Free Against the Tide by Nikki Groom

if that’s what you’re getting at.”
    “Good. I might have to kick your arse if that were the case.”
    “Yeah, I’d like to see you try, pussy.” Kyle snatches the mug out of my hand, and claps me on the back. “C’mon, I wanna eat.”

    “Two full English breakfasts and an endless supply of tea, please, sweetheart.” Kyle winks at the waitress, causing her to blush before she walks off with a little extra sway to her hips.
    “Mate, I really don’t feel like eating much,” I huff and sit back in the chair feeling nauseous.
    “S’cool, what you don’t eat, I will.”
    “You’re a walking dustbin.”
    “Look at these guns.” Kyle flexes his arm, showing me his bicep. “You don’t get ammo like this without putting the fuel in.” He nods, seemingly pleased with himself, and rightly so. I know he works out hard to stay in shape, and that’s half the reason he turns the heads of the ladies, and quite often some men, wherever he goes.
    “Seriously, man, is it just for the ladies?” I laugh.
    “Nope. All for me. If the ladies like it, it’s to my benefit, no?”
    “S’pose.” I shrug, finding it hard to feel enthusiastic about anything.
    “Okay. Let’s address the elephant in the room,” Kyle announces. “I’m sorry about your sister. I really am. But she’s not here anymore−”
    “Kyle,” I warn, narrowing my eyes at him. I feel my stomach knot tightly at the mention of her name which disturbs the monster I’ve been trying to get past this morning.
    “Just hear me out, okay? What I was going to say is, she isn’t here anymore, that doesn’t mean you should forget her, quite the opposite in fact, you need to remember her, but you also need to remember that you’re still here too and we won’t let you ruin yourself. We’ve given you time to get wasted, but now it’s time to start pulling back. Your mum, she needs you too, man.”
    I swallow noisily, of course he’s right. “I know. I just couldn’t−”
    “I know, and she understands that. But she’s not well, Finn, and you’re going to regret it if she’s gone and you didn’t make the most of her while she’s here. She needs you.”
    “How do you know how she’s doing?” I ask curiously.
    Kyle acknowledges the waitress who comes with our tea and passes me one of the mugs.
    “Harley and I have been visiting her,” he answers, eyeing me warily for my reaction.
    “You, what?” I laugh.
    Kyle shrugs. “Well, she was worried about you. Harley wanted her to know we had your back and we took turns to go see her. She’s pretty cool, your mum.”
    “My mum’s pretty damn cool,” I mutter under my breath. I know they’re good guys, but this makes me speechless.
    “So, you gonna get your shit together?”
    “Yeah,” I say rubbing my hand down my face. “Yeah, I am. I feel like crap.”
    “No offense, but you look like crap, too.”
    “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.” He nods and smirks letting me know that the serious part of the conversation is over and he’s back to his normal cocky self. Our breakfast arrives and Kyle digs in as soon as the plate hits the table.
    “Excuse me,” he calls to the waitress as she turns to leave. “I think you’ve forgotten something.”
    She looks worried and frowns, scanning the table trying to see what it is she’s forgotten.
    “Your number?” he adds with a Colgate smile. I roll my eyes at his antics and not surprisingly she takes out her pen and notepad and scribbles it down for him. She tears it off and hands it to him with a shy smile and a twinkle in her eye before sauntering off.
    “You can never have enough back-ups,” he says, going back to his breakfast.
    “You’re a whore.”
    “Yep.”
    “One day someone is going to call you on it.” I laugh, shaking my head.
    “I know. The woman that shows me enough sass to do that…I’ll marry.”
    We eat the rest of our breakfast in a comfortable silence and although I don’t manage to eat it all, I feel better