Second Chance (Cruiser & Lex, Book 2)

by Dee J. Stone

  “Tell me,” I say, softly punching her shoulder. “Why does a guy like Cruiser like a little kid like you?”

  “I can ask you the same thing.” She sticks out her tongue.

  I laugh. That causes her to giggle. It’s the perfect opportunity to tickle her, which I do, causing her to erupt into a fit of laughter.

  “You’re amazing the way you are, Rosie,” I say as her giggles die down. “As long as you love who you are and give people a chance, they’ll love you for you.”

  She nods, but I see the doubt in her eyes. I’ll be here for her, we all will be. I don’t know what lies in my future, where I’ll go to college, if it’ll be out of town. But I will always be here for Rosie. I don’t think I appreciated her enough before the accident. I want to be the perfect older sister. I want to make up for all the hell I caused her.

  “I have a surprise for you.”

  She rolls her eyes. “Your surprises always suck.”

  I bump her shoulder. “Be nice.”

  “Okay. What’s the surprise, pretty please?”

  “I’ll let you look through my jewelry and pick something. You can keep it.”

  Her eyes light up. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Let’s go!”

  With a wide grin on my lips, I lift Rosie in my arms and carry her upstairs to my room.

  ***

  While Rosie’s whooping my ass for the hundredth time in a zombie game that will probably give me nightmares tonight, the doorbell rings. She pauses the game and raises a confused eyebrow. We’re not expecting any visitors and I asked Cruiser not to stop by because I want to spend time with Rosie alone.

  Shrugging, I get up and open the door. Familiar, messy blond hair and green eyes behind big glasses greet me. I take in the wheelchair with bumper stickers of famous baseball teams. “Jamie! Hi.” I widen the door and glance back. “Rosie, look who’s here.”

  She cranes her neck. I expect her eyes to light up like they always do when he comes over, but a dark cloud takes over and her shoulders droop. Then it hits me. She and I were having so much fun that it slipped my mind. Jamie’s procedure.

  “Um…” He pushes bangs that nearly cover his eyes away from his face, his cheeks slightly pink. “Rosie was mad in school. My parents said I should come over and apologize. Not that I know what I did wrong,” he adds under his breath.

  I look past him and find his mom in the car in front of my house. “Come in. Will you be staying long?” I ask.

  He wheels himself inside. “I want to. But not if Rosie’s mad.”

  I pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry. She’s not mad.” That’s not necessarily a lie. Rosie’s not mad, she’s depressed. “I’m sure she can’t wait to play that zombie game with someone who can actually beat her.”

  Jamie smiles unsurely. “Okay.” He waves to his mom, who nods and pulls away from the curb. “She wasn’t sure if she should stay or not,” he says.

  He wheels himself next to the couch, where Rosie’s gripping her controller tightly.

  “Hey, Rosie,” Jamie says.

  “Hi,” she mumbles, her gaze on the screen.

  “I’m sorry if you’re mad. I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry.”

  His eyes look so sincere. I wish I could say something, but I shouldn’t get involved. This is between Rosie and Jamie, and they need to figure this out. Rosie is young, but she’s been through a lot in her life and she will continue to go through a lot. She needs to learn how to deal with unpleasant situations and how to be happy for someone else when that person will have what she desperately wants.

  But all my thoughts fly out the door when I see the tears well up in her eyes. I stand. “Can you excuse us for a minute, Jamie?”

  He looks baffled. “Okay.”

  I gather Rosie in my arms and carry her into her room, sitting down on her bed. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

  She digs her face into my shoulder.

  “I know it’s hard.” I tighten my arms around her. “But Jamie’s your friend. He came all the way here to apologize because he knows you’re upset.”

  “I don’t want to talk to him,” she mutters.

  “Don’t be like that. He needs you to support him and be there for him.”

  “Why? As soon as he can walk, he won’t be my friend anymore.”

  “Do you really think that’s true? Deep down, do you think he’ll ditch you?”

  She nods vehemently, but a few seconds later, she slowly shakes her head.

  “I know it’s hard. The future is such an unknown. But you have to believe in the goodness of people. Jamie’s one of the nicest guys I know. If he does ditch you, he doesn’t deserve to have you as a friend.”

  She raises her head. “Really?”

  “Of course. You’re one cool girl. And remember what we talked about before? How you’re one of the coolest girls in the world if Cruiser likes hanging out with you?”

  She slaps my arm, a hint of a smile on her lips. “I can say the same about you.”

  I slap her back. “Let’s go back to the living room and have fun with Jamie. Remember, he needs to help you get through the laboratory so you can find a cure for the zombie curse.”

  “I can do that myself, but okay.” She shrugs. “Jamie’s not even close to getting to this level, so it’ll be nice to show off.”

  I laugh and get up, lifting her in my arms and returning to the living room.

  Chapter Nine

  Cruiser

  It’s one AM and Rey’s not home.

  I’m lying in bed. Can’t sleep. I haven’t seen him since I punched him at school. I went straight to work without dropping by at the house. I don’t know where he is. Who he’s with.

  What that hell has gotten into him?

  I text him for the millionth time. No answer. I know I’m acting like a parent, being all in my brother’s face and telling him what to do. But the thing is that I’ve been in his shoes. Acting out gets you nowhere. I wish I had someone a year ago to snap me out of it. I wouldn’t have gone down that path. Yeah, I learned a lot about myself, but it wasn’t easy. Gramps and Gran were great. I guess in a way, they saved me.

  Noises outside. Sounds like an engine. I get up from bed and trek to the window. A pickup truck is out there. A few guys sit in the back, holding beer. They’re loud. I bet people across town can hear them. The passenger door opens and Rey stumbles out. I do a double take as I press my face closer to the window. Is that…a Mohawk? Rey doesn’t have a lot of hair. So I guess it’s some sort of Mohawk.

  What the hell is wrong with him?

  They’re laughing out there. Totally wasted. Shit.

  I down the steps two at a time and fling the door open.

  “There he is!” Rey says. Then laughs like a hyena.

  “Rey, get in here.”

  He laughs even louder. “You hear that, guys? Dad Junior just told me to get inside.”

  “Totally lame, man,” one of the guys says. Points his beer can at me. “You used to be legend, Cruiser.”

  I march to Rey and grab his arm. “Into the house. Now.”

  He staggers. Crashes into me. Holding up his index finger, he says, “Handle with care. This is fragile.” He points to his head.

  The guys howl and snicker.

  I tighten my hold on him and tow him into the house. He’s so drunk he can barely walk straight. “Keep quiet,” I tell him, shutting the door. Geez, if Mom and Dad see him like this…hell, I got no clue what they’d do. I’m not the one to blame this time, so they won’t be shipping me off anywhere. ‘Least, I hope not.

  I slam my hand over his mouth when he starts to laugh hysterically. I pull him to the bathroom on the first floor. Sit him down on the toilet. I grab a towel and wrap it around his neck. “What the hell did you do to your hair?”

  He moves his head from right to left. “Like?”

  “No.”

  I grab the hair clipper.

  “What the f-uck?”

>   “I’m shaving off all your hair.”

  “Shaving it?” He springs up, loses his balance, and sways.

  I reach out and sit him back on the toilet. “Yes, I’m shaving it all off. Do you have any idea what Mom and Dad will do when they see you?” My eyes catch sight of his upper arm. Of some weird design. “Damn, is that a tattoo?”

  “Relax, Dad. It’s a fake. Guess I’m too chicken shit for the real thing.”

  I adjust the towel around his neck and start the clipper. “I’m not Dad, Rey. It’s not my job to discipline you.” Damn, he’s worse than me when I had my phase.

  “Nate will be, like, so pissed when he sees you shaved off all my hair.”

  “I don’t give a crap about Nate. I give a crap about you. Hell, I give two craps about you.”

  “Thanks, I feel so special.”

  I hit the back of his head.

  “Geez!”

  “Will you snap out of it? What’s going on? Why are you acting like such a dick?”

  He stares straight ahead. Says nothing.

  I start shaving off his hair, or what’s left of it. We’re quiet for a few minutes, until Rey says, “I’m a fuckup.”

  I stare at him. “What are you talking about?”

  He burps. “Nah, not drunk enough to spill my guts.”

  “You’re sure as hell drunk enough. And since when do you feel like you need to hide shit from me? We’re tighter than that.”

  He snorts. “You got your girl. Don’t need me.”

  “Don’t bring Lex into this. She has nothing to do with me and you.”

  He snorts again.

  “You got a problem with my being with her, Rey? ‘Cuz if you do—”

  “Not everything’s about you, dickhead.”

  I finish shaving off his last bit of hair. “Yeah, it’s not. So why don’t you tell me what the hell has crawled up your ass and laid eggs?”

  He points to the hair all over the floor. “Better clean that before Mom shits a brick. Wouldn’t want to disappoint her.”

  I shake my head. “Damn, sometimes I wish we were Siamese twins and shared a brain.” I place the hair clipper on the sink. “Don’t move.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I grab the broom and dustpan from the closet. When I return to the bathroom, Rey’s sweeping up the little hair pieces and throwing them in the air like confetti. I take him by his shirttail and gently push him aside. “Why are you a fuckup, Rey?” I start sweeping.

  No answer.

  “Rey.”

  “I’m gonna head to bed.”

  I hold out my arm. Block his path. “You’re not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”

  He jerks my arm away. “Don’t pretend like you get it. Or that you care.”

  “You know I care.”

  He takes a step out the door, his back facing me. “Then don’t.” He stomps up to his room.

  I stop myself before I slam my fist into the wall. I lean on the sink, breathing in and out. He’s in trouble. I’m helpless to do anything.

  I get back to my room. My phone beeps. I swipe it off my night table. A text from Lex. You okay?

  Ur up?

  I saw Rey outside. Wanna talk?

  I dial her. She picks up on the first ring. “Everything okay, Cruise?”

  “I think my brother’s been abducted by aliens. I don’t know who the hell that guy is.”

  “Oh, Cruiser. I wish I could come over and hold you.”

  “Thanks, darlin’. I wish I could hold you, too. I don’t get what’s going on with him. But I don’t want to bombard you with this.”

  “I want to help you in any way I can.”

  I get up and stand by the window. Lex is by hers. She waves. I say, “It’s been a while since I’ve talked to someone about my problems.” She and I were tight when we were kids and we talked about everything. But that feels like ages ago. “I’m scared of losing him.”

  “I know what you mean. I feel that way all the time with Rosie. I’ve tried to reconnect with her and have a better relationship than we had before the accident. We’re slowly getting there. The best you can do is be there for Rey. I know it’s hard to see him down a road you don’t want him to be on, but yelling at him won’t help. Imagine if the roles were reversed. Would you listen to Rey?”

  I swallow. “No.”

  “He’s obviously going through something. Who knows what happened to him in L.A.? But something is bothering him. Until you figure out what it is, you need to be there for him. Do things with him like you did before he left. You know?”

  I soak in her words. Having someone to talk to about this feels good. Real good. I don’t feel like I need to face the world alone anymore.

  “I know I say it all the time, but I really love you, T. Rex.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter Ten

  Lex

  I brush Cruiser’s hair away from his forehead and run my hand down his shirt. “You are one handsome young man.”

  We’re in my room, getting ready for our double date with Dani and Simon.

  Cruiser snorts. “Didn’t think I’d fit into Rey’s dress shirt.”

  At the mention of Rey, Cruiser’s face falls. I step on my tippy toes and peck his lips. “Tonight is a night where we’ll forget about all the crap going on in our lives.”

  He puts an arm around my waist and pulls me close. “How about we ditch this lame dinner and make out?”

  “As tempting as that is, we promised Dani. Besides, I’d like to get to know Simon a little better. Don’t you?”

  He shrugs. “Don’t really do the ‘friend’ thing.”

  When he was a kid, Cruiser found it hard to make friends. He was always compared to Rey, so it wasn’t easy for him to shine on his own. Even at a young age, I understood that about him. That’s probably the reason I gravitated to him more. I sensed how lonely he was.

  “Hey.” He puts his hands on my cheeks, lifting my face to meet his eyes. “Are you okay? You seem sad. Worried?”

  I place my hand over his. “You noticed.”

  “I notice everything about you, T. Rex.”

  “It’s Rosie.”

  Concern floats in his eyes. “She okay?”

  I take his hand and lead him to my bed, where we sit. “She’s going through a rough time. Jamie’s parents signed him up for a new procedure to try to get him to walk again.”

  “I thought paralysis can’t be cured.”

  “My dad told me the same thing last night. But apparently with this new trial, there’s a slight chance he can gain at least some movement, maybe even walk. My dad’s really upset because he says it won’t work and it’s giving all of us false hope. Rosie can’t stop talking about it. She thinks she’ll be able to walk again.”

  Cruiser shakes his head. “Poor kid.”

  I rest my head on his chest. The fabric of his stiff shirt rubs against my cheek. “I’m so glad I can talk to you about this. I don’t really have anyone else. Dani tries to be there for me, but it’s not the same as you. You love Rosie.”

  “I do.”

  I glance up at him. “I told myself that the way I’ll know if a guy is the right guy for me is when he accepts Rosie. You more than accept her. You make her feel so good about herself. You’re like the older brother she never had.” I reach up to kiss him. “Thanks for that.”

  “She’s a special kid.”

  I nod.

  He locks his fingers through mine and brings the back of my hand to his lips, softly kissing it. We sit like this for a few minutes, until Dani sends me a text with the address to the restaurant and a reminder to meet her and Simon there in an hour. I stand. “Time for me to get dressed.”

  He caresses my cheek before walking out. I face my closet. The restaurant isn’t terribly fancy, but it’s fancy enough to wear a pretty dress. I don’t own a lot of dresses, mostly tops and skirts and jeans.

  I choose a floral one, pin my hair up, and put on makeup. I usually don
’t wear a lot, just blush and lip gloss, but tonight I’m putting on a little extra.

  I open the door. Cruiser’s leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. His eyes travel up my body, from my shoes, up my dress, and to my face. He takes me by the waist and gently backs me up against the wall.

  He leans forward and whispers in my ear, “You look beautiful.”

  My breath catches in my throat and my knees grow weak. I wrap my arms around his neck because I know my legs won’t support me if he continues to look at me like I’m the sexiest girl to have walked on this planet.

  When his lips brush against mine, I mumble, “My makeup.”

  “Fuck your makeup.” His lips sweep across my skin and his fingers tangle through my hair. Every single part of me is on fire. I want him to pull me into my room and throw me onto the bed. Smash his lips against mine and stop the ache in my stomach. Screw the double date with Dani and Simon.

  “I’m going to text Dani that we can’t make it.”

  He presses his lips on mine before saying, “We have to go.”

  “Why?”

  “Because your parents are downstairs.”

  That knocks me out of it. My arms fall away from Cruiser and I step back. My heart thumps in my chest. My parents could have caught us. I don’t know what they’d do, but I’m pretty sure Cruiser would be banned.

  I touch my hair. “Is it messed up?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Great.” I rush into my room and study myself in the mirror. My hair’s flying in different directions. I grab a brush and try to make it as neat as possible.

  Cruiser leans in the doorway in a lazy way that makes him look so hot. Our gazes meet in the mirror. “You know,” he says. “I always find it sexy when a guy watches a girl get ready. It’s…”

  “Intimate?” I ask.

  He steps into the room. “Yeah.” He moves closer to me and picks up the heart pendant hanging off my neck. “I love seeing you wear it.”

  “I love wearing it.”

  My phone beeps. I scan the screen. “Dani’s asking if we’re on our way. We should get going.”

  He links his arm through mine. “After you, my love.”

  Mom, Dad, and Rosie are watching a movie on the couch when we come downstairs. Rosie has a scowl on her face. With Jamie’s procedure becoming more and more of a reality, her mood has turned south.