Page 36 of Ryder: Shadows and Desires
“Yeah, good call,” I implore with a shaky voice, watching as dust clouds my home.
I remain on the phone long enough for the cops to arrive, and during the entire wait, I numbly stare at the sickening scene. Fortunately, all my vital belongings are either in my car or in a small bank vault—especially pictures of my brother.
But after hanging up the phone and speaking with the cops, I stand alone, staring at a now uninhabitable building. Under my breath, I mutter, “Alright, I am done with the cosmic jokes or whatever the fuck is going on.” I look around, openly talking to myself with a trembling tone. “This is getting old. I’m tired of bad shit happening. I don’t think I have much more patience.”
My throat chokes as a deep cry constantly jabs at the edge of my sanity. Before I know it, the whole town is out here, including the news, the city water, and other people inspecting the home.
I’m sitting next to Marge on the sidewalk while I wait for a call from Andrew. I had texted him, letting him know work might be difficult for me tomorrow.
“Well, that’s some shit luck,” Marge comments.
“Welcome to my life,” I listlessly say. I’ve lost mybedroom.Myhouse.It might have been shitty, but it was still the place that put a roof over my head.
“What kind of life you living where this is normal?”
I want to smirk, but not a single expression forms. “I mean, justlookat my house. Do I need to explain things?”
She shakes her head, her curly white hair moving. “My baby boy could have been out there. Poor thing needs his sweater.” She gives me an accusatory narrow of her eyes. “Did you call the city for this? Surely, you saw some signs. Now, wait, you even have a board out there. So you definitely knew there was an issue!”
“Yes, I did,” I bite back. “They told me it’s old pipes more than once. Probably busted, and with the sewage drain... it’s just a lot of soil erosion. The only reason it caved in, they said, is because the foundation for the house is basically dust. So back to square one of this being nothing more than shit luck.”
“Hmph,” she grunts, as if it’s still all my fault.
I reach into my pockets when my phone rings. “Hey, Andrew.”
“So what the fuck happened? Your house is on the damn news.”
“Yup. I’ve got a classic case of a sinkhole on my hands.” My voice cracks now that I’m talking to someone other than Marge. “It’s not huge, but the house was old, so it just didn’t hang.” I put my face in my hand, sighing, pressing the phone into my ear. “I can’t believe my house is destroyed.”
“Well, what are you going to do? You said you need time off?”
“I don’t know.” I stand and pace the sidewalk, my heart racing again. “I mean, I can maybe sleep at work. A hotel would cost too much... I don’t know. Do I even care anymore?” I ask, frustration taking deep slicing at my resolve. “I don’t care. I’m tired of caring. Tired of being angry, actually. I’m just tired of shit happening to me.”
My breathing constricts, my eyes blurring from hot, angry tears. Ever since we got the call about Jeremy’s car accident, it’s been one thing after another.
He sighs heavily into the phone. “You can’t sleep at the gym.”
I roll my eyes, about to punch the air next to me. “It’smybuilding. The only other option is my car. I’m not paying for a fucking hotel. I lived here to save money, and I’mnotspending all of that because this place literally fell apart on me. Fuck that.”
He sighs again, and I can almost see him pinching the bridge of his nose based on his tone. “Just... don’t make me regret saying this, but you can stay with me.”
“What?” I pitifully ask, placing a hand on my hip as my brows dramatically rise upward.
“We got New York coming, the debut, all of that. I need your head in the game, Stevens. I got extra rooms, and Ryder keeps to himself. Food, all of that, will be covered by me. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really need your head in the game if it can be.”
My mouth opens, silence my only reply. Staring down at the pavement, I finally ask, “Wait, are you serious?”
I’m completely shocked that he’s being this generous, and that he mentioned staying in the same house asRyder.
“Julie, I know this sucks. I’m sorry half your house collapsed. I really mean that. But Joey Ryder—the fighter everyone is waiting to see back on the big screen—has to go to New York in two weeks. You should come too, seeing as how you own the gym name, unless you want to give it to me—”
“No, no... no, that’s a good—that’s a good point.” I struggle to process the offer, but some logical part of my brain resurfaces in my defense. “You sure? That’s seriously a huge thing to offer, Andrew.”
“Just don’t make me regret it.”
Ibarelygrin, staring at a car in front of me with a stick person family on the back window. “You say things with such warmth, Andrew.”
“You taking it or not?”
