Thirty-Five
Levi
Justin’s goofy smile greets me from where he leans against the hood of his truck as soon as I pull into the gravel lot of the shop. I bring my truck to a stop next to him, cutting it a little close on purpose just to mess with him. I laugh when he jumps back and shoots me a horrified look.
“Were you trying to run me over?” he asks incredulously when I hop out of the driver’s seat and circle the front of the truck as he unloads his duffel bag from his passenger seat.
“Just figured I’d keep you on your toes, old man,” I tease, and he shoots me a scowl over his shoulder.
“We’re the same age. If I’m old, you’re old.” His tone sounds annoyed, but the look on his face is anything but. This is the nature of our friendship, and I couldn’t imagine one without the incessant teasing and borderline bullying we dish out to each other.
Growing up together had us spending countless days over the years forming a bond that is more akin to brothers than friends.
We’ve been there through it all. The awkward high school years, the breakups, the drunken nights at Joe’s.
Justin is a man whose friendship and loyalty I will never take for granted.
Half the time, I’m convinced he’s wiser than me. Not that I’d ever tell him that.
“Yeah, yeah. Get your ass moving, Hadley. I ain’t got all day,” I say.
He grumbles something under his breath, but I don’t catch it before he’s tossing his bag into the back seat of my truck. I climb back into the driver’s seat to wait for him, drumming my fingers against the steering wheel to the beat of the old country song playing on the radio.
I check my phone while I wait, eager to see if Oakley has texted me. I know it’s only been a half hour or so since I left the house, but I’m missing her already. There’s nothing from her, but there is a picture waiting for me from Jessie.
I open the message and grin at the photo of my cousin with her arm wrapped around Bandit’s neck, the two of them smiling up at the camera.
Jessie
Reunited with my favorite hiking buddy! I’ll send you a picture from the top.
I smile down at my phone as the passenger door slams shut behind Justin. I type out a quick reply before tossing the phone into the cup holder. When I look up at my best friend, I do a double take, trying and failing not to laugh.
“Dude what the hell is that?”
“What’s what?” he asks innocently as he buckles his seatbelt.
“That plushy thing around your neck. Is that… Are you wearing a neck pillow?”
Justin narrows his eyes at me, glaring with his arms crossed over his chest. He looks so ridiculous, with that thing around his neck and the pout etched into his features, that I burst into another fit of laughter.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but we have a long drive, and I slept like shit last night. I don’t want to get a crick in my neck.”
I throw the truck into drive and head for the exit to the main road, hoping that the sooner we leave, the sooner I can get back home to Oakley. “Don’t let any of the guys hear you say that. They’ll never let you hear the end of it.”
“Whatever, man. When you’re complaining that your neck is bothering you, I don’t want to hear it,” he sing-songs.
“You are way too excited for someone who is literally going to work.”
“I love road trips.” He shrugs, the pillow jostling with the movement. “Why are you so grumpy this morning?”
“I’m not grumpy.”
“Yeah, you are,” he argues. “Come on, tell me all about it. We’ve got nothing but time.” He makes a show of turning in his seat and folding his hands in his lap, patiently waiting for me to spill.
We pass the town limits, speeding out of North Creek like we’ve got the devil on our tail, and I merge onto the highway shortly after.
It’s overcast today, the gray clouds mostly covering the sky, with pops of blue peeking out here and there.
The sun even manages to show its light every once in a while.
It’s nowhere near the hot summer days we’ve been having, but fall in the mountains is my favorite.
Today feels like the first day of autumn, and I’m jealous of the girls and Bandit for getting to hike. I wish I could join them.
Justin clears his throat, looking at me expectantly. He waves his hand in front of me, a plea for me to start talking. “You’re stuck with me for the next three and a half hours. Don’t make it weird.”
“Says the man wearing a pillow as an accessory,” I grumble before sighing, not sure where to start or how much to tell him about last night.
I guess the beginning is the best place.
“Oakley saw what happened with Layla at the bar last night. Well, not the part where I pushed her off of me, just the part where she was sitting in my lap.”
Justin lets out a low whistle, removing the neck pillow and running his fingers through his hair. “Shit. Alright, so what did she say?”
“She was pissed.” I get it, though. If I saw another man hanging all over her the way Layla was with me, there’s no telling what I would do.
“I mean, maybe it’s a good thing that she got mad.”
“How do you figure?”
“Isn’t it obvious? She was jealous.”
I nod in agreement.
“I know, but I don’t want anything I do to make her feel insecure or like she can’t trust me.
I mean, we talked about it when we got home, and I think we’re on the same page now, but I still don’t like that I made her feel that way.
” What I don’t say is that I don’t ever want to make her feel the way her ex made her feel, or the way my dad made my mom feel.
“Okay, first of all, you didn’t do anything.
You didn’t invite Layla over, and you certainly didn’t initiate anything or send her any signals that would make it seem like you wanted her hanging all over you.
So stop taking the blame for someone else’s actions.
Second, and I know you probably don’t want me to bring this up, but you’re my best friend, and I’m going to say it whether you like it or not. You are not your father.”
This right here is why I love Justin. We can joke around and pick on each other until we’re both breathless with laughter, but when push comes to shove, he’s not a fair-weather friend.
The man sitting next to me has pretty much seen it all.
He’s seen me at my absolute lowest, and not once has he ever made me feel like less of a man for needing a little help along the way.
His words are something he’s said countless times over the years, but he’s never complained, not once, at having to repeat himself.
I don’t know anyone else who’s willing to constantly provide the same validation over and over again.
“I know.”
“Sooo… how did it go when you got home? Was she still mad?”
“I wanted to give her space to process, and I knew she was probably exhausted from working all night, so I didn’t bother her.”
“Probably a good call to let her cool down,” Justin agrees.
Gee, so glad he approves of my decision. Wonder if he’ll approve of the next one I tell him about.
“But then she fell in the shower, and I picked her up and carried her into my bathroom.”
“Geez. Is she alright?”
“Yeah, she’s alright. A couple bruises, but nothing broken.”
“So did you guys talk then?”
“Yeah. She apologized for getting upset with me, and I told her she had nothing to worry about with Layla or anyone else.” She’d looked so defeated sitting there on my counter that it had taken everything in me not to kiss her right then and there.
“That’s good!” Justin lets out a sigh of relief, like my fighting with Oakley was bringing him emotional turmoil. “No more trouble in paradise.”
“Paradise is right,” I mumble, tightening my hands on the wheel and staring out the windshield in front of me.
I’m bombarded with flashes of kissing her this morning, the sound of her moans echoing in my ears until I can feel all the blood in my body rushing south.
I plead with my cock to cooperate for once in my life and not get hard at the thought of Oakley grinding on top of me.
Especially not with my best friend sitting next to me.
Now is not the time to relive it. I’ll have plenty of time for that tonight in the shower.
I shake the thought from my head and glance to my right, the cab suddenly quiet.
Justin is staring at me with his mouth hanging open, his wide eyes a reflection of shock.
“Oh my God, you fucked her.” He laughs disbelievingly, like this fact—this entirely false fact—is the best thing he’s ever heard.
“I did not fuck her,” I quip, raising my eyebrows at him disapprovingly and shooting him a look that I hope conveys that it’s time for him to shut up now.
“From the way your pants are getting a little tight right now, I’m willing to bet you didn’t just tuck her into bed. Unless you’re just happy to see me?”
“Dude, quit looking at my dick,” I sigh wearily. Only a short while into our trip, and I’m already getting antsy to stretch my legs.
I’ve had casual sex before. I’ve even discussed it with the guys like the horny teenager I was.
But this thing between Oakley and me is different.
From the way my mind and body are reacting to the reminder of the silky smooth skin of her throat as I wrapped my hand around it, and the taste of her lips this morning, you would think we had had sex.
“Come on, give me something here dude,” Justin whines, and I roll my eyes, knowing he’s going to keep pushing the matter until I break.
“Things changed between us last night.” I shrug like it’s not a big deal, and I don’t know why I do that. It is a big deal, and this is the most excited I’ve been at the prospect of a relationship ever before in my life.
So why do I need to hide behind this noncommittal version of myself? As expected, my best friend sees right through my bullshit.
“In a good way, I hope?”
I laugh, a genuine smile breaking across my face as I glance sideways at Justin. “Yeah, in a good way. We didn’t do anything, but it feels like we did. Like something changed between us last night and this morning. I’ve never felt this connected to someone before. Kind of surreal, man.”
“I can’t pretend that I know what that feels like, but I get it, dude. But what’s going on with her ex? Isn’t he in town or something?”
The reminder of that particular piece of shit leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and I instinctively curl my lip.
“How do you know about that?” I shoot him a questioning glare, and he at least has the good sense to look embarrassed.
“I-uh— Jess mentioned it to me.”
I narrow my eyes, and he throws his hands up between us in surrender.
“She didn’t give me any details, I swear. Said she promised Oakley she wouldn’t say anything, but she gave me the gist. Said Oakley was running from someone, and that’s why she’s here.”
The truck goes quiet, and I can’t help the flood of relief that fills me knowing I have someone I can confide in about this. It’s been hard dealing with this on my own, and, though I’m more than a little annoyed with Jessie for telling Justin anything, I know her heart was in the right place.
“We haven’t seen or heard from him since the break-in at the motel or since she moved in with me. I’m hoping that means he took the hint and crawled back to whatever sewer he crawled out of.”
“Oakley hasn’t gotten any more messages from him? Jess was asking me the other night. I guess Oakley hasn’t told her much in that regard either,” Justin says, and I don’t miss the jovial note in his voice when he mentions my cousin’s name.
They’ve had a rocky relationship ever since whatever happened in high school went down, but they’ve slowly started tolerating each other a little more again.
At least from what I can tell. This time seems different.
Maybe they’ll both finally get past their shit long enough to realize how good they could be together.
“Not that I know of. I’m sure she would have told Jessie if she heard from him again. They seem like they’re getting close.”
“I’m glad Jessie has another friend around here. It’s been a while since Eva’s been back to visit, and I know she gets lonely up there by herself.”
My gut twists as I think about how I haven’t made much of an effort to visit with Jessie since Oakley came to town.
I mean, sure, I see her for hikes and at the store, but we haven’t spent one-on-one time together in a while.
The guilt settles over me like a wet blanket, and I make a mental note to check in on her when I get back from this job.
“How’s that been going by the way? You and Jessie?” My delivery is as awkward as it comes when asking about your cousin’s romantic involvements, and when Justin gives a humorless laugh, I immediately regret the question.
“Nope. No way, dude. We are not going there. I’ll let you know when there’s something to tell.”
When. Not if. Is Justin more serious about Jessie than he lets on?
He leans forward and cranks the radio up, blasting the country song and belting out the chorus, horrendously off-key. It effectively ends our conversation, and I’m thankful for the reprieve as I join him in his impromptu karaoke.
We sound and look ridiculous, Justin’s neck pillow having made its way back around his neck, but I’m thankful for times like this where I can let loose and be myself without the weight of outside expectations on my shoulders.
For this brief tick of time, I’m a kid again, and I allow myself to enjoy the things that were so few and far between growing up.
Good music and an even better friend.