“I know you wouldn’t say anything, but he can’t treat people like that just because they’re different,” Justice says, which earns him another glare from his mom. He doesn’t turn around to see it.
“Sometimes, it’s easier not to,” Shadow admits. “In a way, thatisdoing something. It’s choosing to just let it slide because it’s not important.”
Stone scrunches up his face and shakes his head. “Itdoesmatter. Fuck those guys.”
Rita groans. Dad looks like he wants to try and say something about the language, but honestly, Stone and Justice had to have heard it already. They’re good boys with filthy mouths, and they’re smart. They know that their mom manages several night clubs and works with a biker club and that their dad is a full patched-in member. Nothing is going to change or refine them. They have hearts of gold but they’re always going to be rough around the edges.
I’d take that option any day.
Of course I’m proud of them.
I’m proud that they could be off doing teenager stuff, not giving a shit about family, but they’ve seen Shadow. They know what he’s going through, and they care. They’re protective of their own. That fills me with a warmth that maybe is a little bit misplaced, but I can’t deny it’s there.
“Sorry we wrecked your evening,” Justice finishes. “We really are.” He ruffles his brother’s hair roughly.
“Yeah,” Stone agrees. “We’re sorry we had to leave.”
The boys turn to my mom, even though she’s basically a total stranger to them, and then to me, and then to their parents. “Sorry everyone.”
“Nah,” Shadow says in that deep, coarse tone. His hands are right there, hanging at his sides. I want to grasp one and curl it into mine so badly that I have to grab hold of my purse just to keep myself from doing it. “You didn’t wreck anything.
“Burgers and fries?” Shadow asks them which draws a full groan from my dad, who probably doesn’t think that rewarding the boys for getting us turfed is a good thing. “I haven’t eaten all day and I’m starved. That sounds like a great idea.”
Mom’s been quiet all this time, standing at my side, but she points across the street now. “There’s a place that looks decent.”
Sure enough, a diner style restaurant with a big parking lot jammed full and a huge billboard that boasts ‘Seattle’s Best Milkshakes’sits not so quiet and unassuming.
There are several empty picnic tables outside. Shadow eyes them up as we walk over. The boys chatter loudly about what they’d like to get—ranging from eight milkshakes each to an extra-large pizza, six burgers, and several orders of chili fries.
“What if they don’t have chili fries?” Stone asks.
His brother falls silent for a moment as we make it across the street and onto the sidewalk. “I don’t know. Probably onion rings then. They’d have those wouldn’t they?”
Rita just sighs and glances helplessly at my dad. Dad tries to hide a grin, but he sucks at it. Mom is quiet again, fallinginto step beside me, and I do all that I can to stop myself from reaching for Shadow, who is an equally silent pillar at my other shoulder.
Dad points immediately to two of the empty picnic tables lining the small grassy strip at the side of the diner where the parking lot ends. “I’m going to go in and order for you both. You can sit out here and keep your mom company.Please.”
Rita slides onto one side of the picnic table and pats the seats to her right and left. “Best company I’ll ever have.” She might look like a bit rough around the edges herself, with heavy eyeliner, bleach-blonde hair, tight jeans, black tank top and a black leather jacket with tassels on the back, but she’s one of those beautiful women I’ve ever known. Her soul has a way of shining through immediately.
The boys aren’t the typical teenagers who are too old and big to sit with their mom. They adore Rita. They slip in beside her without complaint.
I glide onto the bench of the other empty table and get out my phone. I have the menu up for the place in no time. “Want me to get everyone’s order for you and text it? There’s probably a line in there.”
“That would be great.” Dad gives me a relieved smile. “Thanks.”
Mom sits down to my right while Shadow walks around and sits across from me. I pretend to be absorbed reading the menu out loud for all of us, but really, I’m trying to estimate what the chances are that I could nudge Shadow’s foot with my own under the table and have no one notice.
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Like I want to be with them constantly, and every moment spent apart is painful, and then when I am with them, I want usclose. Touching. Fuck, who am I kidding? I want to crawl into Shadow’s lap right now and kiss him until we’re both breathless. I want him to pick me up and put me on the back of his bike and ride us straight to somewhere completely private where I can spend the rest of the night worshipping his body and giving him my own.
Justice and Stone soon interrupt my thoughts, thankfully, before I melt down right at the table, or all my thoughts start showing up on my face.
“Want me to write everything down for you?” Mom asks, getting her own phone out.
“Sure. Thanks.” I keep reading and Mom types a note of everything we want.
We finally get it all written down and I text Dad. He texts me back that I was right about the lineup, but half an hour later, he’s back carrying a crazy amount of grease spattered paper bags, and balancing two drink trays loaded down with milkshakes.
It’s a feat in itself to watch Justice and Stone plow through a bunch of burgers, fries, onion rings, and down an extra-large milkshake apiece. Considering we just got kicked out of a symphony, everyone looks remarkably happy. Even Mom looks like she’s not having a terrible time. I’m half afraid that if I look up at Shadow, everyone is going toknowwhat’s going on between us, so I try not to. I huddle over a burger and the milkshake we’re sharing, the tip of my boot wedged tight against Shadow’s under the table.
