Page 16 of Send It
Lincoln
“What did Dr. Marlow say about Colson’s leg?” Reiss asks, slinging a wrench down on the counter. “I haven’t talked to him since you took him and we were supposed to ride today. He’s not answering my texts.”
I look at my equally unanswered text messages, “He hasn’t responded to me either. He’s probably looking at another surgery, Reiss. He was really upset when I dropped him at his house.”
“Fuck!” Reiss booms. “That explains why he hasn’t called me back. I am supposed to meet Mira for dinner but I need to go check on him.”
I shake my head, “I’ll go. You go out with Mira and I’ll go get him. Maybe he’ll come over tonight. I’ll bribe him with some Trolli gummi worms.”
Reiss snorts, “That might’ve worked when you were eight but I don’t know about now. He must be devastated. Nationals are next month.”
“I know. I’ll bring him over here. He needs to be with family.”
Reiss is reluctant but ultimately gives in, “I love you, sis. I’ll see you tonight. Tell that fucker to text me back if you can’t get him out of the house.”
“I will,” I agree. “Promise.”
I watch as Reiss scrambles up the stairs to shower, and then head to the kitchen for my keys.
“Lincoln,” Mom smiles. “I’m glad you’re here. Could you run over to the market and grab some drinks. There isn’t a single thing in this house worth having. Your brother has invaded every single ounce of the fridge with electrolyte drinks and protein shakes.”
“I was actually headed over to Colson’s. I’m gonna try and convince him to come over here.”
Her brows furrow, “Is everything okay?”
“Not really,” I sigh. “His leg is bothering him and he’s not handling it well.”
Her eyes turn sad, “That’s awful. He’s worked so hard to make it to Nationals, I hope he can race.”
“He won’t return any of our calls or texts. I’m going over there, he doesn’t need to be alone in that giant empty house.”
Mom shakes her head in agreement, “Has he told Brian and Kim?”
“Who are they?”
Mom tilts her head and scolds me, “Now Lincoln. Don’t be like that. His parents love him. They’d want to know if he’s hurt.”
I cross my arms, irritated, “Do they though? Do they love him? They fucking left him here, mom. We love him.”
“Yes, we do,” he adds. “But he is twenty years old, Lincoln. He’s an adult.”
I groan, “Stop saying that, Mom. They left before he turned eighteen. Hell, I can’t remember a time when they weren’t gone. His nana raised him. His nana and you and Dad.”
She shakes her head, “Honey…”
“No,” I snap. “Stop making excuses for them. It’s shitty and you know it. You can’t leave a child alone in a giant house and toss a credit card at them and expect them to be okay. That’s not parenting. That’s neglect. I don’t care how much money you have or how big your house is.”
Others choose to overlook it, but Colson is too important to me. I just can’t. I stopped overlooking it a long time ago. They are the reason he’s so closed off, they are the reason he doesn’t ever let anyone truly all the way in. He’s afraid everyone will leave him, just like his parents.
“You are right, Lincoln. You are. But right now, Colson is an adult. I can’t force him to come over here and be with us any more than you can. Besides, you know how he is. He’d rather be alone when he’s hurting, he’s always been that way.”
Because it’s all he knows .
“Why are you going over there, anyway. Where’s Reiss?” she asks.
“He’s got a date. So I told him I’d go convince Colson to come over so he’s here when he gets back.”
“Okay,” she sighs. “I guess I can go to the store. Should I be worried about you going over to Colson’s house?”
I feel my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. “Um, no. Why? Why would you?”
“It was just a question. I see the way you look at him.”
I sigh, “Mom, it’s not like that, okay?”
“Listen, I love Colson. I do. Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you doing anything you might regret later.”
She sees the way I look at him but is clueless about how I feel. I would never ever regret Colson. Not ever.
“It’s not like that.” I repeat, trying to make her believe me. Hell, trying to make myself believe it.
“You two have always been close, baby, and I’m not blind. I just want you to be careful. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
I chuckle under my breath, “Colson is an asshole but he’d never do anything to hurt me. Not on purpose.”
“I know that, but does Reiss?”
I shake my head adamantly. “There isn’t anything to know, Mom.”
She holds her hands up, admitting defeat. “Just be careful, that whole situation could get messy.”
“We aren’t talking about this because there is nothing to talk about.”
I grab my keys and head for the door but Mom’s voice stops me.
“Who is Reiss going out with?”
I laugh, knowing damn well she has no idea. “Mira Tate.”
Her eyes widened, “As in Landon Tate’s sister?”
“That’s the one.”
Mom looks like she’s really trying to figure that one out, so I leave her to it.