a finger. “Fuck. It’s my mom. Give me a minute.”
“Okay,” I said, but he wasn’t listening to me anymore.
“Mom, I’m in practice,” Saber said into his phone. “What’s going on?”
He held one hand over his ear and stared blankly at me while he listened to her.
“Not again.” He squeezed his eyes shut.
Sadness, regret, and more than a little longing hit me. I could hear my mother’s voice, but I couldn’t make out the actual words.
“Leave him,” he said with a sigh. “I’ve told you a million times, he’s toxic.”
That was news to me. I listened more intently to the conversation.
Opening his eyes, Saber nodded in response to whatever she said. “I’ve heard those excuses. It’ll be difficult for you. Different. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. But you can stay with Shield and me. Our place will be somewhere safe and familiar to land until you can get back on your feet.”
He paused, then nodded again, even though she couldn’t see him. “Yes, tonight. If you’re ready, I’ll come get you right now.”
He listened for a moment, then dropped the hand that had been on his left ear to his side. “Good. Finally. Best decision you ever made. I’ll be there shortly.”
Ending the call, he slid his phone into the side pocket of his board shorts.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” His arms went stiff, his hands clenching into fists.
“What is it?” I raised my brows, noting Cork watching us out of the corner of my eye. The three of us were the only band members remaining in the room. Shield had taken off as soon as practice had ended, mentioning a hot date.
“I don’t have the van. I need the van, but Shield has it for his date.”
“Call him.”
“No, man.” Saber shook his head. “This shit with them, with our parents, it messes with him. He spirals. I won’t allow it, not if there’s something I can do to avoid it. Lost one brother already because of all this fucking crap.”
“Spirals in what way?” I went instantly alert. “Lose him how?”
“Not your business,” he said, and I flinched like he’d sucker punched me again. “Said too much. It’s family business. I’ll just order a ride.”
His eyes active, he raked a hand through his brown hair before he reached for his phone.
“I can give you a ride,” I said, surprising myself by making the offer.
Saber widened his eyes at me, then sighed. “That’d be great.”
“We’ll have to go get my vehicle. It’s parked at the apartment, but I need to drop Cork off anyway.” Shifting my gaze to him, I asked, “You got food at your place?”
“Yeah.” Cork nodded. “I’m good. Help your . . . help Saber. Don’t worry about me.”
I worked out the logistics in my mind. My mother, Saber, and me . . . three could fit in the Scout’s bench seat in a pinch. It would be tighter than with Lotus, Cork, and me, but it could be done.
“Let’s go,” Saber said, pulling me from my thoughts as he exited the room.
I followed him with Cork behind me. No one was in the hall. The lights were on dim in the corridor, and completely out at the front desk.
Exiting the building, we were confronted with a stiff offshore breeze and an ocean that was a black expanse with foamy agitated breakers. The wind buffeted me, but not nearly as much as the stuff Saber had shared about Shield, or the stuff going on with my mom.
We didn’t talk on the way to the apartment. Rather than walk up Newport and through town, we took a shorter but more perilous path, picking our way carefully over uneven sandstone by the crashing waves in the dark. When we reached a flight of stairs, as steep as the ones at the cliffs, we climbed them.
Once we reached the street level above the beach, the apartment complex was only fifty yards away. I made sure Cork was safe inside his apartment before I went back downstairs to where Saber waited for me. I gestured to the Scout, getting in on my side while he got in on his.
“Cool vehicle,” Saber said, settling in and buckling his seat belt.
“Thanks.” I buckled mine and shifted in my seat to back out.
At the end of the street, I braked at the stop sign, then turned left. Figuring this thing with my mom was going to take a while, I dug out my cell to call Lotus.
“Hey, babe,” I said, registering disappointment but not surprise when I