Wingless, book 1 of Wingless Series

Welcome home

I'm half asleep, sitting next to Ari as the movers take our stuff to the U-Haul. It's too early and all I want to do is sleep. We are only taking our belongings but it still is a lot of stuff.

Ari clutches her coffee to her chest trying to keep warm. And I am fighting the chill with a blanket.

"We got breakfast," the guy's say.

Kenny tosses Ari her food. Evan hands mine to me politely. Kenny still isn't in the best of moods and I never got to talk to Ari to figure out why. My guess, he isn't a fan of being told what to do either.

"They're almost done and then we can head out," Evan says working his hands inside my blanket. He runs his hands across my lower back sending a shiver down my spine.

"Ari will you hurry up?" Kenny snaps getting up. He snags the bag from the lawn chair.

"I'm eating, God!" she says, tossing her half eaten sandwich at him.

"If you ate as fast as you gossiped shit would be done. You're not even dressed." He shakes his head.

Her face goes slack as she runs a hand through her hair. It bothers me the way he treats her.

He doesn't care that he hurt Ari's feelings. The way he sits there, he doesn't have a care in the world.

"Why are you always mean to her?" I say.

Evan stops talking to the mover and listens. This is the first time I have ever stood up to Kenny.

Kenny shrugs. "She knew we were leaving in the morning."

"It's, like, six in the morning. Do you know how to treat anyone even halfway decent?" I ask him.

He's intimidating, it's easy to see. Ari is used to it. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid of him like she is.

"That would mean I gave a shit." He touches his fingertips together. "And that's not in my dna. Why do you care anyways?"

"Girls don't like to be treated like shit." I stand up.

"Ari isn't most girls. If she wanted someone to kiss her ass she'd date my brother. Don't try and be a martyr it will suck the life right out of you."

"Kenny, shut the hell up. Maybe you should take her advice and lay off Ari." Evan frowns.

"Oh, here we go," Kenny says, a gleam in his eye.

"She's in there upset. How many times a day can you make her cry?" Evan shakes his head.

"Not enough." Kenny says walking away from us rather than accepting the truth and maybe changing.

I want to punch him. But Evan pulls me away from violence.

"Get in the truck before you do something you regret," he says.

I push the anger away and walk over to the truck.

"Could you use anymore help?" A tall blonde guy says in the driveway.

I have never seen him before, and he is stunning, as stunning as Evan. I feel bad for thinking this.

Evan hugs him. "You're too late, it's all done."

I fold my blanket and watch.

"Eve, this is my brother Mark. Mark, this is Eve," Evan introduces us.

He smiles. "She's beautiful."

"Yeah, but she hates hearing anyone say so," he says, grinning at me.

"Well, that makes sense. I'm sure she's heard it her whole life," Mark says.

I love their back and forth banter. And I am standing there smiling with probably the stupidest grin on my face. Mark is nothing like Kenny. In fact he is the total opposite. Kenny a dark cloud and Mark a bright sunshine.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Doom and Gloom himself," Mark says to Kenny as he approaches.

Kenny sighs, giving him a hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to offer my help, but looks like I'm too late. You lovely ladies ready to move to Piper?" he says, looking at Ari and me.

Ari grabs me around the waist. "Oh yes, it's going to be splendid." She's being sarcastic. We head to the cars.

"What's up?" I ask as she opens the truck's door.

"I'm riding with you guys," she informs me. I get in first. She throws on her sunglasses, hiding herself from the world like she always seems to do when she is having a hard time.

"Does Kenny know your riding with us?" I look back at the Camaro.

"I don't care; he's not on my favorites list. He's an asshole ever since we found out about the move to Piper."

"Why? I don't understand."

"Kenny hates rules. He hates conforming." She scoots over making room for Evan.

Kenny flies past us not bothering to wait around for anyone.

"Everyone ready?" Evan says, starting up the truck.

"Of course, what could be better than dealing with Kenny all by myself?" Ari says.

I raise an eyebrow, looking in Evan's direction. I am out of advice to give.

"Ari, I told you before, he will be fine and he will adjust," Evan says.

"He couldn't adjust if his life depended on it." She sighs looking out the window.

Evan sighs. "Give him some time."

"He's fucked up, and it's all thanks to Carlo. Time is not going to help anything." She goes back to staring out of the window. I don't know what to say.

"Ari, I know he is a jerk, but deep down he cares about you," Evan assures her.

Ari starts to cry. I know Evan is trying to make her feel better. I'm sure like the rest of us he wishes Kenny did have more of a heart. But he doesn't, he's a jerk. And Ari has no choice but to deal with him.

We are tied to something bigger than both of us understand.