2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rune

Present day 21 years OLD

Dragging my ass out of bed, I stumble into the bathroom, turning the shower on to warm up while I brush my teeth. I grab my toothbrush, not bothering with toothpaste yet. Once the vodka taste is gone, I squeeze the minty crap on the bristles and brush my teeth again. Something has to give, and soon. I can’t keep missing work because I’m too hungover to go. As if he could sense my thoughts, Karrion steps into my bathroom, not bothered at all that I’m completely naked.

“Another fun night, Small Fry?” He asks, leaning against the door frame with his arms across his chest.

I roll my eyes at the nickname, he knows damn well how much that shit pisses me off. “Stop calling me that. I’m fucking six feet tall, I’m not that short.” I snap, slamming my toothbrush down on the sink. “I’m not coming to work.” I ignore his response as I step into the shower letting the hot water run down my face.

When the water turns cold, I turn the knob off and step out into the steam filled room. Gagging sounds reach my ears and I grab my towel off the hook, wrap it around my waist and step into the bedroom where Calista is on her hands and knees dry heaving. I grab the small trash can and slide it under her face. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I cradle my head in my hands. “I can’t do this shit anymore, Cali.”

“What shit, Rune?” She spits, sitting on the carpet and pulling her legs underneath her. “You can’t love me anymore?”

“You know that I love you, Calista. I have loved you for ten fucking years.” I drop my hands down to look at her. “I’m talking about the drinking. If I keep missing work, I’m going to get fired.”

“You work for your dad, baby.” She crawls across the floor, coming to a stop between my legs. “You know he won’t fire you.” She slides her hands up my legs, squeezing and rubbing my thighs. “We don’t have to go out anymore. I’ll get better, I promise.”

“Okay, but you have to quit for good this time.” Wrapping my hand through her hair, I pull her head back to look into her eyes. “No more quitting for a weekend and going right back to the bullshit.”

“I promise baby.” She groans and licks her lips. I release her hair and stand, pulling her to her feet.

“I love you, Calista.” I whisper, my lips brushing across the shell of her ear.

“I love you more.” She kisses my cheek before heading into the bathroom. A few moments later, I hear the shower start and Cali squeals. OOPS, should have saved some hot water. I grab a pair of shorts from my closet, throwing them on and heading downstairs to make breakfast.

I’m just finishing up breakfast when Cali makes her way down the steps. I fill two plates with bacon, eggs, hash browns and toast and sit them both on the table before grabbing the orange juice from the fridge and filling two glasses.

“What do you have planned for today?” I ask while we eat our food.

“I think I’m going to meet the girls later and do some shopping.” She smiles at me and my heart swells. For ten years I’ve loved this woman, through all the ups and downs. I even learned to deal with the weird ass relationship she has with my brother. As much as it pissed me off at first, I’ve accepted the fact that they’re best friends, and there is nothing I can do about it.

“Is Karrion one of the girls today?” I arch a brow, scooping up the rest of my hash browns.

“Not today,” she throws her head back in laughter. “Jessa and Rose, possibly Dahlia and Renee, if they can get away for a while.”

“Ok, text me while you’re out.” I stand from the table, dropping my plate and fork into the sink as I pass by it. “I’m going to the gym. I love you, Sweet Pea.”

“I love you, Snap Pea.” She stands on her tippy toes, kissing me quickly before she puts her dishes in the sink and leaves the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, I pull into the parking lot of the gym. I kill the engine and grab my bag from the backseat and head inside. I don’t bother locking the doors to my car, everybody knows who owns the black Nova.

“Baby Wicklow, you finally ready to get in here with me?” Ginger calls out from the boxing ring, pounding his gloves together.

“I already told you, G,” I adjust my gym bag and pull the door open, looking at him over my shoulder, “When you’re man enough to take the gloves off, you know where to find me, I’m not a fucking boxer.”