Chapter 16
Ace – A Week Later
I slowly lick my bottom lip as I watch my screen on the wall, the CCTV from the kitchen clear as day and Pidge smiling as she slaves away in the kitchen catching my attention as always, and my heart leaps at how at ease she looks, how happy and fucking content.
Cooking is her passion.
I watch entranced as she says something to Shaun, who nods with a grin before leaving the kitchen again, before she gently sways to whatever music is playing on the radio, and my lips tilt.
Seeing her at college, with that fucktard trying to get her to speak to him, watching him fucking touch her, fuck…
I hated it.
Anger that I’ve felt since finding out what my mama did, it doubled, no fuck that, it tripled and I knew then and there that I can’t live without this woman.
I couldn’t sit back and watch her get with someone else, I just don’t know how I can be the man she deserves, I don’t know how not to hurt her.
I groan as I lean my head back as it spins, my mind not shutting the fuck up.
I don’t know what to fucking do.
“You said you weren’t dating!”
The fuckers angry words float around my head from last week, while the woman, Gabby, tried to get me to take her home for a quick fuck, trying her hardest to keep my attention on her even though it never was.
I shudder. She had fucking cum on her skirt for fucks sake which I’m guessing was that fucktards.
I nibble my bottom lip. The guy really didn’t want Pidge to take my offer, fuck, he was pissed thinking she was messaging me, giving me a shot until he thought it was about the job.
What the fucker doesn’t know, even eight days later, I can still feel her fucking lips against mine, I can still taste her.
She isn’t as closed off as he thinks she is, because she wants me, she’s proved that when she kissed me and all her pranks, the way she looks at me when she thinks I’m not looking.
She’s stolen my heart, and I’m beginning to see I’ve stolen hers, but we’re both denying it, both pushing the feelings away, but I just don’t know how much longer I can do this.
Mama told me to fight for her, and I said no, I refused, but I just, fuck, that guy wants her, and my protectiveness, my fuck, my possessiveness overtook me because I fucking want her, I need her.
But the question is, can I try with her?
Can I learn to trust her?
Can she learn to trust me?
Fuck, would I just hurt her?
My phone rings, bringing me out of my head, and I sigh as I grab it, my eyes flickering to the screen to see Pidge, and I answer absentmindedly.
“Yeah?” I answer.
“How are you doing, brother?” my big brother replies, and I swallow hard.
Fuck, I should have looked at the caller ID.
I haven’t spoken to him in a week, since I got him to look into where Pidge went to school, and get me her schedule, since I asked him where the club would be at financially if we put her through culinary school.
He didn’t hesitate to help me, neither did Doc, and both kept their mouths shut about why I wanted to do this, why I wanted to keep her at the diner, but I guess Dirty wants some answers.
“I’m good,” I say, clearing my throat, my eyes going to the screen again just as Pidge does a little happy dance, and my lips tilt yet again.
Guess she did something right with whatever she’s just cooked.
“And uh, how is Molly getting on in the kitchen?” he asks, not beating around the bush, and I sigh.
“Revenue has doubled this week alone, everyone loves her food and they love even more that their new cook has ventured outside the original menu,” I admit truthfully, a little bit of pride sparking in my chest for her.
She’s fucking amazing, and seeing her light up in that kitchen, fuck, I’m glad I fought for her to do this.
“Okay…”
Her hesitant whisper from last week still warms me, and the fact that fucker standing beside her, who clearly wanted her and probably still does, looked ready to blow was even better.
“Did she quit the bar?” Dirty asks, and I hum.
“She did, and the fact that we’re going around her schedule with college made it an easy decision for her. She can now do what she loves while earning a good pay check,” I answer, not taking my eyes off the screen, her small tilt of her lips mesmerizing as she whisks something in a bowl with ease.
“What about her degree? Has she pulled from it so we can start the process for Culinary school?” he asks, and I wince.
Shit…
“Nah, she’s worked on that degree for four years, she doesn’t have long left, brother, she doesn’t want to be a quitter,” I reply, and he hums in understanding, and I wait him out.
I know what he wants to know, I know our dad has most likely bitched that Mama refuses to explain what we spoke about but I just don’t know if I want to tell him, or fucking anyone.
I mean, even now, she thinks I’ve walked away from Pidge, fuck, I thought I had until I reached for my phone and planned to have her take over the kitchen at the diner only two hours after that conversation with my mother.
“Talk to me, Luca,” Dirty whispers, and I swallow hard.
“I’m not ready, Alex,” I grunt.
“Dads pissed, Luca, he said Mama was sobbing, and she won’t tell him why,” he mentions, and I snort.
“Did he ever think that maybe she is trying to prove to me that I can trust her? That maybe she’s trying to earn my trust back that she broke?” I ask him.
“That is exactly what I told him, Luca, but I’m your brother. I’ve kept quiet for a week, I’ve let you do what you need to do, but I’m worried about you,” he says, and I sigh as I run my hand through my hair.
“When I’m ready, I’ll speak up,” I reluctantly say, and I swallow hard watching Pidge grin.
Fuck, her whole face lights up.
I need to speak to her. We need to get shit on the table, about my bike, about our feelings, fucking everything, to see if what we’re feeling can survive my trust issues, if we can become something, I guess.
I need to see if we can have a future together before other people get involved.
“Okay, I’ll give you time, but remember, I’m always here, Luca,” Dirty says softly, and I swallow hard as I look down.
Fuck, he’d be so disappointed in me if he knew I did coke, if he knew I stole from the club's shipment even though I did put money in the clubs accounts to balance what I stole.
He’d probably disown me, and don’t get me started on my parents.
Mama texts every fucking day, trying her hardest to get me to open up again, but as soon as she knows what I reverted to…
Shit will hit the fan.
“Thanks, Alex,” I whisper as I look at the screen, my eyes straight on Molly, my girl, and the lump grows bigger in my throat.
Would she be disgusted if she knew what I did to hide from the pain?
***
“Last customer has left, Ace,” Shaun says three hours later as he pops his head into my office, and I nod as I flick my eyes to the screen to see Pidge starting to clean the kitchen, and I swallow hard.
“Send everyone home,” I demand, and he frowns, but a smirk soon appears when I mutter, “but make sure Pidge doesn’t know.”
“About fucking time,” he mumbles before leaving, and I stay seated while watching the screen until he messages.
I don’t need anyone interrupting us. I don’t need a fucking crowd. This is hard for me already, but I just know I can’t walk away from her. The thought of even trying makes it fucking hard to breathe.
My phone pings, and I lift it slightly and take a deep breath.
Shaun – All clear, good luck.
Fuck.
I look at the screen and notice Pidge turning on the dishwasher and I take a deep breath before standing and walk towards the door, switching the screen off as I go. My body trembles.
I’m scared, I can admit that, she’s someone I thought I would have, but then I lost faith in love, in trusting someone.
I’m fucking scared.
Sucking my lip ring into my mouth, I walk into the kitchen, and her eyes instantly come to mine.
She’s been dodging me, has been since we kissed, and I’ve allowed her because, well, I’ve been trying to get my head around it as it is.
“How was your shift?” I ask her, starting off lightly, and she smiles blissfully.
“Perfect,” she whispers, and I smirk.
“And I went a whole day without a prank,” I gloat, and she grins wide, her smile so fucking bright it blows me away.
“I don’t want you to fire me now,” she sasses back, and I chuckle as I walk over to the center island and lean against it, keeping my sole focus on the beautiful woman before me.
Her brown hair is up in a neat bun, she’s wearing a chef’s jacket and skinny jeans, and she is fucking gorgeous.
“I wouldn’t do that,” I say softly, and her face softens.
“Even though I wrecked your bike?” she asks, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s testing me.
I’ve gotten to know her, to know her personality and who she is as a person. She wants to know if I’ve paid attention, and yeah, I have. She is most definitely not a patch chaser. If she were, she wouldn’t have run away after we kissed, then dodged me like the plague.
“You didn’t wreck it, though, did you, Pidge?” I confirm, and her mouth parts as I continue, “You were pushed, and I’m beginning to believe Abby was the one who pushed you. I just don’t know why, because you haven’t opened up to me.”
She nibbles on her bottom lip, and the urge to pull it out pulls, but I hold back, waiting to see if she’ll trust me, to see if she’ll take this step with me.
“She’s my step-sister,” she finally admits, and I swear my heart fucking stops.
Shit, I slept with Abby, more than once.
Oh fuck no, shit, shit, shit, no.
My whole world tilts as panic hits, and I swear, I don’t know if she’ll want me knowing I slept with Abby, who has clearly treated her like fucking shit.
I need to tell her, though, don’t I?
“Yeah, I’m guessing you’ve just realized you’ve been sleeping with my step-sister…” she says, and I slowly close my eyes, and regret swells.
She already knows.