Page 12 of Blade

I waited until we were outside, out of hearing range for Grams, before I let him know how I felt about this whole situation.

“Blade, I can go to the store on my own. I can drop everything off at the clubhouse when I’m done.”

He walked around the side of the truck and opened my door.

“You heard Grams, the club pays.”

“Well, you clearly don’t want to go—”

He turned, interrupting me before I got the chance to finish.

“It isn’t about what I fucking want. This is my job for the club, and I do what I’m told.”

“So, you don’t have a choice?”

“I made my choice when I joined the club. Let’s just get this shit over and done with.”

He stared at me, and I realized he was holding the truck door for me. I climbed inside, trying to understand the man. He acted like I killed his dog one minute, and a gentleman the next.

After sliding behind the wheel, he backed out of the driveway.

We rode to the store without a sound between us. It would have been awkward if not for the low volume of the radio.

I watched out the window as the small town I grew up in passed by in a blur.

It seemed everything in my life was a blur lately.

I didn’t sleep well at night. The days just trudged on until they all meshed together and I didn’t know one day from the next. I wasn’t living my life. I simply existed, with no significant moments to one day look back on. Those moments stopped when I lost him.

Nothing had mattered since that day.

We pulled up to the market, and Blade and I headed for the front.

Manny’s Supermarket was the epitome of a small-town grocer. I felt as though I was walking into the past once again when I stepped through the doors.

I grabbed a shopping cart and noticed that Blade grabbed one too.

Looking at him, he must have read the question on my face and said, “Get everything you need. I have a few things to pick up for the club.”

“Blade, we can get done faster if we stick together. We’ll waste time looking for each other when we’re done.”

He stopped for a minute and looked at me. “When you’re done, I’ll meet you at the front of the store. No need to look for anyone.”

I watched him walk off without another word.

Never have I enjoyed watching a man walk away from me more. I shook my head and tried to rid myself of my ridiculous thoughts.

As I walked through the store, adding things to my cart, my mind wandered through time. How often did he and I walk through this same store, picking up groceries for Grams?

She always enjoyed cooking for a crowd.

My heart broke all over again with the memories.

“Micah, go grab the eggs and the juice and the milk while I get the chips and the snacks.”

“Becca, we should stick together. We can get done faster if we aren’t looking for each other through the store once we have our lists finished.”

I looked up from my list.

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