Wild

by Laramie Briscoe

  “Got it.” I’m already leaving the job I was doing to go out to my bike and make the short drive into downtown.

  I pass CRISIS on the way, waving to Meredith as she checks the mail. The day is hotter than it has been, but I’m enjoying it after the long winter we had. Summer is upon us, and it can be felt by the heat and humidity already starting to clog up the days. I have a feeling this is going to be the year I seriously miss the beach. Regardless, I love the way the sun feels on my arms, warming them up as I make my way downtown. Soaking up the Vitamin D, I drive slower than I need to, enjoying the peaceful calm. Life doesn’t stay calm for long, in my experience, so I need to enjoy it while I can.

  As I get to their office, I park outside, and then slowly make my way in. I’ve never really been alone with the two of them before, and it’s a bit intimidating.

  “Hey, Wild.” Mandy smiles as I come in. It looks like she’s cleaning off the desk she uses, as I see her putting stuff into boxes. “The guys told us you would be coming down to help us out.”

  “No problem, it’s nice to get out of the shop. I’ve never had another job given to me before that dealt with other family members.”

  Shit. Was I supposed to admit that to them? They laugh as they see the look on my face.

  “Calm down, we won’t tell your secret.” Charity goes over to where there are some boxes stacked up. “These are the desks. We can put them together if you just help us get them out of the boxes because they’re heavy as fuck. Mandy and I totally thought we could do this on our own, but we were dead wrong.”

  They weren’t lying when they said they were heavy, I grunt as I lift one of them to the floor, opening the box with a pocket knife. “Did you two get these in here?”

  “No way,” Mandy snorts. “They delivered them, then the two of us went over there, and all we got was this far. We couldn’t get the damn things to budge. Which is when we called the guys, but then they told us about what happened to Layne.”

  “Yeah, he’s still in the hospital,” I inform them. “They think he might need to have surgery to put some pins in his hand, but he should make a full recovery.”

  “Either way,” Charity has a seat beside Mandy, “We’re lucky to have you, otherwise these boxes would have just sat there until Drew or Dalton had the time to give us.”

  As I open one of the boxes with my knife, I grimace. “Time to give isn’t something either one of them seem to have right now. It’s busy as hell.”

  The boards are lettered and numbered, so I concentrate on setting them out in order, hoping it will allow the ladies an easier time putting it together.

  “Don’t I know it,” Mandy grumbles.

  Looking over, I don’t know I’m supposed to comment on that or not. Deciding it’s best to keep my mouth shut, I go back to work.

  “You seem to make plenty of time for Addie,” Charity mentions in a sing-song voice.

  When I glance up, she’s grinning, sharing a look with Mandy. For some reason I feel as if I’ve been suckered into this job. “Addie and I do our best to spend time together, but we don’t have kids or anything,” I point out to the two women sitting in front of me. “I’m not a patched member of the club and she works for her mom. We don’t have all the responsibility you do.”

  “True,” Mandy agrees. “But I was talking to her the other day and I have to say I’m really pissed at my sister,” she mentions Tatum.

  “Why? I thought they worked everything out.”

  “Addie didn’t tell you? Tate bailed on their summer trip.”

  “What the fuck?” I feel rage at Tate, and I try hard to keep it inside. That’s the one thing Addie’s been looking forward to. She’s mentioned it a few times since we got together. “Why?”

  “Something to do with Remy, I’m not sure. She’s stuck so far up that boy’s ass, she ain’t coming out.” Mandy rolls her eyes. “Those two are perpetually stuck in the honeymoon stage.”

  “Oh, something will knock them out of it,” Charity predicts. “You can’t stay in that stage for long.”

  “I just hope she doesn’t lose all her friends before it happens.” Mandy takes a drink of her coffee.

  As I open the other boxes, I hope the same thing too. If there’s one thing I know, Addie needs her friend, but she has a thing with feeling second-best, and I hope Tatum respects that. Either way, I feel like I need to step up and be the man here. My woman has a dream to go to the beach, and I have a desire to make her dreams come true. This is nothing short of a win/win for me.

  Addie

  “Did you have fun helping the ladies today?” I bring in the pizza I picked up on the way home, setting it on our small table.

  Wild is quieter than I expected him to be, and as he faces me, I wonder what I’ve done wrong or if he had a really shitting day with the girls. He seems to struggle with what he wants to say, starting and stopping a handful of times. Eventually he’s able to push the words out.

  “Why didn’t you tell me Tate canceled your summer trip? According to the girls you were really upset about it.”

  Those are the last words I expected to come from him. Shrugging, I have a seat, flipping open the box as I take a piece out. It’s been a long day and I’m starving. “Because no matter how far Tate and I have come, it was embarrassing to me that she chose her boyfriend over me, when I’ve been around much longer than he has. When she knew how much this trip meant to me, and when I totally gave her the benefit of the doubt. I’ve tried to be the bigger person, ya know? But I feel like I keep getting knocked out in place of him. I try to never make her feel that way, but she always makes me feel that way.”

  It hurts to admit, but it’s the way I feel. In some ways I wonder if it makes me a brat, or if it just makes me a human. I’m fully aware I have abandonment issues and I truly don’t want to push those off on her.

  “Do you still wanna go, Shortcake?” Wild asks as he grabs the slice that was next to mine, a grin kicking up the edges of his mouth.

  My heart rate kicks up as I hear the words he’s asked. Nobody knows how much this trip meant to me, I’ve never shared it with anyone, but I know I can share absolutely anything with him.

  “I’ve never been to the beach,” I admit softly. “I was looking forward to it more than I can tell you, but the truth is, I get where she’s coming from. They’re saving up to buy a house and it was money she didn’t want to spend, but we’re only gonna be young for so long. There’s only going to be so many years we don’t have huge responsibilities.”

  He chuckles, before he takes a big bite and chews thoughtfully. When he swallows, he looks at me. “We’d have to do it super on the cheap, but I’d like to take you to the beach, if you wanna go.”

  My heart pounds in my chest. “You do?”

  “Only if it’s something you really wanna do. I want to make that happen for you. Nobody likes being disappointed, and that shit’s a huge disappointment, whether you want to admit it or not.”

  “Wild, I don’t know what to say.”

  His face is serious, his dark eyes gorgeous and shining with truth. “Say you’ll go with me.”

  I grin at him, squealing loudly, as I run around the table, throwing myself into his arms. “I’ll go with you!”

  Twenty-Eight

  Wild

  June

  “It’s definitely okay for me to take a week off at the beginning of July? I know it’s a holiday,” I question Drew as I make sure it’s okay for me to take Addie on a little bit of a road trip.

  “No, you’re good. You haven’t asked for anything since you showed up, and I know my sister kinda fucked Addie over. I think it’s sweet you want to do that for her.” He gives me a wink. “That’s the type of shit I would have done to win Charity over, so I get it.”

  “Cool, we should be back on the eighth,” I tell him as I look at my phone. “The second through the eighth.”

  “We got you covered, no problems here. Just go, have a good time, and make sure she has a
good time. If there’s anyone who deserves it, it’s her.”

  My plan is solid and my days are confirmed. The only thing we have to do now is wait a week and then we can be on our way. Except I have one more thing to do. Now that I’ve confirmed it with Drew, I need to make sure it’s okay with Tyler, because that’s the right thing to do.

  He’s sitting out back, eating lunch at one of the tables, and miracle of all miracles, he’s by himself. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Not at all.” He motions to the empty seat across from him.

  I worry slightly at the ability for this picnic table to hold us both up, especially as it sways when I drop down on it. Pulling my container of food out, Tyler’s eyebrow raises.

  “Is that Addie’s pasta salad?”

  “Yeah.” I grin. “Best shit I ever tasted, she sent one for you too,” I open the lunch box farther, pulling out a smaller container. On the top it has a heart drawn on it, and Addie signed her name. I thank my lucky stars she sent this today; hopefully it’ll make what I have to ask him easier.

  He smiles widely as he takes the container from my hand. “She makes this better than her mom. I’d never say it where Mer could hear me, but fuck is it good.”

  I watch as he opens it and takes a heaping forkful, bringing it to his mouth. I do the same, as I try to figure out how I’m going to ask this man the question I have.

  “I just wanted to let you know, and make sure you’re okay with something,” I start slowly, trying to ease into it.

  “Oh yeah?” He continues eating the salad. “What do you have to talk to me about? You better not be wanting to marry my daughter, it’s way too fuckin’ soon for that, and you absolutely do not have my permission for it.”

  The bite I took goes down the wrong way, and I almost choke on it. “Oh hell no, we’re not anywhere close to that, at all. Like not even in a fucking alternate universe.”

  “Good, because I’m not ready for it either.”

  I don’t know why he has to be ready for it, but I keep that shit to myself. “As you know Tate flaked on Addie about the beach trip and she really wanted to go. I want to take her, and I wanted to know if that’s cool with you. Drew gave me the time off, but I know everyone’s worried because of the shit that’s been going down here. I wanted to get your permission.”

  He levels me with a stare that five months ago would have had me shaking. Now I get where it’s coming from; I know how much he loves his family and friends. He’s making sure I can stand up to him, because if I can’t stand up to him, then how the fuck am I going to prevent something from happening if we’re threatened.

  “You can keep her safe?”

  “I’ll keep her safe with my life. You don’t have to worry about her. I’ve taken a knife for her, I’ll take whatever else is thrown my way.”

  The words I speak are true, I realize with great clarity. Addie Blackfoot has wormed her way into my heart, under my skin, and taken up residence in a place that only she has ever occupied before. I don’t think either of us really meant for this to happen, but it has. And I’ll be damned if I go back to living my life before she was in it.

  It feels like I wait a thousand trips around the sun while Tyler finishes his pasta salad and throws his fork in the container. He sits back, patting his stomach, and then gives me a shit-eating grin. “Y’all have fun. I know she’ll love it.”

  “Fuck me,” I let out on a breath. “I really thought you were going to say stay here.”

  Tyler winks. “I know, I just like to make you sweat. Have a great time.”

  As he gets up and walks away, I pull my phone out with fucking shaking hands and text Addie, letting her know our trip is definitely a go.

  Twenty-Nine

  Addie

  “I’m really sorry I had to bail on our trip,” Tate says as she helps me pack the night before Wild and I leave.

  He’s doing some last-minute stuff at the shop, making sure his bike is in good condition, and I’m debating on which clothes I should take with me. “It’s okay,” I start to tell her, but then think better of it. “Actually, you know, when it first happened, it wasn’t okay. You really hurt my feelings. You’ve been hurting my feelings for a while. Since you and Remy hooked up, I don’t feel like your best friend anymore. I feel a little bit like an afterthought to most everything in your life. There was a time when I was the first person you called or texted when something happened with you. Now it’s like I’m hearing it from others. I’m not gonna lie, Tate. That hurts, but I get it. I’m in that same stage as you right now, but I hope to hell I’m better at balancing friendships with relationships than you are,” I breathe heavily as I let all of that out. “But to answer your question I’m excited to be going with him. I’ve never been away with a boyfriend before.”

  When I look up, Tatum’s mouth is hanging open and it looks like she’s trying valiantly to hold back tears. “Is that how you really feel?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been lying to you for a long time, and that’s on me. I’ve pushed my feelings for everything under the rug and outwardly pretended like I’m okay when inside I’ve been this crazy swirl of emotions about everything. From this situation with you and Remy to me being adopted, to what I’m feeling for Wild.” My voice quivers as I finally let her in on what’s been going on with me.

  “I’m your best friend. How could you keep me in the dark?”

  “You are my best friend, how could you not have seen it?”

  We’re both crying now, staring at one another, at an impasse.

  “You’re closed off, Addie, whether you realize it or not. I’m never completely sure what’s going on in your head. You’re a lot like your dad in that respect. But you’re totally right. I should have asked. I’ve been involved so much with Remy, I didn’t even think…”

  “It’s okay, I should have told you,” I wave her off.

  She hugs me tightly. “We’ve both been off our friendship game.”

  “You’re right, and we should be better for each other,” she lets me go, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you.”

  I let my vulnerability with her show. “I don’t want to lose you either, and now that I’m with Wild, I get it. Remy’s an important part of your life, but I want to be important too.”

  “You are,” she assures me. “And at the same time you have to let me in.”

  “I know,” I sigh. “We’re growing up, Tate.”

  “That we are, and we have to adjust our places in each other’s lives, but I definitely want to be in yours.”

  “Like you could get rid of me,” she laughs. “I promise I’ll do better.”

  “Me too.”

  We’re quiet for a moment, each of us taking in what we’ve just said to one another, when he breaks the silence.

  “So how has it been with the two of you? I feel like we haven’t had a chance to catch up.”

  “Good, I care a lot about him.” I fold one of the bikinis I’m planning to wear before I shove it in the bag I’m taking.

  “Have you two said the ‘L’ word yet?” she asks, her eyes shining brightly. Just by the way she’s talking her and Remy have. It kind of hurts she didn’t tell me immediately when it happened, but I try not to let it bother me.

  “Not yet.” I bite my lip as I contemplate which cover up to take. I’ve looked at the weather and it’s going to be sunny most of the days we’re there, so I want something that gives full body coverage.

  “Seriously?” Her voice holds a tone of amazement. “I figured you would have said it a long time ago.”

  There feels like some judgement happening in the way she speaks, and I don’t like it. Nobody really knows what Wild and I have been through, and I don’t appreciate her taking it out of context just because we haven’t said I love you yet. “We’re not you and Remy, we like to take our time.”

  Another thing I hadn’t meant to say, but maybe now it’s time to let it all hang out.

  Tate’s gaze narrows and I c
an see her become offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Shit now I’ve stepped in it. I’ve done well to keep my mouth shut for so long. “Just that we don’t have to be the same as the two of you. We can be a couple and still have friends too.”

  “We have friends,” she argues.

  “Do you? Do you really? Because when I text you, you don’t answer. I didn’t even know the two of you had said I love you, and a few months ago I would have been your first text. Face it, Tate, he’s replacing me and that’s okay, but don’t try to pretend that he’s not.”

  She sighs, sitting heavily on the bed next to me. “I don’t mean to replace you. I already explained that.” She plays with the shirt she’s holding. “It just feels like if I don’t give Remy all my attention, will he stay? I mean he’s older than me, more experienced than I am. He could have anyone.”

  “But he chose you. You’ve got to quit shutting me out, just to make him feel wanted.”

  “He doesn’t know I’m doing it,” she protests. “I do it on my own, always knowing you’ll be there if I need you, which is selfish.”

  “It is,” I agree. “And right now I’m telling you, you keep pushing me away? I won’t always be there, because I can’t always be second-best. I can’t always take a backseat. Something you and I haven’t talked about because you haven’t been around? I have abandonment issues and you aren’t helping them.”

  “I’m sorry.” She looks up at me, sincerity in her eyes.

  “You said that last time, but yet you’ve still kept me on the backburner for him. Don’t say you’re going to do better, just do it. I’m willing to admit the two of us have a lot to learn when it comes to relationships, but I still want us to be best friends.”