Pieces (Riverdale #1) (5 page)

     
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just tired.” He
gave her a crooked smile. “So what do you say we go see if those scavengers
left us any cheesecake?”

     
“I spotted some tiramisu in the fridge
too.” She wiggled her eyebrows, knowing that that was his favorite.

     
He grinned and wrapped his arms around her
shoulders, escorting her out of the bedroom. “They better have left me some of
that.”

     
And just like that, he made it okay for
her, typical Jake.

     
The following day, Luke and Nick had
jumped right on into things, at Lanza Automotive. Almost as if the last six
years had never happened, and they had stuck to their original plan to be
business partners. They were crouched over the engine of pick-up truck when
Jake pulled into the parking lot, on his Harley. In between racking his brain
over his and Cara’s escapade in his bedroom, he had been thinking about the
conversation over dinner, and how they were going to restore classic cars. He
wanted to run his idea about restoring bikes to Nick and Luke. He really
believed in the love of a beautiful piece of machinery, and knew there was a
good market out there for it. Living upstate New York, the three of them would
go off-roading with their dirt bikes, especially when it snowed.

     
Nick and Luke walked out of the garage to
meet him. Nick was eyeing his bike, obviously in love. “When did he get that?”
Nick asked, leaning into Luke.

     
Luke shrugged. “About a year ago, thinks
he’s a hard ass with a Harley, now.”
 
Both men laughed as Jake took off his helmet.

     
“I heard that, shithead.” Jake replied. He
got off the motorcycle and placed his helmet on his seat. He ran his fingers
through his tousled hair. He settled his gaze on Nick. “She’s a beauty no?”

     
Nick nodded, appreciating the Harley. “She
sure, is.”

     
Jake grinned, “If you’re a good boy, maybe
I’ll let you take her for a ride.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I may even be able
to coax my sister to take a ride with you.”

     
Nick rolled his eyes. “Funny. So not only
are you a hard ass on a Harley, but you’re a comedian too.”

     
“What?” Jake said innocently. “Like that
wouldn’t make your year. It’s quite amusing.”

     
“You’re the only one who thinks so.” Luke
told his brother, shoving his hands in his pockets. Nick looked beside him at
Luke, who was scowling. He raised an eyebrow sensing his disdain at the
possibility of him getting involved with their sister.

     
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Nick
asked, testing the waters. Jake eyed the two men, trying to read where this was
headed, and thought it might be best if he kept his mouth shut. It was one
thing to joke around about it, but it seemed like Nick had actually grown a
set, and was going to confront the green eyed monster.

     
Luke looked at Jake for a moment, but Jake
gave him nothing. Truth was, Jake would be fine with Nick and Sam as a couple,
and he knew it was only a matter of time. However, Luke may feel different, and
he was entitled, no one knew Nick and how he went through women better than
Luke. They were best friends, they knew all one another’s secrets, still; Jake
believed Nick would be different with their sister. He watched Luke like a
hawk, his wheels were turning and when he turned to Nick and measured him up,
Jake knew this conversation that was about to take place, was long overdue. And
so, he settled up for the match between friends and jumped on the bed of the
pick-up truck and made himself comfortable.

     
“All it means is I’m not as amused as my
brother, about this little cat and mouse game you and, my sister are playing.”

     
“Fair enough,” Nick said thoughtfully and
glanced down at his work boots. “I think we need to talk,’ and looked between
both brothers. Jake raised his eyebrows, he had his attention.

     
Luke sat down on a crate, relaxed. He
spread his arms out, as if to motion, Nick had the floor.

“I’m
all ears. Go ahead.” Luke said.

     
“You’re really going to make me say it?”
Nick asked his eyes pierced Luke.

     
“I think it’s overdue.” Luke said calmly.

     
Jake looked dumbfounded as he looked back
and forth between Nick and Luke. “This is like a fucking ping pong tournament.”
Wishing Nick would just spit it out, Luke could have his say and Jake could
give his blessing, and then tell them the reason he was here.

     
“Okay.” Nick nodded, accepting his fate.
He stared at Luke. “I have feelings for your sister.” He paused. “It’s nothing
new, I don’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t.”

     
Jake turned his attention from Nick, and
looked at his brother incredulously. “You’ve been waiting for him to admit
that? Are you blind?” He hopped off the flat bed of the truck. He lit up a
cigarette, for a smart man, his brother was clueless.

     
Luke tore his eyes from Nick to look at
Jake. “Shut up, Jake.” Luke said and turned back to Nick. “Jake is right
though.”

     
Jake threw his hands up, and sighed. He
was better off, shutting his mouth, he decided because his brother probably
wouldn’t like what was about to come out of it.

     
 
Ignoring him, Luke continued. “We’ve all known
that there was something between you and Sam. Even before the two of you did.”

     
“Then why make me say it?” Nick asked.

     
“Because it’s real once
you
say it.” Luke said confidently.

     
Nick let out a breath; he hadn’t even
realized he was holding. He swiped a hand down his face. Jake felt bad for him,
and at the same time he admired him he didn’t have the courage to admit what he
was feeling for Cara, so as far as he was concerned it took a real man to speak
up, especially to Luke.

     
 
Nick nodded and looked back at Luke. “I have a
question for you.” Nick said.

     
“Shoot.” Luke made himself more
comfortable.

     
“If you knew this whole time, why wait
until now to bring it up?” He leaned against a wall. “I’ve been struggling with
this shit for years, man. Part of the reason I never acted on what I was
feeling was because of you.” He glanced at Jake. “No offense.”

     
Jake held up a hand. “None taken,” he
said.

     
Luke stood up and walked over to Nick
standing in front of him. “Bullshit.” He stared him down. “Don’t blame the fact
that you were a coward on me.” He pointed to him. “You didn’t go after what you
wanted, because you were scared.” He put his hand up to stop Nick from
interrupting him. “And before you say, scared of me, and what I would say, I
call bullshit again. You ran the fuck out of town when you realized Sam was
more than just
my
little sister.”

     
Angrily Nick straightened his shoulders,
rising to his full height, “Yeah, because of the respect I have for you and
your family. I wasn’t ready to accept what I was feeling for her. I knew one
way or another I was going to have to make a move, or that witch of a mother of
mine would ship me out of here. Where would that leave Sam?” He pushed past
Luke and stared out across the lot of cars. “I didn’t know if I was coming or
going, but there was your sister, looking, like my saving grace.” He turned
back and looked at Luke. “Should I have ruined her life too? At the time, I
felt like I had to go. Do you understand that? Would you rather I had been
selfish and had taken her away from you guys? Because she would of came. You
know she would’ve.”

They
were silent for a moment. Nick walked over to the little fridge and grabbed a
beer.

     
“Yeah, she would’ve. What happened when
she came to see you?” Luke asked.

     
Nick turned abruptly. “Came to see me?
What are you talking about?”
                       

     
Jake flicked his cigarette into the lot,
and turned around just as abrupt as Nick. Finding out that Sam had gone to
Seattle to visit Nick was news to him. How did his brother know and not him?
“Yeah, what the hell are you talking about, bro? When did Sam go to Seattle?”
Jake asked.

     
Luke looked directly at Nick, which
infuriated Jake. She was his sister too, and he wanted answers. “We’re going to
play this game?”

     
“I don’t give a shit about the game you
two are playing right now, Talk Luke. When did Sam go to Seattle?” Jake spat, his
patience was just about done with these two clowns.

     
Luke studied Nick’s face, not paying much
mind to Jake, who was two seconds from throttling him, brother or no brother.
Realizing Nick was being sincere and that Jake was probably going to snap, he fessed
up. “When she graduated, mom and dad sent her to California. They thought she
was visiting Uncle Johnny. We all did.” He nodded toward Jake, and then looked
back at Nick. “But I was the only one home, when Uncle Johnny called and said
she never got there. I called the airlines and found she traded in her ticket,
for a one way to Seattle.”

     
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell anybody?”
Asked Jake, he could feel his blood pressure rising, as his head began to
throb.
 
“What if something had happened
to her? We thought she was in a completely different state!”

     
“Because, I knew she’d be with him!” Luke
yelled back at his brother. “He wouldn’t have let anything happen to her.
Besides, I thought, maybe they’d finally stop dancing around each other and why
should any of us stand in the way of that.”

     
Nick sat down, taking in Luke’s words.
Jake lit another cigarette, wishing he had a shot of whiskey instead. “She
never came to me.” He looked up at Luke.

     
“She called me the next day after she
landed. Asked me to put money in her checking account, claiming she spent all
her cash on Rodeo Drive.” He shrugged his shoulders. “She needed the cash to
buy her return ticket. Guess she chickened out.”

     
Jake shook his head, exhaling a cloud of
smoke. “Nah, she don’t, chicken out for shit. She’s got more balls than all of
us put together.”

     
“He’s right.” Nick said dully. “Why didn’t
you call me and tell me she was in Seattle, after she called you?”

     
“Nick, I didn’t know what you were doing
with her. But like you didn’t want to lose us, I didn’t want to lose you
either. I stood out of it.” He put his hand on his shoulder. “Look at me.”

Nick
lifted his head and looked at his friend. “You can’t change the past, you can
only make good on the present. I’m only going to ask you once, and then I’m
going to give you my blessing, and pray for the fucking best.” He paused. “You
seriously want to give it a go with Sam?”

     
Without skipping a beat, Nick replied,
“Yes.”

     
Jake rolled his eye; his brother was
torturing the poor bastard, but he didn’t say a word.

     
“Then figure shit out and go for it.”

     
Nick nodded, swallowing. “Thank you.”

     
“I love you, Man. Be good to her, though.”
Luke said sincerely.

     
“Ahem.” Jake cleared his throat. “Can I
make a request?” Both men turned to him. “No locker room talk about, our
sister?”

Nick
laughed slightly. Jake looked at him seriously. Hell, he would give his
blessing, lord knew he was going to need it, if he was going to reel their
firecracker of a sister, in, but he wasn’t kidding about hearing the details.

     
“Deal,” Nick said and grabbed Luke and
pulled him into a hug. “I’ll be good to her.”

     
“I know you will.” Luke said, sure of it.

     
Jake blew out a breath and broke the two
of them up and shoved Nick a little, kidding around. “Now you just have to get
her to look at you without staring daggers at you. Good Luck brother, you’re
going to need it.”

     
Luke laughed at him, “Well, I’m sure
you’ll be there adding your two sense in the whole way.”

     
Jake shrugged. “Naturally.” He grounded
out his cigarette with the heel of his shoe and threw his hands up exasperated.
“Now that that’s cleared up, can we go grab a shot or two or three,” To hell
with the reason for him coming here, he’ll discuss it another time, right now
all he wanted to do was pull up a stool with his favorite girl and thank god
their friendship was the way it was.

     
“Sounds good to me, I wanted to talk to
Rudy about renting that apartment Cara was talking about.” Nick said.

     
“I’m out, have to pick up Ava.” Luke said.
“You two have fun and try not to get into any trouble.

     
“I can’t make any promises.” Jake said and
straddled his bike. “I’ll meet you over there, Foti.” He revved his engine, and
without giving his brother or Nick a chance to say another word, fearing his
headache would return, he peeled out of the parking lot.

     
Cara was muddling through her shift at
Rudy’s, she couldn’t wait to get out of there, just so she could go to bed. She
hadn’t slept at all the night before and it was finally catching up to her. To
her dismay, she still had another six hours left of her shift. All the espresso
in the world wasn’t going to help her. Even exhausted, she still couldn’t stop
thinking about the kiss, she shared with Jake the night before, or how her body
had responded to him. She scolded herself, because she was supposed to drop it,
and let things go back to normal, but she didn’t trust herself to do just that.
How was she supposed to drop it, when it’s all she thought about? If she dared
to close her eyes, it would be as if she was right back in his bed.

     
It was times like this she wished she had
girlfriends. It killed her when Sam walked into the bar, because when she sat
down, the first thing Cara wanted to do was tell her what had happened. Sure,
she considered Sam to be her friend, but she couldn’t just blurt out that she
crawled into bed with her brother and they had kissed each other senseless.
Especially, not after she told her she didn’t see Jake in that way, just last
week. Cara sighed and walked over to where Sam was sitting, she couldn’t avoid
her. She would just have to keep her big rambling mouth shut, fat chance of
that happening.

     
“Hey Sam,” Cara said, trying her best to
be her cheerful self.

     
Sam raised one perfect eyebrow at her as
she shrugged her jacket off. “Nice to see you too.” She laughed when Cara
frowned, apparently her façade wasn’t working.

     
“Sorry. It’s been a shitty day. I didn’t
sleep last night and I keep staring at the damn clock. I have another six hours
before I get off and I feel like I’m going to fall on my face.” She wasn’t
rambling too much.

     
Sam grinned. “Hot date? You little vixen!
What did you do when you left last night, ‘Miss I’m beat guys, thanks for
dinner.”

     
Cara’s eyes widened. “No I really was
tired! I just went home and I couldn’t sleep. Please, I wish it was because of
a hot date and mind blowing sex, instead I took an ice cold shower.” She
covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God, I did not just say that.”

     
Sam laughed. “Oh yes you did! Girlfriend
needs some action!”

     
Cara shook her head and was sure her face
was as red as a tomato. She busied her hands and took two shot glasses from
beneath the bar. She poured one shot of whiskey for Sam, and one for herself.
She rarely drank while she worked, but right now it seemed necessary. She
pushed Sam’s in front of her, but before she could even lift the glass, Cara
threw hers back.

     
Eyes wide, Sam did her shot and placed the
empty glass back on the bar. She shook her head as the liquid fire burned her
throat. She shook it off and turned to Cara. “Ok, so the way I see it, is you
need to get under a hot guy, or on top, however you prefer.”

     
Cara moaned for she could not believe she
was having this conversation. What made it worse; was as Sam spoke the words,
there was only one body she picture above hers, and it was Jake’s. She could
see his sly grin spread across his face as she begged for more.

     
“Hello? Earth to Cara,” Sam said as she
waved her hand in her face. “I can’t help you, if you’re a million miles away.”

     
Cara shook her head, hoping that she shook
her thoughts away. “I’m sorry. What did you say?” Then she remembered what Sam
had been saying provoked her little vision of hot sweaty sexy Jake. “Wait, on
second thought, don’t repeat that. Is it hot in here?”

     
Sam giggled, and Cara looked at her
sharply. Aware of her stare, she watched her friend try to muffle her chuckle.
“Cara you work in a bar for God’s sake. This place is crawling with hot guys.
Just make nice with one, and have a little fun.” Sam leaned back against her
bar stool, looking back at her smugly, like she had just invented the cure for
cancer or something.

     
It was obviously going to be a long night,
so she poured herself another shot. Sam slid her glass towards her, signaling
she, too, wanted a refill.

     
“Here you go.” She slid the glass towards
her. “And for the record, I can’t just pick up one of my customers and take
them home with me.”

     
“Sure you can!” Sam said enthusiastically.

     
“How do you suppose I do that? Next time
someone asks for a beer, should I tell them I come with it?” She groaned and
downed the shot. This was not getting better.

 
    
Sam
leaned over the bar, splaying her palms flat across the carved wood of the bar.
“I’ll help you! The next pair of guys that sit at this bar; will be putty in
our hands.” She winked at Cara.

     
“I hope they are gay.” Cara mumbled and
nodded at the group of guys at the end of the bar that were holding up their
empty beer mugs. “Be right back.” She said as she sauntered over to her
regulars.

     
After Cara had poured their refills she
involuntarily made her way back to Sam. Who was applying a fresh coat of lip
gloss. She looked up from her little compact mirror and puckered her lips
before handing the tube to Cara.

     
“I’m not putting lip gloss on for the gay
couple that is going to make their way through those doors, and offer myself up
to them on a silver platter. My luck they’ll ask me to be their surrogate or
something.” Cara crossed her arms underneath her breasts, defiantly.

     
“Come on Cara, have an open mind. You are
not leaving here alone tonight, I guarantee it!” And then her eyes widened.
“Unless of course you’re shutting me down because you’re, already hung up on
somebody!”

     
“What? No!” Cara stuttered and grabbed the
tube of lip gloss out of her hands. She turned her back towards Sam and looked
at the mirror behind the bottles that lined the shelves. She started to apply
the gloss. She’d play by Sam’s rules as long as she didn’t have to admit to her
that was in fact hung up on someone, someone that she had no business being
hung up on.

     
She smacked her lips, and even gave her
hair a little fluffing. “Ok, fine, I’m game. If you really think this is going
to get me lucky—“She turned around and Sam had her head in her hands. Then she
realized there were two men beside her. Her cheeks reddened as Jake stared at
her.

     
“I take it back.” Sam mumbled into her
palms.

     
Nick, who was too polite to laugh in her
face, covered his mouth with his hand and pretended to cough while Jake’s gaze
bore into her, something fierce.

     
“Uh, Sam was just, well I was. You guys
aren’t gay and in need of a surrogate are you?” Cara asked hopefully, and
swallowed her embarrassment.

     
Sam sighed and turned to Nick and Jake,
“What’re you two doing here anyway?”

     
“Obviously interrupting your mission to
get ‘lucky’,” Jake said, but his eyes didn’t leave Cara.

     
Nick slid onto the bar stool next to Sam
and smiled at her. “Are you looking to get lucky, Sam?” He said his voice all
silky and husky.

     
“Not by the likes of you.” She said,
rolling her eyes. She glanced at Cara. “Cara, can I get another shot please?”

     
Cara broke her stare off with Jake and
glanced at her. Sam eyed her curiously, but mouthed ‘I’m sorry.’ Cara let out a
shaky breath as she poured the shot. Her hands were shaking, and she got more
liquor on the bar than in the glass. She quickly wiped it up with the rag that
she kept tucked into the back pocket of her midriff baring jeans.
 
She didn’t dare lift her head as she spoke.
“Can I get you guys anything?”

     
“I’ll take a beer.” Nick spoke up, as he
draped his arm around the back of Sam’s stool. “Actually, Cara, I came by to
talk to Rudy about the apartment upstairs.”

     
Sam groaned, and pried his fingers from
the back of her stool, shooing him away like he was a fly. Cara found comfort
that she was just as miserable as she; after all, this was all Sam’s fault.
Yep, that was her story and she was sticking with it.

     
She lifted down the tap, and watched the
mug fill up. Once the froth threatened to spill over she lifted the tap. “Rudy
won’t be in for another hour, mind sticking around?”

     
Sam shot her a look, that if looks could
kill, Cara would surely be six feet under with daisies sprouting over her
grave. Cara feeling the effects of her two shots took a chance and glanced at
Jake. “What about you?”

     
“What about me?” He bit back.

     
“Do you want a drink?” She asked, not
liking the attitude he was giving her. “Or did you just come to hold Nick’s
hand.”

     
Nick cleared his throat, obviously trying
to break the tension between them. “I can hang around for a bit. Jake, do a
shot with me.”

     
Jake nodded curtly and took a seat. “Hope
we’re not ruining your night.” He looked over at his sister and Cara was never
so happy to have those blue eyes off of hers. She poured their shots and
watched them disappear down their throats.

     
“Actually, you are. Cara and I were having
a private conversation before you parked your ass in the middle of it, and
brought him along for the ride.” She said, pointing towards Nick.

     
“I’m going to get a big head with all the
flattery you’re throwing my way, sweetheart.” Nick said sarcastically and
chugged his beer.

     
“Don’t call me that.” She spat.

     
Nick rolled his eyes and nudged Jake with
his elbow.
 
“Why don’t we play a game of
pool? I don’t think I can take all the love and affection your sister is
spewing.”

     
Jake gave Cara a long, lingering look,
before nodding towards Nick. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

Sam waved
goodbye as they stood and sauntered over to the pool table. Cara watched Jake
walk away from her, like she was the devils spawn.

     
“Who the hell does he think he is?”

     
“I know right! He thinks I’m still in love
with his ass and he can just play with me.” Sam said as she slapped her hand on
the bar, outraged. Cara looked at her confused, and then realized she thought
she had been referring to Nick.

     
“I was referring to your brother.” She
said as she poured herself a beer. Apparently she was getting sloshed at work.

     
Sam’s eyebrows furrowed. “Oh, well, I
guess he was being a jackass too.”

     
“You know what you’re right. I need to
have some fun and I am going to do just that.”

Cara looked
over at her fellow bartender. “Tom, I’m taking my break.” Not waiting for him
to reply, she lifted the arm of the bar and stepped out from behind it. Sam
swirled around in her bar stool.

     
“Cara? Where are you going?”

     
“See that group of guys playing darts? I’m
going to go play nice with them. Are you coming?” She said as she threw her
hair over one shoulder and started for the dartboard.

     
Sam hurried off the bar stool and followed
her. “Wait for me!”

     
Jake watched Cara walk over towards the
guys that were surrounding the dartboard. He didn’t know what the hell she was
up too, but he didn’t like it. She never mixed with the crowd here; claiming
she didn’t want any complications at work. Yet there she was grinning like a
banshee and fluttering her eyelashes at a group of men, that he knew were
regulars. He was going to kill his sister, pinning her as the culprit behind
Cara’s sudden flirting.

     
Cara was a decent dart player too, knowing
she had the upper hand, only made his blood boil more. He watched as she drew
her arm back, aiming at the board, her shirt lifted revealing her taut stomach.
If she lifted her arm any higher, the swell of her breast would be on display.
The breasts he held in his palms yesterday, and dreamed of all night. What a
joke this had become. He copped one feel and now he was so fucked.
 
She released the dart and it flew through the
air, pinning the center, which he was pretty sure she envisioned as his head.

     
Nick cleared his throat, startling Jake
out of his angered trance. “Man, you’ve been chalking that stick for five
minutes. There’s nothing left but a pile of dust on your boot.”

     
Jake tore his gaze from Cara as she high
fived Sam and glanced down at his chalk covered boot. He shook his foot,
letting the dust fly off and scowled at Nick.

     
“Is that why you’re always here?” Nick
asked. “Afraid someone is going to scoop her up?” He motioned towards Cara and
Sam. Cara was talking to one specific guy from the group now.

     
He knew he must’ve looked completely
unhinged to Nick. He barely took his eyes off of her to make his shot. “No, I’m
here, because it’s where I want to be.”

Nick
nodded, accepting the answer.

     
“She doesn’t usually get like this.” Jake
threw him a quick feeling like he had to explain his behavior.