33. Taylor

Taylor

S pring has officially sprung in Utah, and it's a hot one.

Hotter than Satan's fucking nutsack. I'm dying in my motocross gear as I wait my turn while the other riders compete with their best tricks off a twenty-foot-tall ramp. Christian's next to me, bouncing on the balls of his feet with excitement. Whenever a rider lands something good, like a Hart Attack or an Up-nac, he's pumping his fists and cheering them on. It's honestly kind of adorable.

There's a crowd gathered, albeit not very big, as the qualifier isn't open to the public. Each rider is allowed to bring their people to support them, and as I glance toward the stands, I can already see Salem's blazing red hair shining under the morning sun. She's got a pink streak in it now, matching my tips, and she's also sitting as far away from Huckslee and Logan as she can get .

Yeah, she's a little pissed at me for inviting them. But she can get over it because I'm doing this for her moody ass.

Xed, Matty, and Hannah are here too, the three-year-old already talking Huck's ear off. He's trying to be polite and pay attention to her, but his eyes keep flicking back up to me, and I grin. I'm dying to see him. Haven't seen him in person since that night in my room after the Prospector, and the pictures we've been sending each other all week aren't enough. We FaceTimed last night because he loves to watch me come, and even though it was sexy as hell, I'm more of the physical type. I need to touch and taste. Breathe people in. Feel them close to me.

"Dude, did you see that shit!" Christian grabs my shoulder, shaking me as he hollers toward the ramp at whatever trick I missed. "A double Superman seat grab, man! These guys are good, Tay."

"Well, guys and gals," I correct, eyeing the woman next to me who's currently leading the scoreboard with the best Oxecutioner I've ever seen. She winks up at me, pale purple hair freeing from her braid.

Karlee Kaliente, as she goes by, is one of the best up-and-coming motocross athletes in the country—besides Christian and me, of course. She's also the girl who almost beat me during the scholarship race in high school when we both got taken out by Christian, securing Huckslee the win.

"You're up next, big guy." She reaches around me to slap Christian on the arm. "Knock 'em dead, kid."

He scoffs, pulling his hair back with a grin. "You're like a whole year younger than me, bebita ." Putting on his helmet and mounting his two-stroke, we share our fist bump before his engine roars to life, and he rides out onto the tarmac to warm up.

Karlee's shoulder bumps mine. "You got anyone watching today?"

"Yep. Christian's mom is here, plus our friends and my..." Shit. What do I call him? "My...Huckslee," I finish lamely. We haven't exactly discussed what we are to each other, and calling him my stepbrother after everything we've done over the last week feels wrong. Even if it is technically accurate.

"Your ‘Huckslee,' huh?" Karlee smiles, pointing to the stands. "My girlfriend is here, too. And my parents."

Following her gaze, my chest tightens a little. "That's awesome that your parents are here to support you."

For the most part, the fact that Maisie and Aaron don't acknowledge my existence doesn't bother me. Hasn't for a long time. But there are still those moments where I'll watch other people with their parents and wonder, what must that be like?

"They're the best, honestly." Her face shines with so much love that I have to turn away and watch Christian take his spot.

I already know what trick he's about to do; we've been practicing since February. Still, watching him race toward the ramp and lift twenty feet into the air has my heart jumping into my throat. He extends his legs flat over the handlebars as he backflips, a move called a Dead Body, before extending them up toward the sky in a Rigamortis. Letting go of the handlebars, he lets the bike float away from him for a moment while he flips and then grabs the bars again to pull it back to his body. My breath catches as he comes back down toward earth, and he's back in his seat just in time to stick the landing down the ramp.

"Fuck yeah!" I shout as I throw out my hands, jumping up and down. "That's my best friend, motherfucker!"

People in the stands clap, and I see his mom doing the same as me, hopping around while she cheers on her son. He's back beside me soon after, hazel eyes bright with excitement as we wait for the judges to score him. Freestyle Big Air scores are given on a zero to one hundred scale based on style, trick, difficulty, and originality, among other things. I loop my arm through his while we wait in anticipation, Karlee hanging on to him from the other side. The judges release the final score, and my heart drops.

Eighty-six.

Two points below Karlee, giving him second place.

"Damn." Leaning my head on his shoulder, I pat his back. "I'm sorry, man. You did really well."

Karlee gives him a punch on the arm. "I agree. I thought you did better than me, Totillo. That Holy Grab was amazing!"

"It's all good," he shrugs, smiling broadly even though I can see the disappointment in his eyes, "I'm just happy to be here. And I bet Salem got some hella sick shots, so that's a win."

"For sure, buddy."

A few more riders go after him because the selection is randomized. All of them are skilled but don't score any higher. And as luck would have it, I'm the last contestant to go.

The sweat is pooling on my neck as I pull up half of my dark strands to keep them out of my face. Christian and Karlee give me nudges and thumbs up, and when I look to the stands, I immediately lock eyes with Huck. He's too far away for me to see what he's feeling, but his grin of encouragement reaches me all the way over here, and I grin back. I'm tempted to do some dumb shit like blow him a kiss or make a heart with my fingers at him, but I don't. Mainly because Xed, Matty, and Logan still don't know what's been going on between us, but also because I don't think Huckslee would appreciate the sentiment on Salem's livestream.

Sliding on my helmet as I climb onto my bike, I ride over the tarmac and do a few circles of warm-ups. Despite the nervous energy vibrating my body, I feel good. Strong. Capable. Especially knowing that Huck is here watching and sending positive vibes my way. It's like the night of the monster truck rally when Christian and I performed in the Globe of Death. I knew he was watching me, and it just...calmed me. Kept me focused.

I used to picture his eyes before a performance, but now, just seeing him there in the stands is enough to rev me up. My senses are heightened ten-fold, and as I line myself up with the ramp and take off, I can feel his presence keeping me steady. My feet come off the pegs, planting onto the seat in a crouch before my wheels hit the incline. Pulling back, I stand on the seat when I'm upside down and lift a leg onto the handlebars, placing my fists on my hips in what I hope is the first Captain Morgan backflip ever.

The world falls away as I spin, and I hold my breath in freefall for a moment. My stomach flutters up into my chest before I drop back down onto the seat just in time for the impact of the landing to rattle my bones. That ever-present ache shoots down my shoulder, but it's duller today, and my form is fucking solid.

Air shotguns out of my lungs, arms like jelly, but I did it! I fucking did it!

As I ride back over to Christian, I can see him punching the sky while Karlee stands with her hands on her cheeks, mouth agape. Christian jumps on me when my helmet comes off, hollering as he bumps his forehead into mine. "You loco hijo de puta , that shit was insane! And your feet on the seat starting out?!"

"Dude, I just came up with that on the spot," I laugh, elated as I swing him around in a circle.

Karlee shakes her head, grinning widely as we approach the scoreboard to await the judges. "You two are fuckin' cute."

"I know, right." Christian reaches over to ruffle my hair. "He doesn't have eyes for me, though." Leaning close enough that only I can hear, he whispers, "fucker likes to keep it in the family."

Hissing harshly, I shove him hard enough that he loses balance. "You sick fuck, cut it out."

Ever since finding out about Huck and I, he's been giving me non-stop shit for it. The jokes would bother me if they came from anyone else, but I've known my best friend all my life. There's no malicious intent behind his jabs. He's not one hundred percent on board with the idea, though, only because of Huck punching me out in January. Even after I explained our convoluted history, Christian still isn't sure he's over that. The fact that I'm into a guy doesn't even factor into the equation.

"He's looking at you right now, cari?o ." My best friend twiddles his fingers toward the stands, waggling his brows, and I pull him down into a headlock .

"Stop making it weird!"

"I'm not calling him dad." Christian struggles against me, quoting the movie Step Brothers for the thousandth time. "Even if there's a fire!"

"You're such a fucking jackass."

"Uh, guys." Karlee's voice has us glancing up from where I've got his arm twisted around his back. She's pointing at the board, mouth parted. When I take in the score, my knees nearly give out.

Ninety-two.

Ninety-fucking-two.

A near-perfect score.

And the fucking qualifying winner.

"Holy shit!" Christian shakes my shoulders as I gaze at the board, completely awestruck. "That's what I'm talking about, baby boy!"

"I won?" Oh, my God. "Dude, I won! Hell fuckin' yeaaaah! "

I damn near scream to the heavens as Karlee chuckles, pulling me into a congratulatory hug. Cheers and claps come from the stands, and I swear I can see the pride on Huckslee's face when I catch his gaze on me. It fills me up so much that I'm flying, and when Salem slams into me, wrapping herself around my body like a koala, I'm over the fucking moon.

I can't believe it. I actually won.

Come August, I'll be competing with some of the best action sports athletes in the entire country.

Jesus Christ, how did I get here?

Is this real life?

The next hour goes by in a blur as Salem drags me through the motions of talking to officials about August and doing an interview with a representative of Nitro Fuel. I can't even remember what I said, in all honesty, because the adrenaline was still cruising through my veins while I chilled on cloud nine. When the rush of everything finally calms, Christian, Salem, and I wheel our bikes out to my truck in the emptying parking lot where everyone's waiting.

Of course, the first thing I notice is that Huckslee looks fine as fuck. He's got on a gray Henley that hugs his chest, dark jeans, and curls falling over his forehead under a beanie. His eyes heat when they meet mine, but something else simmers there, too. Something I can't decipher. There's a smile on his lips, but it's...well, it looks tight. My brows pinch together as I open my mouth to ask him what's wrong, but before I get a chance, there's a tiny body in a sparkly tutu clinging onto my leg.

"Uncle Tayto!" Hannah sits on my foot, curling around my calf with a giggle, and I walk toward the truck's bed, pretending to shake her off.

"How's my favorite niece?"

"It's hot. Can I get ice cream?"

"Hmm." Leaving my bike for Christian, I scoop her up, wincing against the pain in my collarbone. "What did your dad say?"

She purses her lips. "He said, um." Her eyes dart to Matt lifting my bike onto the truck before widening them at Xed. He smiles affectionately, leaning down to whisper something in her ear, and she lights up as she grins at me. "He said winner buys. "

"Of course he did," I snicker, feeling Huck's eyes on me as I set Hannah down. Matty immediately grabs me around the middle and lifts me into a bear hug.

"Knew you'd do it, Tay." He squeezes the air out of my lungs. "You and Christian both!"

"Down now. Need air," I wheeze, tapping his side.

Xed pries me from Matty's arms. "You're gonna kill him before he even gets to compete, Sasquatch, Jesus." Once I'm safely on the ground again, he flicks my nose. "Congrats, man. Proud of you."

"Thanks for saving my life."

He rolls his eyes and turns to help strap the bikes down, finally allowing me to face Logan and Huck.

Logan speaks first, his eyes darting from me to Salem, who has her back to us. "That trick you did was pretty cool, Taylor. Never seen anything like that before."

"No one has." Huck steps closer to me, dark eyes on my face. "Very first Captain Morgan backflip, right?"

"Pretty sure," I grin, watching him lick his lips and wishing I could do it for him. "You like that? Been working on it for a while."

He nods, eyeing the new tattoo of a dragonfly across my throat like he did over FaceTime last night. "You looked good. Really good."

A wave of heat different from the temperature tingles up my spine. "You think so?"

"Yeah." His burning gaze meets mine again, and it takes everything in me not to lean forward to claim his mouth .

"Party at our place tonight," Matty announces, grinning down at Xed, who looks like he was not informed of this plan, "to celebrate. Been too long since we had one."

Christian lets out a whoop and jumps from the truck as Hannah squeaks in Matt's arms. "Me too, Daddy?"

"Sorry, bean." He kisses the top of her head. "Your momma wants to see you tonight, remember?"

The way her little face falls has me breaking apart.

"But I don't want to," she whispers, burrowing into his chest, and he tightens his arms around her.

"You haven't seen her in so long, though. Don't you want to spend time with her?"

She shakes her head and reaches for Xed, tears glistening in her eyes, and I have to look away before I overstep and tell her she can have whatever the hell her little heart desires. It's not my place; I'm not her parent. But fuck, seeing her so miserable like this breaks my damn heart.

My eyes catch on Salem, standing there with her arms crossed, looking at Logan like he just showed her a bug. He smiles tentatively, and her glare deepens, not breaking eye contact, while she obliterates him with her scowl.

If looks could kill.

Inwardly, I cringe, having been on the receiving end of that glare myself.

Huck leans in close, his breath on my ear giving me goosebumps. "Looks like our plan failed."

He smiles sadly, stepping back toward Logan like he's preparing for them to leave, and my fists clench. Because no . I want to spend time with him, dammit. And I know him well enough to know that he'd never leave Logan in a time of need .

"Can Huck and Logan come, too?" I ask Matt, earning a death ray from Salem's eyes in response when he says yes.

"If he's coming, I won't be there," she hisses, and I scrub my face with a groan.

"Don't be like that, Sally Mal."

"No, fuck off, you meddling bitch." Her voice is low enough that Hannah doesn't hear, but when she stomps off toward her jeep with a growl, Logan and I step toward her simultaneously. He raises his palms when he sees the look in my eyes because, trust me, him going after her would only make shit ten times worse right now.

Trudging after her, I catch her right as she yanks open the driver's side door. "Salem, please don't be like this."

"Be like what?" She whips around and hits me with a black look. "Oh, you mean pissed at you for inviting my ex behind my back?"

"In his defense, he didn't know you'd be here either. Huckslee didn't tell him."

She blinks before pointing an acrylic at me, lips curled back. "You parent trapped us?!"

"I really need to see that movie," I mutter, running a hand through my sweaty hair. "Look, Salem, please just come to the party. Because if you don't come, I'm afraid Logan won't either, which means Huckslee won't be there, and I really, really want him to be there."

"Why?" Her gray eyes narrow at me. "I thought we were mad at him?"

My head bounces from side to side, a shoulder lifting into a shrug. "We're...working through shit."

"So take him to your own place!"

"I can' t," I pout. "Logan doesn't know about us, and plus, I want to spend time with Matty and Xed, too."

She says nothing, only purses her lips as she gazes at me, so I cup her face and squish her cheeks.

"Please, Salem? Please? Please, please, please, please, please, please– "

"Alright!" She shoves me away by my chest. "Fine! But I'm bringing Arya and Owen."

Ugh . Whatever. It'll be alright. I've met Owen maybe twice, and he was cool, but Arya…

As long as I get to hang with Huck, nothing else matters.

"Deal." I extend my hand to her, which she slaps away before getting into the jeep. She throws it in reverse and then flips me off out the open window as she backs out of her spot, prompting me to holler after her.

"Love you, too, grump ass!"

When I return to the truck, Christian is mimicking monkey noises for Hannah as Logan steps forward, his attention on Salem's retreating jeep.

"Is she coming?" He asks anxiously, and I flash two thumbs up with a grin.

"Yep." Swinging my eyes to Huck, I find him watching me with that peculiar look, half heat, half sadness. "Text you the address?"

"See you there," he murmurs, and as he passes by toward Logan's car, his fingers brush against mine. Turning to study his back, my gaze drops to where the strong muscles of his bubble ass flex in his jeans. I bite my lip, fingers twitching to reach out and squeeze, but I refrain. He glances over his shoulder suddenly, brow quirked, and I turn away quickly, covering my mouth to hide the grin on my lips at being caught checking him out.

And notice Xed staring right at me.

"Uh..." Yeah, just gonna pretend that didn't happen. "Christian and I need to run the bikes home, grab a quick shower, and then we'll be over."

"Your shower or mine?" Christian snickers, climbing into the passenger seat, and I roll my eyes as Xed nods with a small smile.

"Ok. Grab beer."

"Grab rear, shave beard, put on some scene gear." Quoting that one Hollywood Undead song everyone knows, I say my goodbyes to Hannah before hopping into the truck. Christian turns on some tunes, jamming his hands on the dash, and I feel for the first time in years that everything is going right.

Like maybe I deserve to be happy, after all.