Page 24 of Ride or Die

CHAPTER 9

COLE

With a pizza box in one hand, I knock with the other and wait. Feels weird to be knocking on my own damn door, but I can’t be letting myself in while Clara and the kids are staying here. This is their place right now, and they deserve to feel at home, safe.

The door opens and I’m met with Tom peering up at me, his brow furrowing a touch, like he wasn’t expecting me. But then his gaze dips to the pizza box and his eyes nearly bug right out of his head, the tip of his tongue poking out to lick his lips.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Hi.” He pulls open the door, letting me in.

I hesitate. “Where’s your mama?”

“She’s getting ready for work.”

I poke my head in enough to see Billie perched on the sofa, dressed in a pair of pink frilly pajamas with some blue dog printed on them, her eyes fixed on the television as it plays some show featuring the very same dog.

“Clara?” I call out, not wanting to step inside without her permission.

“Hey!” She calls back from somewhere, the bathroom I presume. “I’ll be out in a sec.”

“Is it okay if I come in?”

“It’syourhouse,” she responds, a touch of sass etched in her tone that makes my lips twitch.

As I step over the threshold, Billie notices my presence, or she smells the pizza, her eyes lighting up as they trail me slowly, eventually landing on the box.

“Mom said you’re staying here with us tonight?” Tom says, following me through to the kitchen.

I place the box onto the counter and turn to him, wiping my hands on the back of my jeans. “Yeah, just until she gets home from work.” I fold my arms across my chest. “That okay with you?”

He nods, and I bite back my smile at how casual and nonchalant he’s trying to be.

“You like PlayStation?”

Tom snaps his head up, his interest clearly piqued.

I turn, nodding for him to follow me back into the living room. I crouch down at the cabinet the TV sits on, careful not to get in the way of Billie’s viewing, and I pull open one of the doors to show him the console that sits inside.

“You have a PS5?” Tom sucks in a gasp, gaping at it like it’s the holy grail.

“Yeah.” I chuckle. “Bought it last year when I busted my knee and was holed up right there on that couch for six weeks.”

“Woah,” he breathes out.

“You can play it whenever you want to,” I say, quickly adding, “I mean, of course, if it’s okay with your mom.”

He gawks up at me, not blinking. “Th-thanks.”

“Can I play?” Billie asks, and I don’t know why but I can’t help but think she has absolutely no idea what it is.

I sniff a laugh. “Might be a little old for you, but maybe Tommy can find a game on there that you can play.”

She grins, bouncing up and down on the sofa.

“Oh, h-hey.”

I turn right as Clara walks through the doorway from the kitchen, and I don’t miss the way my eyes trail down of their own accord, taking her in. Thankfully she ain’t dressed in that sorry ass excuse for a uniform Bruce the seventy-year-old fuckin’ pervert makes his waitresses wear; but the leggings and tank top that hugs her curves is almost as distracting. Her honey-blonde hair is pulled into a bouncy ponytail on top of her head, and her naturally pretty face is covered in makeup that takes away from her beauty instead of adding to it, but she’s still fine as hell.