“You need to put your seatbelt on, Sid,” Torem gently reprimanded him.
“It’s not like it can keep me safe with a missing window back here.” Sidney sang and bounced around some more.
“Yes, it can,” Torem argued.
“Well then pull over and make Bryck switch seats. I want to sit up front. It’s stifling back here.”
Torem pulled the truck over and tapped Bryck’s arm, waking him up. “Backseat, my man.”
Bryck grumbled, opened his door, and switched seats with Sidney, falling right back to sleep.
Sidney snapped his seat belt on and then beat out a rhythm on the dashboard, popping his lips to his own melody banging around in his head.
“I see my brother wasn’t joking about the Red Bull,” Torem commented.
Sidney snorted. “Chey overreacts about everything, blows things way out of proportion. Don’t pay him any attention.” He reached back and grabbed his bag, placing it once again on the floor between his feet.
He snagged another can, but Torem stopped him. “I don’t think you’re supposed to drink them an hour apart.”
“It’s cool. It’s cool. I know what I’m doing.” Sidney popped the top and chugged it down. His hands started patting his pockets, front and back. “I think that’s my phone. I can hear it ringing, but I can’t find it.”
He looked down on the floor, in between his seat and the console, but couldn’t find it.
“Sid, I don’t hear a phone ringing.” Torem glanced at him with a brow raised as his mate gave him a questioning look.
“No, there’s a phone definitely ringing.” He twisted his body, looking into the backseat, and started patting Chey’s pockets.
“Sid, turn around and have a seat. There is no phone ringing.”
Sidney tilted his head and listened. When he didn’t hear anything, he shrugged his shoulders. “I guess you’re right. I don’t hear it anymore.”
Sidney reached forward and turned the stereo on, music flooded the interior of the truck, so loudly that it was ear piercing. His fingers flew over the dials trying to figure out how to cut it off. Sidney could see the volume button, but his fingers were moving faster than his brain as he fumbled to get them to work in unison.
Torem pushed his hands away and cut it off. “I’m starting to see what Chey was talking about.” Torem chuckled.
“You called him Chey.”
“So did you.”
“I have no clue what you mean.” Sidney opened the glove box and started rummaging around. He pulled the visor down, flipped it back up, and then opened the center console and dug through the contents.
“What are you looking for?” Torem asked.
“I have no clue, but when I find it, I’ll let you know.” Sidney dropped the napkins he had been taking out and started pointing with both hands at headlights coming in their direction on the opposite side of the road.
“Is that them? Is that them?” he squealed.
Torem gently pushed Sidney’s hands down. “Calm down, Sidney. I doubt they’re coming from the opposite direction.”
Sidney went back to slapping his hands on the dashboard, using it as a makeshift drum as he made noises with his mouth. “Biddy dim dow, biddy dim dow.”
“Do I need to put you in the back of the truck, or maybe let you run alongside it?” Torem asked.
“No, I’m good.” Sidney chewed on his bottom lip, shoving his hands under his thighs to stop them from roaming around sporadically.
“Why don’t you try and get some rest?” Torem suggested.
“I can take over driving if you’re tired,” Sidney offered.
“Somehow I have a feeling that wouldn’t be one of my wisest moves.” Torem reached over and tugged Sidney’s left hand from under his thigh and held it, entwining their fingers and then squeezing it lightly. “But you can keep me company.”
Sidney bounced around for the next two hours. He could tell he was irritating Torem, but his mate took it in stride.
Wow I have a mate. Holy schizophrenics! I really, really have a mate. “Do you have a bingo hall?” Sidney asked.
Torem looked over at him as if he had lost his mind. “Bingo?”
That was the reaction he always got when he mentioned the word bingo. He couldn’t help it. Sidney enjoyed the game. “Yes, bingo.”
“I’m not sure. There’s a bunch of old ladies that hang out in the grocery store. I could ask them,” Torem offered with a slight smile pulling at his lips.
After what felt like forever, they passed a sign welcoming them to Pride Pack Valley. “Is this where you live?” Sidney asked, sitting forward and looking out of the window. It didn’t help. All he saw was the dark of night.