Let’s ride.
If anything could get me out of bed, that was it. It had been too long since I’d ridden out. Maybe that’s why my head was so far up my arse.
I managed to take a shower by averting my eyes from the tub. Thank God she and I hadn’t shagged in there, or I might’ve had to resort to using the guest lav, or even go as far as to move out of this house altogether.
I was done for. Grinder was right, whether he was trying to take the piss out of me or not. I had fallen in love with Rebel, and I had to get her back. That was all there was to it.
“Good morning,” said Casper when I walked down the hall and found her sitting at the breakfast bar. “I made coffee, but it’s probably cold now.”
“No worries.” I walked over to the fridge, opened and shut it. “I’ll get something at the barn.”
“Listen, Edge, I want to apologize for what happened last night and also tell you I’m leaving.”
I didn’t know what to say. I wanted her to leave. “Oh?”
“With Christmas coming, I thought maybe it would be a good time to get my place ready to put on the market. A lot of people come to Florida in January.”
“Right. Good idea.”
“I really am sorry. I wish you’d at least look at me.”
She was right. I hadn’t. I turned around. “No need to be sorry. What happened was my fault. It started long before you arrived.”
“But I made it worse.”
I shook my head. “I feel like a bloody wanker now. You don’t have to go…”
“Yeah, I do, Edge.”
I noticed her bag was already by the door to the garage.
“I’m catching a ride to the airport with Rile.”
“Good. That’s good.” I ran my hand through my hair, and she got off the stool and walked over to me.
“Thanks, Edge. Rile’s here now.”
We embraced, cheek-kissed, and she left. I wondered if I hadn’t come out of the bedroom when I did, if I would’ve even known she was gone.
33
Rebel
I was standing in the kitchen, multiplying my recipe for bread pudding, when I heard the dining hall door open. I rested my hand on the gun tucked into the waistband of my pants, and leaned over to see who had come in. It didn’t matter that Edge or anyone else told me the thing with Possum was over. Since the day I was threatened, I wore a gun everywhere I went.
“Fuck,” I muttered when I saw Casper walk in. Too late to go hide in the storeroom and pretend I didn’t see her.
She walked straight into the kitchen like she owned the place. Same way she’d walked into Edge’s house last night.
“Can I help you?” I heard Tee-Tee ask from somewhere behind me.
“I’m here to see Rebel.”
I set down my pencil and paper. “What do you want?” She smiled. Did she find me funny? Fuck her. I turned on my heel to walk away.
“Wait. I want to apologize.”
I turned back around but stood where I was. If she wanted to say she was sorry, she could do it from ten feet away.