Page 6 of When You Stayed
I imagined sticking something incredibly sharp inside Rodney’s eye socket, which helped me plaster on afake smile.
“Really?”
He yanked his car door open and slid inside. He shouted one last thing at me before closing his door. “I’d check in with your dad and those rumors circling before you get your hopes up because something tells me you’re not getting this job.”
Asshole.
TWO
ROYCE
Spring had arrived,which meant all the fields I loved walking in were about to go from brown to green. The wildflowers were on the verge of returning, and best of all, the air was going to carry that sweet honeysuckle scent. I plucked a pink wildflower out of the ground and carried it back home with me so I’d have proof that winter was finally over. This last one felt extraordinarily long, probably because I kept assuming Rodney would promote me.
The land we shared with the club was beautiful especially in the spring. Our home had the best access to the lush fields and walking paths bordering a steady stream. As a kid, I snuck out of bed early in the morning to go sit in those fields so I could watch the sun rise.
I barely slept after facing off with Rodney about my botched job interview. Hell, I couldn’t even call it that. I had practically thrown myself at him and begged him to let me manage the place. My pride still stung over how poorly that all went, but I knew it was only a matter of setting a few facts straight. Dad wasn’t leaving the club, and I’d confirm that as soon as he was up and ready to talk. I had gotten home near one in the morning after that last set finished, and Dad stopped staying up that late years ago.
The sun rose, pushing out the periwinkle blue that clung to thehorizon, which meant Dad should be up soon. I began the trek back, taking in the view of the fields and the way the valley looked against a fresh spring sunrise. My smile spread as I lifted my face, taking in the warmth and the hope of a new day. Anything could happen, even Rodney changing his mind.
The house came into view, and worried that I might one day forget, so I tried to memorize every detail. The forest green siding, the red chimney popping from the top, the flower baskets that Mom had Dad hang outside of each of our windows, the deep inset porch with a comfy swing. This was home, and because I was nearly in my midt-wenties, I knew one day I’d leave and this memory might fade. My heart twisted as frail as the wildflower in my palm when a rough wind swept through the valley.
“Did you wear my boots?” A yell pierced the air from the top floor, forcing my mind off the idea of growing up and leaving.
I glanced up, seeing my sister staring at me from her bedroom window. Her blond hair was shorter than when I saw it three days ago.
“No!” I called back with total false confidence. She’d have to beat me to the front door to prove that I did in fact wear her boots.
“I’m coming down. If I see any mud on those boots, I’m going to wear them in your room and ruin your favorite pink rug!”
She slammed her window closed, and I rushed inside to slip off the boots so she couldn’t prove that I had worn them. We always shared clothes, but every now and then she got irritated over something in particular, especially if she’d gotten it in a brand deal.
Taryn met me at the base of the stairs right as I began kicking off her boots.
“I knew those were mine.” She folded her arms, glaring down at my feet.
I shook out my hair, ignoring her ire. “Thought they were mine,” I lied. To get her mind off that fact, I asked, “Where have you been?”
“In Tennessee for a brand thing.” Her shoulder lifted like it didn’t matter, but really it did. My sister had worked her ass off to become an influencer who helped younger girls eat well while learning to shop in affordable places. Her entire brand was based around being the new normal girl. She lived at home like I did, but she left allthe time. Dad didn’t force any bikers to follow her because she moved around so often. I heard he was thinking of hiring private security, but Taryn would lose her mind if he did.
“Do you know if Dad is up?” I walked through the foyer toward the kitchen. It was still early, so I had no doubts he and Mom were still sleeping, but I was hoping for a miracle this morning.
Taryn followed me, hopping up onto the counter, letting her feet dangle. She was wearing my oversized T-shirt that dropped to mid-thigh. I’d gotten it at a concert a few summers back, and somehow it had ended up in her closet. With her cell in her hands, and her blond hair slipping over her shoulder, she replied distractedly. “He never came home last night. Mom slept over at the club too, I guess he got in late and had a meeting all night or something.”
“So, he’s at the club?” I popped a blueberry into my mouth.
Taryn nodded distractedly. “I think they’re all up and moving over there. Mom texted me that she wanted me to start breakfast.”
“How come she didn’t ask me?”
My sister lifted her head, narrowing her blue eyes at me. People said we looked like twins, but that wasn’t true. Taryn had an edge to her that I didn’t. Her eyes were a darker blue than mine, her nose was more like Mom’s, and she had more curves than I did, making her the magnet for men whenever we went out.
“Mom knew you got in super late; she was being considerate.”
Oh. Sometimes it was hard to put the big sister thing on the back burner especially when I felt like my little sister’s life eclipsed mine.
Taryn jumped down from the counter and grabbed a handful of blueberries. “What’s so important that you have to talk to him anyway?”
“Rodney’s being a dick.” I eyed the blueberry container again, wondering if she was going to eat them all.
