“No. I need you to really promise me. Not just say it. You’re the only friend I’ve ever had. I’ve never had anyone I could trust. Everyone lies. Everybody. They lie about staying clean or buying food while I’m at school. They promise they’ll never hit me again or that I won’t get split up from the kids when Mom inevitably breaks her promises and ends up back in jail or rehab. But it’s never true. Not ever. They just say shit to appease me. But not you. And I think if you ever do, it would break me. So can you please really promise me that if you wanna be friends, you’ll never lie? And I’ll promise the same.”
Koa didn’t speak for a long time. Long enough that my heart started to pound and the urge to run was strong. Was he gonna tell me no? Laugh at me and tell me we’re not really friendsand go tell all his football buddies how pathetic I was? No, Koa wouldn’t do that.
He held both of my hands tightly. “First of all, we’re always gonna be friends. For the rest of our lives. Nothing will change that. So stop with all that ‘as long as we’re friends’ crap. Because we will be. Even when we’re old and I’m playing in the NFL, you’ll be my best friend. Got it?”
My eyes stung like I was about to cry. I quickly blinked it back. ”Y-yeah. Got it.”
“Also, I promise to never lie to you. No matter what, Riot. I’m sorry if I didn’t take it seriously enough at first, but I am now. I won’t lie. You can rely on me, Ri. I promise.”
I held out my pinky. “Pinky promise?”
He interlocked his with mine. “Pinky promise.”
Something grabbed my shoulder and my eyes flew open. Hawk was standing up in the cart, leaning over his brother. He had one of his small hands on my arm, shaking it. “Okay? Hurt?” he signed. His face was scrunched up in concern.
Fuck. “No, buddy. I’m sorry. I’m not hurt. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He still didn’t move, not right away. It was then that I noticed we had an audience of people staring at me like I was losing it. I glared at them until they all looked away.
“Let’s get outta here, Hawk. Sit down for me again please.”
Hawk sat, but he turned himself so he was facing me, probably to make sure I didn’t zone out again.
I still felt eyes on me as I hurried to the cashier to pay for my stuff. I didn’t get half of what we needed, and I was barely aware of what I was doing as I loaded the belt and then swiped my card. I just needed to get out of here. I had to get Hawk and Storm home safely so I could have a meltdown in peace. Because if it was true and Koa had lied to me about something so important, I didn’t know how I’d ever recover.
Chapter 9
Koa
“Hey,let me help you with those.”
I stepped off our front stoop and headed toward the driveway, where Riot had parked his Toyota Sequoia. He had the trunk open, Storm in one arm and holding Hawk’s hand with the other. All of that was normal. What had me scared was that Riot wasn’t moving. He was staring at nothing and holding the kids tightly, like they were the only things keeping him standing.
Something was seriously wrong. There wasn’t even half of what we usually got. We had so many mouths to feed, the trunk was normally filled with bags, but today there was only a handful. Even Hawk looked agitated and like he was on the verge of a meltdown. What could possibly have happened in the hour they’d been gone?
“Riot, are you okay?” I touched his arm and he flinched, pulling away from me. What the fuck? Riot never flinched away from my touch, even in the very beginning, when he wouldn’t allow anyone close. I’d always been the exception.
His head turned in my direction, but he was looking right through me.
“Sweetheart, what happened?” I reached out to touch his face, but he put up his hand, stopping me.
“Don’t.”
Fuck. I quickly pulled out my phone and texted Knox. He was inside working on a project with a friend, so I felt bad interrupting him, but Riot was shutting down in front of me and I needed help.
Thirty seconds later, Knox was bursting through the door, barefoot and panicked. He looked at me, then to his brother, and then back again.
“What the fuck?” he mouthed at me in question. I shrugged. I had no idea what was happening.
“Hey, Riot, can I take the kids from you?” Knox asked gently, his voice soft and soothing, like he was trying to settle a frightened animal.
Riot didn’t blink, but he did nod slightly and let Knox take Storm from his arms. Knox held out a hand for Hawk. “C’mon, Hawk. Let’s go inside.”
“Daddy hurt,” he signed, big eyes staring at Knox.
“I know, bud, but Papa will help him. Let’s go inside. You can have an ice pop if you want.”
Hawk broke into a toothy smile and then finally let go of Riot’s hand and took Knox’s.
