Chapter 9 The last day at The Old felt longer than the rest of the summer put together. Not because it was particularly busy, but because every second dragged under the weight of knowing this was it. Six weeks. Six weeks of quiet. Of not hearing the bell over the door ding every hour. Of not having to scrub oil off the counter or hand any of the guys a wrench while they yelled at the motorcycles like they were personally offending them. Six weeks with no tips from customers who flirt with me while their bikes are getting fixed. And though we wouldn't be all together at the shop for a while, we'd still be around each other daily back at home. Dad and Odin told us to leave early, but the boys and I stayed until close. We didn't want to leave them alone, even if there wasn't much to do today. I wasn't really working, but I didn't feel like being anywhere else. Besides, a few customers still had to come by and pick up their bikes before we closed, and that was my job after all. Dash was hunched beside an old Harley, arms slick with grease, sweat darkening the back of his shirt. Ashby stood at the workbench, flipping through a clipboard, making sure Dad hadn't skipped logging any last-minute jobs. Tripp helped in short bursts, disappearing into the back every now and then. Rhys leaned against the counter, half-working and talking to Odin occasionally. And I was sitting on the stool behind the counter, sipping a lukewarm Pepsi and pretending I wasn't tired from all this heat surrounding us. The whole shop smelled like grease and the metal tang of motorcycle parts. I had grown up with that smell, and it always made me feel safe. In that moment, though, it made me want to hike up a mountain and smell fresh and cool air. Or sit by the lake and feel the soft breeze. After the last few customers came and went, we were ready to leave. Dad finally flipped the sign to CLOSED just after eight and locked the door with a little more force than necessary after we all exited the shop. Then he exhaled like someone who'd been holding their breath all year. "That's it," he muttered. "Six weeks of nothing. Nobody mention anything about bikes, nobody even say the word Harley in my presence." "You're gonna make it three days," Rhys said, grinning. "Shut the hell up." "We should bet on that," Ashby added. "Put money on what day he cracks and runs back here. Dad too." "I say Dad makes it six days, Owen four," Dash said. "You're all assholes," Dad muttered, but the corner of his mouth twitched like he didn't mind. He looked over at me. "And don't think you're doing dishes or laundry or anything domestic during this break either. You're officially off duty. All of you." I gave him a little salute. "Yes, sir." His eyes softened for a second, then he started walking to his truck. We all went home and ate a simple dinner. Despite his order, we helped clean up before we all scattered. Tripp disappeared into the basement. Ashby and Rhys followed. Dash went upstairs to shower, Dad and Odin sat out on the front porch with a cold beer in hand to enjoy the rest of the evening. I just stood in the hallway outside my bedroom, staring at the walls and listening to the ceiling fan overhead. I felt restless. Not just in my body, but in my brain. Something inside me was still pacing. I couldn't stay still. I didn't want to sit around with them. Not tonight, for some reason. My stomach growled, which it shouldn't have after dinner, but I only had some bread and cold cuts, and I suddenly craved my favorite chips. So I grabbed some money and the truck keys and headed out the front door, telling Dad and Odin I was going to the gas station as I passed them. They didn't stop me but told me to be safe. The gas station on the edge of town looked the same as it always had. A buzzing sign outside, one sad little tree near the curb, and a Pepsi sign that hadn't lit up since I was twelve. The glass of the vending machine next to the entrance of the little shop was broken, and there were no drinks or snacks inside. Nobody seemed to care about the old thing, but it fit the whole rustic small town vibe. The moment I stepped inside, the cold hit me hard in the face. I paused, breathing it in, letting it chill my overheated skin. The coolers were loud in the back, and a little radio behind the counter was playing an old song from the 80's. I walked through the narrow aisles to grab a cold Coke from the cooler, and after getting to the snacks, I decided on a bag of Doritos before heading to the checkout counter. The man behind it didn't even look at me as he started to ring up my items on an old calculator. Before he could tell me the total, I put money on the counter. I didn't bother talking to him when all I would get from him was a frown, but I thanked him after he put my change next to the bag of chips. Back outside, I decided I still needed some space from the others. The lingering heat and every memory of the things we did stuck to me in the most uncomfortable way. But I didn't let that ruin my mood or appetite. I headed back to the truck and put the tailgate down so I could sit on it. I opened the Coke and bag of Doritos and sat there alone, enjoying the silence and the view. It wasn't much. Just the road leading back into town in one direction, and to our house in the other. The sky looked pretty though. Just when I thought my evening would stay this quiet, a car turned into the lot and parked right next to mine. The two girls and one boy that got out were my old classmates, and I had to be careful not to roll my eyes at the sight of them. "Bliss Langley." Emily's voice was one I never liked to hear. She had a pretty voice, but the fact that it came out of her bothered me. She rarely had nice things to say to anyone, really, and she just wasn't a person I liked being around. I turned and gave a tight smile. "Hello, Emily," I said, then looked at the other two and nodded once. "Kelsey. Carson." They both greeted me back. Unlike Emily, Kelsey and Carson were nice. They never ignored me in the hallway and even ate lunch with me occasionally. Emily tilted her head, her eyes giving me a hint of how amused she was meeting me here. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again." "I live here," I said plainly. Emily snorted. "Yeah, but like...I thought you'd never show your face around anymore after graduation. You know, because you're so...family oriented." I narrowed my eyes. What the fuck is she talking about? "Okay?" "Em." Kelsey sighed and nudged her side, then she looked at me with a gentle smile. "How have you been enjoying summer break so far, Bliss?" Now, that was someone I could have a normal conversation with. I looked at Kelsey and shrugged, putting another chip in my mouth. "Fine. We just closed The Old for six weeks, so I'm only now truly on summer break." "I see." She smiled again. "Well, are you up to anything fun?" "Not really. Just hanging out with my family," I told her, glancing over at Emily for a split second. "Cool." "How's Dash?" Carson asked, joining the conversation. Carson's older brother went to high school with Dash, and they were close friends until they graduated, and Carson's brother went off to college. "He's fine, thanks." He nodded. Emily decided to speak again, so I looked at her as I continued to eat my Doritos, surprisingly unbothered by her presence. "Any plans tomorrow night?" "No, why?" "We're going to a party out at the lake. Tyler's back in town from college. Big thing. Bonfire, beer, the usual. You should come." I blinked. "Seriously?" "Yeah. Why not?" She shrugged. "You could use some fun." This time, I did roll my eyes. "Why would you want me there?" "Why not?" Emily repeated, her face all innocence. "Pretty sure Dash will come too," Carson said. Because Dash was also friends with Tyler. But he hadn't told me anything about a party. Not yet. I looked at all three, thinking about it for a moment. "Only if the others can come too." "You mean...your brothers?" Emily asked. "And Ashby." "Ah, right...your other cousin." I nodded. "Sure," Emily said. "Bring whoever you want. As long as they're hot." "Great," I muttered. "It'll be fun," Kelsey assured me with a soft smile. "You don't have to bring anything. There'll be plenty of everything." She would know. Tyler was her cousin. I wonder if she ever thinks of him in a sexual way. Probably not. Kelsey was normal. Too sweet and smart to have twisted thoughts like that. "Okay, sounds good." "Have a good night, Bliss," Carson said in a friendly tone. I wished them the same, and as they walked over to the shop, I packed up everything and got back into the truck to drive home. My peace and quiet had been interrupted, and I didn't feel like staying out here any longer. So I drove home. *** It was dark when I got home. The porch lights were still on, but Dad and Odin were gone. I saw them on the couch watching TV when I went inside, but Dad was already asleep, and Odin barely glanced at me before I headed upstairs after giving him a smile. I held my half-eaten chips in my hand, but I wouldn't finish the rest tonight. Emily ruined my appetite. Instead of heading to my room, I tapped my knuckles softly on Dash's door before pushing it open. The room smelled like clean clothes and shampoo. He'd showered, and his damp hair curled a little at the ends. He was lying on his bed shirtless, scrolling through something on his phone. He looked up the second I stepped in. "Hey," he said, sitting up. "Where'd you go?" "Gas station," I said. "Needed a snack." He nodded. "You good?" "Yeah." I lingered in the doorway. "Just...ran into some people." Dash raised an eyebrow. "Who?" "Emily. Kelsey. Carson." He made a face. "That's a trio straight from hell." "I don't mind Kelsey and Carson," I said. "Emily's still a bitch, though." He smirked. "She's always been jealous of you. Don't let her get to you." I pursed my lips and nodded. After being silent for a moment, I said, "She invited me to a party tomorrow night." That made him pause. "The lake party?" "So you did know." Dash shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "Yeah. Tyler texted me about it a few days ago." "You weren't going to tell me?" "I didn't think you'd want to go." "Why not?" He gave me a look. "Because...it's a party. With people like Emily. And beer. And idiots." "And you're going." He chuckled. "Yeah. So are Rhys, Ashby, and Tripp. We've all been planning to." That made me blink. "Seriously?" "Yep." I stepped farther into the room, then sat down on the edge of his bed. "So I'm the last to know." "Not on purpose." He leaned back against the wall, resting his head there. "We just didn't think you'd care." I stayed quiet for a while. It wasn't that I cared that much. I wasn't mad. But part of me felt left out, and I didn't like that feeling when it came to them. "I told them I'd come," I said. Dash smiled gently and reached out to rest his hand on my leg. "Okay. It'll be fun." I nodded again, watching him closely. "Or...do you not want me to come?" "I do." He squeezed my thigh, then tipped his chin toward the door. "Just let the others know so they don't act surprised." "I will." "Good." His smile softened. "Wanna come sleep here with me tonight?" It was a question he already knew the answer to, but I still nodded. "I'll go take a quick shower first." "Okay." I got up and walked toward the door when he spoke again. "You look pretty." I bit the inside of my cheek and turned to look at him, feeling the blood rush into my face. "And you're a liar." He chuckled with a shake of his head. "Am not. I really like your hair like that." I scrunched my nose and decided not to argue with him. "Thank you." He didn't reply. Just gave me a sweet look. Guess I'll put my hair in a low, messy bun more often. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!