Ridge

by Scott, S. L.

  I shake my head and laugh with my mouth full. They make it hard to keep my lips sealed. When I choke down my bite, I say, “You know I can see you, right?”

  As if a weight is lifted, Stella turns to me, planting her hands on the marble countertop. “Then stop making us guess and just tell us. Did you date him in London? He’s cute.”

  “Right here, babe.”

  Stella just laughs. He knows he’s the only guy she sees.

  Leaning my hip against the counter, I shrug. “We spent time together, but more as boss and employee. I can assure you, we’re friends, and that’s all.”

  “And you and Ridge?” Rivers asks.

  Rivers never liked gossip, so I wonder why he seems mildly interested. Did Dave say something while I was away? Before I can answer, he says, “Nothing serious?” He laughs. Yeah. Knew that would come back to bite me.

  “Clearly, you know we hung out before I left for England, but there’s nothing new to report. We’ve decided it’s best to remain friends.” Stella’s left eye is blinking crazily. “Something in your eye?”

  Rivers bursts out laughing this time. “She’s winking. Every so often, she nails a good one.” He wipes his hands and mouth and steps behind her. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he says, “I’m not marrying her for her winking skills.”

  That earns him another elbow, but when she turns in his arms and wraps hers around his neck, I feel like a third wheel. Their connection has always been palpable. It’s even more so since they got engaged.

  Taking a beer and a slice with me, I slip out of the kitchen and head back outside where I’ve been working.

  I finish my pizza as I walk to the edge of the perfectly manicured green yard and stare out at the city in the distance.

  My sister joins my side and takes a sip of her beer. Keeping my eyes on the horizon, I say, “The view is amazing, but we always said we wanted to be near the ocean. What changed?”

  “Me.” I turn her way, thinking about the answer. She adds, “We looked by the ocean, but it’s quite a drive back to LA and to his brothers. Jet has a studio at his house. If I want to see Rivers most days, that means living closer. I choose him over an ocean view any day. Does that make sense?”

  “It does. It’s not a compromise, but something you’re happy about.”

  “Yes. That’s what it’s like.”

  I feel the change happening, the one where my sister watches over me less and treats me more like an adult. “Your hair is a mess,” I say, bumping into her side and smiling.

  Shaking her head so her hair flies wild, she stops, and says, “But my life isn’t anymore.”

  “No. It’s quite magical actually.”

  She smiles and wraps her arm over my shoulders. “One more year and the world will be yours for the taking.”

  “Is that what a degree will do for me?” I ask earnestly.

  “No. That’s what living life on your own terms will do for you.”

  Wrapping my arm around her waist, we stand there and look at the world before us as the sun finally sets. “Hey?”

  “What?”

  “Remember that time we went out and ran into your ex-boyfriend?” Rivers. I had a front row seat to that show.

  She waggles her eyebrows, causing me to laugh. “And his cute friend?” Ridge.

  A million little lights dot the landscape as night takes over. “You once told me not to date a musician.”

  “Eh. What do I know? I fell for a musician. Twice.”

  “The same one, at least.”

  “Look at us now.”

  Leaning my head on her shoulder, I say, “Yeah, look at you now. Living the life.”

  “I meant us. Look how far we’ve come.”

  “All the way from Texas to Hollywood.”

  “Via England in the middle. I’m happy you had such an amazing time.”

  “I did, but now I feel lost between worlds.”

  With a quick kiss to the head, she says, “Yeah, I get that. I think when you get back to Austin and you find your new normal, you’ll find your way. Just remember who you are, Meadow.” I’ve always loved that Stella tells me this. It’s her way of reminding me that we can weather any storm.

  I always respond the same way. “Who am I?”

  “My sister. My strong, beautiful, and capable sister.” But this time, she adds, “But don’t close off your heart. Sometimes, true love only comes around once.” That’s new, but it also makes perfect sense why she’d say it now.

  “And in your case?”

  She shrugs. “Twice with the same man.”

  “Now you’re just showing off,” I joke, pushing off her in fake annoyance.

  “Have you seen my fiancé?” Wiggling her booty, she laughs. “There’s a lot to brag about.”

  “Ew. He’s like my brother.”

  She has a devious glint in her eyes. I roll mine because she’s a goof.

  For some reason, Rivers’s earlier question comes back to me. Am I good?

  I am.

  Really good.

  I may be back in the States and getting back in the swing of things, but I welcome the challenges ahead and look forward to seeing what comes next.

  An alarm beeps on my watch, drawing my attention. It’s the daily reminder I programmed to make sure I get this project done. “I need to get back to this paper. Five days left.”

  She meanders back around the pool toward the house. “You can do it. You’ve already proven you can do anything you set your mind to.”

  “Thanks. Love you, big sis.”

  “Love you, little sis. Now get back to work,” she says with a laugh.

  * * *

  Nikki has dragged Stella and me from one boutique to the next on Melrose Avenue all afternoon. She’s amazing. “How’s married life?” I ask just as we’re handed another glass of champagne in another fancy clothing store.

  Lead singer of the popular band, Faris Wheel, designer in the making, and recently became a Crow—the blonde bombshell is a powerhouse all on her own. She’s a SoCal girl who knows how to shop like a professional. Stella had said she was awesome but spending time with her lives up to the hype.

  Her smile shifts to the side, as if she’s debating what she wants to share. “Tulsa is . . .” Her eyes close, and she sighs dreamily. “Incredible.”

  I’m not sure if she’s talking sex or marriage at this point, but she makes it sound awesome either way. Other than that it’s with Tulsa. The youngest Crow brother is hot, I guess, but again, like Rivers and Jet, he’s like a brother to me. So if she’s talking about sex—Ew.

  She flits from one rack to another in the small store, and says, “I don’t like when they tour without our band. Opening for them last summer was a dream come true. It’s been two days since they left for Tucson, and I miss him.” She turns to Stella, and asks, “How are you holding up, Stella?”

  Stella holds a T-shirt up, and whispers, “This is two hundred dollars. That can’t be right, can it?”

  Nikki laughs. “It’s probably right. It’s cute. You should try it on.”

  “It’s cotton and white. I’m good with Gap or Target for the basics.” When I walk over to get a closer look, I agree with Stella. I got a little lowdown before we headed out. Nikki is loaded. She was raised with money, she’s made her own, and now she’s married into it. Price tags are not something she checks.

  Her and Darcy are going to get along like two houses on fire. I ask Stella, “What does the phrase get along like a house on fire mean? It makes no sense.”

  “It’s get on like a house on fire. Just means quickly like a house burns.”

  I knock into her. “Of course the teacher knows.”

  “As a teacher, it’s hard to pay twenty dollars for a pair of pink socks, even if they are the softest I’ve ever felt in my life.” She rubs the socks against her cheek.

  Nikki sidles up to us, rubs shoulders, and whispers, “As a soon-to-be wealthy rock star’s wife, you can treat yourself to the sock
s.”

  “Oh gosh, I don’t know,” she replies. “Rivers and I both grew up scraping by. It’s hard to spend money like it grows on trees.”

  Wrapping her arm around my sister, Nikki says, “I love that you guys don’t waste money. It’s refreshing. You do what makes you feel comfortable.”

  Turning to me, she adds, “As for you, I heard you own a pair of Louboutin’s and a Chloe dress.” She wraps her arm around me and steers me into another room full of every major name in fashion.

  “The dress was a hand-me-down I happily accepted from my roommate in London. The shoes, a fancy gift from Stella and Rivers.”

  Nikki appears impressed as she looks back at Stella. “So her weakness is nice shoes?”

  I nod. “Also, she doesn’t mind buying for others. It’s herself she struggles to spend a dime on. Have you seen her car?”

  Nikki’s shoulders sag. “God, it’s a monster. I’m going to need a lot more time to work on her to get her into the car she deserves.”

  Stella is laughing while listening to us as we don’t even try to whisper. I say, “Good luck on that front. I’ve failed to convince her so far.”

  With her phone in hand, Stella says, “Rivers just got home. Are we ready to wrap this up?”

  Nikki is the first to go, thanking the sales staff and dropping her glass on the tray as we exit. I’m right behind her, having a great time, until we walk right into a paparazzi trap. Flashes are going off, and men are yelling Nikki’s name when they’re only a foot away.

  She turns back, and the store’s security guard locks the door after we re-enter. Moving to a spot away from the glass doors, she says, “The car’s four blocks down.”

  “I’m sorry. I wanted to walk, but I didn’t think about . . . you and what you need.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Meadow. It happens all the time. I just don’t want to go out there right now. How can we get the car and pull it around?”

  Stella’s new to the limelight and is still learning the ins and outs, but it’s not something I think she’ll ever get used to. By association, I’ve landed in pics online but am still safe when I’m back in my world. Being with a famous musician has put her front and center lately, the wedding adding an extra level of crazy interest in her. I volunteer. “No one has a reason to follow me. I can go get the car and pull around.”

  “I don’t like that idea,” Stella says, her eyes fixed on mine. “It’s not safe for you.”

  “I’ll be fine. Keys?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Nikki hands me the keys. “They’ve never harassed my best friend when she’s been with me or without. She’ll be fine, Stella.” Before I leave, Nikki adds, “Be safe.”

  “I will.”

  A sales associate leads me to the back door and instructs where to pull up when I return. “It’s a private lot, so they can’t cross into it.”

  “All right. I’ll be back soon.”

  I start walking, glad I wore flats with my yellow dress. The wedges I had on aren’t made for hiking down sidewalks or cutting through parking lots behind the stores. I hold my purse close and keep the keys in hand to use as a weapon if needed, just like Stella taught me when I was a teen.

  The car is farther than I thought. I’ve gone at least six blocks and haven’t found it. I stop to text Nikki: I can’t find the car. Is this the street we parked on? I send her a photo of the street sign.

  Nikki: My car’s not there?

  My phone rings. “It’s not here.”

  “Shit. Was it towed?”

  “Seems that way.”

  She grrs in irritation. “Come back and I’ll call for a ride. Sorry.”

  “No, no worries. Sorry that happened.”

  “Take a photo of the towing information if you can. I’ll need to call them.”

  “Will do.”

  I find a sign that we all missed earlier that says no parking during business hours and snap a pic before I start heading back. Just before I reach the final block, a black sports car comes around the corner, skidding to a stop and cutting me off.

  7

  Meadow

  “Really, Tulsa?”

  He shifts into park and pushes up through the open top of the convertible, resting against his seat. “I’m here to rescue you.”

  “First of all,” I say, “we don’t need rescuing. Secondly, it’s a two-seater. There’s three of us and two of you, so riddle me how you were planning on ‘rescuing’ us anyway.”

  I spied his passenger before I laid eyes on Tulsa, but I kept my focus on the driver. I finally glance at Ridge and hate that I mentally called him Ridge. It seems with our newfound friendship, I’ve fallen in line with everyone else. That shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. It’s as though things have really been reset after all. But do I really want that? That’s what I said I wanted . . .

  He seems to have mixed feelings about being here . . . or seeing me. It’s hard to tell by the neutral expression, but the torrential storms in his eyes tell me more.

  I give in first. “Hi.”

  He does what those hot guys did back in school—one confident nod with his eyes solidly on me before his gaze dips lower and back up. “Hey.”

  Even though I hate that I thought of him as Ridge before, it seems fitting now. Stepping closer to the beautiful car, I rest my hands on the window next to him. “What happened to the Ferrari?”

  “I wanted something less flashy.”

  “You? Less flashy?” I lean back and eye the car up again. I’m having a hard time believing this BMW i8 with the gold rims is less flashy in his opinion. I guess he means in color—matte black. “Alrighty then. So, what’s the plan?”

  Tulsa drops into the seat and fastens his belt. “I’ll drive my wife, but I can only fit two in the back seat.”

  “Holy wow. This thing has a back seat?”

  “Kind of,” he replies, thumbing back there. “Ridge is too big to sit back there, so I can drive you and Stella home and let Ridge catch another ride—”

  Dave whacks him in the chest. “Thanks, man.”

  Tulsa leans forward, and says, “You’ll ride with him, right, Meadow?”

  What? “Sure, of course.”

  Gripping the wheel, Tulsa says, “Hop in and we’ll go pick them up.”

  “Hop in where? I’m not squeezing into that tiny space.”

  “Ridge’s lap then. Chop, chop. It’s like one block. Won’t be the first time you guys have shared a space.”

  The door lifts, and Dave steps out, coming face to face with me. “Sorry about this. I don’t want you to think—”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not thinking anything.”

  He turns back over his shoulder, staring into the distance. “You take the car. I’ll walk over.”

  We’re being so kind. So polite. I’m not sure how I feel about it. “It’s fine. We can ride together.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yep.” He gets back in the car, and I maneuver my way onto his lap, tucking my legs with his.

  I lean back, so he can close the door. “There is nothing safe about this.”

  “There never was. That’s what made it fun.”

  Practically snuggled to his chest, I catch his slip. “Made?”

  “Makes. Makes it fun.”

  Tulsa sped away with Nikki and my sister, making a show of it for the paparazzi. If anyone ever enjoyed fame, it’s them. They were made for this lifestyle. As for Stella, I’m sure she’s hiding in that tiny back seat.

  Dave and I hop in a car he ordered. The first few minutes are traveled in silence. I direct my attention out my window, but it feels weird between us, so I reach over and tap his hand that’s on the seat. “Hey.”

  When he turns my way, he smiles just enough for me to see. “Hey.”

  “How were the shows?”

  “Good.”

  “I heard you were in Tucson?”

  “Yep. Tucson.”

  Okay. Yeah, I need to e
nd this. “Do you want me to leave you alone? Because I’m getting that vibe.”

  “No, Meadow. I don’t want you to leave me alone. You know I’m not much for small talk.”

  “I know, but I usually don’t have to pull teeth.”

  He runs a hand through his hair, and I catch sight of the dark circles under his eyes. “Sorry. I’ve had a rough day. A lot on my mind and just tired.”

  “Oh.” When I set my hand on the seat, the tips of our fingers touch. He looks down at the connection like I do. “I’m sorry. You probably just want to get some sleep, and here I am, making you ride all the way back to Stella and Rivers’s place. Let’s have the driver drop you off first. I don’t mind.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind either. Let’s get you home. I know Rivers and your sister worry about you.”

  “I wish they could just enjoy their lives and stop worrying about mine. My sister means well, and I love her for it, but I hate adding to her load.”

  “She’s your sister. She’ll never stop worrying about you. You’re thick as thieves because you always only had each other.” His gaze glides up to my eyes. “As much as you’re trying to branch out from where you’ve been, she knows a part of her has to let you, at least in her mind. So go easy on her. Seeing you grow up and move on is probably harder for her than you realize.” He chuckles. “You sure have grown up, Meadow girl.”

  Leaning forward, he gives the driver an alternate route when we hit traffic.

  It’s then that I realize I don’t even know where Dave lives. When he rests back, his attention returns outside the window. I take the time to look at him. I was so blinded by the past that I haven’t seen who he is in the present.

  One thing is for sure. He’s still a damn good-looking man.

  “Where do you live?” I blurt.

  The question takes him by surprise. “Me?”

  “Yeah. I have no idea where you live or if you still have your apartment in Austin. I don’t know anything about you anymore.”

  “And you want to?” Genuine curiosity lies in his eyes.