Ryder

Chapter 18

He leaves me at the van and drives away. What the fuck is his deal? It's like he's had a personality transplant, but I don't fucking trust him, he's playing games and I need to watch my back. I've been told I have a space on the team and need to keep my head down for the next couple of weeks. If he wants to play nice, then I have to play along. For now, but my guard is well and truly up.

When I get home, Mum and Dad are waiting for me. She rushes forward, flinging her arms around me, taking in my dishevelled look.

"Baby, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mum. Just tired."

"You hungry, son?" Dad asks.

I shake my head. "I'm just gonna go to bed, okay? It's been a long weekend."

They both nod, and I walk away as I round the banister. I see my mum step into Dad's arms, and he hugs her tight, rubbing his hands up and down her back. "He's home now. He's okay, love." She nods in his arms.

As I flop down on my bed, my phone starts to ring. I groan, tossing my arm over my eyes and groaning, "What?"

"What the fuck do you mean what?" Jay spits down the phone.

"Jay." I sigh.

"What up, dude? You expecting one of your track whores?" He chuckles.

"Twat, its track sluts. And no, I don't give them my number. That's only for special people.

"Aw, I must be special."

"Too fucking right, you are, Jay. Your mum should have had you tested a long, long time ago."

"Ouch! Wounded arsehole, come kiss it better. You hurt my feelings."

"Jay. I love you, man, but it's been a long fucking day. I just wanna sleep."

His voice takes on a more serious tone. "You okay? Where are you?"

"Jay, I'm fine. I'm home. It was just a bad accident at the track, and a guy got airlifted."

"Shit, Ryder… I'm sorry. Are you okay? Do you need me for anything?"

"I'm good, Jay. Thanks, love ya."

"Love ya, bud."

I sigh again as I hang up. I give him ten minutes, and he will hammer at the bloody door. I take a quick shower and pull on a fresh pair of boxers. Just as I'm padding down the landing back to my room, I hear the thunder of footsteps coming up the stairs, and I shake my head.

"I told you I was okay."

"Yeah, yeah. Sleepover!" he yells, darting into my room.

I shake my head at him as he flings his clothes around the room, stripping to his boxers and sliding in the covers. I sigh out. He's my best friend, more like a brother. He was my first crush. I chuckle internally as I think back to that time. I remember I tried to kiss him, and he shoved his hand in my face saying, ‘I like pussy, and although you're acting like one now, you're still not woman enough for me.' He threw his arm around me, kissed my head, and stole my Jelly Tots. We were thirteen.

I climb into bed at his side, and he turns to rummage through my bedside table.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Where are they?" he grumbles.

"What?" I snap at him.

"You know what. The fucking Jelly Tots, man. You holding out on me?"

I sigh and lean over to the bedside table my side, pull out a bag and toss them at him. He sits up, clapping like a twat, and sits and eats them in colour order worst to best: blackcurrant, strawberry, orange, lemon, then lime. When he takes the last yellow one, I snatch the bag from him and jump out of bed. They're our favourite colour.

"Motherfucker!" he bellows as he dives out after me, and I run round the other side. "Give them back, I'll tell your mum!"

"Too late!" I hear her voice from the doorway as she folds her arms across her chest.

"Mary, tell him. He stole my Jelly Tots!"

She holds her hand out. "Boys, you know the rules. No food in bed." She still talks to us like we"re kids, but then when we're together, we kinda act like we are, so I suppose she's not wrong.

I hand the bag over to Mum, and she grins, tipping them out into her hand and tossing them all into her mouth at once. Laughing, she turns and leaves.

"Damn it." Jay scoffs and climbs back in bed. I slide back in, too, and lean over, grabbing another bag out. He leans over and kisses my cheek. "I fucking love you!" He chuckles.

"Now shut the fuck up before she takes those off you too."

We're grown men, for Christ's sake, but we still argue over the green Jelly Tots. We've been like this forever, and I can't see us changing now. I snuggle down, and once he's eaten his Jelly Tots, Jay does the same.

We wake to the smell of bacon. I should have technically been at the track, so I'm at a loss of what to do with myself, and Jay's got to work, so I head to the shop with him for the day, just to chill and watch him tattoo randoms. It's nice for a change of pace. In between clients, I tell him what went down with Lee and Arch, and he laughs at how ‘popular' I am at the track. I will have to leave soon for the training camp, which means I'm gonna be away for a few weeks. Jay says he will be fine, but we don't spend much more than a weekend away from each other, never have, so it's gonna be tough, but there's FaceTime, and that will have to be good enough for now.