Olivia tosses a muffin toward him, and he catchesit effortlessly. “Let me know if you need anything—both of you,” he says. “I will come back after my shift, okay?”
His eyes are on me, and I reply with a nod.
Once the door closes behind him, I look towards Olivia, who is still looking at the door with a grin on her face, and say, “In that uniform he looks so…”
She returns her attention to me, the grin falling from her face, and she sighs. “They grow up so fast,” Before clapping her hands together and stepping towards me. “Ok, grab some comfy pajamas and go take the longest, hottest shower of your life. When you’re done, I’ll have some lunch made and we can finally watchBridesmaidssince we didn’t the other day.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I say, grinning at my best friend.
“Not lately, and I will gladly take all the praise from you, but right now, you must shower before I lose my appetite, okay?”
“Okay, okay! I’m going! Do I stink that bad?” I ask and grab one of my bags.
“Yes! Now go!” She chuckles before making her way toward the kitchen.
Chapter Twelve
Thirteen Years Before
Raine
The sun is hot against my back, covering me like a comforting blanket. I pick at the petals of a dandelion flower, allowing the wind to sweep them away from my fingertips, as I sit on the porch steps outside of my mom’s house and wait for Ryland to pick me up. Waves are crashing inside my stomach as each second passes. He’s never seen my home before, and I’m embarrassed for him to see where I live.
It’s a small brick house near downtown in a small neighborhood. My grandparents helped my dad buy the house right before he married my mom. They were supposed to start a family here, but instead, the world had other plans.
The landscaping could use some work, weeds have taken over the flowerbeds, the lawn is four weeks past due for mowing, and the bushes have grown over most of the front windows. Not to mention all the junk that is laying around that Davis brought over with him once he officially moved in to live with us. Thankfully, Davis isn’t home at the moment.
It’s rare that I get to see Ryland outside of school during the week. However, he got his license a few days ago, and Pops toldhim he could celebrate by picking me up. But Pops is tagging along since it’s his truck that Ryland is driving.
I hear the familiar purr of the engine before I see the boxy orange truck pull onto my street and into my driveway. I practically run toward it, not able to contain the huge smile that spreads across my face as it does anytime I’m around Ryland.
Pops opens the door for me to hop inside, and I’m sandwiched between him and Ryland. It feels odd seeing Ryland behind the wheel. And yet, somehow, it makes him appear more grown-up and confident. I like this look on him, probably more than I should, but I keep the feelings locked deep inside.
We're just friends, my subconscious likes to remind me.
Ryland’s full lips pull into a grin, and the way he looks down at me makes my heart feel like it’s falling down onto the floorboard of the truck. I take my eyes away from him because I don’t like how it makes me feel. Okay, I do like it, but his Pops is right next to me, and I also don’t want to complicate things
“I made us a CD for today,” he says, holding up the shiny circle so I can see his handwriting over the silver surface. The title says,Raine and Ryland’s Epic Mix, and on the sides he wrote each song title. It has a mixture of nineties country and early two-thousands pop—a little bit of him, a little bit of me. The thought of him putting the music together forussends warmth into my gut.
“Do people still burn CDs? It’s 2011,” I say, turning to face the windshield so Ryland can’t see the pink spreading across my cheeks.
“Only the cool people still do.” He hitches a shoulder, grinning at me when I tuck my hair behind my ear and peek up at him through my lashes. “Plus, an MP3 player won’t work in Pops’ old truck.”
We share a laugh when Pops rolls his eyes and grunts at our choice in music, but he allows us to play whatever we want. We decide to go to some of our favorite spots at the edge of town. Our first stop is Matty’s Meats. I know the name isstrange, however Matt loves to cook all types of meats. He offers burgers, steaks, pork tenderloins, and more. One weekend a month, he even offers exotic meats. It’s interesting, and the townsfolk love it here, including Pops. It’s his favorite restaurant.
Once we take our seats, Ryland dares me to try to eat the “Mighty Matt Burger", which is made up of four thick hamburger patties with melted cheese between each layer and triple the toppings. It’s huge. I agree but only if he will try it too. Somehow, we talk Pops into joining the challenge, and before we know it, a crowd begins to form around us as the three of us chow down.
I have to admit, it’s the best burger I’ve ever eaten in my life. However, I’m the first to tap out without even finishing a quarter of the burger. Ryland has a little over half of his burger eaten before he has to quit. Pops surprises us all as he keeps going and going until the very last greasy bite is gone.
The whole restaurant cheers as he swallows the last bite. They place a fake gold metal around Pops’ neck and take a picture of him, hanging it up on their wall ofMighty Meat Lovers, which holds three other photos. The proud look that spreads across Ryland’s face fills my heart with so much joy. He insists that we go and get ice cream to celebrate.
Pops looks sickened by the thought of eating anything else but doesn’t protest. We drive across town to Frozen Scoops, singing as loud as we can to the music and sharing giggles as we catch Pops bopping his head to a few of the songs.
I never want this day to end.
Ryland wrinkles his nose at my choice of ice cream. “How can you enjoy mint in ice cream form?”
I roll my eyes, pretending to ignore his comment, as I take a lick of the tingly flavor. My cheeks burn as I catch him watching me. “It makes it taste extra cold and refreshing. It’s the perfect flavor for hot days,” I reply and shrug my shoulders, trying my best to ignore the lava running through my veins. The ice cream does nothing to help mechill.
