11. Chapter 10
Kodi – Ten Days Later
“I have to tell you, Kodi, you need to go to Paris, it is amazing,” Clark gushes in my ear, and I chuckle as I look both ways and cross the road from the precinct towards my car before Dad or even worse, Masters, sees me, especially with my choice of outfit.
After Dad had begun to block me in several times lately, I’ve had no choice but to park across the street.
It’s been just under two weeks since Dad smacked me, just under two weeks, and I have been permanently staying at the motel, which I hate, because Knuckles never stays the night, and loneliness fills me.
He’s become someone I rely on, someone I look forward to seeing, someone I love with everything in me, yet he hasn’t kissed me.
He’s done everything else, but that, and that is how I know we don’t have a future.
I quickly climb into my car and murmur, “I will one day,” hoping I believe my own words, but knowing Dad, that will never happen, especially if he finds out about my plans.
“Have you spoken to your dad?” Clark asks, and I sigh and admit, “No, but not for the lack of trying on his end and not because he’s sorry. He keeps demanding to know where I’m staying, been blocking my car in at work.”
I turn the ignition on, and my phone bleeps before Clark's voice echoes in my car, “Are you staying with your partner?”
I look at my stereo in shock. “What?” I splutter, “What would make you think that?”
Like seriously, where on earth did she get that idea from?
“Well, he uh, I mean, he stares at your butt half the time,” she stutters in return, and I scrunch my nose up.
“He’s an egotistic pig that my dad is trying to push me towards because he can control me. I’ve never even allowed the man to put a finger on me.” I choke, then mindlessly say, “Besides, I’m seeing someone…”
I clamp my mouth shut and widen my eyes.
Crap, why did I just say that?
“You are?” she gasps, “Who?”
Oh, double crap.
“I, um, uh,” I stutter before I sigh, “I’m not ready to say anything yet, so please don’t use the friend code against me.”
Clark’s quiet for a moment before she starts laughing as my phone beeps and I roll my eyes at her.
Friend code means, if she asks claiming it, I have to tell her, it’s something we’ve done since we were kids, and it’s how I knew she actually had a thing for Trick before she even realized it.
After she admitted she’d marry him if she had to marry any brother when I used the code after she hesitated, while of course Belle chose Crash after Belle asked the question to begin.
I didn’t say to anyone, which in Belle’s eyes meant I wanted Crash when I didn’t. I was just focused on my art, so no one was on my radar.
Shaking my head at my cackling friend, I check my phone and swallow hard as my stomach sinks.
My Fighter:
The gym is empty. Fireball, get your sexy ass here, then we’ll head to the motel afterwards.
I’m in love with him, I know I am, but, I don’t see a future with him because I know he doesn’t see one with me, that this arrangement is just for now, I mean it’s been nearly three months and the man hasn’t even kissed me, something he made clear he’d only do when he believes he can promise me forever.
I don’t want to stop what we’re doing. I’ve come to realize that I need him to breathe, and that love with the right man can be epic, but we’ve got an end date, I have an end date, four weeks kind of end date.
How do I tell him that I applied for a job at school in Boston and got accepted?
Crap, how do I tell Clark?
I meant when I said I couldn’t stay around here. Dad is slowly killing me, and him hitting me and not feeling any remorse… My brother is even now siding with him about me becoming the deputy, despite knowing the role belongs to him and dating Masters… it’s too much.
I need out, but needing out means leaving my pregnant friend, whom I can admit I haven’t been there for over the years because of Belle’s jealousy, and leaving the love of my life.
“Okay, okay, I won’t friend code you,” she chuckles, and I shake my head as I pull out onto the road and head in the direction of the gym, already fully aware I’m being followed by one of Dad’s lackies.
Dad has someone follow me every single goddamn day, and even though he knows I’m at the motel, he has no idea what room I’m in because I always go in through the backway where full-time customers park, which is fenced and gated.
It also helps that the room is under Liam’s name not mine…
.Liam is his legal name, Knuckles is what I still call him since he hasn’t given me the green light to use Liam.
“Did you ever hear back from Belle after the wedding?” Clark asks as I indicate right, but go left to throw off the police cruiser, who goes left, and I quickly pick up my speed before going down different little roads so he can’t catch up, and I tense at Clark's question.
“I well, uh,” I stutter, and she quickly interjects, “Friend code,” and I groan.
Dammit.
“She called screaming down the phone at me, calling me jealous and a friend stealer. Claimed everything is my fault for not getting in touch with her sooner to tell her about the surprise wedding so she could plan it her way,” I reluctantly admit, especially when she didn’t use it a moment ago, and she gasps in shock.
“It’s fine, Clark,” I try even though I know it isn’t fine.
I don’t know what it is about me, but Belle has never liked me and only pretended for Clark's sake. The woman is very territorial over the people in her life, and Crash is going to need all the luck in the world to keep her happy.
“It isn’t fine. It’s not your fault that she decided to blame my husband!” Clark snaps, and I wince.
Before her and Trick went on a family moon with Willow to Paris, Trick had a shift at the hospital and Belle being a nurse was on his team.
Trick was tending to a patient when he asked Belle for a needle so he could draw up some blood but instead of handing it to him, she stabbed the needle into his hand then proceeded to call Crash in tears claiming Trick had mistreated her all shift after he told her he’ll have to report her and conveniently she left out the stabbing of the needle incident when she had actually been immature throughout the day with him, blaming him as to why she missed the vow renewal.
Crash apparently hasn’t spoken to her after she lied to him and injured a brother.
She’s been banned from the clubhouse, and she’s currently suspended from work and is pleading with Clark to speak to the board so she doesn’t lose her job.
Clark has refused because, of course, Belle tried to lie to Clark as well about the incident.
Apparently, she’s also banned from Willow which is bad considering she watched the little girl a lot.
“Maybe she’s just going through something,” I try as I drive down the street towards the gym now that I’ve lost the patrol car, and Clark huffs.
“I don’t care. For months, she’s been off, and I’m done making excuses for her, Kodi.
She has no right calling and blaming you, and you know what, I’m not having it.
She needs a reality check before she loses my brother,” Clark snaps, and I wince but silently groan when she asks, “Didn’t you have a job interview?
You know, so you could get out from underneath your father's thumb?”
I clear my throat as I pull up in front of the gym, seeing Trick's bike here, and I look down and wince at my sports bra and leggings that I changed into before leaving work.
Crap, Knuckles is going to kill me.
Turns out, he doesn’t like other men seeing my body… Who knew he was such a caveman, huh?
“I did, and I got offered the job and be an art teacher,” I admit, “The one at the gallery said they weren’t hiring, so I went for the next best thing.”
Clark squeals in delight, making me grimace as I admit, “The job is in Boston,” and she goes deathly silent.
“You’re not leaving me,” she instantly says and I sigh but she continues, “No, look I get it, your dad is a dick and I know I’m being selfish but please Kodi, since your mom died you’ve barely kept in touch.
Only when you wanted to see Willow which yes I can admit I was jealous over and this past month has been amazing having you around fully again. Please don’t leave me…”
I look over the gym, and I swallow hard.
“I don't really have much of a choice, Clark. Dad is making everything really hard at the moment. He even tried to have my car towed yesterday. I need to do this,” I whisper, and she sniffles.
“But what about the man you’re seeing?” she tries, and I eye the gym.
“He’s not ready for a forever kind of thing,” I reluctantly admit, and she sniffles again, and I hate it. “Look, I have a boxing session, why don’t we meet up tomorrow? I’m on a half day.”
“That sounds good, but know, I’m not letting this go, Kodi, I won’t lose my friend, especially when my other one has gone off the rails slightly,” she chokes before she hangs up, and I sigh.
I don’t want to leave, but I don’t really have a choice, it’s not like I can bring the wrath of my father on Knuckles or the club. It isn’t fair.
Shaking my head, I climb out of my jeep, knowing I’m going to have to speak to him, but first, I want to spend a few hours enjoying feeling his sweaty body against mine before spending the night with him inside me, and then I’ll speak to him.
Maybe…
Or I could just text him when I’ve already moved like a wuss.