Broken Wings

Chapter 2: The Boy

"We have to continually be jumping off cliffs and developing our wings on the way down."
― Kurt Vonnegut

He got out of the truck and I was frozen. "Hey!" Gray called over to him. "What's up?!" the guy smiled and walked over to our group. I felt Nikki grab my arm. Ryder was watching us. He knew as soon as we saw that truck that we flashed back. My best friend, and Nikki's boyfriend, was killed in that truck. The one that he loved so much. "Who are these two?" he asked Gray. "I forgot, you're new up here and you haven't met them yet." Gray laughed and walked him over to us. "This is Nikki, she's Ryder's girlfriend and this is Paislee or PJ. She's Ryder's sister. Girls this is Hunter Wayde. He just moved up here from Tennessee." Gray introduced us. "Wait, are you a friend of the Rykers?" I asked out of nowhere. "Yeah, I got the truck from them a couple years ago. It was Zee's." "Yeah, I know. Zee was my best friend and Nikki's boyfriend." I sighed. I hoped to God that he didn't know what the rest of the world knew. "What made you come up here?" Nikki asked she retreated from behind me to Ryder's side. "I was offered a job. So, I figured why not?" he smiled and I couldn't stop staring. I walked over to Grayson and Gavin. "Gray, can I talk to you for a second?" I asked. "Yeah, sure." He walked with me to the other side of my truck. "Why didn't you warn me?!" I asked in a hushed tone. "Pay, I didn't realize that he had Zee's truck." He sighed. "Yeah, well I didn't know that truck would ever be back here again." "I didn't either. I didn't know that he still had it to be honest." "Gray, what does he know about the accident?" "He just knows that Zee was in an accident in that truck, he wasn't driving and he died. He doesn't know that you were driving." "Can we keep it that way? I don't want to have to explain anything to anyone else." "I know you don't. How can you keep up telling the same story over and over again even though you are leaving a lot out?" "It's easier than you think. But seriously, why didn't you tell me or Nikki that he was coming over?" I asked changing the subject. "Because it's been a while since you had a boyfriend and I was trying to set you two up." He smiled. "I hate you." "No, you don't." "No, I don't, but I can try to." I laughed and we walked back over to the group.

It was around 8:00pm and we were all still sitting outside talking. Nikki and I were exchanging texts every so often. "Pay, I have to pee. Come with me." Nikki got up off my brothers lap and pulled me inside with her. "So, what do you think of Hunter?" she asked as we walked into the bathroom. "I don't know, I barley know him." I sat on the sink as she was peeing. "You can get to know him." "What's your point?" "Pay, he's cute, he's new, he's single, and so are you." "You knew he was going to be here didn't you?" I relailzed. "Yes, Ryder told me. He also told me not to tell you." "What?! My brother was in on this too?!" "Yeah, and so was Gavin. When you were talking to Gray he was telling Hunter all about you." "I love you guys, but I do not want a boyfriend right now. I don't even like Hunter. I think that he's a smart ass cocky son of a bitch." "You don't know him." "Yeah, but from what I've seen in the last four hours, I don't like him at all." "Shut up and give him a chance. You've dated one guy since Wyatt. One!" "Nikki, you've dated one guy since Zee!" "That's different. Zee died and I have been with Ryder for almost two years. You were with Ben for like two months. You were with Wyatt for almost three years. You have to get back out there." "I will, someday." I sighed. "Whatever Pay." Nikki rolled her eyes at me. She was finished so we went back out to the boys.

"How long have you been here?" I asked Hunter when I sat back down. "I've been here for two weeks. I've been settling in." He smiled looking at me. "Have you started your job yet?" "I'm starting Monday." "Where are you working?" Nikki came into the conversation. "Over at the mechanic shop the next town over." "That's a good place." She smiled. "Pay and Nikki work at the diner just down the street from that." Gavin winked at me. I wanted to punch him. "I guess I will have to stop over." Hunter laughed. It took me a minute to realize just where he was working. Thats my Dad's garage. Ryder works there too. I'm always there. Ryder winked at me too, he knew I figured it out. "So whose truck is the one next to mine?" Hunter changed the subject before we all went any further. I think that he knows it's my father's garage. "That's mine. I've had it for almost two years now." I sighed. "She just got the rack put on and the windows tinted." Nikki added. "How long have you had it lifted for?" Hunter ignored her and I couldn't help but laugh a little. "I got it lifted about a year ago. It was a Christmas present from Ryder." I looked over at Ryder.

Nikki and I left around 10pm and went back to my house for the night. "I think he likes you." She smiled as we walked into my room. "I think that you are crazy." I was annoyed with this. "He's going to show up at the diner just to see you!" "And if he does, I'm going to kill you, Gavin, Grayson, and Ryder." "Oh shut up! You like him, I can see it." "You can't see shit." I laid on my bed and took out my phone. I had a friend request on Facebook. It was Hunter. "He just added me on Facebook." I showed Nikki. "Oh my God add him!" "Why?" "Just do it." "If I do it, will you shut up about him for the night?" "Only for the night?" "I would say forever, but I know you and you can't last that long." "You're right and yes if you add him, I will not talk about how he likes you or you like him for the rest of the night." "Good. You are now friends with Hunter Wayde." I showed her and she got a huge smile on her face. "Is my brother coming home tonight?" I asked her. "No, he's staying at Grayson's." "With Hunter?" "With Gavin." "And Hunter?" "Yeah." "Oh no."