Falling Forward ✔

Chapter Nine - Reece

The gray Audi pulls up outside the Anarchy Immortal Café at twelve-o-one, horn honking to signal their arrival. I roll my eyes, grab ahold of Kaila's wrist, and push on the front door.

"Bye, Dad!" Kaila and I say in unison.

"Have fun, girls!" He responds, waving emphatically through the window as we clamber toward Bas's car. The man himself is in the driver's seat, smile wide as he reaches across and throws the door open, gesturing me inside.

"C'mon, time's runnin' down." He prompts, eyes and piercing flashing in the sunlight. I roll my eyes, Kaila giggles.

"Hush, you," I chastise as I settle into the passenger seat; Bas smirks. Then my gaze wanders, snagging on the large figure in the back.

A tall man with black hair, cannonball shoulders, and arms covered in a myriad of tattoo ink is leaning his elbow on the doorframe. When he turns, alert, bright eyes take me in.

"Hi," I squeak, "Spencer, right?" I fumble while Kaila hurls herself into the seat beside him like a torpedo finding its target.

He nods, "Reece, right? Kaila?" Spencer glances first at me and then to Kaila for confirmation.

My best friend swoons, chest fluttering as she leans close to him. The look on Spencer's face is comical; partially surprised, a bit freaked out, and a lot interested.

"You remembered," Kaila purrs.

Spencer snorts. "How can I not when it's all he can talk about."

I don't miss how Bas casts him a sharp look in the rearview mirror. Spencer responds by reaching forward and jabbing a fist at the back of Bas's neck. They grapple for a moment, Bas emitting a chagrinned cry.

"Shut the fuck up," he barks and throws a fist back wildly.

It nearly smacks Kaila's arm, but Spencer catches it and winks at me. "Don't want her to know you like her?"

My cheeks heat a vibrant red, and Bas curses at him. Meanwhile, Kaila has maneuvered herself beneath Spencer's arm, somehow managing to press her small frame against the side of his huge one. Her eyes are frosted over, a look of complete adoration on her face.

"We're just friends." Bas protests. "Not all of us are dogs like you."

"Woof woof," Spencer jeers back. "So why don't you invite your friend to a game sometime? You know players get two free tickets, right?"

"Oh my gosh!" Kaila pipes up. "That would be amazing."

I give her a stern side-eye, which she ignores.

Bas is saved from answering by finding a break in the traffic. He merges into traffic, and the shenanigans relent slightly. I fiddle in my seat, reach to turn the radio up, and disrupt the silence.

"He's just talking shit," Bas assures me on an eye roll.

I smile encouragingly. "Right, of course," I agree, slumping back into the seat and pulling the sleeves of my hoodie down over my hands.

Behind us, Kaila has made herself the center of Spencer's attention, bombarding him with anything she thinks might interest him. I feel slightly bad for the guy, but then again, if anyone's heart ends up broken at the end of today, it won't be his, so maybe my sympathy is misplaced.

I may not have been able to place him when he first walked into the café, but I know Spencer Haart enough to realize his priorities. Hockey, parties, and no-strings sex. However, Kaila has a dream of finding 'the one' and a policy against getting so drunk that you can't remember what happened the next morning.