Chapter 41
41
BAILEY
I skipped out of the front door of my building to find him sitting on his bike waiting for me. This had become our ritual every Wednesday for campaign night. He would pick me up, I would come down and jump on his bike, and we would go to hangout with his friends together. I always brought a book to read with me and looked forward to my weekly game night with the boys. At first, I could tell that my attendance wasn’t welcome, but over time, everyone seemed to come around.
I was wearing a pair of light washed jeans and a yellow sweater that I bought with my sign-on bonus from Kolbi. He recently brought me on as a full-time event planner for his company because he was hoping to expand into new markets after the start of the year. I gladly accepted the role and was honest with him that I planned to use my income to fund my own business one day. He told me he expected nothing less and would be proud to partner with me once I had it launched. I didn’t tell the others this, but Kolbi was my favorite.
The temperatures had dropped as December began and I was glad I had added another layer under my sweater. As I approached Hank, he stood from his bike and extended his arm towards me.
“There she is, mi hermosa? 1 ,” he hummed, pulling me in and planting a kiss on my cheek. I smiled at him as I tucked my purse into the saddlebag of his bike.
“Hey there, soldier.” I slipped my arms into my riding jacket and waited for him to zip me up and snap the button under my chin. Then, I gently pulled my helmet over my face and tilted my chin up so he could affix the buckle.
“Hey,” he started, looking at me with a smile through the open visor on my helmet. “I just want you to know you’re the most beautiful girl in the world and I love you.”
“I love you too.” I smiled back. He slipped a finger into my helmet and touched my nose before tilting my head down to kiss the top of my helmet. This had become something he did before every ride together and I loved it. He carefully pulled the visor down and took his seat on his bike. Once he had his helmet on, I slipped in behind him and we took off for game night.
As I hugged my body to his, the air whipping around us as we maneuvered through the city, I realized just how safe I felt. The one undeniable thing about Hank is he always made me feel safe, no matter where we were. From the first time I saw him to the first time I spoke to him, he brought me a sense of peace and safety I hadn’t felt before meeting him.
He had helped mend me by just being himself and by letting me be me.
And for that, I would love him forever.