20. Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Jokester
I smirk as Aiden bats his long eyelashes at his sister, who stands next to him with her hands on her hips, the blue paint pot he just threw by her feet empty, blue paint splattered everywhere across the white floor and on her jeans. Honestly, I have never tried so fucking hard to keep laughter in as I did when Mr. Man here decided to throw the pot with the biggest hissy fit I’ve seen from him so far.
My poor girl is trying her hardest to be stern as she crosses her arms over her chest and glares at her little brother whose tears are coating his cheeks, not used to being reprimanded by his big sister. Essy said no to another milkshake, knowing he would bounce off the walls and he flipped the switch. Gone was the sweet little boy to a little devil reincarnated making most brothers look innocent.
She’s kind of keeping it together, which is amazing considering he has her wrapped around his little finger, but I can see some cracks shining through as he bats his wet lashes at her. She wants to melt and her hormones are not helping her with this situation.
It’s been three days since my girl announced she was pregnant, and she hasn’t brought it up since.
I have some say whether she keeps it, and yeah, I want her to keep it, that is a no-brainer. I know we’re young, and my life is kind of up in the air with trying to find somewhere else to live and signing over the house on club property back over to the club, but with Essy, I know we can get through anything. I know without a doubt she’ll make the best mother, fuck, she’s basically been a mama to her little brother, but at the moment, she needs to come to the realization that she’ll want this baby as well. I won’t sway her though. I’ll support her throughout and if she wants a termination that it is because it’s definitely what she wants and not because she’s scared.
Her mom died giving birth to Aiden, and this baby, just like Aiden, was a shock. We’d been using protection, but it’s not always 100%, and the condoms never broke, so maybe this is how our life is supposed to go.
“Aiden, this is not okay!” Essy says sternly, and Aiden pops his bottom lip out like a pro and mumbles, “Sowwie, sissy,” and I look away to stop him from seeing my grin as my girl’s face softens.
See? He has her wrapped around her little finger.
Essy sighs, and I look to see her kneeling and beginning to wipe the paint off the floor while Trina mans the counter, customers coming and going. Shaking my head, I grab the wet wipes and clean up Aiden’s fingers. He grins while I mock glare and whisper, “No more paint throwing buddy,” and he nods, still grinning, making my smile come out.
The boy is fucking cute.
I wonder if our child will look just like him, being the spitting image of his big sister.
I swallow hard. There’s no guarantee she’ll keep the baby, and that in itself is a hard pill to swallow. I want her to keep it, I mean don’t get me wrong, I wanted more time with her but the baby, it exists and everything in me wants that baby but more importantly, I want it with her, only her. I just need her to see she can do this. She’s nearly finished school, and her dad has already started the process of changing the bakery’s deed into her name, something she isn’t aware of.
She’s in the perfect position for this to happen right now and she knows I’m always going to be here. I just need her to see that my time will be spent mostly with her. I don’t have club runs to do, club businesses to attend to, or paperwork to do. I can pick and choose when to tattoo my clients. I only have to find a home for us, and then everything will be good.
She terminates this pregnancy, and I know she will regret it and hold nothing but guilt, but if I can show her that I have my shit together, hopefully, she'll see we can do this.
“You want me to grab a mop?” Trina asks getting my attention.
I look to see her eyeing me as she bites her bottom lip and I narrow my eyes as hers lock with mine and she clears her throat as Essy, who doesn’t even turn her head, says, “Yes, and stop checking out my boyfriend!”
I grin as Trina quickly rushes to the back, and my girl stands before we lock eyes. I raise a brow, and she shrugs and states, “Last time I checked, you were mine, and she can keep her eyes to herself.” Essy shakes her head, “All morning she has eyed you up, and I was going to crack at some point, Damian.”
I nod, my grin not leaving my face, loving that she’s always claiming me, and she rolls her eyes before turning to Trina and takes the mop from her and begins to clean up her brother’s mess, who has gone back to coloring with crayons like he didn’t throw a pot of paint on the floor.
Damn, kid…
I chuckle and quickly grab the rest of the paint pots, putting the lids on before he decides to dip his crayons in them. I move his pictures over to the table next to this one, knowing my girl will put them on not only the refrigerator here but also mine and her dad's, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I grin as Aiden demolishes his ham sandwich half an hour later while Essy counts out the registers. She sent Trina home and is ready to close up shop, meaning we not only get to go to the park for a little while before dropping Aiden off with Adam at his office but also get to head for a ride. Even though, technically, she shouldn’t be on the back of my bike because of the baby, I know she needs it.
A little open road and fresh air will do her some good.
“All done!” Aiden cheers, and I grin as I grab his plate and put it near mine while my girl giggles at her brother.
Fuck I love days like this.
“You did good, buddy,” I say, cleaning him up as Essy grabs our plates but before she can disappear, I clear my throat, making her look at me. I tilt my head to the side a little, and she grins before bending and placing a kiss on my lips. I smile, kissing her back.
“I love you,” I murmur, and her cheeks heat as she replies, “I love you too. " Then she walks away, and I shake my head with a smile.
If I tell her enough times, I'm hoping she’ll see I’m here to stay, meaning we can get through this pregnancy, plus it helps that she blushes every time I remind her of my feelings.
I’m guessing she never had that before.
Sighing, I look at Aiden and ask, “Do you want to come out of the seat?” and he nods.
Smiling, I clear up his things, putting them in his bag while he waits patiently, probably already knowing he pushed his luck today with the paint-throwing shit, and just when I’m about to remove the table from his highchair, I pause at my girl’s voice then wince at her happiness.
“Honey…” Essy says with excitement, and I look towards the door only to scowl. I see my dad, Butcher, and Louise in their biker gear all looking at my girl as she hugs my mother as they look her up and down, scrutinizing her, and anger ignites.
They have no right to be here, to try and vet her like I’m club, like she’ll be around them because I fucking ain’t.
My mother notices my look, and she flinches, but I shake my head at them. They know I won’t lose it in my girl’s place of work, especially not with Aiden here. Which is probably why they’ve decided to do this here.
Taking deep breaths to control my anger, I unclip Aiden's table, placing it to the side and then unclip him.
They need to fucking leave, and they need to leave now.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Mama says, and I stand before picking up Aiden, plopping him on my hip, and walking over to them, causing all eyes to come my way.
Louise grins at Aiden while my dad and Butcher soften, seeing the small boy grip me tightly seeing all the new people, going shy.
“He wasn’t this shy half an hour ago,” my girl mumbles and I snort as she fake glares at her little brother who is too busy eyeing my dad before Mama gasps, “Oh Ess, he looks exactly like your mom…” and I look at my girl and see her light diminish a little, and I fucking hate it, but she still smiles and agrees, “He does, and he has so many of her traits.”
Mama nods and gently squeezes my girl’s arm, and I ask, “What are you all doing here?” as calmly as I can while Aiden bends sideways in my arms for his sister, who goes to take him. I narrow my eyes at her making her pause, and she winces suddenly remembering that yeah, she is pregnant, and I don’t give a shit if she’s thinking about termination.
She can’t hold him, not yet, I won’t allow it, and if she decides to keep the baby, she won’t be carrying him, period. I won’t risk her, not now, not ever.
Essy taps his nose making him giggle and I bounce him to keep him my way as dad says, “We came to taste some of your girl's amazing baked goods.”
I narrow my eyes at him knowing that is bullshit. He has come to vet her and he’s out of line in doing so. I handed in my cut, gave up everything I had ever known because of their actions. They can’t come here and think they have a say in my life now.
Shame my girl didn’t get the fucking memo though.
Essy smiles and says, “I still have some baked goods left," before she looks between them and asks, “Do you want them boxed to go?”
Mama speaks up and says, “No, actually. We thought we’d eat here if that is alright.”
Essy smiles tightly and then states, “That is fine but first… " She looks between the men and demands, “Which one of you is Butcher?”
I tilt my head and raise a brow while Butcher says, “I am Butcher…” with uncertainty.
She nods, then sneers, “What you did was really shitty, and you’ve lost an amazing family member. Make it right and fix it!”
Louise looks away, and a grin appears while Mama chuckles as my girl points at my dad and sneers, “You are supposed to be his father. His happiness comes before everything , including your club, and if he ever decides to give you a second chance, something you should pray for, by the way, next time someone forces him to try and do something even you wouldn’t want to do, stop them and be a fricking parent!” she shakes her head, “I could never imagine my father forcing me to date someone just to keep them in line,” she looks at Butcher, “I couldn’t care less if your daughter was some ancient princess, you don’t force a sixteen-year-old boy to date someone he never even looked twice at let alone once, threatening his legacy, his family and honestly for a club president, it is quite pathetic that you can’t control your own daughter.”
Louise and Mama high-five as my shoulders shake with silent laughter hearing my girl scold grown-ass adult men, biker men at that.
Dad nods and states, “I like you,” as Butcher declares, “You will make an amazing old lady to the VP of the club.”
I shake my head because, yeah, that is not happening. As if knowing my mind, my amazing girl reminds them, “He handed in his cut, so I’ll make do with just his girl.”
That said, she kisses Aiden’s cheek and walks to the counter to plate up the food she didn’t sell, and I raise a brow at my family, the men looking guilty as the women grin widely.
Butcher clears his throat and admits, “I thought we could start fresh,” I shake my head about to decline, but he continues, “Starting with making amends,” and I swallow hard. He continues, “I can’t change the past. I can’t change my actions or the fear I had at losing my daughter, not seeing her for who she had become but what I can do is make things right with you, gain your trust again as well as your girl’s, who I really like by the way, and hope that one day, maybe not tomorrow, or even next month, you’ll decide to wear your cut again. Bullet misses you on the sidelines at the ring. He misses practicing with you, and all the brothers just fucking miss you, us included.”
I look at Louise as she says, “If I’d known what they were doing, I would have stopped them, Jokester,” I flinch at my old road name, and she sighs, “As soon as you started dating my daughter, you changed, and I just didn’t realize why. You were never happy and lost your spark, but I see that spark back. That woman makes you happy, and she seems like the sweetest girl,” she grins, “She’s even become Levi’s favorite person, which is enough for me. All we’re asking for is a chance to prove to you not only did all of us not know what Pitbull and Butcher were up to, but to prove we are still your family by starting here…please.”
I look at Aiden, who lays his head on my shoulder before I make eye contact with my girl. She places the last plate on the biggest table at the back of the room, giving me a soft smile that has me nodding. Without allowing me to change my mind, my family moves quickly to the back table, all while I keep my eyes locked with my girl.
I can do anything with her, and I know this, which is why I’ve allowed them to stay and without thinking too much about it, I’m walking over to the table and sitting next to Essy before Aiden climbs onto her lap. She lays her head on my shoulder as I wrap my arm around her, making my mama and Louise grin wide and my dad and Butcher look at my girl with softness.
They’ve never seen me this way with a woman before, never seen me willingly show affection to someone. This girl is everything to me, fucking everything. She comes before them and their feelings. She is why I keep going, and I just hope she can see that we can have this baby together.
I just hope my family doesn’t let me down again, that they don’t use my girl to get that leather back on my back, and, more importantly, that they keep Bethany away from her.