Page 29 of Lucci

“I’m coming back in!” I shouted, so she wouldn’t jerk the car in a crazy motion while I was moving. The dare devil move had lasted all of two minutes, and I was done. Sas slowed the car down, and I almost snapped my spine getting back inside the car.

“That was fun, wasn’t it?” she looked at me with a huge grin on her face.

“If staring death in the face is fun, then I had a blast,” I stated dramatically.

Crescent Falls had been an entire vibe so far.

I still had moments of thinking about Lucci and growing kind of sad but for the most part, I pushed him to the back of my mind and had fun.

Sas parked her car, and we got out of it, so we could watch one of the street races that was about to take place.

There were mostly cars out, but a few guys and even some females on motorcycles were present.

“You was whipping that car, Love, but I could show you a few tricks.” A fine ass, light-brown skinned guy standing around six feet even called out to Sas. He was standing with a man that was equally as fine as him. There were enough similarities that I gathered they had to be brothers.

Sas stopped walking to respond to him, and I felt his friend’s gaze penetrating me. “You got a joint too?” he asked making me look in his direction.

His eyes were the color of honey, and his skin tone almost resembled a shiny, new penny. Damn he was fine. His hair was in two thick French braids and his accent gave me Louisiana vibes. If he called me behbee (baby) I just might lose my shit.

“Yes. I’m the president of the car club. I drive the blue one.”

His eyes searched the parking lot until they landed on my car. Mr. Handsome nodded in approval. “Nice. Y’all not from here, right?”

“No. We’re from Diamond Cove.”

“Welcome to Crescent Falls. I’m Gutta.”

“Gutta?” my brows hiked. “Interesting.”

He smiled showing off gold grills on his bottom teeth. “Interesting as hell, but I can show you better than I can tell you. How long you in town for?”

“Until Sunday afternoon. We have to be out of the Airbnb by eleven. We’ll probably do brunch and head back home.”

“Take my number. Maybe you can hit me up tonight or tomorrow, and we can all kick it.”

I pulled my phone out to put his number in, but I knew I wasn’t going to call him.

He was fine and all, but I didn’t make the first move when it came to men.

Technically, him giving me his number could have been perceived as him making the first move, but I wasn’t going to call him first. Sas was exchanging numbers with his brother, so if we all ended up around one another it wouldn’t be from me making a move.

“Girl they were too fine!” Sas exclaimed as we walked off. “Crescent Falls will be seeing more of me for sure.”

I smiled but didn’t say anything. Damson Idris could have asked for my number, and I still would have been somewhat sad.

It was crazy as hell when the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

I walked over to my car and sat in the driver’s seat.

Reaching over on the floor of the passenger side, I grabbed my bottle of 1942.

There was a Stanley cup in my cupholder that had ice in it.

I poured in a nice amount of tequila and a splash of sugar free Red Bull.

I couldn’t babysit grown people, but all of my car club members knew how I felt about drinking and racing.

They were not to do it and let me find out about it.

I wasn’t racing, and I was going to sip slowly, so I wouldn’t get fucked up.

I just wanted something to take the edge off, but I damn sure wasn’t trying to get a DUI.

Not only did I not want to lose my license for thirty days but as a real estate broker, I had an image to uphold.

I sipped my drink and watched everyone laugh, joke, and have fun.

Being around my girls and the cars soothed my soul and made me feel a little better.

Of course, the tequila helped as well. I became lost in people watching and sipping.

My phone rang, causing my gaze to shift downward to my lap.

My father was calling, and I assumed he wanted to see if I had made it safely because I forgot to text him when I arrived.

“Hey, daddy.”

So many people talked about deadbeat fathers and while it wasn’t okay for either parent to be absent, deadbeat mothers didn’t get talked about nearly enough.

My father was an amazing man, but the fact that he stepped in and raised me while my mother lived her life, and he never once complained, I loved that man with everything in me.

“Hey, baby. Did you make it to Crescent Falls?”

“Yeah. I’ve been here for about three hours. I’m sorry I didn’t text you when I got here.”

“It’s okay. Are you driving at the moment?”

His question made my mouth go dry. Something was wrong. “No, I’m not driving. I’m sitting in my car.”

I waited with a racing heart for him to tell me what was up.

“Your um, your mother was rushed to the ER complaining about pain in her arm and head. Turns out she had a blood clot. It traveled to her brain. She didn’t make it.”

Suddenly, the car engines and noise all around me sounded far away. It felt as if I was fading out. My mother was dead? There was silence for a few seconds before my father spoke.

“Are you okay, Breezy?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for telling me.”

“I’m here if you need me.”

“I know. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Ending the call, I sucked down the rest of the alcohol in my cup and stared into space. She was dead. My mother was dead, and I’d never know why she didn’t like me. I didn’t care to ask her while she was alive but knowing that she was dead…that shit hit different.

“Hey. You good boo?” Lauren came over with a look of concern etched on her face.

I continued to stare straight ahead. “My father just called me. My mother died.”

“Oh my God, Breezy. I’m so sorry. Do you need me to drive you back to Diamond Cove?”

I reached for the bottle of alcohol on my passenger seat. “Nope. I’m good. I’m about to keep drinking and watch these races. I hope they fry some fish tonight. My ass is getting hungry.”