“That’s not the answer, Jay!” Kai returned his scowl with interest.
“Then what is the answer?”
They stood in a silent face-off, because they’d been here many times before. They could let Riley fend for herself, but it meant sacrificing the boys and none of them were willing to do that. Jason sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat and suddenly looking ten years older. “Listen, I’ll take care of it. I picked up a couple shifts at the bar and I had a little extra this month.” He looked at Kai, “I saw Matteo at the resource centre. He said he could use your help this weekend, starting Thursday. It’s at least five hundred.”
Sweet, sweet relief coursed through Kai. He’d done work for Matteo’s landscaping company a few times over the last couple of summers and really liked the man. His family ran the youth resource centre that Jason volunteered at and sometimes took the boys to.
“Thank fuck. Let him know I’m there. How can I help with Riley?” Kai asked.
“You can’t. I’m the one who said I’d help. I’ll take care of it.” Jason gave him a steely look, but Kai wanted to argue. They didn’t solve their problems by themselves. They did it together. But the look Jason gave him told him he was done talking about it. At least the job with Matteo meant they’d be covered here and the extra could go back to Jason. Kai turned to Liam.
“Will you tell Geordie I can’t make it?”
Liam shrugged. “I’ll go with him. At least he won’t be bored.” He smirked.
“Whatever, asshole.” Kai rolled his eyes as he reached for his backpack.
“Where you going?” Liam asked.
The truth was now that he had his money sorted, there was only one place he wanted to be and if he left now he could, maybe, be there before dinner. He just didn't feel like starting with Liam again, by bringing Nolan up.
“Out,” he answered as Jay stepped aside.
“Kai!” Liam called.
Kai looked back at him.
“Just fucking be careful.”
“Love you, too.” Kai grinned.
“Fuck off.” Liam flipped him his middle finger.
Kai nodded a goodbye at Jason, letting the screen door close behind him. He glanced up and caught Riley’s green eyes from where she was sitting right outside her own trailer, watching him nervously and chewing the corner of her bottom lip, a joint between her fingers. Kai looked away, knowing if he talked to her now, he wouldn’t be able to control his frustration.
“Kai, wait,” she called as he strode by. He saw her get to her feet out of the corner of his eye.
“I gotta go, Riles. I’ll talk to you later.” Her hand curled around his arm pulling him to a stop. He turned, taking her in, from her dishevelled messy bun to the permanent blue bruises under her eyes; her pale skin and gaunt cheeks, from too much drugs and alcohol and not enough sleep and food. It made him sad, but more so because he’d seen what she looked like when her asshole boyfriend and her useless older sister left her alone long enough for her to get her shit together. When she was sober and goofing off with them and the kids. He knew what she looked like when she laughed. It had been a long time since he’d seen her do that.
“I heard you guys.”
Kai shook his head. “That’s between you and Jay, Riley.”
“You’re mad at me.”
He couldn’t deny it. He was, and maybe that wasn’t fair. “He’s never going to say no to you, you know.” Jason would put himself in his own grave first.
“I know, and I wouldn’t ask?—”
“I know, Riles.” He didn’t need her to finish the sentence. Just like them, she was barely keeping her head above water, and the people closest to her were constantly dragging her under. He wrapped an arm around her neck, kissing her temple. “I gotta go. I’ll see you later.”
12
By the time Kai reached Nolan’s door, he was practically vibrating with anticipation. He’d made it there in record time, propelled by his shit storm of a day and his overwhelming need to be close to Nolan. He could feel that imaginary elastic band physically shrink as he closed the distance. He almost put his finger through the doorbell once, then again when the door didn’t immediately open.Fuck. What if he wasn’t here? Kai spun around, as if expecting Nolan to come from around a corner somewhere. The door opened behind him, and Kai whirled again, ready to launch himself at Nolan but framed in the doorway was a tall, Asian man. Maybe Filipino? He was dark with olive skin, a sharp jaw and hard muscles just barely stretching a white button-down shirt tucked into black trousers, all of which looked like it had been made just for him. He looked like something off of a runway. Sexy as hell and definitely not welcome.
“Who the fuck are you?” Kai spat, his rage going from zero to a hundred before he’d blinked. The other man raised his eyebrows, the amusement on his face doing nothing to calm Kai’s temper.
“Who the fuck are you?” he countered; suddenly, Kai didn’t know. He thought he’d known who he was to Nolan, but here was another asshole making him second-guess himself. Humiliation burned through him. Was Nolan cheating on him? Or was Nolan cheating on this guy?
