Page 59 of Ride or Die
“Busy like you, everyone wants all the specialty holiday drinks, treats, and gifts. It's crazy.” She nods, feeling my pain.
“Are you guys doing your own little Christmas, or will you go back to your parents’ place?” she asks, taking a sip.
Daya doesn’t seem like the holiday type. She was raised in The Shores by a single mom and her grandma. Her dad died when she was a baby.
“Nah, we’re doing our own thing. I can’t wait. I haven’t been excited for Christmas in years. My entire family has always worked, so we’ve never celebrated it. Gotta earn that holiday pay, right?” I don’t remember Christmases when we were all together, and the faint memories I do have aren’t your typical commercialized happy family with tons of decorations and presents. “How about you?”
“Like you said, we all work for that holiday pay. I’ll be at the restaurant pulling a double,” she says, waving her hand dismissively. “You know what you’re going to get Colt?”
“No idea,” I chuckle.
“Lingerie? When in doubt, go with lingerie,” she suggests with a coy smile.
“Not a bad idea, but everything is always off me in seconds. Maybe a sexy dance?” We both giggle. “I’ll go tomorrow to get something. You want to come?” I ask. She nods in agreement.
“I’m in. I don’t celebrate Christmas. I don’t even know if Axel does. He lives with a bunch of guys who share rent and never talks about his parents, but maybe I should get him something.”
“I hope this doesn’t come out wrong, but…what is it about Axel for you? You guys seem so…?”
“Different?” She laughs, throwing her hair over her shoulder. She’s gorgeous, and Axel is a little greasy and shady around the edges. Plus, he’s an asshole.
“I’m a woman who likes control, Axel is a man who possesses control every single day, but when it comes to sex, I run the show.” She winks.
“I love the way Colton throws me around. I don’t think I could dominate him.”
She laughs again, grinning. “Yeah, you can tell just by looking at Colt he wouldn’t be down with that. But ya never know. Sometimes we can bring it out in them.” She nudges me with her elbow.
“What is going on with you two, anyway? You’re so hot and cold. One day you’re making out at a party, the next you’re fighting? Just fuck buddies or more?” I ask.
Daya shrugs, taking a sip of her drink, giving herself time to come up with an answer she’s willing to share. Just as she is about to tell me, we hear the rumble of Colt’s car.
“Saved by the rumble,” I mutter. “We’re not done having this conversation.” I wave my finger at her. She shrugs, her face reddening.
I’m enjoying my friendship with Daya and am happy she’s around. It’s nice to have a female friend other than my sister, especially since that relationship has gone to shit.
Colt’s car shuts off in the driveway, and he and Axel strut towards us. Clearly their night resulted in a job well done.
Axel nods at me as he passes and immediately buries his face into Daya’s neck, taking her in his arms. Her eyes widen, and she wraps an arm around his back.
Colt’s grin widens as he approaches. He lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his hips. I love being so small in comparison to him.
“Hi,” he says sweetly, looking me in the eyes. I lean in and gently kiss his lips. He puts me down and goes to the fridge, grabbing a beer before coming back and wrapping his arm around me, pulling me into his side.
Axel sits on the stool and pulls Daya between his legs, holding her hips. I watch them curiously, trying to work out their dynamic. She’s avoiding eye contact, and he is all about the PDA.
I clear my throat. “So Ax, we’re friends now…” He nods before I continue. “What is this?” I ask pointing back and forth between them.
He shrugs. “Daya’s the shit. I like her, she likes me. The sex is incredible. So, we’re dating. Exclusively. I see how happy you make Colt, and he's right. If I like her, why not make it official?” he explains coolly, whereas she’s bright red. His response makes my heart swell for them.
“Well, that settles that. So we are definitely shopping tomorrow, for the same thing, I imagine?” I raise my eyebrow at Daya.
She chuckles and nods. This is the first time Axel has acknowledged their relationship, even though at every party lately, she’s the only one he’s kissing and taking home. It’s about damn time he admits it.
We continue chit-chatting while the boys watch the hockey game and other people start to show up. Krissy and Gina arrive with Drai and Adam. They are good friends with Daya, so naturally, we get along as well. They all waitress at the same family restaurant, and we share stories and laughs about terrible customers. I always avoid talking about school because no one else but Axel and Colt go, so it’s not the vibe of this crowd.
Drinks and joints are flowing, and I look around at the group I’ve seemingly been adopted into. It was rough at first, but somehow I managed to make friends.
It’s amazing what can happen when you open yourself up to others. Less than a year ago, I’d be judging all these people. It’s fucked when a perceived image of you is put out there and you can’t shake it, despite it not being the defining thing about you. But you’re still titled as such. For me, it was the bookworm loser. For Colt, it’s the bad boy car thief. For his friends, I'd considered them sluts and asshole misogynists. But deep down, we are people with so much more to us once you take the time to get to know us.
