Page 141 of Explosive Prejudice

Parking Shay-Lee’s car by the house, I looked straight ahead. The last time I’d been here didn’t end well, and I wasn’t keen on coming back. I got out of the car, knowing this would be my last time here.

It was still early, around noon, so when I heard the familiar sound of running water coming from the backyard, I rounded the house to find Andrei washing his surfboard with the garden hose, his wet suit rolled down to his waist.

I coughed to get his attention, and he turned around. The second our eyes met, Andrei frowned and clenched the hose tighter, but then he turned off the water and bent down to wax his board.

I was never a fan of small talk, so I wasn’t sure what to say and instead rubbed the back of my head. Over the course of a few months, we’d gone from being inseparable to being nearly strangers. While Andrei had been an ass many times, I hadn’t been any better. But now, I understood what it was like to want someone twenty-four seven, and I felt a bit guilty for the way I’d treated him. I also felt bad for beating him up, but I’d do it again if he ever raised his hand to Shay-Lee.

“Going surfing?”

Andrei hummed a low yes, then returned to wax his board in complete silence.

“Any chance I could join you?” I asked after several long, awkward minutes of silence.

Andrei looked up from his board, and his green eyes scrutinized me. When he glanced back down, I assumed the answer was no, and I was ready to go when he tossed a board my way, which I barely caught in time.

“Do you even remember how?”

“Of course I do.”

Clenching his jaw, he nodded. “Okay, then.”

Ten minutes later, we were in the ocean, paddling through the water until we were deep enough to position ourselves. After not surfing for a few months, I was a bit rusty, but it took me no more than three failures before I got the hang of it again.

The waves, the weather, and the ocean made everything seem perfect today, filling my chest with the unfamiliar feeling of hope. Well, it wasn’t unfamiliar, now that Shay-Lee was an integral part of my life. I realized that being excited about my future made me less hostile toward Andrei and his approach to life. A big part of my anger through the years was due to my belief that I never stood a chance. I now accepted that Andrei was right while I was wrong, and perhaps I could start my apology with that.

It was mid-noon when we got out of the water, sunk our boards in the sand, and slumped down on our asses. In the past, we used to spend our days like this, just the two of us, surfing and enjoying the ocean, but everything had changed. Thanks to the last few months, I’d finally learned that change could be a good thing.

“Sorry for being an ass,” I said, and he snorted.

“An ass? You gave me two black eyes, D. I looked like a fucking raccoon for weeks.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, too.” I scratched my neck. “Kind of lost my temper.”

We sank back into silence until Andrei broke it.

“Was it his dad?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it that bad?”

“Worse.”

Swallowing and looking down at the sand, Andrei nodded, as if accepting my answer.

“Miles never knew?” I asked.

“No.” He drew circles in the sand. “I think he still finds it hard to believe.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, he’s a bit dense. Isn’t he?”

Andrei snorted. “He can be, sometimes. But he’s a good guy, D.”

“I know,” I said for the first time since knowing Miles. “I’m glad you found him.”

Andrei smiled to himself, then leaned back on his arms. “He hid it well. Shay-Lee, I mean. Made it impossible to feel sorry for him.”

“He doesn’t want anyone to know, let alone pity him.”

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