’t doing anything to help her.
She’s lost in her head about TJ showing up at her new house and I wonder if she’s really going to stay here or if she’ll move again.
I don’t blame her for either choice she makes and will do what I can to support her.
I knock on the door and listen as she moves around in the house slowly.
“It’s me, Doll,” I call out, hoping she can hear me and listen as her steps quicken and the door is unlocked before being flung open fast and hard.
“What are you doing back here, Rex?” she asks though I can see the relief on her face as her shoulders slump and she looks up at me with wide eyes.
Right now, they’re a darker blue than normal and the green around the center is present so I know she’s been crying.
Even if her face wasn’t covered in red streaks, that’s her tell when she’s cried even for a few seconds.
“Thought you could use the help unpackin’ and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be alone in the house after everythin’ that happened earlier,” I answer her honestly. “I can help you unpack if you want and just be in the house so you’re not alone.”
“I’d like the help. I was looking for my ladder and can’t find it.
Did you guys bring it back?” she asks, stepping aside so I can move into the house with her.
I close and lock the door behind me and head for the kitchen.
“It’s in here. Count thought you’d need it to put your dishes away because you’re on the short side. ”
Taleah glares at me because she hates being called short even though it’s the truth.
My girl barely stands over five feet tall and usually wears heels or wedges to make herself appear taller.
The only time we were ever able to get her out of them was when she was on the bike.
My sister is the same way and we always joked about their height when we were younger.
“Very funny, Rex,” she says, taking the ladder from me and moving into the living room where the fireplace is located. “I’ll get Count back for that one way or another.”
“So, I saw somethin’ strange today. I stopped at the garage on my way here and saw your brother’s bike.
I didn’t realize you still had it and rode it alone now,” I say, grabbing a box of dishes and setting them on the counter because I know Taleah will want them washed before they’re put away.
It’s what she’s always said from the time we were young.
Even when her parents bought new things, they had to be washed before anyone could use them.
“Yeah. I was out riding and it just died on me. I had just put gas in it before taking off so I know that’s not the problem.
A couple days ago I went and took care of the chain, checked the tires, and did everything else Bhodi showed me when you guys were taking care of the bikes.
You two taught me how to do all the work so that’s what I’ve been doing.
Hopefully they can find the problem because I won’t get rid of the bike.
That will be with me until it no longer runs.
Even then I won’t get rid of it,” she answers me, measuring the wall over the fireplace and making two marks.
“They’ll get it runnin’ again and you’ll be able to ride it.
Link will more than likely do the work on it with the help from Reckless if he needs it,” I tell her as she grabs the hammer and a poster hanger from the mantel beneath her.
She’s leaning and the ladder is balanced precariously.
Taleah never pays attention to things like this when she’s focusing on something that needs to be taken care of.
“I hope so. This is the first major problem the bike has had since Bhodi owned it. I just want to continue to honor him by riding it and living out the life he wanted to have,” she says and I catch her voice breaking but don’t call her out on it because she has every right to be emotional when she’s talking about her brother.
“Just give them some time. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me,” I inform her as I watch her hang up the poster frames filled with her brother’s football jerseys. “So, you’re gonna stay here this time? You’re not gonna let what happened with TJ force you out of the house you just bought?”
“No, I’m not. This is my home and he was only here for a few minutes.
TJ didn’t ruin anything for me because I fought back and got the better of him.
He didn’t win, Rex. But if I move again and sell this house, he will.
TJ doesn’t deserve to win anything. He’s taken so much from me and I refuse to allow him to take anything else,” she responds, focusing on the work she’s currently doing.
“Good. I was hopin’ you would keep this house. It’s really nice and perfect for you,” I tell her and find myself meaning the words.
Taleah gets off the ladder once they’re hung up and checks to make sure they’re straight and even.
When she’s satisfied, I watch out of the corner of my eye as she places the championship football in the center of them.
Two pictures of him go up next. One has the four of us in it with our bikes sitting behind us.
The second one is just him. It’s one of his senior pictures as he sits on his bike in front of the lake in the next town over.
This is Taleah’s shrine to her brother and she has the right to have one when he was so important to her as they grew up mostly alone.
He was her best friend, protector, brother, and someone she truly looked up to.
I felt the same way about him because Taleah’s brother was one of the best men I’ve ever known.
No one will ever replace him for either one of us.