Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94897 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 474(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
He said those last three words because it was worth a shot to say those three words.
But this was Archie.
Consequently, it was not the end of the discussion.
“I would have told him that once he calmed down,” she returned.
“I believe you, but it didn’t happen that way, and I’m just not that guy who is going to walk in on his woman in that sitch and not make the move I made.”
They both fell silent.
Jagger broke it.
“That an issue for you?”
“It’s definitely sweet, you looking out for me and being protective. But I can handle myself and my brother is never a threat.”
“But you get where I’m coming from?”
It took her a second, then she nodded.
Though after she gave him that, she asked, “If you’re having words with Dutch, how would you feel about me pulling you out of that and getting in Dutch’s shit?”
He rolled his neck.
There was no popping, then again, he’d already popped it not long ago.
She did not miss this move, or likely what precipitated it, even without the evidence being audible, so her voice was sweet to soften the score she noted with her next words. “You get where I’m coming from, boyfriend?”
“All right, I’ll take a breath next time. Though, just sayin’, that happens again with Elijah, the fact of that alone, that breath might not work.”
“Sometimes I think I should introduce you to my friend Joany,” she joked. “She thinks boys like you are all kinds of cute.”
He adjusted so he had an arm around her shoulders, and he tucked her into his side.
He then moved them in the direction of the door to the store while he said, “There’s a dude out there special enough for your girl. He just is not me. I’ve figured out I like them chill.”
“Mm…” she hummed, before, “I’m taking it our discussion is over?”
“My guess, Mal’s here by now and we gotta talk to him, see how he is and give him the heads up. Then you got a call to make.”
They were in the hall and she was staring at the door they were headed toward like she didn’t want it to get any closer.
He then gave her the same pep talk Dutch gave him.
“It’s good we know what’s going down, babe. Because what’s going down is not good and it needs to stop.”
“Yeah, I just…”
She let out a heavy sigh and he stopped them at the door without going through it.
She looked up at him and finished, “Being an adult sucks sometimes.”
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“All right, honey, let’s get this done.”
“Yeah,” he repeated.
“First though, just to say, you going to the school to check on Mal…” She grinned up at him. “I’ve figured out I like boys like you too.”
On that, he realized he hadn’t given her a hello kiss.
He saw to that.
He then made sure he did a thorough job with it.
When they were done, they turned to the door.
And together, they pushed through it to get things done.
* * * *
“Okay, that’s sorted. But before I call her, you need to be real with me, Mal. Are you truly okay? I mean, physical-wise, where they kicked you.”
They were at the soda fountain, him, Archie and Mal.
And Archie was finishing things up with Mal before she moved on to having a chat with his mom.
Dutch was somewhere with Joany, and he had a feeling she’d let him select the music, considering Buckcherry was playing.
“I’m okay, Archie,” Mal replied.
“Tell it true, Mal,” she urged.
Jag was sitting next to the kid, Archie on the opposite side from him.
Both Jag and Mal had cherry Cokes, Archie made them then opted out of a refreshment for herself.
“I’m telling it true, honest,” Mal told her.
Jag studied the kid’s profile and he’d have to be a seriously good liar to be pulling that off because he didn’t look like he was bullshitting.
Jag then looked to Archie, catching her nod. She pushed from the back counter, went to Mal, laid her hand flat on the counter in front of him and said, “It’s because I dig you. You mean something to me. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mal replied.
She studied him.
And that was when Jagger saw in her what he felt in himself, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was until then.
Mal was not their zone anymore.
Like she said, it sucked being an adult, but it was more.
They were powerless to take care of him in certain ways because they were his tribe, but they were not his tribe.
He really needed to get the other kids to Ride.
Her eyes came to him, he gave her a smile he hoped made her feel better, and then she reached out and touched Mal’s forearm before she murmured, “I’m off to call your mom. Be back.”
With that, she took off.
Jagger lifted his Coke and sucked some back.
Dutch showed and took the position Archie had been in at the back counter.