Page 88 of Life To My Flight

They were everywhere you went.

On each and every road you passed, there’d be no less than two bridges that you had to cross to go over bayou after bayou.

That’s why I wanted to live on the bayou.

It was peaceful.

I was always the one who took the road less traveled, and it was nice to find someone that wanted to do the same with me.

It was near midnight when I finally turned into my driveway.

Rue had been laying with her head on my back for the past forty five minutes, but she wasn’t complaining.

In fact, she was on the opposite end of the spectrum, very nearly at contentment.

I pulled under the house and turned off the bike, sitting like that with Rue for a long minute before I patted her hand. “Let’s go inside. I’m beat.”

Just as those words left my mouth, a set of headlights that’d caught my attention as it turned onto the road, turned into my driveway.

“Fuck,” I sighed.

I’d known that this confrontation was going to happen, but I’d thought that they’d at least give me a couple of days.

Of course, my sisters were lost when their only brother was mad at them, and I should’ve known better.

“I’d really hoped that they’d leave it until tomorrow,” I sighed and raised up off the bike.

Rue laughed as she, too, rose from her perch and stretched her arms up. “Honestly? I didn’t. I thought they’d be here waiting for you to get home. Do you remember when Molly borrowed your truck without your permission, and then wrecked it? You stayed mad at her for all of an hour before you were comforting her and telling her it’d be all right.”

I smiled sheepishly.

I remembered that instance well.

Mainly because I’d just bought a brand new truck and I’d left it at my sister’s place while I was on a ride with the club.

I’d only left the keys there in case my sister’s needed to move it, not so Molly could take it out because she ran low on gas.

I’d come home to a huge dent down the entire right side where Molly had hit a telephone pole.

Then she’d left it there hoping I wouldn’t fucking notice the massive dent because I ‘never went on that side.’

Needless to say, I’d never left my vehicles or belongings under her care again.

Meredith’s champagne colored Trail Blazer pulled up to the back of my bike and shut off.

Meredith was the first to exit, followed by Molly and Mikayla.

We all stood there in silence.

Me, because I wasn’t sure I was ready to forgive them yet, and them because they didn’t want to admit they were wrong in front of Rue.

“So…” Rue said. “Do y’all want me to go upstairs while y’all talk?”

The bullfrogs in the bayou behind us started croaking loud while we all watched each other in silence.

“Well, okay,” she said as she started walking. “I’ll just be up there.”

Before she passed, I stopped her with a hand on her wrist and pulled her into me.

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