You’re insane… but I did kind of tell him a whole scary masked crew would be awesome.
“What the hell are you two texting about?” Riley’s booming voice scares her so much her phone goes flying. Tossed away like it was the one yelling.
Mikey’s laugh fills the car. Liz watches him lie on the seat, holding his stomach from laughing so hard. She has half a mind to go back there and throwhisphone. Liz looks at Riley. Her eyebrows pinch together while her lips purse into a perfect pouting face. She crosses her arms and slinks back into the seat. Riley shoots her a wink, smiling wide as he looks at a still doubled over Mikey.
“So, you know I’m going to cut your dick off, right?” Riley asks in his all too calm tone. The laughing ceases. Mikey shoots up from his seat, perching himself between the two front seats, an elbow resting on each. Even Liz gets a chill down her spine from the ice in his tone.
“What? Why? Over a text? Why?” Mikey whines.
Liz can’t hold back her laughter at the sight of Mikey’s scared, frantic eyes searching Riley’s face in the mirror.
Riley, desperately trying to hold back his smile and keep his composure, doesn’t help the giggles bubbling from her.
“I only told her I want a cool mask, too,” Mikey states. As if that could stop Riley now that he’s started messing with his friend.
“It’s not about that. I’ve been thinking about whether I wanted to warn you or just surprise you with my knife. You’re like a brother to me, Mikey, so I’m telling you first.” The words fall from his lips effortlessly. If Liz didn’t know better, she would think he had put real thought into doing it.
“What the hell did I do?” Mikey pleads. His head swivels between Riley and Liz, both trying to hold in their laughter.
“You know exactly what you did. I should thank you for the idea though, very creative,” Riley jokes. Liz watches him, she can see the gears turning in his head. Thinking so hard, she would not be the least bit surprised if smoke started billowing from his ears.
“Did you tell him?” Mikey asks, slumping back into his seat. His arms cross firmly over his chest, only reinforcing his image of a pouting child.
“Tell me what?” Turning to Liz, Riley asks, “Is there something you need to tell me?” She can’t stop the giggle fit bursting from her chest watching Mikey’s face run through his emotions. Confusion, fear, then back to confusion.
“Nope. This seems like a best friends thing,” she says, calming herself and turning back to the window, leaving Mikey in the trenches.
“Weare best friends!” he pleads with Liz. It’s too late. There is no way she can look him in the eye and stay serious. She is shocked her outburst hasn’t given it away yet. Liz quickly realizes he mustbe more stressed than she thought. That almost makes her let him in on it.
Almost.
“Okay, you’re freaking me out, Ry. I can’t tell if you’re serious or not, man,” Mikey says, his tone almost pleading. Every word is laced with genuine fear.
“It depends. Were you serious when you told my wife she has never been hotter after I fucked the life out of her? How about when you said I would let you have a threesome with us if it made her happy?” Riley asks, keeping his tone calm and level.
“Do you want me to be? You kind of sound like you want me to be serious. Is this happening? Are we doing it?” Mikey asks, practically bouncing in his seat.
Liz shakes her head, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose, regretting fighting so hard to go with her two idiots over the calm, quiet ride Tyler and Alex are no doubt enjoying.
“Okay. Iwasjoking but now little Mikey is gone as soon as we get to the safehouse,” Riley barks.
“I’m kidding!” Mikey responds. “She’s hot, but I don’t think about her in that way,” he starts. “I’ll admit, my mind went there briefly when I saw you two fucking by the pond?—”
“What?” Liz shrieks, turning to face him so fast it gives her whiplash. The van veers into the opposite lane as Riley spins looks behind him. The tires squeal as he straightens the car out. Rage settles into every line of his face.
“Oh. Did you forget about their trail cameras?” Mikey asks, too innocently. “Alex kept getting notifications from one of them. Being the good soldier that I am, I checked to make sure we were safe. Turns out, it was just you getting railed.”
“Mikey!” Liz shrieks. Her hands fly up to cover her face, embarrassed they had been caught in the act.
“What? I stopped watchingalmostright away,” he says.
“Almost?” Riley asks, not wanting to know the answer. His knuckles turn white from the grip he holds on the steering wheel, no doubt debating on if killing his friend is worth it this time.
Liz reaches over and grabs one of his hands, interlocking their fingers. They stay silent for a long while. Liz watches the trees turn to towns and the town turn to fields as they make their way closer to their next safehouse.
“Can I have a mask now? I’m traumatized, too,” Mikey asks sheepishly.
A smile tugs at Riley’s lips. Liz watches the muscles in his cheeks flex and his jaw tighten with restraint. Since Riley has been back, they have had so little time where they can just goof off like friends. No one can forget the danger chasing them at every turn, but these small moments make them remember why they are fighting so hard.
