Page 35 of Ride or Die (The Shores #1)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

GIRL FIGHT

LAYLA

I pull Simone into the garage for privacy. Colton and Franky look on curiously as I prepare to verbally assault my sister.

“Simone, I’m your sister! Tell me what the fuck happened?” I whisper-shout. She huffs, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

Franky steps into the garage. “She was with me. I asked her to do something for me and shit hit the fan. I had to protect my girl and my business. It escalated, and that's all you fucking need to know,” Franky says sternly, staring me down as he puts his arm between me and Simone.

Colton moves beside me, his hand holding the back of my arm, ready to pull me out of harm’s way. His jaw clenches and his eyes darken, challenging Franky.

“Franky, back away from her. We get it, okay? No harm here, she’s just concerned for her sister, is all.” Franky sizes up Colt's strong, intimidating form, and his intensity lightens as he steps back.

Colton shoots me a look, warning me to let up on this. The less we know the better.

But I turn my focus back onto Simone and grab her arm.

“What are you doing, Simone? How long have you been involved with Franky and all of this?”

She shrugs her arm out of my grasp. “A few weeks. He takes care of me.” She tries to hold her head high, feigning confidence, but I know my sister. I see it in her eyes. She’s hurting. Her whole demeanor has changed from a few weeks ago, which makes complete sense now that I see she's with him.

“Why Simone?”

She glares at me. “Because of you! You stole Colton from me!” she shrieks like a crazy woman, and I can't stop my eyes from rolling. Still with this shit?

“Not all of us can get scholarships to get us out of here. Not all of us can land one of the only sensible guys around! I’m stuck here for life.

I need a man that can take care of me. I’m not cut out to work twelve hours a day at minimum wage, Layla!

And now Franky is that for me. So, fuck off with your judgments! ” she snaps.

And to think my parents call me the brat? She’s fucking dating the local drug-dealing pimp to pay her way instead of working hard for herself. I see Colton roll his eyes and drop his head back in annoyance before his eyes narrow at her.

“Seriously? She didn’t steal me when you never had me.

You hoping I’d date you when I showed no interest is not her fault.

It’s yours. Expecting a man to pay your way instead of working, also your fault.

You don’t get to choose who I love, Simone, so don’t blame any of your choices on her.

I’m sick of this shit. It’s pathetic. Get over it and be happy for your sister,” Colton says through gritted teeth, the vein in his neck pulsing.

She raises her eyebrows, and her eyes widen as she scoffs. “Love? Yeah right.”

She crosses her arms again, acting like she doesn’t care, but I can see the hurt in her eyes at the revelation. Here I am, with a man who’s in love with me and who takes care of me, and she’s on the arm of the local pimp.

Franky chuckles as he wraps his arm around her, pulling her close. She leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I take care of her now. Hawthorne wouldn’t have been able to handle this little spitfire,” Franky adds proudly, kissing her cheek. I almost gag. The idea of them is sickening.

“Simone, you know I worked my ass off and sacrificed a lot for that degree. Don’t hate me because of that or for falling in love with Colton. I never stole him from you, and you know it. I don't want us to keep on this way.” She bites the inside of her cheek and looks away.

“I thought you were better than this ,” I say quietly, my eyes darting back and forth between her and Franky.

She knows exactly what the fuck I’m talking about.

I know it's not nice, but to see her sink this low all because she refuses to work harder for herself? Colton’s right, that’s just pathetic.

“You're always fucking judging me! We get it. You’re pure, you’re good, you’re smart!

You have it all! You have no idea the shit I’ve been through that was happening right under your nose!

The shit I did to protect you over the years!

And never a thank you! Not once!” she screams out, charging at me in one of her famous tantrums.

Here we go again.

She slaps at me and grabs my hair, pulling me back and forth violently as she knocks me into the card table from last night, spilling its contents on the floor. I grab her arms, hair, whatever I can, in an attempt to defend myself.

Here in The Shores, we do stereotypical girl fights right.

She manages to trip up my feet, making me lose balance. Distracted while trying to recover, she takes the opportunity to hit me in the face, knocking me to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

“Fuck!” Colton yells, pushing Simone back and crouching to check on me.

“You’re a fucking bitch! I never even liked you! I just pitied you!” she screams, glaring down at me on the floor with a bleeding nose. Franky wraps his arm around her waist to hold her back.

“I don’t even know who you are anymore, Simone!” I sob, tears falling from my eyes, mixing with the blood from my nose. Hurt crosses her face, but she keeps up her bitch facade.

“Well, you can blame yourself for that! Always reminding me how stupid I am. You have the whole world ahead of you, ready to leave us all behind, and I’m stuck here.

I do what I have to do! And all you’ve ever done is judge me for it!

You were right all along! I’m just the stupid fucking slut of The Shores! You happy?” she shouts angrily.

A pang of guilt slams into my chest.

Was I really as mean to Simone as she’s making me out to be?

Do I really deserve all this hate from her?

I never intentionally meant to hurt her, but I guess I did say those things about her.

I’ve laughed at her for not being smart and teased her about her sexual conquests.

In a way, I’ve been no better than the people who bullied me.

“Just get the fuck over it and keep your mouths shut, alright?” Franky says irritably, pointing at us. Clearly sick of all our girl drama. “Come on, babe, I’ll take care of your wounds.” His grin is creepy as he pulls Simone away with him.

Colt helps me up and looks at my face again before we watch them walk away.

“I’m sorry, Lay. Simone has always been this way.

Wants to get by doing the bare minimum or fuck her way to achieving things.

Then it’s everyone else’s fault when things don’t work out.

” He lets out a deep breath. “I had no idea she was that set on me even though I paid her no attention. Like, she didn’t even get the message when she was the one chick I wouldn’t fuck. ”

“Yeah, but you didn’t fuck me either, and look at us now, fucking like rabbits,” I state with a small chuckle, looking off in the distance.

All of the times I said things like 'God, you're such a slut Simone,' and 'Wow, Simone you're so dumb' flashes before my eyes.

Regret fills my chest, making it feel heavy.

My lip trembles at the loss of my sister to that side of The Shores, consumed by it just like my parents. This place, swallowing everyone that I loved whole.

I’ve always known that she resented me because my scholarship will get me out of here.

Even though I was maybe just as mean to her, it still hurts to realize she doesn’t care about my happiness whatsoever.

She’s hated me for years for all I’ve achieved.

All that matters to Simone is herself, and as long as I was sitting at home alone with my nose buried in a book every night, everyone was socially above me.

Exactly how she wanted it. Now that things are different, she's shown her true colors.

As they walk away, Simone turns back to look at us, her expression speaking volumes. Saying she has done more. I don’t know what she has participated in, but the thought alone makes my stomach sink again, nausea rolling in my gut.

“Do you think she was the one who had Franky pay Bruce?”

“Maybe. I’m still looking around for the fuck who arranged it.

I wouldn’t doubt her asking him in a moment of weakness, but I can’t do anything until we know for sure.

She’s chosen the wrong path, Layla. Only God knows what will happen to her now.

” The mood is solemn as he pulls me into a hug, trying to comfort me.

I know exactly what he means, and it’s heartbreaking. As much as I hate her right now, she’s still my sister, my best and only friend for the last twenty years.

When we get inside, I head upstairs to take a long shower while Colt cleans and puts the car in the garage. The fun night that turned chaotic is over, life will return to normal like nothing happened. It feels so wrong. Three people are dead, and we just carry on?

I still can’t get over how that night went down. How we could have been killed at the hands of Franky and my sister.

After I get out of the shower, I throw on my jogging pants and go downstairs to find Colt making us a chicken dinner with rice and veggies. He plates the food and sits across the table from me.

“You alright?” he asks, then takes a large bite.

I push my food around my plate and simply nod. His eyes bore into me, knowing I’m not alright, but I can’t bring myself to meet them.

“I just can’t wait to get out of here,” is all I manage to say.