A gave Cole a quick forced smile and nodded. “I’m totally fine. Just some scrapes. No big deal.”
Cole’s mouth set into a firm line, and he gave me a stern expression. “Some scrapes my ass. She said you weren’t wearing any gear. I know that shit must have hurt like a bitch. You could’ve lost a fucking limb. What the hell were you thinking?”
I didn’t like his accusatory tone, it made me feel weak and ashamed. I couldn’t explain to him that I didn’t care about thegear when at the time I was kind of wishing the crash had taken my life.
“Alright, Dad,” I gritted out, glaring at him. “I fucked up. It won’t happen again.”
Cole’s face fell and he reached for my leg, giving it a light squeeze. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound all lecture-y. I’m sure you got an earful from Lottie already.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes.You could say that again.“I just don’t want to see you hurt and I definitely don’t want to feel responsible.”
“Shut up. Just because you sold me the bike and taught me how to ride, doesn’t make you responsible for how I choose to ride on the road.”
“It kind of does, when I clearly failed you by not instilling in you a better sense of safety. Is this a regular habit?”
I closed my eyes, not wanting to get into an argument over something stupid. Besides, that was the whole point of getting the bike in the first place. The closer to death something brought me, the closer to peace I got.
“It was a one-time mistake, and it won’t happen again. Can we drop it?”
Cole sighed but nodded.
“Well, since you’re okay, I guess it’s socially acceptable to ask about the bike now. Is she totally fucked?”
I chuckled softly and shook my head. “From what I can tell, just scratched the paint. She drove home okay. She’s just been sitting in the garage since the accident though. I was afraid if Lottie saw me riding it to work, she’d unfriend me.”
Cole laughed, rubbing his forehead. “No, she’d more likely sabotage the bike so you’d be forced to scrap it. You want me to look her over?”
I chewed my lip for a moment in thought before shrugging, “If you want.”
There was a beat of silence before Cole spoke again. “So, how do you two know each other?”
Enoch and I shared a look, and I wished so badly that I didn’t have to lie to another person.
“We had dated years ago but recently reconnected when I ran into him at work.”
I glanced back at Cole who seemed to be sizing Enoch up.
“Oh. Cool. Are you new to Anchorage or from here?”
I could tell Cole was trying to feel him out, get a sense of who Enoch was. Something his protective nature compelled him to do. I was unexpectedly warmed by the gesture. We weren’t especially close, Cole and I, not when I hadn’t allowed myself to get close to anyone. But we’d shared a bond after all the hours spent together, tattooing my sleeve, and then teaching me to ride.
“Sort of. I moved here a few months back. But I had lived in Anchorage as a kid for a few years.”
“Ah, military brat?”
Enoch nodded. “I’m in the Air Force now.”
“Good for you, man.”
There was an awkward silence, and I felt the need to fill it.
“So, um, how’s work?”
Cole perked up, placing his can down on the coffee table.
“Wait! I finished a draft. You want to see it?”
I nodded and he leaned over, grabbing his phone out of his pocket.
“It’s a rough sketch, but enough for you to get an idea and tell me what you want changed.”
