Bayward Street (8 page)

We found Braydon and Layla sitting at the breakfast bar chatting and laughing. The two of them seemed to have formed some kind of weird friendship based on sarcasm and cheap shots.

When Layla spotted me, she grinned. “Rich boy here made sandwiches. Who would have thought?”

Giggling, I boosted myself onto the stool beside her. Braydon tried to look offended as he slid a plate across to me. “Your friend seems to think I have slaves that do everything for me.”

Taking a huge bite of my food, I mumbled, “I’m surprised you don’t.”

“Mom won’t let us, something about human rights and shit.”

Layla giggled, and Heath looked over to his brother rolling his eyes.

I placed my food back on the plate, I was starving but hadn’t eaten much in the last few days so I knew I needed to pace myself or it would make me sick. “What sports do you play?” I asked curiously.

Braydon tilted his head to the side. “What makes you think we’re into sports?”

Clearing my throat uncomfortably, I tried to find the words. “I just noticed… you both are like… I dunno…”

“Sexy as fuck with amazing bodies?” Braydon offered, wiggling his eyebrows at me. I looked over at Heath for some kind of support, but even he had a tiny smirk in the corner of his mouth.

Layla laughed, she was no help either.

I groaned. “Yes, okay… you’re both really fit.”

“I apologize for my friend,” Lay offered, patting my arm. “She doesn’t get out much.”

Braydon’s laughter boomed loudly. “No kidding.”

“Braydon plays football, I swim.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “You swim?” I guessed that explained the huge pool out the back.

Heath nodded but didn’t explain any further. He pulled the refrigerator open and picked out a carton of orange juice, finding four glasses from the cupboard and filling them up.

“What my brother meant to say was that I’m the star quarterback, and he’s the best swimmer in the state,” Braydon explained. Unlike Heath, Braydon didn’t care if he boasted about how much money he had, how many girls wanted in his pants, and how good he was at sport. It was what it was, and it was actually rather refreshing. He was confident and self-assured, and sometimes you needed to be if you were ever going to make your way in the world.

Heath was quieter about his success, but he didn’t pull any punches when it came to telling it like it was or the reality of life. And people respected the both of them for that.

“Hello?” a sweet voice tinkled through the house.

“In here, Mom,” Braydon called back.

Heels tapped on the wooden floors and a stunning woman filled the doorway to the kitchen. “Hey, hope you made me one of those?” She smiled, pointing to Braydon’s half eaten food.

“I’ll get it, Mom,” Heath offered. He slid us all a glass of juice before making himself busy, pulling food from the cupboards and fridge.

“Mom, this is Fable and Layla,” Braydon offered, pointing to each of us.

I swiveled my chair around, holding out my hand to her. “Nice to meet you.”

She took my hand, and we shook as she offered me a friendly smile. “It’s so nice to finally meet you, too, Fable,” she took Lay’s hand too, “and you too, Layla. My name’s Helen. The boys speak very highly of you.”

I looked over at Heath curiously, he watched me out of the corner of his eye as if gauging my reaction. “Really?”

She rounded the counter as Heath held out a plate of food for her, kissing his cheek as she took it from his hands. I could see now where Heath got his gentleness from. The small touches and shows of affection. He’d obviously learned from his mom.

I wondered if that meant Braydon was like his dad, the brashness and need to be a little over the top was definitely not from her.

Heath leaned back against the bench top, folding his arms across his chest. “How was everything after we left?”

I took a bite of my sandwich and swallowed tightly.

Helen sighed. “Most people left, the few that hung around just stayed to watch Deena throw a tantrum, I think.”

Heath scoffed, but Bray laughed loudly before asking, “Was it a good one?”

“Oh yes, she was in fine form today.”

“I’m sorry we caused so much trouble,” I told her softly. But when her eyes met mine there was nothing but sweetness in them.

“Honey, I’ve always taught my kids to speak up when there’s something going on that isn’t right,” she explained, reaching across and touching my hand. “It would be hypocritical of me to criticize you for doing just that. And you know what? That woman needed to be told exactly what her son had been through because of her selfishness. Maybe she’ll take it on board, maybe she won’t. But now that’s on her.”

Layla wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against her, our heads resting together. “I miss him so much,” I whispered sadly.

“I know…” Layla replied, “…I know.”

Eazy hadn’t been with us for long, but it didn’t matter. I loved him just like I loved the others.

“You girls have to go… uh, home soon?” Braydon asked, walking around to deposit his empty plate in the sink.

I looked over at the clock on the oven. As long as we were home before dark, they wouldn’t start to worry. We had a few hours.

“Not yet.” I tried to force my voice to sound strong and not sad, as I thought about the concept of heading back to Bayward Street.

“Let’s go for a swim. Heath can show you his skills.” Braydon laughed. Heath reached over and smacked his brother in the chest.

I looked at Layla, her face was beaming. “Um…”

“I’ll grab you girls some suits from upstairs, I think I can guess your size.” Helen grinned before hurrying out of the room.

Layla clapped her hands excitedly. “I haven’t been swimming in years.”

I screwed up my nose.

“What’s wrong, Fay?” Braydon asked. “I bet you look hot as fuck in a swimsuit.”

“Braydon,” Heath warned.

Bray rolled his eyes. “Like you weren’t thinking it.”

“I can’t swim.” The words rushed out, and suddenly everyone’s attention was on me. “My parents didn’t exactly allow me to have any extracurricular activities when I was growing up. And we never went to the beach or did shit like other families.”

Braydon looked over at his brother, their eyes met briefly before Bray shook his head. “Fuck me,” he muttered as he stomped out the door. I heard his heavy footsteps on the staircase and cringed.

It still felt weird, talking about my life before. Sometimes, I wondered whether it had even happened. It was so long ago that sometimes it felt like a dream, or a nightmare, I guess. But I could remember every single detail of the smells and the sounds.

Heath stepped around beside me and brushed a stray hair back from my face. “You’ll be fine, the pool has a shallow end, so you don’t even have to swim.”

I nodded, forcing myself to smile up at him. He dipped his head and kissed me gently.

“Here girls, these should fit just fine.”

I jumped back, Helen had kicked off her heels so I hadn’t heard her coming. She smiled at me like there was nothing wrong, but I couldn’t help but wonder what must be going through her mind knowing that her son was kissing a homeless girl off the street.

I caught Heath smirk as he turned and walked out. “I’ll meet you out there.”

“Come on,” Helen urged, flicking her head for us to follow her. “You can get dressed in the pool house.” Layla and I jumped down off our stools and trailed along behind her. We looked at each other and Layla mouthed the words
‘pool house?’
with her eyes wide.

I just shook my head. We were out of our depths here, and I wasn’t talking about the pool.

Helen was right, the swimsuits she picked out did fit perfectly. Layla wore a beautiful emerald colored tank top with matching bottoms, trimmed with gold. It accentuated her generous bust and showed off her flat stomach.

Mine was much the same, but a deep velvet red with black accents. It was a halter neck so it pushed my boobs up and together, showing off some cleavage.

“Come on, Fay!” Layla pulled me from the pool house, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She was like a little kid, excited about a new toy.

The second we stepped into the pool area, though, we both froze.

“Holy shit,” Layla whispered.

Braydon and Heath both stood at the end of the pool, Braydon laughing and Heath smirking. “Bro, you know I’m not gonna race you. How ‘bout we grab a football and see who can throw it the furthest?”

Heath rolled his eyes and Bray laughed. “Exactly!”

I couldn’t help but stare as they threw shots at each other. Both their bodies were… amazing. Heath was taller and broader in the shoulders than Braydon, but he was a swimmer so I knew his upper body must be ridiculously strong, and it showed.

Both boys had the hint of abs that became more prominent as they flexed, with the indent of their hips showing off a ridiculously toned and attractive V-shape which disappeared under their swimming shorts.

“I’m sure teenage boys are supposed to be covered in acne and full of awkwardness,” Lay whispered.

“They obviously missed that memo,” I replied dryly.

Both their heads popped up when they heard us across the pool. Braydon grinned widely and put his fingers in his mouth, letting out a loud wolf whistle. “Hey baby, you come here often?” he called, followed by deep laughter.

Layla raised her middle finger at him. “Don’t be a pig, rich boy.”

Braydon pretended to grab his heart like she’d just broken it, and fell sideways into the pool, the water bursting around him. Layla threw herself in after him, pressing on his head as he attempted to come to the surface and laughing maniacally.

Heath walked around the pool, a rare smile on his face. “A couple of meetings and those two think they’re siblings,” I commented, trying to avoid looking at him, every time I did I just stared in awe.

Heath chuckled. “I don’t think Bray sees it that way.”

I wanted to ask him what he meant, but before I could he took my hand and led me to the steps that disappeared into the pool. I walked in beside him, the water was cool, but not cold—more like the warmth of a bath after you climb out. I gripped Heath’s hand tighter as he walked me further and further, the water rising to up around my waist and my feet beginning to float off the ground.

Water splashed around us, and the air was filled with laughter as Bray and Layla continued their epic battle for dominance.

I took a step back, but he wound his arms around my waist and held me still.

“It’s fine. I’m right here.” He smiled down at me, it was comforting, and I couldn’t help but smile back.

“You’re always so serious, but that grin hasn’t left your mouth since you got out here.”

I squeaked when he lifted me off my feet and pressed my legs so they wound around his waist. My arms went straight to his neck, and I clung to him like a monkey. He waded further into the water.

“Heath, stop,” I warned as his feet left the ground and he kept us afloat purely by his own strength. The water made me feel weightless, and soon he didn’t even need to hold me up, using his arms as well to tread the water.

“Heath…” The warning was harsher now as I stared at him in shock, realizing just how far we were from the side of the pool.

“Are you scared?” he asked, only slightly breathless even as he worked to keep us afloat.

Was I scared?

“Not really.”

“Why not?”

I knew the answer he was looking for, I could see it in his eyes and his face. He wanted me to say it. He knew it was already true.

“Because I trust you.”

I sat on the edge of the pool, my feet dangling in the water. It was starting to get late now, and I knew we would have to go home.

Bayward Street had become my home. The tent I slept in, and the people that surrounded me were a comfort that I enjoyed. But for the first time in a long time, I dreaded returning there.

Heath popped out of the water beside me and hooked his elbows onto the concrete. “This is my place, in the water.” I tilted my head, looking down at him in question. He chuckled. “You mentioned me not being able to stop smiling since we got to the pool. It’s because here in the water is what I love.”

Nodding in understanding, I reached out and pushed a wet piece of hair away from his forehead. “You’re amazing at it, I see why you love it.”

“Fay?” Looking over my shoulder, I saw Layla with a towel wrapped around her. Bray stood behind her scowling. “We probably should get going.”

I nodded, pushing off the concrete. Heath hefted himself out of the pool just using his arms, and for a moment, I just watched and appreciated the way his muscles bulged at the effort.

“Get changed and I’ll give you girls a ride.”

“We can—”

Heath hit me with a sharp look, and I closed my mouth, mumbling a quiet, “Okay,” as I followed Layla back to the pool house to get dressed. The room was silent as we dried off and pulled on our clothes.

“You don’t want to go back, do you?” Layla asked quietly as she watched me wring the water out of my hair. It wasn’t an accusation, it was almost as if she was hoping I would tell her that we could stay. Maybe forever.

Layla had been on the streets longer than I had. She’d lived the life for so long that I wondered whether she would ever leave it. But now I could see that she felt just like I did.

“Eazy told me he knew Braydon and Heath would be at that party,” I told her. “He said he hoped that it would make me see that there was something better out there. He wanted me to fight for something more than just being comfortable with what we had.”

She looked down at her feet, tying the laces on her shoes slowly. “It’s not like we don’t all want to have a home, and be able to work and earn money to support ourselves, but at this point, it’s all I know, Fay.”

“But it doesn’t have to be.” Exhaustion was hitting me now. I’d cried my eyes out for my friend and now I was just done, I was over it all. “We are there every single day, risking our lives just to live.”

She shook her head. “I know, but can you really see yourself walking away from the others? They need us. We need them. We survive because we stick together. We protect each other, and we lift each other up when it feels like we want to just give up.”

She was right. I couldn’t walk away from the people who’d stuck by me for so long and just forget them. They’d been there for me, and I wouldn’t just give up and leave them out in the cold just so I could think about myself.

I walked over and wrapped my arms around her neck, giving her a tight hug. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

The drive back to the city was slow and quiet. I lay my head on Layla’s shoulder in the back seat, and the boys sat up front. There was tension in the car, I could feel it. I wasn’t exactly sure why, though.

A few streets from home I tapped on Heath’s shoulder. “Just let us out here, we can walk.” He glanced at me in the rear vision mirror. I pleaded with my eyes for him to just stop and let us out. I prayed he wouldn’t push the point.

Showing up at Bayward Street with them was an unnecessary stress that I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Kyle was still upset about things with Eazy, and with him already feeling angry and fed up, I knew seeing Braydon and Heath would just fuel the fire that we were fighting so hard to keep control of.

He pulled the vehicle into a bus stop, it worked in my favor as I knew this would have to be quick so he could move on. Layla jumped out with her guitar in hand and Braydon wound down his window, talking with her quietly.

“Thank you,” I whispered, reaching my arms around the seat in front of me in an awkward attempt at a hug. Leaning forward, I kissed Heath on the cheek. “You saved me again today. You might have to start wearing a cape and some spandex.”

I hoped that he would laugh or at least give me a smile, but he was back to the straight-faced Heath I’d first met.

“Be safe,” was all he said.

“I will.”

Watching them drive off hurt more than I’d imagined it would. We didn’t talk about ever seeing each other again, even though we’d never planned it before. I just had to hope that the universe had a plan, I guess.

Layla smiled sadly as I looked over at her. “Come on.”

When we turned onto Bayward Street, I knew something was wrong instantly. Layla and I both started walking a little faster, raised voices filling the darkening street.

“Leave me the fuck alone, Lee,” Kyle shouted as we slipped through the fence.

“Fuck man, just chill out.”

“What’s going on? We can hear you yelling from the end of the street,” I asked as we jumped in between two tents. Kyle’s chest was heaving up and down, and Lee was standing in front of him with his hands raised in surrender. The rest of the group were scattered around, Andre and Coop looking between the twins with wide eyes, Sketch sitting quietly at the edge of everything with his pad and pencil. I could hear crying as Phee crawled out of Daisy’s tent with a furious look on her face.

“Are you happy? She’s upset now, thanks to you.” She folded her arms across her chest protectively. “That poor girl has spent her whole life being yelled at, she came here for sanctuary. But right now, she’s right back in that house that she thought she’d escaped from because you wanted to throw a fucking tantrum. Congratulations Kyle, you’re a fucking asshole.”

I was stunned and simply stared in silence. Nobody said a word. Kyle didn’t even bother to defend himself, and Lee just shook his head at his brother in disappointment. Kyle growled and kicked at the dirt before turning and taking off down further under the motorway.

Layla placed her guitar on the ground. “I’ll go.” She gave Lee’s arm a squeeze before jumping through the tents and jogging after him. Lee dropped onto the ground and hung his head between his knees, pulling at his hair.

Phee let out a slow breath and let her arms hang to the side. I walked around to her and touched her arm, gaining her attention. “What happened?”

Daisy’s quiet sniffles broke my heart, she was the youngest of us all at only thirteen. We were all protective of her. She’d been dealt a bad hand, just like me—like all of us.

Her parents were the kind of Christians that you didn’t want to meet at church on a Sunday. Their beliefs of right and wrong were all kinds of crazy, and it seemed like Daisy could never do anything right. Her parents found the oddest reasons for her to be punished. Not brushing her teeth before she went to bed, kicking her blankets off in her sleep because she was too hot. They would make her repent her sins from the previous week every Sunday in front of their whole procession, and apparently she wasn’t the only one. All the other children there took the same punishment, their parents believing it would make them into better people.

It made me sick.

I ducked into the tent behind Phee. “Daisy, honey. Are you okay?”

She was lying on her side with her legs tucked up and her arms wrapped around her knees. She relaxed slightly when she saw me and gave me a small nod. “I didn’t mean to freak out,” she apologized. “All I did was mention Eazy, and he started yelling at me.” She started to tense, and I began making a shushing noise with my mouth, hoping it would ease her.

I scooted up, so I was sitting beside her head. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.”

“He was so angry,” she whispered so quietly I could hardly make out the words.

“Kyle is just stressed, honey. He didn’t mean—”

“Not Kyle, my dad,” she corrected. “He was always angry. He used to yell at me so much that it just became normal. It was weird to hear him at church, talking normally to other people. I sometimes wondered whether I’d love him more if he just talked to me like that.”

“Oh, Daisy.” Lying down next to her, I began to brush her hair with my fingers, her body relaxing as I smoothed it down and gently tugged away any tiny knots.

“Aren’t you supposed to love your parents?” she asked, looking up at me with shimmering eyes. “I mean, they gave us life, shouldn’t we be thankful for that?”

Smiling gently, I tucked her hair behind her ear. “My dad hurt me, too, Daisy. Just because they made us, it doesn’t give them the right to hurt us. Love is earned, through loyalty and caring. You and the rest of them out there aren’t my blood, but I love you more than any real family I had.”

“Don’t they say blood is thicker than water?”

I laughed lightly. “That’s true. But when a thousand tiny streams come together, they form a mighty river.”

Daisy smiled over at me. “We are the tiny streams?”

I grinned back. “Hell no, baby, we are the river.”