Cruiser Read Online Free PDF Page B

there? Shut the engine before you wake the neighbors.”
    I force out a chuckle. “Be right up.”
    My gaze goes to her window again. The curtain is still drawn. I wonder if she climbed into bed, if she’s on the train to Dreamland. If there’s room for me.
    Get over yourself .
    She’s Rey’s. They should be together. They’ve got more in common than I ever had with her. Like their love for the arts. The way they can carry a conversation about nothing. Their drive to succeed. Their taste in food—baby ribs and Hawaiian pizza.
    They’re both the perfect child in the family.
    Lex doesn’t think about me. Dream about me. She loves Rey. He makes her happy. When she looks at him, she forgets all the shit. When she looks at me, the shit buries her.
    It’s up to me to ensure that Rey continues to make her happy. There’s nothing more I can do to make it up to her.
    “Yo, Cruise!” Rey calls again.
    I park my Harley in the garage and head inside. Mom and Dad are in bed. Rey’s on the living room couch , watching CNN.
    I plop down near him , crossing my feet on the coffee table. “Sup, Rey. Why aren’t you in bed?”
    His gaze doesn’t move from the dude on TV talking about an earthquake in some country. “I got into the news,” he says. “Been so busy with the violin I’m not in tune with what’s going on in the world.”
    Yeah, it’s a tragedy when one is not informed about the stuff that goes on beyond our borders . Lex would call me a n arrogant ignoramus. Wonder if she’d say the same to Rey if he was as ignorant as me.
    I need to smash something against my skull. Lex doesn’t give a damn. Get that into your big head, you arrogant ignoramus.
    “You need rest,” I tell Rey. “Big day tomorrow.”
    “I’ll sleep in.”
    “It’s Friday.”
    “Mom’ll let me skip.”
    “Yeah.” I grab a pillow, fold it under my head, and lean back. Close my eyes. Damn, I’m tired. A night with Erica will do that.
    I must have said that aloud because Rey says, “Speaking of Erica. How was it?”
    I open my eyes. Rey looks intrigued . He’s never asked me about my nights before. Maybe because he’s never had a girl until Lex. I give him a not-so-graphic play by play of what my night was like. His eyes flash with jealousy.
    “You’ll get there,” I tell him. “Will be great with Lex.” What I’d give … I block out the image of Lex lying near me, body tucked close to mine.
    “Yeah, I guess.” He leans back on the couch. “Sometimes she’s so…difficult, you know? I mean, I don’t want to pressure her or anything, but she was acting a little weird tonight. Maybe we both were. I don’t know.”
    Did she act like that because of the way I looked at her? Nah, who am I kidding? “Sometimes it’s better to fly solo, Rey. No commitments. Not that you should,” I quickly add. “Lex is a catch, Rey. A big one. Some guys would give anything to be with a girl like that.” My guts start a boxing match in my body.
    “Yeah?” Rey lowers the volume of the TV and scoots closer to me. “Sometimes I feel that the only reason we’re together is because we’ve been friends since we were kids.”
    I bite the words forming on my lips. The accusations. Why didn’t he tell me he got together with her? He doesn’t know what we shared last year. Had I known they were a couple—in love—I would have kept my ass in New York.
    “You love her, Rey ,” I say. “You’d do anything for her and she’d do anything for you. That’s what’s important. Remember that. She’s not ready to take the next step. You don’t want to hurt her.”
    He picks at the loose thread on a cushion. “Yeah, I guess.”
    “She’ll tell you when she’s ready. It’ll come, bro. Probably faster than you think.”
    He focuses on the news. After a few minutes, I doze off. Wake up every few minutes because of the TV. Too lazy to go to my own room.
    Damn, there I go thinking about sleeping with her again. It’d be different from when I