Chapter 11 #2
“I told my nephew he needed to back off, but he and my sons are hard of hearing. Like I told them, I’m telling you.
Stay out of it and let the authorities handle what’s going on,” my uncle says, setting his fists on his hips.
His words barely penetrate over the fact that even though Wes is right next to me, it feels like he’s miles away.
“You’ll have no problems from me or my boys.”
“Appreciate that,” Uncle Nico mumbles, and I’m sure his eyes are on me, but mine are locked on Wes. I set my hand on Wes’ thigh, and his muscles flex under my palm and his jaw goes hard at my touch.
“Sorry,” I whisper, wishing he could understand.
His eyes come to me and I see pain flash in their green depths before he stands. “I’m heading out. Did you need anything else?” he asks my uncle, and my chest compresses under the pressure as a completely consuming pain slices through my body.
“Nah, we’re good.”
“Mic,” Wes calls, and Mic, who has been watching everything play out, looks from me to Wes.
“What’s up?”
“Make sure July gets home okay.”
“Got it,” Mic says, nodding his head.
“What?” I wheeze out, still stuck in place. This cannot be happening. I look at my uncle, who is watching me, looking concerned, and then his eyes go to Wes and so do mine, but all I’m able to catch is his back as he walks out the door.
“July,” Uncle Nico calls, but I shake my head and place my hand to my throat as I attempt to fight for a breath.
“I’ll take my niece home,” he says gently, but before he can reach me, I stand and run towards the door Wes just left out.
I slam through, causing the large metal door to bang loudly against the brick exterior.
The moment the cool outside air hits my face, I see Wes straddle his bike.
He stops, looks over his shoulder, and then turns back around, and the loud roar of his bike fills the air.
“I know you don’t believe me, but I’m sorry. I just couldn’t tell him. No matter how many times I tried, I couldn’t do it.”
I see him shake his head and his boots leave the gravel as he takes off. “Oh, God,” I whimper as pain explodes through my chest and I fall to my knees on the gravel.
“July,” Uncle Nico says, picking me up like he used to when I was a little girl. I hold onto him as tears stream down my cheeks.
“I was so stupid,” I whisper.
“Love makes us stupid,” he says gently.
“I’m so in love with him.”
“I see that, beautiful.”
“He hates me.”
“I promise you he doesn’t.” He sets me in his truck.
I inhale a few deep breaths then shake out my hands, trying to get myself under control enough that I can figure out what my next move needs to be. “I’ll drive myself home,” I tell Uncle Nico while hopping down from his truck.
“I don’t think that’s a good Idea.”
“I’m not crying right now, and my house is five minutes away. I’ll be fine.”
His eyes search my face for a moment and he shakes his head. I know he doesn’t want to let me go, but he knows he doesn’t have a choice. “I’ll follow you.”
“Sure,” I agree, pulling my keys from my pocket and getting into my Jeep.
I turn down the music so I can focus on driving.
It takes only a few minutes to get home, and I wave Uncle Nico off then look at my house.
The windows are dark, and I know when I get inside I will be greeted by emptiness, and that thought brings a fresh wave of tears to my eyes.
I let out a ragged breath, pick up my cell phone out of my cup holder, and dial.
“Dad,” I sob like an idiot when he answers the phone.
“July?” he asks, and I rest my forehead on the steering wheel of my car and will myself to calm down enough to talk.
“Dad, I need to tell you something.”
“If you tell me you’re pregnant, I’m killing someone.”
“I’m in love,” I cry then sniffle, covering my face. “Dad?” I pull the phone from my ear and look at the screen when the phone stays silent.
“I’m here,” he says softly, and I hear shuffling. “Why are you crying?”
“Oh God, Dad. I’m so dumb…so, so dumb.”
“You are not dumb. Now tell me what’s wrong.”
“I was supposed to tell you about Wes, but I never did, and tonight, Uncle Nico came to the compound, and it came out that you don’t know who he is.
He told someone to make sure I got home and took off.
I don’t want to hurt him. I love him, Dad…
like really, really love him.” I cry harder, my breath hiccupping with each gulp of air.
“What do you mean ‘compound’?” he asks.
“Bike compound,” I explain then shake my head. “That doesn’t matter, Dad. Are you even listening to me?”
“Bike compound?” he asks, and I can hear the frown in his voice.
“A place bikers hang out, Dad. Focus.”
“I hope you mean bicyclist, and not an MC.”
“Dad!” I yell, becoming more and more frustrated.
“Fuck,” he clips, then I hear more shuffling. “I’m on my way.”
“What?” I freeze.
“I’ll meet you at your house in twenty minutes max.”
“Dad?”
“See you soon,” he says and hangs up.
I pull the phone from my ear and look at it for a long moment while wondering just how stupid I am. “Oh, shit!” I scream, getting out of the car and coming face-to-face with Mic, who’s standing with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Was gonna knock on your window, but you were on the phone.”
“I was talking to my dad,” I tell him, drying my eyes.
“I heard.” He puts his arm around my shoulders and leads me up to my house.
“Have you talked to Wes?” I ask him, and he shakes his head, making a fresh wave of tears fill my eyes. I shake my head and open my front door, crying harder when Capone begins to jump around at my feet.
“He’ll be back; just give him a chance to cool down,” Mic says, and I nod.
I know he’s right, but I hate the idea of him somewhere pissed off at me.
Not that he doesn’t have a right to be pissed.
I have continuously changed the subject or made excuses for why he and my dad haven’t met, and because of that, I hurt him.
I just hope that when Wes does come home, he will be willing to let me plead my case.
“You can go back to the compound. My dad will be here in just a few minutes,” I tell Mic while going to my kitchen and grabbing the roll of paper towels off the counter.
“I’ll just wait until he gets here, if that’s okay?” he asks as I take a seat on the couch, wiping my face. Then I start to think about the last week and the fact I haven’t been alone at all. I pull the paper towel away from my face and look at Mic.
“What’s going on?”
“Just doing a favor for my brother.”
“No,” I shake my head, “I haven’t had a moment’s break over the last week. If Wes isn’t with me, one of you guys is. Why is that?”
“Just being cautious. You know Wes is protective of you,” he states. I know he’s lying, but he pulls his eyes from me, looking at the front door when a car door slams outside, so I know that’s the end of the conversation.
“It’s my dad,” I say when a knock sounds on the door that causes Capone to start barking. Mic nods and goes to the entrance with me. I glare and he just shrugs.
“Hey, Dad.” I open the door and tears pool in my eyes as he pulls me in for a hug.
“This him?” he asks, lifting his chin at Mic.
“No, this is Mic. Mic, this is my dad, Asher.”
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Mic says before his eyes come to me and go soft. “I’m gonna step outside.” He chucks me under my chin before he walks out the door.
“So that’s not him?”
“No, he’s Wes’ friend.” I sigh, going to the couch and sitting down.
“Why’s he here?” he asks, and I hate that I have to lie to him, but there is no way I can tell him what is going on, even if I don’t know all the details.
“Wes is protective,” I say, hoping he will accept that explanation.
“Huh…” my dad grunts, taking a seat. The moment his body folds into my couch, he takes my hand in his, and then his eyes go soft as he searches my face for a long time before he speaks.
“So, you’re really in love?” he questions quietly in the same tone he used to talk to me in when I was little, when he would find me crying or upset.
“Yeah.” I nod and swallow through the lump that has formed in my throat then wipe my eyes with the paper towel I still have in my hand.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, squeezing my hand.
Sheesh! Why didn’t I tell him about Wes? There are so many reasons, but now I feel like none of them make sense. None of them were good enough reasons for hurting Wes.
“I don’t know.” I cover my face with my hands.
“Wes is like no one I have been with before; even Jax said that.” I close my eyes, trying to get my thoughts in order before speaking again.
“I want you to like him,” I say when I open my eyes.
“I love you, and I want you to like him, because I love him.”
“You’re my baby girl.” He smiles and his hand comes up to hold my cheek.
“From the moment your mom told me she was pregnant with you, my world changed, and you became one of the most important things in my life. When you took your first breath, I knew I would do everything within my power to make sure that each breath you took was easy. You will always be my baby girl, and I can’t promise you I will like any man you’re with. ”
He pulls me forward and kisses my forehead.
“Your grandfather gave me a chance with your mom, and I swore that when my girls told me they were in love I would find a way to make peace with that, so they would never have to choose between me and the man they wanted to share their lives with,” he confesses, and I cry harder, sobbing into his chest as he wraps his arms around me.
“I love you, Dad,” I hiccup.
“Love you too, more than anything in this world.”
“What should I do about Wes?” I ask, pulling away and wiping my face.
“Just talk to him. If he’s a man worthy of you, he’ll understand your reasoning.”
“What if he doesn’t?” I whisper my biggest fear.
“Then he doesn’t deserve you,” he states, standing.
I follow him up and walk him to the door.
He gives me a hug, and a kiss on the forehead, before stepping out onto the front porch.
“Call me tomorrow,” he orders, walking to his Jeep, passing Mic on the way and shaking his hand.
I give him a small wave as he backs out of my driveway then look at Mic, who is standing near his bike, talking on his phone.
“Is that him?” I ask hopefully.
“No, babe, go back inside,” he tells me, and I frown but step back into my house and shut the door.
The moment the door closes, I realize how quiet it is.
Since the moment I met Wes, there has been a loudness in my life that wasn’t there before.
Not the kind of noise that is annoying or that you want to get away from, but the kind of noise that lets you know you’re alive and that the life you’re living is full.
I didn’t know my life was missing anything until Wes…
until now. Closing my eyes, I take a few deep breaths then pick up the remote and turn on the TV, hoping the sound will help chase away the feeling that has settled in my gut since I watched Wes ride away.
“You did this to yourself,” I whisper, going to the kitchen and getting a bottle of water before walking to my room and changing into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Afterwards, I head out to the living room to watch some TV.
“You’re home,” I murmur as I’m lifted off the couch and tucked close to Wes’ front as he carries me to my room.
“Sleep,” he mutters, laying me down then pulling the covers over me. I chew on my bottom lip, watching him, trying to gauge where his head’s at.
His back is to me, and he lifts his shirt off over his head and drops it to the floor, and then the sound of his belt coming off fills the silence, making that coiled ball of energy in my stomach unravel slightly with the knowledge that he’s not leaving.
“I’m sorry.” I reach out to him and run my fingers down his back as he takes a seat on the side of the bed. The moment I touch him, his muscles contract and he looks over his shoulder at me.
“We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
“I told my dad. He was here earlier.” I close my eyes, hating the distance I feel between us.
“I know you will probably think it’s idiotic, but the idea of you and my dad not getting along is one of the worst things I can imagine.
” I open my eyes back up, seeing he’s still watching me.
“I love my dad; he’s my best friend, but since the moment I met you, that has changed.
You have become important in a way that I know if I had to choose between the two of you, I wouldn’t be able to without it ripping me apart. ”
“You think I would make you choose between us?” he growls, and his brows shoot together.
Okay, said out loud like that makes it sound stupid.
“I…I don’t think you would,” I shake my head. “I don’t think he would either, but how could I choose between two men I love?”
“Love?”
“What?” I ask, confused.
“You said you couldn’t choose between the two men you love.” He crawls over me, pressing me into the bed with his weight, his face inches from mine. “You love me?” he asks softly, and I shake my head and close my eyes. “July, open your eyes and look at me.”
I shake my head again and his hands go to each side of my face.
“Baby, open your eyes and look at me.” The tone of his voice has my eyes opening to look at him.
“I love you too,” he says, and my eyes slide closed and I let his words wash over me before opening them again.
“Loving you means I want what’s best for you and that I want you to be happy.
You think I don’t know what your family means to you?
” He pushes my hair away from my face. “You don’t think I see the way your face lights up when you talk about your dad, or the love you have for him?
” He kisses my lips then my chin. “I see it baby, and regardless if we get along, I would never make you choose between us.”
“I can’t believe you love me.”
“That’s all you got from that speech?” he asks, smiling.
“Uh basically…”
“I have no idea what I’m going to do with your crazy ass,” he mutters, looking over my head.
“Hey,” I smack his side, “you telling me you love me is kinda a big deal.”
“No more keeping shit from me,” he demands as his face goes serious.
“Promise,” I agree.
“Next time, I’m spanking your ass.”
My body freezes under him, and the space between my legs tingles from the thought of him spanking me.
“Interesting.” He smiles, and I pull my bottom lip into my mouth before I blurt out something completely inappropriate.
“Ruined,” he says, biting my chin, making me gasp as he pulls one of my legs around his hip.
“What are you doing?” I moan as he runs his hand down my stomach into my sweats.
“Make-up sex, baby,” he whispers against my mouth as he slides two fingers inside me.