Chapter 10
Seb
I’m going on a bubble tea date with Kira—It’s not a date. Don’t get too excited—but I’m already excited. She doesn’t want anything. It’s too soon after dick face—I should’ve drawn a dick on his face after cutting his man bun off. All she needs is a friend. Be her friend—Red light!
I hit the brakes hard, and the front wheel of my bike screeched in protest, turning some heads as I came to a halt at the crosswalk. I gave the people watching a small wave.
Nothing could put me in a bad mood right now, not even their unappreciative stares after I had almost run the red light.
When the light turned green, I sped off again en route to Lana’s Café nestled in Bay Ridge.
Calm, calm, calm. Be calm.
I spotted Kira’s hair first as I pulled up to the curb several shops from the café with its pink umbrellas. The fiery red of her long curls was like a beacon in the crowd and the overcast day.
As she waited at a table, she had that vintage film camera of hers pointed up at the buildings across the street, taking photos of the detailed architecture and the pigeons sitting along the ledges.
It didn’t take her long to spot me either.
A breathtaking smile spread on her face as she waved me over. It took everything in me not to run to her. I was taking it slow. She also wasn’t aware of the effect she had on me, so it would be weird if I rushed at her.
She was wearing skintight jeans with an oversized olive-green sweater. Two bubble teas were already on the table.
Given the space between us as I left my bike, helmet tucked under my arm, we were in that awkward phase of being unable to say hello yet, but also being aware that we had spotted each other. So, she lifted her camera and aimed the lens at me. I grinned and threw up a peace sign.
As she put the camera away, and I was in earshot, trying to contain my excitement, she gestured to the drinks on the table. “There was a line, and I didn’t want to miss out because they have specials on today, so I ordered one I think you’ll like.”
“Honestly, I’d drink or eat anything you thought I’d like.” Reel it in, moron.
I knew I wore my heart on my sleeve, but this was ridiculous. She needed a friend, not someone batting their eyelashes at her because she had pretty hair and a smile that might end me.
Kira let out a little laugh, one that wrinkled the bridge of her nose, and I took the seat across from her.
“Okay,” she began, pushing one of the drinks in my direction. “Moment of truth; will Sebastian enjoy The Tea?”
I considered the drink, feigning seriousness as I pretended to study its weight, height, and straw closely. Kira grinned as I did.
When I took the first sip, she waited in silence, holding her breath as she raised her eyebrows in anticipation. Me enjoying this drink was important to her. And I did enjoy it. Not just the drink, as the flavors exploded in my mouth, but her company too.
“Consider my mind blown, Kira.” I had another mouthful of the drink. “I don’t think my taste buds have tasted anything better.”
This earned me another smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear. It also brought a light tinge of pink to her face.
I cleared my throat and averted my gaze to the crowded sidewalk.
With people milling about or bustling by, the space around our table was quickly disappearing in the hustle.
I glanced at Kira to see that she seemed to think the same thing, especially when someone accidentally knocked our table with their laptop bag as they passed.
“Maybe we could walk and talk?” she suggested, already gathering her things and her drink.
“Good idea.”
We walked slowly, finishing our drinks with nowhere to get to in a hurry as we talked about anything and everything.
Plants, music, hobbies, and fears. Kira loved nature but was weirded out by most things with more than four legs — she was learning to appreciate spiders since discovering jumping spider videos.
She already knew I disliked needles — the tattoo of my niece’s initials beneath my bicep was my only exception to facing that fear — but she didn’t know about my passion, outside basketball, of gaming and collecting old records.
“You know, I’m surprised, considering what you do for Antonio, needles are the thing that scares you,” she teased lightly as we discarded our empty cups into a trash can.
“Well, it’s not the only thing. Deep water? No thanks.” I shuddered but moved on. “Anyway, he doesn’t have me doing that many jobs for him. It was mostly the fighting… Still is.”
“I take it that meeting you had last night meant you’d be starting again?”
“Yeah...” I glanced at her and debated how much I should reveal, but my mouth got the better of me, and I let the words flow.
I explained the reason we were fighting again — Antonio’s twisted plan to get back at his kids for allegedly burning down his club, The Den — and how the loyal fighters who remained with him were now his eyes and ears.
“At least I don’t have to wear a wire.” The words left my mouth before I could process them. Kira was easy to talk to; she made me feel content, but I had revealed too much. “I wasn’t meant to say that.”
Kira was perplexed as she frowned. “Who’s wearing a wire?”
“Uh—”
“Seb.” She lightly jabbed my rib with her elbow. Her eyes lit with curiosity. “Who?”
“It’s a police thing— You know what, Imma shut my mouth now.”
“It’s Dean, isn’t it. He’s wearing the wire.”
I only looked at her, trying to keep my expression neutral.
“It makes sense. Lily’s dad is a detective, and Dean has access to Antonio. And Antonio’s kids. Dean is the closest source her dad has.”
I ran a hand over my head with a sigh. “No one else is supposed to know about it.”
She gently gripped my arm, smiling reassuringly. “I won’t say anything. I promise. Anyway, I kept Lily’s secret pretty well.”
My eyebrow lifted. “What secret does she have?”
“If it were still a secret, I wouldn’t tell you. But, considering it’s mostly out in the open… It was hiding that she worked at The Den and was seeing Dean.”
I sighed heavily. “You know, for a second, I thought you meant she was pregnant. Because that would be some secret.”
She hummed and looked ahead. “Do you think she’s doing okay?”
“Lily? I mean, I guess. You do live with her, though, so you’d know better than me.”
“I should, but sometimes I get so caught up in moving forward, getting better… I don’t want to leave her behind.
And I know she is still healing. We all heal at our own pace, especially after what we’ve been through…
” Kira brought her eyes to me. “I was part of the reason she was shot. If I hadn’t texted her that day—”
“Ookay, let's not do that.” I stopped walking and faced her. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors thinking like that. Look at all the work you’ve done for yourself in that group.
You don’t need that going to waste… Lily has got her own thing going on, and yes, you do need to communicate with her that you’re concerned, but you also shouldn’t blame yourself for what’s done and past. It’ll drive you crazy.
” I offered her a faint smile. “And then I’ll have to be the one defending the crazy girl because she cared too much. ”
Kira finally cracked a smile again, and the worried lines between her eyebrows faded. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Make me feel better so easily.” A cool breeze spiraled through the gap between us, catching her hair as it went.
“Good upbringing?” I shrugged.
Something wet dripped onto my cheek. And then again, followed by several more wet drops.
I looked up just as more raindrops fell, covering the sidewalk quickly in a glossy sheen.
Kira and I started in a run for shelter, laughing as we did when the rain soaked through our clothes. The few trees planted along the curb provided little cover, so we aimed for the stoop of an apartment.
In the process of running blind through the sheets of rain pelting our faces, I heard a faint crack and glanced down. My phone had slipped from the pocket of my jacket. Not only had it landed in a puddle, but there was now a fracture right across the screen.
“Oh no!” Kira exclaimed. Her curls hung heavy and damp around her face as she watched me pick up the phone.
“Come on. We’re gonna drown in this.” I nodded toward the stoop of the closest brownstone, and we headed up the stairs. I leaned against its door, examining my broken phone with my helmet tucked under my arm again. I wouldn’t be making any texts or calls for a while if I couldn’t turn it on.
“So,” Kira began, holding out her hand to catch raindrops. “What’s the origin story of how Seb became a fighter?”
I half smiled, putting my phone away.
“Well… It was the easiest and fastest way to make money. The original plan was to save up and be the first of the Cook kids to get to college. Make a single mom proud. But that kinda fell through... Are you sure you want the full story?”
Kira looked toward the sky and the rain. “We might be here a while anyway.”
“Alright, origin story. Let's see…” I rubbed my jaw in thought. “I never met my dad. I barely finished high school. My first job was mowing lawns and washing cars, and then I worked in a fast-food restaurant until I lost that job for snacking on the job.” I glanced at her to check she was still interested in hearing all of this. Sure enough, Kira was listening with her full attention. “One day, I was playing basketball with a few friends when a fight broke out with the other team over something stupid. I’d never liked to resolve things with my fists, but we’d gone past the point of talking it through.
Some of Antonio’s men happened to be scouting for new fighters at the time and noticed me pretty quickly.
I accepted just as fast when I heard of how easy it was to make money.
It meant giving my family a secure life for once.