SWNOVELS Never His Girl: Chapter 38
BLUE
“They look like a miniature version of us,” I point out, peering at Shane and Scar over Ricky’s shoulder. They’re sipping milkshakes a few booths away, laughing about whatever weird stuff they’re always laughing about.
Ricky glances back and smiles, maybe reminiscing about when we were kids and things were simple like that.
“I’m calling it,” he says. “In ten years, me and you are gonna be standing up in their wedding.”
My brow quirks. “You really think so?”
He shoots me an incredulous look, like he can’t even believe I’m questioning it.
“No doubt. Look at them. They’re clearly in love with each other, but scared to mess up the friendship. Hell, they’ve already started fucking, so—”
I snort a laugh and nearly choke on my soda.
“Ricky! You can use any other word than that when you’re talking about them. Like, seriously, any other word.”
“What? I call that shit like I see it,” he reasons with a nonchalant shrug.
“No, they stopped,” I try to convince myself. “Getting caught totally killed the mood and they don’t even see each other in that light anymore.”
He gives me a look, one accompanied by a devious smile. “Or you just made it a hell of a lot more fun, because they have to sneak around to do it.”
My face scrunches up when he finishes. The truth is, my sister and his brother aren’t so innocent anymore. Not when it comes to each other. They’ve got this energy between them that makes me nervous as hell to take my eyes off them for even a second. With what Ricky just predicted for them, I’m guessing he feels it, too.
“Shit, we’re in trouble, aren’t we?”
“Definitely,” he nods. “Next thing we know, they’ll be sneaking out to your garage in the middle of the night.”
I don’t miss the reference to one of our old habits. In fact, I can’t even look Ricky in his eyes now.
“Did we step back in time?”
I peer up at Uncle Dusty when he approaches our table, carrying two burgers and a basket of fries for Ricky and me to share. There are two waitresses here tonight, but he wanted to serve us himself, because he’s awesome like that.
“Just hanging out,” I say back, prompting my uncle to volley a suspicious look between us.
“Well, keep the ruckus down before you scare all my customers away,” he teases. I’m positive it’s a joke because there’s no one in here but us.
“Noted,” I say back, watching as he makes his way to Scar and Shane’s table next.
“You practice today?” Ricky bites into his burger after asking.
“Of course. First game’s scheduled for right after Christmas break.”
He nods, swallowing before giving a response. “Can’t wait to see you on the court again.”
The statement makes my heart skip a beat, because I know West will definitely be there, too, and I also know these two absolutely hate one another.
I don’t speak on it, though, because that conversation wouldn’t end well. Instead, I settle on just crossing that bridge when we get to it.
My gaze drifts to the front of his dark t-shirt and I point at the nametag stuck to his chest.
“You visited someone at the hospital?” I ask, reading the words Cypress Pointe Memorial printed above his name.
He glances down when I call attention to it.
“Oh, yeah. Maria went into labor this afternoon,” he shares, bringing a smile to my face. She’s one of his many cousins I’ve met, but by far my favorite.
“I hadn’t even heard she was expecting! Tell her congrats for me.”
Ricky nods. “Will do.”
“Boy or girl?” I ask next, which has him grinning.
“Both, actually. Second set of twins in the family this year. That’s gotta be good luck or something, right?”
My brow quirks. “Guess I assumed your dad and Paul being twins was kind of a one-off.”
“Nope,” he answers, sipping from his glass. “But you didn’t bring me here to talk about my family, so to what do I owe the pleasure?”
I smile when he does.
“Well, since you brought it up, there are a few things I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
He gives a casual nod. “Got anything to do with me meeting up with your boy at the pier?”
“Partially,” I say, “but that’s actually not where I hoped this conversation would begin.”
One of his brows shoots up and he flashes that gray stare at me.
“What’s up?” he asks.
I take a deep breath and just speak from the heart. Like I advised West to do.
“Listen, you and I are friends, and we don’t hold shit back from each other, right? At least, I don’t think we do,” I add, correcting myself. “Basically, I wanted you to hear it from me that West and I are together now. Officially.”
This admission has me feeling sort of off kilter. Mostly because of how Ricky’s staring, like he’s thoroughly unimpressed with the whole idea of me being with West.
“Hm. Interesting,” he says flatly. “And he’s cool with you being with me tonight?”
I nod. “Yes, because he trusts me.”
“Maybe,” he scoffs, “but he sure as shit doesn’t trust me.”
Letting the conversation head in this direction feels like a trap, so I avoid it. There would be no point in explaining that the trust between West and I goes both ways, and that he’s out having a similar conversation with Casey. Instead, I try to move things forward.
“So, is there anything you want to say?” I ask. “While we’re sitting here, while the conversation’s open?”
He lets out a humorless, passive-aggressive laugh that grates my nerves.
“Like you’d listen to me anyway,” he grumbles under his breath.
My brow tenses then and I refuse to let him get under my skin, remembering that none of this is easy for him, none of it’s black and white.
“Ricky, you’re one of my best friends,” I remind him. “I always listen to you. Even when it’s hard to. So, if you have something to say, I’m listening now.”
He can’t deny that, which is why he seems to be softening a bit. He remains quiet at first, but then breathes deeply just before speaking his mind.
“I think this guy’s bad news,” he openly admits. “And I think you need to cut ties before you get in too deep.”
Those words have me squirming in my seat, feeling uncomfortable because I’m already in too deep. My heart is about as entangled with West as it can possibly be, and there’s no turning back at this point.
Ricky leans in and I’m trying to focus, trying not to let my emotions cloud my thinking right now, but it’s not easy.
“When I met with him at the pier the other day, I didn’t tell him everything because I don’t trust his ass,” he says sharply. “But, B, his dad’s into some dark shit. Right alongside my uncle.”
To keep him from seeing how my hands are shaking all of a sudden, I clasp them in my lap.
“Dark… how? What are they into?”
A look of frustration passes over Ricky and I feel so uneasy.
“I don’t ask questions because I know better, but there’s a word that’s been tossed around a lot lately. And I know firsthand that business is booming.”
“How can you tell?”
He flashes a look out the window, toward the blue Mustang parked in the lot.
“Because Uncle Paul’s been real generous with the early Christmas gifts,” he explains.
I stare at his new ride, finding it hard not to wonder what the true cost of it was. And I’m not talking cash value.
“Like I said, I don’t push back too much, because I can’t let on that I’m suspicious, but… I’m suspicious as fuck,” he admits. It also isn’t lost on me that he almost sounds nervous. And Ricky Ruiz doesn’t get nervous.
The shaking in my hands gets worse and my appetite is gone now.
“You said there’s a word you keep hearing,” I remind him. “Can you tell me what it is?”
On some level, I’m not even sure I want to know, but being kept in the dark hasn’t done me any good so far. I need to understand what’s happening around us.
Even if the reality of it scares the shit out of me.
Ricky holds my gaze, breathing heavy for a moment, but then just comes right out with it.
“Cargo.”
There’s a sudden twisting in my gut. It’s an indication that this seemingly innocent word is anything but that.
“Cargo,” I repeat.
He nods. “And if I’m right about what that means, I’m even more convinced that I need to find out why that asshole has that pic of you.”
My breathing’s erratic as I search Ricky’s expression for some measure of comfort, but I find none. He’s just as worried as I am and that’s unusual.
“Promise me you won’t dig too deep,” I say in a rush, not even sure where the words came from. I’m aware that we need answers, but I’m not willing to let him risk his life for them.
“I promised your brother I’d look after you, which is exactly what I intend to do.”
He sounds so determined, despite the impending danger I know we both sense.
“Seriously, Ricky. If something doesn’t feel right, you have to pull back.”
A wary smile touches his lips and it only makes me more uneasy. “I’ll be fine. If shit gets bad, I can protect myself.”
I know what that means, have seen the heat he keeps tucked into the back of his jeans, but he’s one guy, and whatever operation stands behind all this might be backed by an entire army.
It dawns on me that I’ve fought long and hard to build a life for me and Scar here in Cypress Pointe, but with what appears to be unfolding before me, I’m second-guessing that plan. Maybe what I should’ve been focused on was thinking of a way to get us out of here.