Ride or Ruin

Home

I pressed Lily for more information and she reluctantly obliged. "Some people call him the Gravestone. He's not the kind of guy you want in your circle, Harlow." There she was again, mothering me. My interest was sparked, though. "Why do they call him that?" I asked. "It's his biker name, there was some rumor about how he could never die. The guy is dangerous, always starting fights with anyone who looks at him the wrong way. I'm pretty sure he works with the cartel too. He's into drugs and guns and stuff." I was almost offended that she would think I would associate with someone like him, especially after Rickie. The only thing I wanted right now was a warm bed, not some troublemaker interrupting my thoughts.

The drive to Lily's house took about twenty minutes and the small mobile home was dark and quiet when we arrived. Lily insisted we sneak in through her bedroom window to not wake up her devil of a mother. I tried not to make a noise as I hauled myself over the threshold of her window. Her room was cozy for someone who always tried to put on a badass persona. Her bedsheets were pink and fluffy and there were tiny horse figurines on her white dresser from her childhood.

"Jeeze, Lily. Why does your room still look like it did when you were twelve?" I scolded as she handed me our luggage. "Hey! I like my room. And Mickeal hasn't complained about it," she said teasingly, then jumped into her room as if she did this every night. "Ok, who is Mickeal and why do you still live with your mother?

Lily stripped down to her underwear and climbed into the bed. "It's not like there's anywhere in town for me to stay in, plus free rent, free food, laundry services. I've got the full setup here, and my mom likes the company. She's getting pretty old, you know." I interrupted her, "You're getting pretty old too to still be living off your mother, don't you want to experience life outside this place?"

She smiled knowingly, "I explore plenty, trust me, and Mikeal is someone I've been entertaining for a little while." I stripped too and reached for an oversized shirt from my suitcase, a habit picked up from living with Ricky. I had to go buy some of my own after the breakup just to sleep at night.

I climbed in beside Lily and cuddled up on a pillow. "So he's your boyfriend?" She scoffed at the question, "I will never have a boyfriend, he's just. . .fun. That's all I need and that's what you should find too, as long as that fun doesn't involve the Gravestone," she said dramatically and with an eye roll.

That night, I slept longer than I had in weeks and was awoken to Lily shaking me violently. "Wake up sleepy head! Mom knows you're here." I groaned and hid myself under the covers. Ms. Ravin had always treated me with a cold shoulder. Every time I visited as a child she seemed to go out of her way to make me feel uncomfortable. When I asked why, I was told it was from a feud her and my own mother had shared from long before I was born but I wasn't allowed any further information.

After showering and getting ready for the day, I entered the small kitchen to find Lily and her mother having a hushed argument. Upon my arrival, they both silenced and Ms. Ravin abruptly left through the back door. Lily sighed and started towards the coffee pot. "What was that about," I asked cautiously. "That witch doesn't want you here, she says you can't stay another night."

I shrugged, hiding the hurt. "That's fine. I wasn't going to be anyway, I have a hotel room." She gave me a pity hug then handed me a cup of coffee. The view from the kitchen window was phenomenal and I understood why Lily didn't want to leave. The trailer sat in a valley with no neighbors for miles, a large pond filled with fish, and the peaceful serenity of nature in every direction.

As a kid I wasn't aloud on the property very often, so Lily would come stay with me but I always wished I would one day have a place as beautiful as Ms. Ravin's. The pain of her life-long cold shoulder had me wondering. This town has many secrets that I never gave much thought about until now. I have a lot of questions, now I just need to find someone to answer them. Someone that isn't Lily.