Chapter 19 Jericho
JERICHO
My hands are black and covered in grease, but as I tighten the last bolt into place on the underside of the carriage, I feel a sense of pride.
It’s been a while since I helped my dad work on cars, almost too long, and I forgot how much I loved it.
When I was deployed, I helped with the vans every now and again, but those Humvees have a diesel engine and I am no diesel mechanic.
I grab my dad’s red rag that he left on the cart and wipe my hands the best I can. If I try to wash my hands in my mom’s kitchen sink, she would probably keel over.
The purr of an engine coming up the driveway has me abandoning the rag, and walking out of the garage to meet my boyfriend.
Liam parks his car right behind my bike, and I wait for him while he gets out.
My face hurts from how hard I’m smiling, because everything else aside, Liam is one of my best friends.
Even if we weren’t in a relationship, I would still want him around because I care about him.
He’s funny, empathetic, and extroverted as fuck.
He’s never met a stranger, and that always bodes well for me when we have to go to a public setting and be cordial.
He eyes my bike, the discontentment lining his face as he sizes it up, and when his eyes lift to mine I know what he’s going to say.
“You rode? You have to be careful Jericho, and tell me when you do it. I worry about you already, and the thought of you falling off this death trap and bleeding out on the side of the road stresses me out.” His words are strangled and I feel awful for causing him to worry like this, but he worries about everything.
Sometimes, I worry that he doesn’t see me as the man I am now, the man I’ve worked hard to become. I think he still sees me as the man who hobbled into the gym on a pair of crutches without my prosthetic because I just needed something to make me feel normal.
“I did, just to the Carpenter’s and back.
” I want to reach out and touch him, run my hands down his arms and get him to truly see me for who I am.
But, my hands are dirty and I’m too much of a coward to confront him like that.
It’s better for me if I let sleeping dogs lie and paste a smile on my face. “I’m fine baby, all in one piece.”
His eyes say he doesn't believe me, and maybe we’re thinking the same thing.
There’s no use in bringing it up, because I’m going to keep doing what I want and he’s going to keep worrying.
I can’t let the loss of one appendage keep me from living my life.
I’ve already lost too much because of it, and I refuse to lose anymore.
“Dinner should be about done, let me wash my hands off out here real quick and then we can go in.” I walk in the garage to grab my dad’s hand soap, waiting to see what he does. I’m not sure if I would rather be left alone or have him watching me like a hawk. Both sound awful.
The guilt I was feeling earlier returns tenfold and I have to bite my bottom lip until I taste the copper tang of blood so I don’t blurt out that at least I had someone riding with me. I’m sure that would not go over well.
Liam follows me to the side of the house, and watches in silence as I scrub my hands raw with the pumice soap trying to get every last remnant of the grease off me.
When it’s all off, I cut the water and rub my hands against my jeans. They’re thick enough I don’t have to worry about the water seeping through them.
“I wish you wouldn’t ride by yourself,” Liam finally says. He’s not standing close to me, the gap between us growing every second. I could tell him that Raiden was with me, that would fix his fears about me being by myself.
Which argument would be worse? Me riding by myself, or me riding with someone Liam disapproves of?
“I know, baby. It’s just hard to find someone who wants to ride with me.
None of the guys will because they hate the bitch seat.
” I try an awkward laugh, but Liam doesn’t join in.
“Let’s not talk about this right now, we can talk about it later.
At my house?” I risk cupping his neck, and tracing my thumb against his pulse point.
I feel it speed up under my ministrations and bite back a smile when I see the tension slowly leaving his body.
“Fine, but you’re taking Jojo for a walk when we get there. I hate taking her on walks at your apartment.” He begrudgingly agrees and I lean forward and press my lips to his, tasting the spearmint gum he loves to chew on.
“Deal,” I whisper, and tease my tongue across the seam of his lips. This is easy with Liam, our physical connection has sparks flying every time we’re together. It's the communication part we suck at, and I know that’s my fault. I’ll give him what I can though.
The door that leads to the garage opens, the hinges creaking loudly.
“Jer! Your mom says dinner is ready!” Raiden calls, and steps out.
When he sees me and Liam standing together he freezes, his eyes going wide.
“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, I’ll just go–” gestures his thumb over his shoulder and disappears as quickly as he came.
I want to laugh at the cute awkwardness he displayed, but think better of it when I feel Liam lean in to nuzzle his nose against my neck.
“I can’t wait for you to fuck me tonight, I’ve been feeling so empty without you inside me.” He presses into me, and my dick hardens in my pants.
“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”
His smirk is teasing, and he steps back and sashays through the garage and opens the door leading into the house. “Coming?”
“I fucking wish,” I mumble under my breath, but follow him inside.
The seating arrangement is awkward, and I wish I would have thought about that before inviting Raiden and Liam over. Typically, Liam sits across from me and beside my mom, while I sit beside my dad. That’s not how it worked tonight though with three extra people crammed into the small space.
Liam is on my right, and Raiden is to my left. With Ema right across from me and my mom across from Raiden. My dad is in front of Liam, with Rodney at the head of the table.
“How’s work going, Jericho? Any new clients I would know?” She asks the same question every time, and we share a smile, the banter between us that I’m used to.
“You know I can’t tell you, Ema.” I scold, playfully. That doesn’t stop her from trying to guess. She can read my facial expressions like a hawk though, so normally she can guess if she’s right or wrong. Even though I never confirm or deny.
“What do you do for work?” Raiden asks and a pin could drop at the table, it falls silent so quickly. Awkwardness flows from one person to the next as I look at Ema. She looks away from my stare and focuses on scooping a piece of rice with her chopsticks.
“I work with a few friends, my buddy owns a private security company,” I answer when I realize no one else is going to save us from the silence.
“That’s cool,” Raiden nods, taking a huge bite of sashimi Ema prepared for tonight.
Conversation is stilted after that, even as Ema tries her best to guess who my newest client is, she’s not as interested as she normally is.
“That new author that’s having her book signing downtown! I know that’s who it is!” Ema finally exclaims, waving her chopsticks around and throwing food off it.
It is, but I can’t tell her that. I also can’t tell her that I secured her and my mom both a ticket to go to the signing after my mom said she wanted to but the tickets were sold out. Sometimes, Hollis can be helpful when he wants to.
I mime zipping my lips shut and throwing away the key.
Liam is talking with my dad and Rodney over the football game that’s coming up, placing bets on who they think is going to win. Liam doesn't care either way, the team he likes isn’t playing but he enjoys watching my dad and Rodney flounder and argue over who’s the better team.
A pair of chopsticks appear out of the corner of my eye, slowly creeping towards a piece of yellowtail that I have yet to eat.
I wait, timing my execution perfectly. My head is still slightly turned to Rodney, but my focus is completely on Raiden’s chopsticks as he pinches the yellowtail between the pieces of bamboo.
I grab the chopsticks out of his hand and pop the bite into my mouth before he has time to say anything. When he realizes what happened, he gasps in outrage.
“How could you!” He demands, and I turn towards him.
His bottom lip is barely protruding, the beginning of a pout about to form on his face.
My eyes are drawn to the piercing that pokes out farther when he pouts.
I can see the hole in his skin and I have the oddest reaction to want to trace my fingertips across it.
He’s always had the smoothest skin with no blemishes, what would the piercing feel like against my fingers?
“It was mine, you shouldn’t have eaten all of yours first. You still have some tuna.” I gesture towards the thinly sliced pieces of tuna still sitting on his plate.
“Yellowtail is my favorite though,” he groans and I chuckle. It’s always been his favorite. I prefer tuna, so when we were younger we would share plates.
I reach for his plate, gently grasping the glass chinaware and bring it over to my plate. I distribute the yellowtail pieces onto his plate, and take the tuna off his. Sitting it back in front of him, I wave my chopsticks at him. “Well, eat it.”
He stares at me, mouth slightly agape. The hint of his pink tongue pokes out and traces over his top teeth.
“What do you think, Jericho?” Rodney asks me, and I snap my attention away from Raiden and towards Rodney. Liam is staring at me and my face flames red with guilt.
“Sorry, I wasn’t listening.”
My dad chuckles and slaps Rodney on the back. “That means he agrees with me, like father like son. Right, Jericho?”