I wrapped Ray in a hug and kissed the top of her head. “You were my first girlfriend, you know. Well, friend that was a girl,” I corrected. “I know we haven’t had time to sit and talk about things, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I never felt like you needed an explanation for things, well, that and the fact that King wants to murder me every time I look your way. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you. Ever. Fuck, in my mind we’ve never stopped being best friends.”

“It’s me,” she said, wiping a tear off her cheek. “It’s these damn hormones. Your buddy King went and knocked me up again.”

“Slipped one past the goalie did he?” I chuckled. “I thought your tits looked bigger.”

She playfully slapped me on the shoulder.

“I tell you what, how about one of these days after the kids are all in school I’ll come over and we’ll do lunch and have ourselves some girl talk.”

“I’d really like that, Prep,” Ray said. “But let’s make it breakfast. You can cook for me.”

“Oh yeah? I think I can manage that. Any special reason for the breakfast request.”

She put her hands in her back pockets and took a few steps backward toward the house. She looked at me with glassy eyes, some of the lingering sadness from earlier seemed to have lifted. “Because pancakes.”

****

After a few hours we left Kevin passed out on the floor of King’s tattoo studio and followed through with our amazing idea to row to Motherfucker Island at five a.m., which was fine with me. I’d done enough blow to be awake for at least a month. “I’m glad I’m so high. If I wasn’t, I’d probably feel how drunk I am,” I slurred.

We were sitting on the shore of MFI. Our pant legs rolled up to our knees, our feet bare. Passing a joint and a bottle of Jack between the three of us. Somehow the conversation switched from thinking of a nickname for Kevin to the night I ‘died’.

“All I remember is that when the bullets started flying I just kept thinking about Ray and needing to get to her. Bear, you’re like a fucking human wall, and Preppy you’re always so fucking quick. I just never thought anything would happen to you guys,” King said. “I think about that night a lot. What I could have done differently. How it all went so wrong. I can’t wrap my brain around it.”

I shrugged and avoided making eye contact with King by fishing out my zippo from the inside pocket of my blazer all the while feeling the intensity of his eyes on me. “I don’t think about it much any more. It’s not like we can change it. What’s the point?”

Bear cocked his head to the side and ignored my philosophy on not lingering on the past. “Come to think of it, you were behind King when it all started to go down, but then you moved in front of him until he barged into that store room where Isaac had Ray.”

“None of that shit matters now. Guess I just wasn’t as quick as you thought ‘cause I obviously didn’t get out of the way fast enough,” I said, whistling while I lit a cigarette.

Bear and King exchanged a knowing look. “What?” I asked, smoke coming out in puffs as I spoke.

King shook his head. Bear smiled. “Nothing, Preppy,” King said, patting me on the back and giving me a short squeeze on my shoulder. I passed King the joint. “Not a damn thing.”

“Good,” I said, looking out over the water on the lights of the town. The town I loved. The town where I lived with my family. My girl. My son. “Now can we get fucking high or what?”

“You mean higher?” Bear asked. “I’ll be awake until next Christmas after tonight.”

Bear and King changed the subject and soon we were all laughing about some dumb shit we did as teenagers.

Thank fucking God.

They didn’t need to know what really happened that night. I’d never admit it anyway. If the roles had been reversed I knew they would do the same thing for me.

Nobody needed to know I took that bullet for King.

That’s just what family does. They protect one another.

At least, that’s what THIS family does.

“Anyone want to make a gator run?” I suggested.

“No,” King groaned.

“Fuck you,” Bear said.

But when their eyes met mine they told me a different answer. Within seconds we were all racing toward the water, splashing through gator-infested waters like the idiots we were.

When we were safe on shore, breathing heavily, I looked over to my friends and we all broke out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Bear was still going when King leaned behind him and tugged on my arm to get my attention. “Thanks, Prep.”

I didn’t know if he meant for taking the bullet for him or for the excellent blow I provided for the evening, but either way I nodded and we went back to the debauchery at hand.

Because that’s what family does.

We live for one another.

We die for one another.

“Wanna go again?” Bear asked. The three of us didn’t hesitate, racing back into the water, pushing each other over in the process.

We act like complete fucking idiots with one another.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Dre

“It’s great to see you again, Andrea,” East said, enthusiastically shaking my hand.

“You can just call me Dre. The only person who calls me Andrea is my dad,” I replied.

“I was so glad to hear from you last week. Hopefully we can find you exactly what you’re looking for.” He smiled warmly, revealing two bright white perfect rows of what I would bet were veneers.

“I’m ready to find out,” I responded nervously.

East had come by the house earlier in the week and dropped a list of available homes in the area that were in need of renovation. Of the fifteen or so on the list I’d only asked to see one. The second I saw the picture and read the description something about it spoke to me.

Which was why I found myself standing in the driveway of that house with East, the realtor who’d also assisted with the sale of Mirna’s house, about to go inside and check out the possible first project of for my new venture. Preppy had dubbed it Dre’s Digs, a complete home renovation and design service focusing on reusing and recycling furniture and fixtures.

“Will your husband be joining us?” East asked as I surveyed the yard and street.