Page 18 of Ky
“Ready to go shopping?” I asked in hopes of changing the subject and lifting her spirits.
“That sounds lovely,” she said with a nod.
We spent a few hours getting things that she needed. That was really the only reason I had left the house. I hadn’t really needed to go out and run errands, but I figured if I said it any other way, she would have protested. I might have slipped a few things into the cart that I figured she would like. Things that she didn’t necessarily need but I didn’t care, the girl deserved something good in her life.
“So, how long have you known Kyna—Ky?” she asked as we cruised down the aisle at the grocery store. I wanted to grab some stuff that she was familiar with.
“Um,” I said thinking back. I’d met him once before back at Moon Hill before Brand moved down here, but I didn’t really talk to him that much. “Maybe close to a year and a half.”
“And that place that I found him at, is it some sort of gang?”
I let out a short laugh as my eyes cut around to see who might have been in earshot. Sure, I knew what the Steel Paragons did. The “stuff” that wasn’t even close to being legal and no one talked about outside of the club. I wasn’t an idiot and I had been around long enough to pick up on things. However, I’d never say it out loud or even tell Ingram what her brother was into. If he wanted her to know then that was all on him to fill her in.
“No. It’s a motorcycle club.” I resisted the urge to ask her if she knew what that was.
“A club? Oh. So they all ride motorcycles? I had a…friend that showed me a video once of some guys on motorized bikes doing tricks. Is that what they do?”
“No. Mostly they just ride around town on them and think they all look super sexy wearing the same vest,” I joked. But seriously, some of them really did look sexy in their leather cuts.
“Yes,” she said as she covered her mouth and giggled. “I could see that. Are there many of them? I stopped at that bar trying to find Ky and it looked like it was full of men in vests that looked alike.”
“There’s a good number. Not sure how many, I haven’t kept count.”
She stopped and looked at all the brightly colored cereal boxes, the ones that were meant to jump out and catch the attention of children. Her eyes danced over several and I wondered if she was curious about the packaging or the actual food.
“You want to get some?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could.
“The colors are so bright. Is that normal?”
“Yeah,” I answered with a nod. “With processed food the brighter the color the better, or so the people that make them think.”
“Is it any good?”
“Here, let’s just grab a few and you can taste for yourself.” I grabbed a bunch of different ones and tossed them into the cart. “This one is my personal favorite when I was a kid. Haven’t had it in years, though. Guess it’s time to see if the memories match up with reality.” I laughed as I snatched up the box of so-called fruity, little, pebbled flakes.
“You and Ky must be good friends then, for you to offer your place like you did,” Ingram said a few aisles later. “Thank you, by the way. I do not think I said that yet.”
“You’re very welcome,” I said and flashed her a smile. There was no way I was going to tell her that Ky and I felt like we were barely friends now, if at all. “Can I let you in on a little something?”
She nodded and took a step closer to me as if she were readying herself to hear some big secret.
“Sometimes it gets a little lonely in that house. I think it will be nice to have the company.”
It was the truth. As much as I liked my quiet time, sometimes being so far away from the noise and everyone really got to me. Maybe I was truly lonely and desperate for some sort of companionship. It could have been that I was getting old and, dare I even contemplate the thought, ready to settle down. But it wasn’t like I had any prospects lately. I’d been too busy with work and getting my house set up. Oh, and I mean, I did spend a lot of time with Brand. I wasn’t sure how to meet people in a new place, especially when the only people I really socialized with were the boys at the club. No offense to any of them, but the women that hung around them weren’t really my type. And as far as the guys went, well, I wasn’t going to go there.
By the time we checked out we had an overflowing cart full of random stuff. I wasn’t sure if there was enough room in the backseat of my car to fit it all, but I was going to try. The trunk was already packed tighter than an ant’s ass with stuff we’d bought before we stopped here.
When we finally returned back home, I was worn out. I made a cup of coffee and downed it as soon as all the groceries were put up. Ingram was feeling the same and I suggested she go take a nap. I let her know that I’d be leaving for work shortly. I didn’t want her to wake up to an empty house and get freaked out because I wasn’t sure what time Ky would be back. I left a pile of bags and stuff that we’d bought in the corner of the living room figuring Ingram could go through and organize her things later. Then I went to go get ready for my long night ahead.
I knew I’d be dragging and struggling to get through my shift tonight. Between the shopping and the intense, strangled tension that was now overtaking my house, I was wiped out. I hoped that things went topside again, and soon. I was happy to give my place up for Ingram and Ky, and I tried my hardest to push the little negativity that was threatening to pull me down.
I practically ran into Ky as I was flying out the door. I was running a bit behind and I hated to be late.
“Shit. Sorry, dude,” I said as I stumbled back.
“No, it’s my fault.”
We stood there awkwardly for a beat.
