But this, whatever it was, he was holding to himself.
Not giving it to his mom.
Not Dutch.
Not Hound.
Not Tack.
Not Archie.
And that was not just because he didn’t know what “it” was.
This was in his head as they walked with arms around eachother to his bike.They took the way through the store, rather than goingaround it, exiting out the back door.
But when they got to his bike, and Jag curled Archie to hisfront, he didn’t get into his mom texting or why he might be avoiding that orany of the other shit that he was avoiding thinking about.
He informed her, “I played the wrong card at first with Mal,got in his face physically, and he reared like he thought I was gonna followthrough with that.”
She was watching him closely as she said, “I see you thinkthat’s important for me to know, but if anyone gets in your shit, you’re gonnaretreat.Am I wrong?”
He shook his head.“Maybe not, but it didn’t feel that way.I didn’t lift a hand, not even to point in his face.It was threatening, but inno way a threat.Do you know what I mean?”
“I think so.”
“Do you think the Harris brothers would take bullying to thenext level?”
The point he was making dawned on her.
He knew this when she whispered, “Oh shit.”
“Fuck,” he whispered back.Then asked, “How do the kids getto your store?”
“They walk from school.It’s a hike, but it’s goodexercise.”
“Together?”
“I…” She shook her head.“No.They have cliques.They bondin store, mostly.But out of the store, from the way they filter in, my guess,not so much.”
“And Mal shows alone,” he deduced.
She nodded.
“I don’t know where to go from here, baby.If we can’t gethim to talk, we can’t go to his parents about what’s going down.I can’t showat his school and escort him here, that’s creepy.I’d like to put the lean onthe Harris brothers, but that’s creepy too.And since Mal isn’t sayinganything, I don’t know if there’s anything to lean on.”
“We need Mal to open up,” she remarked.
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“Did you feel he might get there with you?”
No, he did not.
“I’ll swing ’round tomorrow,” he told her.
She smiled up at him as she arched into him and said, “Ikindadig you, Jagger Black.”
He grinned down at her and tightened his arms around her,replying, “Good,seein’ as after we scarf down theorder from DoorDash you’re gonna text me about in an hour or so, I’m gonnaspend the rest of the night inside you.It’d be awkward that happens and youweren’t into me.”
