“Don’t hate. Just because your Ol’ Lady doesn’t care what you eat doesn’t mean my girl don’t.”
“So she’s your girl now?”
“I don’t know. Fuck. Taking my time. You know?”
“I hear you. Freya says she's doing the same with this Prince Charming fucker.”
“He royalty or some shit?” Fuck me. I can’t compete with a crown.
“Nah, that’s what I was telling you. Bastard works as a cosplayer. Dresses up at the damn theme park and takes pictures with little kids and shit. Funny as fuck. Check out this shot I got of him with the twins.”
Jealousy burns in my gut. I’ve always been Uncle Fisher to them kids and now they are meeting this chump. I glance at the picture. Luna and Sorin are cheesing big with their front teeth missing in action while wearing mouse ears. The dude looks like a complete douche. Strait laced as fuck. Not the kind of man who can handle a wild cat like my Freya.
There I go again.My Freya. Can’t help it though. I’ll always lay claim to her. Deep in my bones, I know she’s mine.
I dig into my pasta bake Hillary dropped off earlier. My gut tightens. She’s a sweet girl. Preacher’s daughter. One of those do-good types who never has a mean thing to say about anyone. She’s always volunteering her time to help others. Teaches Sunday School for fuck’s sake.
She isn’t the kind of girl who should be with a filthy, ex-con biker. She should be with a guy like that fucker Freya is playing pretend with. I met Hillary here at the garage. She brought in one of the church vans to get the brakes worked on and an oil change before one of their trips. I liked her smile. Something about the idea of dirtying up her good girl reputation turned me on.
She keeps inviting me to church and I keep putting it off. Hell, we’ve had five dates and she’s let me kiss her once. No tongue.
I get taking things slow but damn at this pace, I’ll be fifty years old before I ever get in her damn panties. I know she’s the kind of girl who deserves a good man to respect her and be patient. I’m trying. Fuck am I trying. But in the back of my mind, I keep hoping Freya will come running back to me.
“Damn. Is that peach cobbler?” Whiskey reaches for my food, and I slap his hand away.
“Fuck off. Get your own church girl.” I grin and he digs right into my damn pie with his dirty fucking fingers. “You’ll pay for that, asshole.” I flick pasta at him, nailing him right in the center of his damn forehead.
“Sharing is caring.” He chuckles, cramming my dessert in his mouth.
“Tell Yara she needs to start feeding your ass better.”
“Tell your sweet piece to start bringing lunch for two.”
“Whatever, jackass.” I push the plastic container toward him. “Have at it.” Thinking about Freya being down in Florida with that clean cut prick ruined my appetite anyway.
I have plans to meet up with Hillary later to take her to dinner, but I should cancel. I’m not going to be good company with the direction my mood is headed.
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Lost my appetite.”
“Thinking about Freya, huh? Them Crow bitches sure know how to get under a man’s skin. Trust me. Yara is a crazy bitch, but fuck me, I’ve never wanted another woman in my bed. I get it. Once you’ve had a taste of their wild, nothing compares.”
He’s not wrong. After Freya I’ve not wanted anyone else. Hillary is sweet, and I’m trying my damnedest to make this work, but all I want to do is pick up the phone or jump on my bike and drag Freya back to Hell. Where she belongs. With me. To make her see, she's always been mine. To remind her, nobody will love her better than me.
“You look real pretty, Hillary.” I stand on her daddy’s porch getting a whiff of fried chicken and cornbread. Hillary is dressed in a pink sundress with little white flowers all over it. The print is delicate like her. Her mousy brown hair curls around her shoulders. Light freckles dust her cheeks as her green eyes brighten at my compliment.
We’ve been doing this taking it slow and dating thing for another two weeks now. And I’m no closer to cracking her shell. I’ve not made any progress with her. I keep trying to find something to like about her. Trying to find a way to get her to open up to me. Nothing seems to work. She's a closed book.
“Thank you, Riley. Did you want to come in and have a plate before we go? Or I can get you a glass of iced tea.”
“No thank you though.” I’m such a dick. I’m going to break her heart because as hard as I try, I’m not over Freya Crow. I can’t stop comparing the two. Hillary’s sweet will never live up to Freya’s wild and it isn’t fair of me to pretend otherwise. Yet, I don’t have the heart to tell her. Not tonight. But soon. I’ll let her down gently. I already know what most people in this town think of me. They whisper that I probably murdered April for setting me up. I can’t blame them. I’d think I committed the crime too, if I were them. They believe that’s the reason Freya ran off. Say she found out what I did and couldn’t bear to look at me.
“Let me tell Momma and Daddy bye. Then I’ll be ready.”
“Sounds good.”
“You sure you don’t want to come in?”