Page 88 of Between the Boards
I sigh, disappointed in my father, and in myself for letting this reunion drag on for so long. I should’ve known my family wouldn’t have cut me off for choosing surfing. I should have known my father would spin the story to make me look like the bad guy.
“How long are you staying?” Cooper asks.
I shrug. “I was thinking a week if dad can handle it.”
“He has no choice now,” Cooper laughs. “Momma will kill him if he sends you packing again.”
He’s probably right.
“In that case, I’m heading to bed,” he says, standing from his chair and stretching. “Today was a busy day and there’s no way I’ll be up for much longer to enjoy this brotherly bondin’.”
“That’s alright,” I laugh. “I’m pretty tired too.”
“You’re staying in your room tonight, right?” Cade asks, a wary look on his face as if he’s scared I’ll run off again.
I nod. “You couldn’t pay me enough to go back to that shitty motel just off the highway.”
“Gross,” Cooper says, making a face. “I hear they have roaches.”
“I can confirm that is true.”
“I’ll grab your bag from the car,” Cade says, already heading for the door. “Coop, you load up the dishwasher before you get in trouble with Ma in the morning.”
Cooper groans but does what he’s told, quickly loading the dishwasher and tossing a pod in there before hitting the start button. Cade returns with my bag, handing it over to me.
“Think you’ll be up for an early morning ride?” Cooper asks.
“Can’t,” Cade says. “Got a busy day tomorrow.”
Cooper rolls his eyes, glancing at Cade. “I was asking Colton, Smartpants,” he says. “Not you.”
“Whatever,” Cade mutters, drying off his hands. “I’m going to bed.”
He pats me on the shoulder as he passes and makes his way up to his room.
“So, what’d you say?” Cooper asks.
“Sure,” I say. “Just knock on my door when you’re ready to go.”
“Will do.” One side of Cooper’s mouth lifts into a mischievous smile. “Get some rest, brother.”
He grabs my bag and carries it up the stairs as I follow behind him, and drops it down in front of my room door.
“Good night,” I call out as he walks toward his own room.
“Night,” he says back, waving his hand over his shoulder before walking through his bedroom doors.
I walk through my bedroom doors, stopping at the doorway as I look around. Earlier when I had come in for a change of clothes, I didn’t take a moment to look around the room—my nerves getting the best of me.
But as I look around now, so many memories are on display. My tie-down roping trophies from when I was a kid, to my surfing trophies as a teen are scattered along almost every surface, along with pictures of The Saltwater Shredders from our Youth Team days.
My prom photo is pinned to the wall, a harsh reminder that I went alone, along with several pictures of me and my high school friends before I transferred to a school in Saltwater Springs.
I walk over to my twin-sized bed and remove my phone from my pocket before taking a seat. The squeak of the old mattress catches me off guard, and I sit still for a moment trying to remember if it always did that.
I’ll definitely need to buy a new bed for this room if I plan to visit more often now,I think to myself before returning my attention to the phone.
Zero missed calls.
