Page 50 of The Forever One
“Yeah, that’s fine. See you soon, Riv.” She barely pays me any attention, continuing her conversation with Freya.
The pit in my stomach grows bigger and I find Sam, relaying the message to her and the others before running as fast as I can to Ev and Petal’s house. It’s quicker than waiting for Sam to bring the truck around and navigate the roads.
It takes me ten minutes before I can see the house. I have a side stitch and am close to collapsing, but Marco sounded desperate, so unlike he’s ever sounded before.
I round the corner of the drive, pushing through the side gate, and my knees buckle when I see the reason Marco called.
No!
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
MARCO
AN HOUR EARLIER…
When River asked me—more like begged with my dick in her mouth and my balls in the palm of her hand—to celebrate the baby shower with her brother and best friend, I was not amused. The only guys I’ve ever bonded with were a billionaire playboy, a legit psycho, and a guy with questionable morals who enjoys doing my dirty work.
Yet, here I am, drinking organic beer with a couple of hippies and watching them consume the equivalent of a small tree in dope. I don’t smoke, or even drink to excess, because losing control—especially of my inhibitions—doesn’t sit well with me. I must admit, though, this is nice. The warm weather isn’t suffocating today. The light breeze coming in from the harbor is just enough to cool us down. The trees offering their shade helps, too.
At first, the place was full to the brim with Ev’s friends and coworkers from the market. Lots of music and laughter, good food for all tastes and preferences. At the risk of sounding like a complete snob, this is my first cookout that doesn’t involve a staff serving top-of-the-line Angus steak. I may even prefer it this way. Minus the throng of people. I didn’t know anyone and it made me uncomfortable. Not because I wanted to be the center of attention, but because with the unknown comes the possibility of danger.
Now, though, with only Everest, Kai, and myself left at the house, I feel truly privileged. Not the social or financial kind, but the more important type of privilege… family.
For the first time in my life, I’m not the most important man in the room, or back yard, to be exact. I’m just a guy hanging out with his brother-in-law, telling stories and getting some dirt on my wife.
“So, when I was…” Ev leans his head back, facing the sky with his eyes closed before he snaps his fingers, “Ten! Yeah, cause that’s when we had that dog with one missing paw. You remember that, Kai?”
Kai just nods, a goofy grin on his face. A year ago, I would have sneered at him and his intimate memories of my wife but tonight, jealousy toward Kai has no place. River is mine and I am hers and no matter what his puppy heart is feeling, he knows deep down that he lost her a long, long time ago.
“So, yeah, when I was ten, River was babysitting me because our parents were all out doing adult shit… I don’t know, it doesn’t matter.” Everest has been trying to tell this story for the better part of fifteen minutes and he’s still not past the beginning. My beer is already warm and I don’t even know what River did that was supposedly so hilarious.
“Dude, you digress.” Kai tilts his beer at Ev, who taps the necks together and grins before nodding.
“Right, right. So, River’s making dinner and at the time we were vegetarians but not yet vegan. To be fair, we didn’t consume a lot of—”
“Ev, the story, dude.” I chuckle as Kai cuts off Everest so he can finally tell this fucking story.
“I’m giving context, man. But yeah, okay. So, River decides to make pasta, but she had homework to do so she thought it would be easier to put the spaghetti in the oven.” I almost choke on my next swallow, my Italian blood draining from my face.
“She did what?” My question is barely audible and I wonder if I made a mistake… maybe River isn’t a Volpe after all. She’s an alien.
“Yeah, bet you wish you didn’t marry her, now, huh?” I narrow my eyes at Kai but he just laughs, which sends Everest into a laughing fit as well.
“Continue, I’m sure she salvaged this. Probably invented something great.”
Fuck, I hope so.
“Nah, man. She put the spaghetti on a platter like she was cooking frozen french fries, set the oven to like, six hundred degrees, and let it cook until smoke started floating out the door.” He’s having a hard time talking, what with the laughing and coughing.
“Shit, Ev and I were playing outside with the dog when the fire alarm started screeching like a motherfucker. When we ran inside, River was standing on the kitchen table trying to turn off the alarm instead of turning off the fucking oven.” They’re both heaving with laughter at the memory, but my mind is still on the poor pasta that lost its life that day.
“Needless to say, we ate cereal for dinner that night.” Ev calms down and goes quiet.
“Fuck, the kitchen was a mess from the smoke, remember that?” Kai also goes quiet.
“Yeah, we pinky swore to never tell my parents.” I have no doubt they’re both thinking about their parents and the few memories Everest has of them.
I know what it’s like to lose a father and, as much as it hurt, I was older and living in a world where bad people have good people killed. I also still have my mother. These two only have each other and there’s a melancholy beauty to these kinds of friendships. A brotherhood beyond blood.