eighteen. I was pissed. He kind of sprung it on me. I think he knew I wouldn’t want him to go. I know Damon and Ashley didn’t have the best childhood, their mother was always saying mean shit to them and putting them down. Damon spent a lot of time at our place growing up.
“I want to make something of myself, Kade. Someone I can be proud of,” was what he said when he told me about enlisting. I knew I was being selfish but fuck if I didn’t want him to go. He wasn’t my brother by blood, but he was still my brother. I still remember the day he left like it was yesterday. We spent the day together, pretending that tomorrow both our lives wouldn’t change drastically. We kept in contact, writing letters and what not, but it wasn’t the same. I missed my buddy. Two years later, Damon died in battle. At the tender age of fucking twenty. I was devastated. Fuck, I still am devastated.
My best friend.
NIKKI
The next morning I’m dragging my feet about the kitchen, making myself a strong coffee. I live and breathe the stuff, unlike Layla, who's just plain weird. Kade emerges from his room and I completely ignore him.
“You going to apologize to Ashley?” he asks in a soft voice. A big change from last night’s tone. I almost choke on my coffee?
“I’m sorry?” I say, thinking I must have heard wrong.
“You need to say sorry to Ashley, she’s a friend of mine and I don’t want to have to choose between you two.”
“There is no choice, you chose her, and that’s fine. And no, there's no way in hell I'm going to say sorry to that bitch,” I say frankly.
Kade sighs, like I am the bane of his existence. Well, I sure as hell am not his problem anymore.
“Just tell me when she’s coming over, I’ll go hang out with Layla. Problem solved,” I say with a shrug.
“You are fucking infuriating, Nikki,” he growls.
“Whatever, Kade,” I mumble, walking away from him.
Chapter Ten
The first week after the fight Kade starts avoiding me. It's so fucking awkward! Whatever, if he wants to sulk and hide from me because I punched his ‘best friend’ who is a total bitch, that’s fine with me. I’m not going to beg him to talk to me. However, his backing off pisses me off. I know it shouldn’t, but it does.
James and I are hanging out. It’s been a busy week with my internship and I’m happy to finally have a couple of days to myself. I decide I wanted to work out a bit in the gym and ask James if he can be my sparring partner. He hesitates at first, but then agrees. We get up off the couch and head into the gym, over to where the mats are on the floor. We start off playing around, laughing. I try punching him a few times, but he dodges my every endeavor. I try to do a sneaky kick I learned in self-defense class, but he intercepts and grabs my leg in midair, leaving me standing there hopping on one foot like an idiot.
“James!” I squeak out. He laughs, letting go of my leg. We start messing around again, and I manage to get one hit in, but after that first time James kicks it up a notch, letting me know he’s just been fooling around the entire time, not taking it seriously. Shit, he’s good.
“Where the hell did you learn your moves from?” I ask, breathless.
He shrugs, “Around.” Vague as always.
“Will I ever get a straight answer out of you?” I chuckle.
He just grins.
We go at it for a little while longer. When we hear the front door open, I make a move because James is distracted. I jump on him and I’m able to pin him down as I straddle him. At that moment Kade walks in, taking in the scene, his face tightening in anger.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he seethes.
We get up off the floor without saying anything to him. He’s being an ass as usual. I look at James, and call out “I win," with an evil smile. I even add in a little victory dance.
“Should have made this into a bet.” I laugh and James chuckles, shaking his head at my antics.
I look over
“I want to make something of myself, Kade. Someone I can be proud of,” was what he said when he told me about enlisting. I knew I was being selfish but fuck if I didn’t want him to go. He wasn’t my brother by blood, but he was still my brother. I still remember the day he left like it was yesterday. We spent the day together, pretending that tomorrow both our lives wouldn’t change drastically. We kept in contact, writing letters and what not, but it wasn’t the same. I missed my buddy. Two years later, Damon died in battle. At the tender age of fucking twenty. I was devastated. Fuck, I still am devastated.
My best friend.
NIKKI
The next morning I’m dragging my feet about the kitchen, making myself a strong coffee. I live and breathe the stuff, unlike Layla, who's just plain weird. Kade emerges from his room and I completely ignore him.
“You going to apologize to Ashley?” he asks in a soft voice. A big change from last night’s tone. I almost choke on my coffee?
“I’m sorry?” I say, thinking I must have heard wrong.
“You need to say sorry to Ashley, she’s a friend of mine and I don’t want to have to choose between you two.”
“There is no choice, you chose her, and that’s fine. And no, there's no way in hell I'm going to say sorry to that bitch,” I say frankly.
Kade sighs, like I am the bane of his existence. Well, I sure as hell am not his problem anymore.
“Just tell me when she’s coming over, I’ll go hang out with Layla. Problem solved,” I say with a shrug.
“You are fucking infuriating, Nikki,” he growls.
“Whatever, Kade,” I mumble, walking away from him.
Chapter Ten
The first week after the fight Kade starts avoiding me. It's so fucking awkward! Whatever, if he wants to sulk and hide from me because I punched his ‘best friend’ who is a total bitch, that’s fine with me. I’m not going to beg him to talk to me. However, his backing off pisses me off. I know it shouldn’t, but it does.
James and I are hanging out. It’s been a busy week with my internship and I’m happy to finally have a couple of days to myself. I decide I wanted to work out a bit in the gym and ask James if he can be my sparring partner. He hesitates at first, but then agrees. We get up off the couch and head into the gym, over to where the mats are on the floor. We start off playing around, laughing. I try punching him a few times, but he dodges my every endeavor. I try to do a sneaky kick I learned in self-defense class, but he intercepts and grabs my leg in midair, leaving me standing there hopping on one foot like an idiot.
“James!” I squeak out. He laughs, letting go of my leg. We start messing around again, and I manage to get one hit in, but after that first time James kicks it up a notch, letting me know he’s just been fooling around the entire time, not taking it seriously. Shit, he’s good.
“Where the hell did you learn your moves from?” I ask, breathless.
He shrugs, “Around.” Vague as always.
“Will I ever get a straight answer out of you?” I chuckle.
He just grins.
We go at it for a little while longer. When we hear the front door open, I make a move because James is distracted. I jump on him and I’m able to pin him down as I straddle him. At that moment Kade walks in, taking in the scene, his face tightening in anger.
“What the fuck is going on here?” he seethes.
We get up off the floor without saying anything to him. He’s being an ass as usual. I look at James, and call out “I win," with an evil smile. I even add in a little victory dance.
“Should have made this into a bet.” I laugh and James chuckles, shaking his head at my antics.
I look over
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