this love, walker

007. rubix cube

Cheyenne walks into The Side Step, her eyebrows raising at nobody in there.

"Hey." Cordell smiles. "Welcome. Uh... hi."

"Hi." Cheyenne gives him a weird look. "You know, I-I thought open restaurants were supposed to... you know, have customers." She smiles as she sits at the bar.

"Ha ha." Cordell fake laughs. "We have customers just... not right now."

"They don't like you, huh?" Cheyenne tsks.

"They-- yes, they do." Cordell says. "They have to or I could arrest them."

"A. there's no law against liking you, and B. you're not a ranger anymore." Cheyenne says. "I also heard, in the short span of your non-ranger life, you've already gotten arrested."

"How do you--"

"Your mom told my mom who told me. Plus, your kids told my kids about the no ranger thing. I guess they don't know about the jail thing. Whether you like it or not, I have two ways to get to know everything about you. Not to mention I can totally reach out to Liam if and when I want." Cheyenne says.

"Wh-- my mom and kids never tell me anything about you." Cordell frowns.

"Guess they just like me more." Cheyenne shrugs. "I'm here for lunch, though. So, please, be a good cook and I promise I won't shit talk you to my friends."

"Okay." Cordell rolls his eyes, scoffing. "That-- you have friends?"

"That's the most terrible joke." Cheyenne sneers and Cordell smiles at her. "And, yes, I have friends. I do have a job and I have friends there. Plus, Geri and Liam and... you're kinda on there, I guess."

"Oh, wow. I-I'm so touched. Thank you. You're kinda on there for me, too." Cordell remarks.

"I know." Cheyenne smiles. "But, seriously, I'm here to give you business and I'm starving, so..."

~ ~ ~

"You have a Rubix cube?" Cheyenne asks after Cordell puts the object on the counter.

"I-- Liam gave it to me to-- to challenge me to finish something or whatever." Cordell brushes off.

Cheyenne hums and grabs the Rubix cube. Cordell watches as she quickly solves it.

"Wha--" He gives her a perplexed look.

"You can't do that?" She asks.

"I-- shut up." He mutters. "Can I just-- could you give me--"

"Oh, you-- you wanna take credit for my work? And lie to your little brother?" Cheyenne questions.

"What he doesn't know won't kill him." Cordell says, trying to grab the Rubix cube.

"Oh, yeah, well, in that case..." Cheyenne quickly moves the pieces of the Rubix cube so it's all mixed up again. "There you go." She sweetly smiles, putting the toy in his hand.

"Thanks." Cordell gives her a tight lipped smile.

Cordell's phone rings and Cheyenne tunes him out as he talks to Micki, the woman focusing on her food.

"Okay, uh... I have to go, um..." Cordell gets up. "Yeah. Get a to go order and go."

"Aren't you the only one working right now?" Cheyenne asks.

"Ye-- well, yeah, but, this is an emergency." Cordell says.

"You're a terrible business owner." Cheyenne says.

"I'll call somebody else in, obviously. I just-- have to--"

"Have to do the job that you no longer have?" Cheyenne finishes for him.

"I-- if somebody isn't here by time I'm gone, you have to leave." Cordell says, making his way to the kitchen.

"You're still a terrible business owner." Cheyenne calls out.

+++

"Hey." Stella walks up to Taylor. "I-- look, I'm really sorry that I've been pushing you out. I-- August was right, I got caught up with Trevor and-- and never really... I just kind of abandoned you. And you've always just been there for me. I'm terrible. I'm so sorry, Tay."

"Well, I know a thing or two about trauma." Taylor says. "Plus, you can't get rid of me that easily. I grew up with two brothers. I'm very, very stubborn." Stella lets out a small laugh. "And when you never answered the phone, pretty understandably, I got all the updates that Augie gave Randy. You guys went through something really traumatic and I get you needing some time."

"I still should've reached out sooner or-- or talked to you, though." Stella says. "But I-I promise, I'll be more open from now on. I'll do my best not to shut you out again."

"Okay." Taylor nods. "But even if you don't wanna talk, sometimes just having somebody with you helps a lot too."

"So, let's catch up on whatever we've missed about each other." Stella says, wrapping her arm around the brunette's shoulders.