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Axell

Guns n’ Roses was blaring through the speakers.

The smell of oil and metal filled the air.

A light breeze from the opened garage doors makes its way underneath the car where I’m currently at.

The shop closed an hour ago but I’m still here working on this car.

It’s not race night, so I have nowhere to be but at home and I avoid that now days.

Not because I have a bad home life like some of my friends.

Actually, it’s the opposite. I grew up in a great home with parents that showed us what true love looked like.

Sure, we could have had more money, but I couldn’t complain either.

The problem was that my perfect home life was crumbling.

My mom had been diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, and at first, we were all hopeful, even the doctors, but as time passed so did that feeling of being hopeful.

Each day she slipped from us a little more and so did my dad.

My mom and dad had been high school sweethearts and I get that the idea of life without her was impossible for him.

I didn’t say much because what could I say?

I didn’t understand that kind of love. I had never even been in love.

Sure, I had a girl I took to school functions and that I hooked up with after the races, Jemma, but that’s all it was.

We both understood and agreed so it worked.

So, I couldn’t tell my dad I understood how he felt because I didn’t.

I knew what it felt like to be losing my mom, but I didn’t understand losing your other half.

The biggest problem was that by losing mom we were losing our dad too.

Everything he did was for her but otherwise he had checked out.

I guess it was his way of dealing with it.

With both of our parents going, that left me to raise my brothers.

Bowie and Jagger were old enough that they didn’t need me, but Ace and Jovi still had a ways to go.

I had to stand tall and be strong for them.

I was going to have to step up as the father figure since I was the oldest even though I wasn’t ready.

I heard laughter coming my way, so I roll out from under the car. I see my younger brother Bowie and our friend Roscoe. It’s not race night so I’m not sure what they’re doing here. Bowie looks at me and rolls his eyes. “You aren’t going like that are you?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask as I wipe my hands clean of grease.

Bowie laughs. “The bonfire party.”

Joke’s on them the bonfire was next weekend.

“It’s tonight,” Roscoe adds.

Damn, he’s right. I forgot tonight was the party. I shrug. “You guys go on ahead. I’ll skip it.”

“The hell you will!” Bowie says, as he grabs my shoulder and shoves me toward the bathroom. “You need a break so you’re coming. Besides, Harlyn’s cousin just moved back and I bet she’s hot. Probably a good distraction.”

I roll my eyes as I rinse off and change. “For you or for me?”

Bowie huffs. “Not for me dumbass. Remember I have a girlfriend named Hollis.”

Bowie having a girlfriend is very new to me.

He’s always been the ladies’ man, so I keep waiting for him to return to his old ways but surprisingly enough he’s been all about Hollis since he met her.

“I don’t need a distraction. I have Jemma for that crap and it’s a drama free zone.

If you add someone new, then you have to worry how to handle all of it and I don’t need that. ”

After I was cleaned up Bowie and Roscoe headed off to pick up Hollis and I headed for the beach.

By the time we pulled in I was surprised to see the party in full swing already.

I spot Jagger and Harlyn easily enough and make my way over to them.

I grab a beer and try to relax. I hear squeals and screams coming from the ocean’s direction.

As I turn to see what is going on, I see a guy from school with a girl I’ve never seen.

He picks her up and throws her over his shoulder as he runs for the water.

She screams the whole way until he drops her in the water.

As she stands up, she turns around and kicks her leg out, sending water flying toward the guy. I watch as they splash, wrestle, and laugh with each other. She’s so carefree and it draws me in. “Who is she?”

“My cousin Sadie Rogers,” I hear Harlyn say, but I didn’t realize I had asked that question out loud.

She jogs out of the water and I watch as the moonlight dances off her wet, fair skin.

She has on denim cutoffs and a navy-blue v-neck t-shirt.

She approaches the group and I find myself holding my breath.

Her cheeks are rosy from being a little out of breath.

Her baby blue eyes are such a contrast to the almost black hair on her head.

Once she joins us, Harlyn introduces us and when Sadie smiles at me it’s like everything else fades away.

All the crap at home is gone. That smile could light up a pitch-black room.

Maybe, that’s what was wrong with my heart, it was pitch black then Sadie smiled, and everything changed.

I didn’t need a distraction but maybe I did need Sadie.