Grabbing Hold (The Motorcycle Kid #1)

46. Breakdown

Trust and believe y'all are in for one very long author's note some time soon, because the last couple chapters have made me super emotional and attached and contemplative over a lot of the subject matters I've decided to tackle.

TRIGGER WARNING: Depictions of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Emma jumped, looking up from her chat with Ryder as the two people burst into her bedroom, both of them visibly upset.

"Whoa whoa whoa," she started as she looked at her two best friends. She scowled. "Why are you here?! And with no notice? And why do both of you guys look like you want to kill each other?"

"Oh, I'll kill her alright," Kale growled as he glared at Natalie, who huffed. Emma rolled her eyes, sending a swift I'll be back to Ryder before turning to face them. Taking a deep breath, she assumed her usual role of emergency crisis manager.

"What happened?" she asked simply.

"She-"

"He-"

The idiots started to speak at the same time, glaring at each other. It took one pointed look from Emma to shut them both up.

Satisfied, Emma turned to Kale. "I'm a proud supporter of my gender, but I'll deviate just this once. Talk."

Kale rubbed his neck awkwardly as he plopped down on his best friend's bed.

"Natalie knows I'm in love with her," he said with a pout. The girl in question fought between asking him what the hell he had just said and kissing that adorable pout of his away.

In love?

Emma sighed heavily, pointing to the Snickers bag on her study desk.

"Pass me that chocolate before I strangle both of you."

Obediently, Natalie grabbed the candy, handing it over.

"Okay," said Emma half a bar later. "First of all. Kale. You're in love with her?"

He nodded sheepishly. Emma had known about his feelings for their best friend for a while, but she had never seen the 'l' word coming.

"Wow."

"W-What?" Natalie exclaimed, blindsided. "Kale, you can't be serious-"

"I can't believe it either, Natalie, but it's happening," he snapped, and she fell quiet.

Emma suddenly felt like the third wheel on a very wobbly tricycle. She bit down into her Snickers bar.

"Emma," Kale whined.

"What happened, Nat?" Emma turned to the dark-haired Latina.

"He's mad because I kissed Josh-"

"You two were swallowing each other. He was all over you, all over your body-"

A flicker of anger crossed his eyes.

"And that made you mad because...?" Emma asked gently.

"She kissed me a couple days before that!"

"We're not exclusive!"

"Wait," Emma interrupted their spat in surprise, taking a minute to swallow the chocolate lodged in her throat.

"You two are dating?!"

"No." Kale and Natalie said in sync before glaring at each other once more.

"Then what the hell is going on? Not exclusive? Why didn't anybody tell me about this?"

"Let me explain," said Natalie, shoving Kale off the bed and taking his place. Emma groaned in frustration. She had been enjoying her conversation with Ryder before her friends had interrupted. She took a peek at her phone, where he'd replied.