Into the Storm

Chapter 13 | Pearl

RYDER MASON RENATA

I am ecstatic to be back home. I live in Paris for now while my chain of barber shops has a good start at my new location. I have two main priorities while I'm here in the south of London. Three of you count my 1st of the barber shops, which I'll have stop by, but only for a few minutes.
I want to move back home for good so I can be near family. Traveling makes it hard and I hate being alone. I want to put a location in Portland, Oregon, USA. I want to talk Jade into going with me on this travel, but she's so stubborn when it comes to leaving her business. I heard an Ibiza trip is in planning for the group, and I want in. I haven't been on a trip with everyone in years it seems. Now that I'm free go and do as I please, I can spend some travel time with my sister.
I was sat with Maia at Storm as she was serving me coffee. We chatted about Art and why hasn't she broken up with him yet. I'll always tell her like it is, no matter how blunt and hurtful I might sound, and then lighten up the mood when I ask her about what's going on with Jonah. She told me she has a boba date soon. Ha! Boba. Cute. She asked about my new neck tattoo. It's for Jade and I's mum. It's a sparrow. She loved sparrows and she always thought everything majestic about them. The air was quiet in the room and when I glanced over to Hiero cleaning a counter.
Maia stared at me in thought before she narrowed her eyes at me.
"What!." I asked.
"Don't fuck this up for hiero."
"What makes you think I would fuck this up for hiero?"
"He's.. you know. If you make him think he doesn't stand a chance, which he is on edge about most certain the time, he'll give up and he'll-
"I know, Mai. I'm minding my own business. Literally. I've got bank stuff to do this week. And Peyton-
I stopped myself and continued with another subject, "When is art coming back? I wanna kick his ass before I go home."
"What?" She laughed.
"Not literally, Mai. You know I'd obliterate him if you let me."
"You almost did that first time."
"Ha! I did. He such a douche, Mai. I gotta give it to him, the guy can throw hands like a boss. I wish I was there when he kicked the shit out of Darren. I think I should have taken care of that myself."
"Don't blame yourself for not being there for here during that. He had it coming no matter who was there." Maia's gaze glared over in a scowl. "Oh shit."
"What" I turn around and look out the window to see Darren's car pulling into one of the parking spots in the lot.
Hiero is wiping down tables and he slows down watching as he sees Jade walk out the door to go to him. I watch carefully and then continue chatting to Mai.
"Why the fuck is he still coming around?"
"He showed up at the party last night to talk to her about- she has him blocked on everything and refuses to have any social media contact with him."
"As she should. She really fuckin should. He doesn't know what's going on out there?" I asked gesturing my eyes to R.T., speaking lower now so hiero cant hear. Maia shook her head and looked down as her heart broke into a million pieces. Maia has always been like my own kid sister. I felt the pain arise in my chest harder than this conversation was leading. I needed to be the rock my sister's are counting on me to be.
"I'm gonna need another cup of this, yeah? And then I've got to head out to the flower shop and take care of a few things before I come back." I said, slowly leading off subject.
"You got it." She gets up, "Will you be here tonight?" She asked.
"Tonight's The Cypher. I wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled and she turned her heel with a smile and headed behind the coffee counter. I shifted my eyes to Hiero who was wiping down tables trying not to pay any attention to the shitty circus happening outside.
I studied him for a second thinking about how long Hiero has liked my sister. They met sometime after she was already tied down with Darren. After Maia brought me another fill of coffee, Jade walked back in and Darren followed as if nothing happened. Hiero is in a fucked up limbo and is patiently waiting to be placed. Darren sat at a small table outside. He walked right on past without noticing me. Either Jade didn't tell him I was here, or I must have looked a bit different for him to notice. Either way, I wanted to tear his throat out and into the street and watch it be ran over by all the traffic coming down the road. Hiero is going low-key mad watching Jade float around the place and constantly stopping to talk to Darren. It's not a good look to someone if you are Hiero, a great mate who is just trying to win her heart and Darren and Beej are acting like it's just a peachy fucking day in their relationship and nothing ever happened between them.
"R.T." I called to him. I was going fuck with him with one of our middle finger jokes and the coffee, but it's clear what not a good time it is. He turned his head to me with a brow raised in anticipation of me fucking with him. He turned from setting up straws and stirrers from the prep station. I tossed my chin up at him gesturing his company. I was far from fucking around. Hiero sat across and wasn't trying to hide emotions.
"What's up, Ryder?" He stared at a straw in his hands as he fidgeted with it.
I leaned a bit into the table to talk to my best mate, "Whatever that is.." I gestured outside to Jade and her fucktard of an ex, "Beej has to take care that. You've got to trust me when I tell you that." Hiero stayed quiet and Jade came strolling back in expressionless.
I was in my last year of college when Hiero Raine Taylor was in my Business Communications class. I wanted more than anything to introduce him to my sister. But Maia and the rest of the crew thought it was a good idea considering things were being blocked on both of their ends. Hiero is a wild spirit just like Jade. They are meant for eachother and the fact that Hiero's heart is breaking during his patience during Darren's general presence, tells me something more than just the fact that he likes her.
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JADE