“You fucking moron,” someone swore as the entire gathering around us stiffened, their hands going to their own weapons in alarm. The race forgotten.
“How do you pick em, Snake?” Vice mocked.
Snake narrowed his gaze at me, surprised at my move. “We’ll handle all of this next time. Bone, put your gun away.”
A few seconds ticked by before I could calm myself sufficiently to tuck my weapon away. I turned and stormed away from the gathering.
I was standing at the edge of the canopy when Tyler and Snake walked up to me. They were both clearly annoyed.
“What the fuck was that all about, Bone?” Tyler roared. “You losing your mind now like RJ?”
I kept silent, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get away with it.
“You’ll be punished,” Snake spat.
I couldn’t have cared less.
Della Ray
“Hey.”
I was brushing my teeth so I could head into the shower when Nichole popped her head into the bathroom. When I saw the look in her eyes, something hit hard against my chest. “What is it?”
“A video surfaced from the race,” she said. “It’s everywhere online and on the news. A fight broke out, but there were no guns involved. Only fists. At a point though, it seemed like they were going to go at each other’s throats.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I mumbled, turning the faucet off.
“I thought you’d like to know if he got hurt.”
“I don’t care.” I replaced my toothbrush and snatched the bath curtain aside so I could get in for a shower.
“Okay,” she responded and left.
As the hot cascade poured atop my head, I felt the knot in my heart start to loosen, but then the moment I remembered the girl’s words in the bar. I tried to remind myself that it all meant nothing … him, her … them. All of it was of no consequence whatsoever to my life and wellbeing.
Why then was my heart breaking?
“Hey, I think we saw your guy on the news,” Gloria said as I arrived into the diner’s kitchen.
I ignored her and retrieved the supplies I needed to replenish my section. I really didn’t need any more aggravation this evening. I was already like a cat on a hot tin roof. Then at that moment, my phone rang so I slammed down the thick jars of ketchup and mustard on the table and pressed it to my ear. “What?” I barked.
“That’s how you answer your phone,” came the response.
I couldn’t breathe. I really couldn’t breathe. The fire that had been charring my chest over the last few days blazed like someone had poured a jug of kerosene on it.
“How did you get my number?” I snarled.
He went silent. Then … “I need to see you, Della.”
I scoffed in disbelief. “You’re out of stories to sing to your buddies? You want some new ones now?”
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
I hated how cold and calm his voice was while I sounded like I was running on coals. It wasn’t fair. I was always the one suffering. He always took what he wanted and went on his way. No more. No more. “We agreed not to contact each other ever again. Why are you calling me?”
“It was a rough night. And through it all, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. How do I get you off my mind, Della?”
I could feel myself start to soften. God, how I wanted to believe him. To be with him. But I couldn’t. I had Jess to think of. If I had been single, perhaps I could have seen a life with him as an adventure, but with Jess, no way. I could never do that to her. I took a deep breath. “Well for starters, delete my damn number.”
“I need to see you, baby.”
I hated myself for asking but I couldn’t hold back. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not,” he said. “You have your shift at the diner, right? I’ll come over.”
“Please don’t!” I snapped.
Silence.
“Why not?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t want anything to do with you, Bone. I’ve got my life and you’ve got yours. This is what we agreed on, remember?”
“Yeah. You’re right,” he said, and the line went dead.
For the longest time all I did was hold the phone, the beep singing of endings and death in my ear. The door to the diner dinged open and at the sight of our manager, I put my phone away and went on with my job. I think I worked on autopilot. Smiling, pouring coffee, carrying plates, ringing up the register. All the while I could hear him saying, I need to see you, baby.
I was exhausted by the time I took my apron off. When I went back home, I held Jess in my arms, and I knew it was worth it. “I would do it all again for you,” I whispered in her ear.