Chapter 14 Gracie Mae
Gracie Mae
The day is finally here.
I’m officially going to be a college graduate at twenty-three years old.
I break out into a little happy dance. Squealing with delight and a smile spread across my face.
I’m in the middle of my dance when my little brother comes in my room.
“Connor!” I exclaim excitedly. Dashing across my small room I wrap both my arms around him tightly and pick him up.
I do a little spin with him but have to put him back down because he isn’t little like he used to be.
Sometimes when I look at him I forget that.
I still see the young boy who was always attached to my leg.
He laughs, the pure sound filling light in my heart and soul. “Today is the big day! You did it, sis! You freakin’ did it!” He shouts proudly.
I feel like I might burst into tears.
His blue eyes, the same shade as mine have a twinkle in them.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you, champ.” My voice chokes at the end.
“I didn’t do anything,” he argues but I completely disagree.
I place my hands on his shoulders and look him the eyes so he can see just how much I mean what I’m about to say.
“You kept me going, Connor. When I wanted to give up, when I was exhausted beyond belief, when I didn’t know how I could possibly do it, you made it all possible for me.
Because I knew if I did this, if I achieved this that meant that one day you could, too.
I’m so proud to be your big sister, Connor.
You don’t know how proud I am but I wanted to achieve something so you could be proud of me. ”
He throws his arms around me, fiercely holding me to him. “I’m always proud of you. Always.”
I hold him tighter, afraid that if I let go he will slip through my fingers.
All too soon we let go of each other. Both of us having tears in our eyes.
“I forgot the tissue box,” he sniffles and I giggle.
“Just don’t forget them later,” I tease him. I press the pads of my fingers gently under my eyes to help stop the running of my mascara. “When I see you in the crowd after I accept my diploma I’m going to be a mess.”
“More than you are now?” He jokes, laughing through the end of his tears.
I swat on him on the arm. “Hey!”
“Should I have one box or two?”
Playfully I roll my eyes at him. “One box should be enough, champ.”
“I don’t know,” he begins doubtful, “with how emotional you are we might need two.”
I gasp. “You little twerp!” I go to ruffle his hair but he dodges me. I try again and he begins to run out of my room. I follow behind him as he dashes through the short hall and the kitchen. Before I know it he makes a break for it outside.
We used to do this all the time when he was younger.
My brother loved having me chase him because in the end he knew I would tickle him to death.
Increasing my pace by just the slightest I gain up on him and tackle him from behind.
We both land on the soft grass out of breath.
As we catch our breath we stare up at the large blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds.
Growing up poor we didn’t have much. We hardly had anything at all. Even when I began to work at the age of fifteen I still couldn’t afford much. When you can’t afford the luxuries of board games or gaming systems you had to rely on your imagination.
One of the games Connor and I always played while growing up was guessing the shapes of clouds.
We stayed outside for hours.
In the clouds I could dream of a better life for us.
“I see a future, Grace,” my brother says softly.
I squint up at the sky, hoping in the clouds that I see the same.
As I continue to search he describes to me what he sees in the clouds amongst the sky.
“I see a home that’s for you and me. A new cool car that you can drive me to school in.
I see a dog. A big one. A big fluffy dog that I’ll name Chewbacca.
” A fresh wave of tears stream down my face yet I wear a smile.
My heart bursts with warmth, spreading through my veins and seeping through my pores.
“I see two hearts. One of them being mine and one from a very special someone else. I see a future, sis. And today is only the beginning for us.”
“I see it.” My voice is a bare whisper but I know he can hear me. I reach across the space between us and grab ahold of his hand. He interlocks his fingers with mine and squeezes. I swallow past the heavy lump in my throat. “I see our future, too.”
And I know where ever life may take me, what ever may come my way, as long as I have my little brother by my side I know that I’ll be okay.
“I love you, champ.”
“I love you, too.”
As we begin to walk back to our trailer we hear the distinct sound of the roaring engines of motorcycles that come from the end of our street. Connor pulls away from me and runs towards it.
“Be careful!” I shout after him but I know my warning has fallen on deaf ears.
The line of motorcycles stop outside of our trailer.
Sticks being at the front of the line followed by Oak, Snake, Dex, Pax and then lastly Slater.
Their Old Ladies, Rosa, Alice, Haven and Stella accompany them on the back.
Each of them wear a cut of their own that says Property of Vipers MC on the front.
On the back it says property or each of their men.
Connor runs straight to Oak.
He stands tall, straddling his bike beneath him making it look awfully small when I know per fact that it’s not.
I admire him from afar before he has the chance to see me.
His leather cut is on as usual but it’s what he has on underneath that has my mouth gone dry and my panties embarrassingly wet.
His black dress shirt pressed tightly against his skin showcases every one of his hard muscles and is unbuttoned in the front to where it exposes his tattooed chest. As if that isn’t enough he even has he sleeves rolled up to expose his tattooed forearms that I’ve discovered I have an unhealthy thing for.
Black jeans that are ripped at the knees are perfectly made for him as they hug his enormous thighs.
He finishes the ensemble with black steel toed boots and his signature aviator sunglasses.
The man is sex on legs.
Swinging his leg behind him he does so just in time as Connor slams into him.
I watch in a daze as he pretends to stumble backwards with his arms wrapped around the little guy.
Connor beams up at him. It swells my heart to see Oak smiling back down at him.
One day I’m going to have him smiling without the guilt that presses down on his chest. One day when he smiles he won’t feel the weight of his past.
“Grace! My college graduate!” Alice beams at me. She disengages from Snake, who lets her go begrudgingly, and closes the distance to engulf me in one of her warm embraces.
Wrapping my arms around her I feel the love she emits. Tilting my head back I see how proud she is of me. “I’m so proud of you, Grace. I can’t wait to watch my best friend walk off that stage with her degree.”
Tears press at the back of my eyes. “I can’t believe it’s actually happening.”
“I can,” she then continues to praise me, “you’re intelligent, beautiful, determined and kind. I would be more shocked if today wasn’t happening.”
“Alice.” My voice catches as a tear slides down my face.
“Which is why when I give you this gift you are going to be selfish for a change because you deserve it.”
Then digging in the inside pocket of her Vipers MC cut she produces a white envelope.
My mind immediately goes back to Snake giving me one at Fantasy three weeks ago and inside it had money for my cap and gown and then some.
It was far too generous and I felt terrible for taking it but I knew if I didn’t it would only upset Alice.
She hands me the envelope and I take it with shaky fingers.
Due to my hands being shaky I hear a clink of metal.
My heart drops out of my chest and plummets to my stomach.
“Alice,” I begin, my face blanche.
“Open it,” she encourages me.
Holding my breath I open the envelope and pull out a pair of silver keys with a small stack of papers stapled behind it.
I feel the keys between my fingers and my mind is momentarily stupefied.
“Come on, read the top of the paper,” Alice insists in a gentle tone.
Releasing a shaky breath I hold they keys in my palm with a tenacious grip and read the top of the paper.
The paper drops from my hands as I stare wide eyes at Alice who has tears in her eyes but a huge smile on her face.
“I know you don’t want to stay in Hollows Point.
I know you don’t see a future here for you and Connor.
But until you gain custody of him I know you have to stay here.
Which is why Reed and I bought a two bedroom house in the better part of Hollows Point.
I knew you wouldn’t accept a house as a gift, which is what I really wanted to do but we paid off the first six months for you.
All you have to do is sign and be an amazing tenant and the house is yours. ”
“This is too much.” I start to give her the keys back but she closes them in my hand.
“It’s not nearly enough,” she argues and I shake my head. “This is the least I can do. So let me. Please, let me.”
“Connor, where’s my tissue box?” I jokingly ask him while helplessly wiping my nose on my shirt. Disgusting, I know but whatever. I honestly could care less at this point.
“I might not have a tissue box,” his deep rasp of a voice hits me and my heart starts beating frantically.
I blink through my tears and manage to see him coming closer to me, his arms outstretched, begging me to fill the space.
The air charges around us and as he pulls me in his arms it sparks.
He wraps his one arm around my back like a band of steel while his large roughened hand cradles the back of my head.
I smell the familial scent that’s distinct to him.
A fine clean scent mixed with his natural musk and motor oil.
“But I’ll always be there to wipe your tears.
” Then he tips my head back and with his thumb collects the tears that fall.
I stare up at him like the eighth wonder of the world.
“You’re here,” I breathe, stating the obvious because I can’t think of anything else to say.
He smiles down at me, a small one that shows a glimpse of his teeth and pierces my heart. Oak smiling is a rare beauty that I will always treasure. It’s a downright crime that he doesn’t allow himself to smile more often.
“Where else would I be?” He asks me so softly that my heart aches in the sweetest way.
“I didn’t know if you would be able to make it.”
Removing his hand from the back of my head he takes his sunglasses off.
There I see the intensity in those icy blue eyes of his.
Always cold to everyone else yet they melt just for me.
With his arm wrapped around my back he presses me closer to him.
No space left between us. I can’t even suppress the shudder that shoots down my spine.
“I told you once and I’ll say it again,” his eyes flash as he speaks straight to my heart, “nothing will ever be in my way to get to you. You hear me?”
God, when he says that my heart does crazy things inside my chest.
“Do you hear me?” His voice matches the intensity in his eyes. I nod. “That’s not enough,” lowering his head he speaks in a low tone just for me to hear, “use that pretty mouth of yours and tell me.”
Why is it that I want to obey every one of his demands? Since when have I become a submissive woman?
I breathe, “I hear you.”
With his knuckle he gently grazes my cheek before allowing his thumb to swipe across my opened bottom lip. “I love your mouth, baby. Always use it.”
Damn me to hell because that’s exactly where I’m going with all these sinful thoughts.
With his smoldering eyes I know he’s thinking the same.
It’s even proven when I feel him hardening against me.
“Now be a good girl and stand directly in front of me so know one can see what you do to me,” he orders huskily. Spellbound by him I do just that. He then places his hands on either side of my hips and pulls me flush against him.
It feels so damn right to be in his arms.
I hope that he’ll never let me go.
Even if he did I’ll fight.
Because this. . .this is where I belong. With him. With Vipers MC.