He patted my arm, his voice rumbling out, “Hey, sweetheart, where’ve you been?”
“Been busy,” I repeated as I slid into the loveseat. “How’s work?”
“Sprained my back,” he answered, grabbing the remote to hit mute before focusing on me. “They gave me a couple days off.”
“Ouch, are you gonna be alright?”
“Already feeling better.”
“That’s good.”
I glanced at the television as I twirled a strand of my hair, aware he was staring at me closely. Feeling anxious, I smiled and said, “Put the volume on. I want to hear the hockey highlights.”
He turned up the volume and we sat for a few minutes in silence.
Mom called out when food was served, and we shuffled out of our seats and to the dining table. I wasn’t sure why I felt awkward—maybe because it’d been a while since I’d seen them? Or because things had been tense the last year I’d lived with them? I’d up and left them after my 18thbirthday, when Leo was adamant I stay with him. Since then, it was a steady decline.
Mom was chirpy, though, talking shit about the neighbours as Kurt quietly dug into his pasta, tossing me the occasional glance. Having already had a huge breakfast, I took my time eating, responding as animatedly as I could.
I was waiting for the shoe to drop.
That was a reoccurring theme in my life, so why not expect what I knew was coming?
“What’s happening with school?” Kurt asked in a casual way, but I knew it was anything but.
“I’m starting next fall,” I replied brightly, even though my stomach clenched. “Been working in the meantime.”
That wasn't true, though. I wasn't going to start next fall. I had no intention of going to school when I barely knew myself and what I wanted. I had time to decide before committing to a mountain of student debt.
“Are you still taking shifts at George Itani’s marina?” Mom asked, smiling wide like she, too, was playing the part.
“I’m on standby,” I said. “It’s the down time in the season, so they halved the staff.”
“How’s Leo doing?” Kurt grilled next, polishing off his bowl before snapping his fingers at Mom to refill it. Man, if Hunter snapped his fingers at me to serve him, I’d have kicked him in the balls. She got up to do that and he turned to look at me, waiting expectantly for my response.
“He’s good,” I answered, looking down at my pasta. “Been busy, too.”
“Are you officially with him?”
I held my breath, the knots tightening in my stomach. Mom glanced at me as she carefully reloaded Kurt’s bowl.
“Not exactly,” I said quietly. “It’s…” A little complicated. “We’re taking things slow.”
Mom slid the bowl in front of Kurt and sat back down, asking, “Did you know they’re going to build a ski resort not too far from here? Everyone’s been yammering away about the blueprints. They’re calling it the next best thing.”
I relaxed my shoulders, giving her a thankful look for changing the subject.
“Can’t compete with the ocean,” Kurt grumbled. “Don’t know why they bother.”
“Well, it means more jobs,” she replied on a shrug. “Might get you out of that quarry breaking rocks all day.”
“That quarry is one of the few fucking places that isn’t owned by those dirty bikers,” he retorted, looking determined now as he dug back into his second bowl. “I’ll break my back happily to steer clear of ‘em.”
I frowned, feeling an angry tug in my chest. I couldn’t help myself from uttering, “They run legit businesses. Not everything they do is dirty.”
Kurt scoffed, looking pissed. “Okay, so they’ll run a hundred legal businesses, but we’ll overlook the bodies they’re piling up in the meantime, huh, Skye?”
I bit the inside of my cheek, keeping my eyes centred on the pasta. My cheeks felt hot, that tug in my chest worsening. I thought of the club just then. Aside from Miles and Faden when he was drunk, that place had welcomed me in. Hunter was loved there. They’d happily take the shirt off their backs to help someone in need.