Epiphany Page 6

  “Unless she’s just another patch whore looking for her next biker, in this case, her uncle’s sergeant. You know how those bitches are.”

  “But Madyson was never like that. Prowler always kept a tight rein on her. One of

  his prospects tried to take her to Prom and Prowler had a fit. Since Skylar already

  had a date, I got elected to escort Maddie. That was only because Prowler knew and

  trusted me. Has to be someone else.”

  “Yeah. Whatever. I’ll find out. And when I do, all the sluts better watch their asses.” Oh yeah,

  the booze is doing all the talking tonight.

  Another fifteen minutes of pointless conversation—Danny trying to take my mind off Skylar getting his fill of club ass—Danny’s phone starts chirping.

  “Who’s that?” I question, like I have some kind of rights to his caller ID.

  Without pause, he answers my demand, “Skylar.”

  Panic sets in and I sober up quicker than I ever have before. How can I bitch about

  him being with some girl, when I got upset and fled to my ex’s house? Shit, this is going to blow up. Suddenly feeling stupid and hypocritical, I don’t know what to

  do.

  “Don’t answer,” I beg, the only thing I can think of.

  “No, Mira. Your phone hasn’t gone off at all tonight. Where is it?” Danny glances

  around for my cell, which of course, is nowhere in sight since it’s locked safely

  in my center console.

  “Turned off. In the car.” I blush, embarrassed at my childish actions. I really thought that in the last year I really grew as a person. I guess I was

  wrong. I’m just as immature as I was before.

  “Hello,” he immediately answers before it goes to voicemail, putting it on speaker and sitting the phone in the middle of the coffee table.

  “D. I can’t find Mira. Kylee and her mom haven’t heard from her. We got in a fight and

  now she’s gone,” the distraught tone of his voice rings loudly in my ears, and in

  my soul. “I just knew she’d be with one of them. I don’t know what to do. Oh, shit

  Danny, I fucked up bad.”

  Feeling all kinds of guilty, I own my choice and speak up, not wanting Danny to do my talking for me. “I’m here.”

  “Mi? Is that you?” he chokes out, relief evident in his words. I scoot closer to the

  table, palm the phone and look at the picture of Sky that shows up on Danny’s caller

  ID. I should have had this talk with Skylar before I ran to Danny. Finally deciding

  to give Skylar the respect he deserves in this situation, I turn off the speaker and

  put the phone to my ear.

  “Yeah, it’s me.” I try to stay distant, yet collected. He’s hurt me, there’s no denying that, but I didn’t need to try to hurt him back. I just wish we could go back to when everything was perfect.

  “Why are you there? Are you leaving me? Did I fuck up that bad?” His questions

  break my heart. I love him so much and to think I caused him this kind of pain is

  detrimental to my sanity. I don’t think I could ever leave him. Not even over Maddie.

  I only wish he felt the same about hurting me.

  “Are you home?” I ask, not wanting to do this on the phone or in front of Danny.

  “Yeah. When I didn’t see your car, I panicked. Are you okay? You’re coming back, right?”

  Knife to the gut, I’m not sure how long I can keep my tears at bay.

  “I’m leaving here in a few. I’ll ask Danny to drive me. I’ll be there soon, okay?”

  “Why does he need to give you a ride? Are you drunk?” Skylar questions, a little more edge to his tone.

  “I had a few drinks, but I’m not drunk. Better safe than sorry, though. Don’t worry.”

  “Alright. Soon.” Skylar’s end of the line hangs up first and I know the minute I walk through that

  door, we’re going to be talking about a lot more than what he’s been up to. Even

  though my visit here tonight is completely innocent, I feel guilty beyond measure.

  I peer over at Danny who’s looking at me confused.

  “You just told me he’s cheating on you, but you’re going back? And needing me to drive you there? You have to be drunk or crazy … maybe a little bit of both.”

  “Please just take me home. I needed a friend to vent to, not a judge and jury. If I can’t talk to you about these things, just let me know. I’m sorry to have put you in this position, it wasn’t my intention.”

  “After everything, Mira. Everything you went through. I went through. He steals you from me just to dick around behind your back. How is this fair?”

  Danny’s assessment hits me harder than the tequila ever could. Stole me from him? He’s still hurting. Oh fuck, he’s resentful of my relationship with Skylar. Did

  I give him false hope coming here tonight? No, he has Melissa, right? Shitballs. I’ve screwed with the beehive and stole the honey … or however the hell that saying

  goes. Oh hell.

  “But everything worked out, right? If Skylar and I wouldn’t have realized our feelings, you wouldn’t have found Melissa.”

  Instead of driving me home right away, Danny pulls out a loaf of bread and brews a pot of coffee. I would have to agree with him—if I don’t get something in my stomach and start to sober up now, by the time I get home I’ll be shit faced drunk and sleeping in the bathroom all night. There’s no way I need to have any kind of conversation with Skylar when I won’t remember my own name.

  Once Danny places a cup and a piece of toast in front of me, he finally responds to my earlier question, completely rocking my world. Not the OMG-that-was-amazing kind of world rocked. I’m talking the kind where you’re choking on your tongue, not sure how to respond so something so insane.

  “Mel’s great and all, she’s just not you.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Danny

  I should have just left well enough alone. Why did I have to say anything at all? We were doing so well without saying anything. Now, I’ve screwed everything up.

  “Mel’s great and all, she’s just not you.”

  Why the fuck would I say something so … stupid? What do I do now? Try to take it back? Yeah, right, it’s already out there. Also, Mira and I are cut from the same can’t-lie-for-shit cloth. She’ll know.

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  “Mira, I’m so sorry. I don’t know where that came from.” She doesn’t respond or even look in my direction. Oh, I’ve done it this time. There might not be any coming back from this.

  “Please say something,” I plead, without reciprocation on her part.

  She’s on the furthest side of the arm chair as possible, damn near falling off the edge and staring out the window lifelessly. The only sign she’s still alive is the rapid rise and fall of her chest and the occasional hiccup.

  She’s crying?

  Bombarded with a rush of possession and overwhelming need to stop Mira’s tears, I

  damn near knock the coffee off the table and kneel in front of her, trying to gauge

  her current state of mind. Any man will tell you, the worst thing a woman can do

  is cry. Crying can tell you a few things: she’s mad, sad, frustrated, hurt or depressed.

  Because of what I said, it could be any of the above or a combination of a few.

  I reach my hand out, trying to brush a few loose strands of hair away from her face so I can really see her, but she pushes my hand away.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Mira asks, finally breaking her vow of silence, voice cracking.

  “You’re crying. Please don’t cry. I’m so sorry I said that.” I back up noticeably, giving her the space she needs.

  “I’m not crying because you said it,” she sobs, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve, “it’s because you actually feel that way. I’m the one that’s sorry. So dam
n sorry I hurt you so badly. That we hurt you.”

  Bawling again and gasping for air, Mira climbs over the arm of the chair, onto the

  floor with me, and crawls in my lap. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she sobs hysterically

  until only small whimpers pass her lips. I should have known. This is the way it

  always was with Mira. She needs to be the one to come to you and not vice versa—her

  own semblance of control in any given situation.

  “Shhhh, I’ve got you. Shhhh,” I soothingly say, rubbing small circles on her back,

  offering whatever kind of comfort I can. This is a fucked up situation for everyone,

  I just never knew she took it so hard.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she says, lifting her head, our eyes meeting. For the first time since before the accident, I can actually see into her soul again. She’s just as broken as me over all of this. The only difference is I can see the overpowering happiness that being with Skylar provides her. Those two really do belong together, no matter how I feel about it.

  “I know. You’re a good person. You wouldn’t hurt a fly. I shouldn’t have said that. It was stupid and careless.”

  “Your feelings are never stupid. I was dumb to think that we could ever go back to being friends like that,” she says, snapping her fingers. “I didn’t think of how talking to you about Skylar would make you feel. You hate me for what I did.” Mira pulls her knees tight against her chest, rocking softly in the confines of my arms.

  “I could never hate you. The exact opposite, in fact. You’re my first love and I’ll always carry that with me. I just got caught in the

  crossfire of destiny, that’s all. But you are right. Things won’t ever be the same again.”

  For the first time in six months, I’m saying what needs to be said. It’s a sad realization, but even more than that, it’s liberating. I think this is the closure I was seeking all those months, wondering if Mira would think she made a mistake and come back to me. Sitting back and thinking about it now, Skylar and Mira have a kind of love that nobody—nothing—can stop. They’re destined to be together. I was only delaying the inevitable.

  That’s the crazy thing about hindsight—you never realize it until after all the suffering.

  “What do we do now?” Mira asks, standing up and walking to the hallway mirror. She

  pulls a small compact from her purse and attempts to fix the after effects of crying.

  I probably should tell her that nothing’s going to get rid of those puffy eyes or

  flushed cheeks, but it’s too much fun watching her try.

  “You’re going to fix whatever problems you and Skylar are having. You hurting me, you being upset over hurting me, months of trying to get back to a sense of normalcy—don’t let it all be in vain.”

  “I won’t. I’ll figure out how to fix it. But what about you? What are you going to do?” She eyes me in the reflection of the mirror, still trying

  to un-puff her eyes.

  “I got a job offer in New York a few days ago. Mel and I talked about it and I think I’m going to take it. I’m not sure if she’s going to come with me or not, but I know I want this opportunity. Working in one of the largest accounting firms in the country has always been a dream of mine. Living in New York City will just be a perk.” Mira’s face falls again and more tears line her lower lid.

  “I’ll miss you,” she says softly, walking back into the living room. She sinks into the chair and fiddles with the strings of the quilt lying across the arm.

  I’m sure the bread and coffee I gave her helped sober her up. Well, sober enough not to yak all over my car. Standing, I reach for her hand, pulling her out of the chair. “Not as much as I’ll miss you.”

  I show a weak smile and assist Mira to the door. While she’s putting on her shoes,

  I grab my keys and phone from the coffee table. Once we’re in the car, I’ll text

  Skylar to let him know we’re on our way.

  I really will miss this girl. I suppose, in order for me to move on, I actually have to move the fuck on. Staying in the same spot, stagnant at a job I despise and pining over a girl that’s long gone; that’s insane. Melissa and I will figure out where we fit in the world, but for now, I have to focus on what’s best for me—put myself first.

  I open the front door, letting Mira walk out ahead of me. “I had a good time tonight. I’m glad we could talk,” she says, stepping outside.

  “Yeah, me, too. It was nice.” Placing my hand on the small of her back to guide her to my car,

  she stops mid step, causing me to catch the back of her heels.

  “Oh fuck,” Mira whispers.

  “Shit. I’m sorry. Are you okay?” I peek around her shoulder only to see her eyes trained on a shadow at the end of the driveway. I try to focus in the dark, wanting to see whatever’s out there.

  “Oh fuck,” I echo her. She nailed this one right on the head.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Skylar

  After hanging up with Mira, a mixture of emotions washes over me. On one hand, I’m

  extremely upset that we have one fight over some kind of manifestation in her head

  and she’s running back to Danny for comfort. Then on the other hand, the guilt weighing

  on my heart clearly tells me that had I just been a little more open with her, none

  of this would have happened.

  So what do I do? Sit here and wait for her to waltz in here and talk it out, or go and fight for my girl. I’ve never been one to back down from anything, why change that now?

  Grabbing my bike keys from the hook at the door, I’m out the door before another thought

  passes. I stood in the background for too long while Danny had the time with Mira

  that I wanted, craved. I’ll be damned if I let him get another second from her, especially

  while we’re not on the best of terms. I’m not sure if his intentions are honorable

  or not, but if I were him, and loved a woman who didn’t return it, I’d use anything

  I could to weasel my way back into her good graces.

  Lucky for me, all the snow’s melted during this mid winter heat wave and I don’t have

  to worry about ice and snow. Mira’s probably gonna be pissed I’m riding, but taking

  the truck would make this drive longer than it needs to be. Disregarding the guiding

  tools designed for safe travels, you know, red lights, stop signs and speed limits,

  the forty minute ride takes me a little over twenty. Pulling into the driveway, Mira’s

  car is still in the driveway and Danny’s is on the curb. So much for leaving soon, Mira.

  Backing out, I decide to park at the apron of the driveway and take a quick breather.

  I’m upset with Mira but it’s Danny who’s under my skin. Exactly who the fuck does he think he is? Mira’s a grown

  ass woman and doesn’t need a security blanket like a toddler. As I finally feel collected

  enough to handle this maturely, the front door opens and Mira comes walking out, followed

  closely by Danny, with his hand on her fucking back.

  As if she could feel my presence, Mira’s face turns ghost white and her jaw drops.

  Danny’s look of gloom isn’t too far off once he realizes what has Mira stopped dead

  in her tracks. His hand quickly retreats and he shoves in into his jeans pocket.

  Too late for that pal, I fucking saw you pawing my fiancée.

  “Skylar,” Mira whispers when she reaches the bottom of the drive where I’m leaned against my bike. “Why the hell do you have your bike out? It’s dangerous and you said you’d wait ‘til spring.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, it’s fifty degrees and well after midnight. There’s no ice out here and I also figured

  I’d come give you a ride home myself.”

  “Hey, Sky.” Danny approaches looking rather guilty. O
h, Danny Boy, why do you have that look of regret in your eyes?

  “Danny,” I respond, emotionless, nodding my head in his direction. I shift my eyes back to Mira. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I can take her, it’s really not a problem,” Danny chimes in, moving closer to Mira. This just isn’t going to work for me.

  “No. You’ve done enough. How about you turn around and go inside. This is between me and Mira.” His stance becomes more protective, stepping partially in front of Mira. Best friend or not, it would appear he’s suicidal, basically begging for me to kill him.

  “You’re upset about something and don’t need to be riding with her while you’re pissed.

  I’ll make sure she gets home safe.” Is he insinuating that I’m not going to be careful

  with what’s mine?

  “Okay, I’m done with this pleasantry shit. Mira, get on.” I hand her the spare helmet

  which she doesn’t hesitate to put on her head. Her unfocused eyes scan between Danny

  and me like she wants to say something or try to defuse the situation, but understands

  deep down this is a pissing match. One that I’m going to win.

  “Pea, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Danny leans in, whispering loud enough

  for me to hear him clearly.

  Mira shakes her head, silently begging for him to let it go, and walks in front of

  him. Once she reaches where I’m standing, she turns to face him.

  “Danny. It’s fine. Thank you for the offer, but I’ll ride with Sky. Is my car okay here until morning?” That’s my girl showing where her loyalties lie. My chest swells with pride, my smug gaze landing back on Danny, waiting for him to make a move toward her again.

  “This is so fucked up. I told you, if you hurt her, you have me to answer to,” Danny

  seethes, moving into my personal space. Craning my neck from side to side, listening

  to the joints pop, I take a step toward him, not backing down.

  Realizing exactly how to get through to him, I step back and put my arm around Mira’s shoulder. I pull her into my side and kiss the tip of her nose all the while making eye contact with Danny, showing him that I’ve clearly won this round. Once I’ve made my point clear, I slightly