Chapter 20 Rae
RAE
FIVE YEARS AGO
My fingers tangled in my hair as I tried to comb through the tight curls.
My eyes were stuck to the black motorcycle parked in spot number five across the street, at the gas station.
Earl was slow in getting to each customer, so the man straddling the bike was staring down at his cell phone while he waited.
Internally I chided myself for not applying at the gas station for a job; that was a sure place to see Davis and get to talk to him.
It was getting easier to pin down the spots around town he actually went inside or spent any length of time.
The library was one, but only once a month or so.
Usually, he’d just order his selections online, and then pick them up from the reservation shelf.
The grocery store was another place he went inside, but he was always moving, so it would be too difficult to converse with him in any real capacity, and he always used those self-checkout machines. Even upon exiting, he stuck to himself.
Sadly, the diner was still my best option to see him, or even talk to him. I just had to convince my parents to let me work the front.
Watching Davis sit there, I toyed with the hem of my shirt as I calculated the time it would take Earl to get to him, seeing that he had three other cars to get to first. That was maybe five minutes.
“I could make it,” I muttered in encouragement to myself.
Digging my fingers into the small cross-body purse sitting at my hip, I popped a mint into my mouth and reapplied my lipstick then darted across the street.
His eyes were down, so he didn’t see me, but deep down, I knew he could feel me. Like if we were both in the same place at the same time, then we’d both just know it, because we were soul mates.
Chills erupted along my arms like little spikes, regardless of the sun bearing down on the world, infusing the asphalt with heat and air with humidity. My low heels clicked along the cement as I progressed along the length of the gas station, but Davis never once looked up from his phone.
Not until I stood close to the chrome handlebars of his motorcycle, linking my arms across my chest.
His eyes flicked up: a dark, navy blue…and I’d never once stood close enough to see the black specks inside them or realize how truly massive his shoulders and biceps looked this close up. He let out a sigh and returned his gaze to the phone in his palm.
Seconds passed where he stared at the phone, and I just stood there, hoping he’d notice my hair, or my makeup…or the fact that I was seventeen now.
“You work here or something?”
His voice rumbled like a thunder cloud, and the way it lingered around me nearly made my knees shake. I could feel my face redden as I unlinked my arms and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.
“No, uh…” I looked over at Earl, and then back to Davis. “I, uh…I wanted to introduce myself.” My voice was shaky and uncontrolled, like a train cart off the rails.
His dark eyebrows dipped to the center of his forehead, eyes still on the phone. “Why?”
“Because.” I shrugged, smiling. “I—”
“Sorry about that, Davis, you want to fill it with regular?” Earl interrupted, grabbing for the pump.
Davis finally lifted his head, but turned away, dismissing me. “Yeah, thanks Earl.”
Then his focus went back to his phone.
I stood there awkwardly, waiting for the focus of a man I shouldn’t love.
The numbers kept ticking up on the pump, along with the price, indicating my time was running out, but I had no idea what to say to make him see me.
I could say my name, but would he think it was dumb?
Raelyn sounded so young. Rae sounded older, but it was also masculine.
“You need me to call your parents or something?” Davis asked, peeking up from his phone, but only for a second. He barely looked at me before returning his gaze to that stupid device.
Heat burned through me from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.
“No…uh…I’m seventeen, old enough to drive, I just…” I needed him to see me; if he just knew who I was and that he could love me, then he’d look at me differently, “I wanted you to know who I am.”
I lowered my eyes, hoping my false lashes would pick up the slack and deliver a sultry look.
But he didn’t move, the pump clicked, indicating his tank was full. He pulled out the nozzle and leaned over, securing it back in place, not even waiting for Earl. Once his fingers wrapped around the gas cap and began tightening it, I knew my time was up.
The roar of his engine screamed at me to move, to step away…but I couldn’t.
“Kid,” he gritted through his teeth. His helmet was on now, a mirrored version of myself reflecting from his visor.
“I—” I couldn’t let him leave, not without hearing me, “just want you to give me a chance.”
I stammered my words, my face on fire, tears stinging the backs of my eyes.
He dipped his head, shaking it. “Seriously, kid, move. You…” He faltered for a moment, giving me the smallest slice of hope, but then his voice spiked, dripping with disgust. “Do you really think I’d be interested in you?
You’ve got braces. You’re a fucking kid, and I’m not trying to have any more rumors started about me, so get the fuck out of my way. ”
Stunned into compliance, I moved to the side as he sped away, taking pieces of me with him. Pieces that he’d always hold, whether he knew it or not.