Chapter Twelve
Istared at my phone, already halfway out of my tent, but for the worst possible fucking reason. It was almost seven thirty, the best possible time for a booty call, or even just a hangout, but where was I heading? Community Service. Fuck.
Misery filled me, frustration soured every breath I took, and fury followed swiftly, because at fucking last, someone wasn’t pushing me away, and I couldn’t even take her up on it.
“This is fucking typical,” I cursed as I headed for my ride, staring at her message, and wondering what the fuck to do. I wanted to say yes to her. Wanted to take my fucking opportunity to get to know her at last, without the bitchtwin getting in my face and ruining it.
“FUCK!”
I kicked dust at my ride as I approached it, then instantly wanted to apologise to her. Why was I punishing the only thing that mattered to me aside from the woman I wanted too much.
“Brother, look at me. Is it them again?” Harley was beside me, and groaned when he saw the look on my face.
“You don’t have to do anything they want, okay?”
I was almost touched by his words, although he’d helped put me in that fucking situation in the first place, so I was still pissed at him.
“It’s not that. It’s the woman I like. She wants to meet up, but I can’t skip my fucking penance again, can I?” I frowned. “Can I?”
He shook his head firmly, pointing at my phone. “What were you planning? Can it be for after, although, fuck, that’ll be like three or four in the morning, right? Is she okay?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? The extent of the message is saying she needs to get out for a bit. Fuck. What if the insane sister is fucking with her? I should go to her instead of to the crew, right?”
He groaned, shaking his head again. “You keep ditching, and you’ll end up banged up, brother. That’s how this shit works. You do that, and you definitely won’t get to see her.”
“This is so fucked up! I’m only having to do this because her sister fucking accused me of this shit, while I was trying to look out for her!”
“Maybe the sister is obsessed with you,” Harley half joked, but it wasn’t what the real problem was, was it?
“No. I think she’s obsessed with her own sister.”
He glanced around the campsite that was formerly our clubhouse, and was now home to an almost constructed main building, and a bunch of weird tents.
“I’d say she could hang here, but there’s really nothing to do here, and she won’t know anyone.”
He was right, but it was killing me not to do something. My phone buzzed again, and I stared miserably at the screen.
Claudia: Never mind. It wasn’t a big deal. I’m watching a movie with my sister now. Another time?
Fuck fuck fuck!
Me: Yes. God, I’m so sorry I didn’t reply fast enough, I was trying to rearrange some stuff.
I couldn’t exactly say I was on my way to community service for stalking her, could I? I could leave it vague, and hope she never asked. Did she know? Was I hiding it for no fucking reason? The only person who I could ask other than her was the bitchtwin. Fuck that.
Fuck everything. What a disaster. The one time a chick, I mean, lady, actually wanted to spend time with me, and I couldn’t even fucking reply fast enough. This is why nobody fucking gives me a break. This is why I don’t even deserve one. I’m a waste of space.
“Brother, look at me. This isn’t the end of anything, okay? She’s fine. She’s not pissed. She gave you a chance, and there will be others. Look, you’ve got two nights left of community service. Get those out of the way, and then you can go on as many dates as you like, okay?”
“I fucked it up, that’s what it is. I shoulda answered right away. Fuck everything else. She should come first.”
“And she will. But you didn’t mess up. She likes you, brother. She likes you, okay? This will happen, but just keep being respectful and that’s how you won’t mess it up.”
He patted my shoulder. “Get going, or you’ll be late. We don’t want your sentence getting extended.”
He was right. I hated it when people were right about shit like this. I wanted an argument, but there wasn’t one to be had. So instead, I got on my ride, while Harley climbed on his, and I went to slave all night on a road crew. This is my penance, for so much more than ‘stalking’.
Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the site to be told my ‘penance’ was completed and signed off already. What the fuck. Did I argue? Did I hell.
I got on my ride, and headed right back to town, but not home. I went to her place. I just wanted to check it out, and make sure she was safe, even though I couldn’t go near enough to get caught. I couldn’t believe she’d wanted to see me, and I’d missed my chance, even though I ended up being free.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I sat back on my ride to dig it out of my leathers, and the two words that showed up made my blood chill in my veins.
Bennetts: You’re welcome.
What the fuck. Why were they messaging me right now? And what was I welcome for? What the hell did they do?
I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know because these fuckers counted everything they did as a debt to be repaid, and I didn’t even know what they’d done. Not knowing could be more deadly in the long run.
Me: Welcome for what?
I stared warily at my phone to wait for a response, but what if they didn’t reply? Then I’d just be wondering and shitting my pants for the rest of my days, or at least until they called again wanting me working for them.
Bennetts: We have connections. You got off early with good behaviour. We help out our friends, see. It’s a reciprocal thing. So… you’re welcome.
Fuck me. They were the reason my sentence was over?
They somehow made that happen? Who the fuck were these people and how did they have that kind of power?
The dots started bouncing again, telling me they were about to message again, and I panicked, because I don’t want more messages, not from them, not ever.
Me: Thank you. I appreciate it.
The dots stopped in the nick of time. Were they going to keep hounding me until I thanked them like a good little boy? How would I ever have known if they didn’t push me for a reaction? These fuckers were way scarier than I realised.
I figured I should let the Pres know, but at the last second, I dialled Harley instead.
“Hey, brother. All okay?”
I sighed, leaning on my helmet as I wondered about the answer to that question.
“Not sure. The Bennetts got my sentence cut short, so I’m uh… I’m done at the road crew.”
His sharp intake of breath was what I’d hoped for. It wasn’t just me thinking this shit was bizarre, and somehow risky for us.
“How do you know they were involved?”
“They messaged me to make sure I knew. I never asked for their help, you know that, right? I’d never fucking ask them for anything.”
He chuckled, but there was no mirth in it. “I know. They aren’t making any demands right now, right?”
“No. Just making sure I appreciate their unwanted help, I guess. Not sure what to do with myself right now though.”
Harley chuckled again, a slightly less strained sound this time.
“You could come and help me out. I’m just rearranging the shop. We’re bringing in a new range of helmets and I need to show them off by the window.”
Ah fuck. I opened my mouth to answer, and that’s when my future old lady saved my bacon.
Her door opened and slammed closed behind her, and she marched down the road in my direction. Had she seen me? Was she pissed at me? Nope. She suddenly halted, tugging her coat tighter around her.
“You.”
Busted.
Claudia
Movie night was a mistake. She spent the first ten minutes willingly watching quietly beside me, and then she tapped my arm.
*I just love you, you know that, right?*
I sighed, because clearly she wasn’t done justifying her behaviour lately.
*I know. Can we just watch the movie?*
She tapped me again as I tried to watch the characters and subtitles at the same time.
This is why I watch movies many times. I have to see it multiple times to see what’s happening as well as know what’s being said.
People don’t get that. Subtitles need our attention, and then we miss the subtle points of the actual movie itself.
*I feel like you’re mad at me, and I just want to keep you safe. You’re my sister, my twin, my other half. I just want what’s best for you.*
I sighed, grabbing the remote to pause the movie, before I turned back to her.
*I have to make my own way, and my own decisions.
You trying to control every element of my life isn’t love or protection.
It’s possession. It’s you trying to live my life for me, so I don’t get it wrong, but your version of wrong isn’t the same as mine.
I should be fully independent, but you want me relying on you.
It’s…* I paused, my hands dropping as I opened my mouth.
“It’s weird. It’s creepy. I just want you to be my sister again. ”
“This IS me being your fucking sister!” I know she yelled it, because not hearing something doesn’t mean I can’t see a person’s face when they speak. She was angry. She was frustrated with me. I suddenly wanted to be anywhere other than here. I got up, grabbed my jacket, and pocketed my phone.
Marissa slipped in front of me. “Where are you going?”
“Out.”
I pushed past her as she opened her mouth to argue. This wasn’t her decision. It was mine. Sure, I had nowhere to go, and she had the car keys, so I couldn’t drive.
Imagine my surprise when I was heading down the street and realised there was a biker guy sitting on his motorcycle chatting on his phone, and imagine my further surprise when I got closer and realised it was him. My mystery man from the rock club.
“You.”
He murmured something to whoever he was chatting to, and slid the phone inside his leather jacket.
“Hey.”
I glanced behind me to make sure my sister hadn’t followed, and although she hadn’t, I could see the curtains moving. She’d been watching. She’d follow me out here and give him hell again, so I did the only thing I could.
“Get me out of here, please.”
He blinked, glancing down that the helmet in his hands, and frowning deeply.
“Do… do you not want to?” I was really hoping he’d be my hero tonight and get me away from her. He’d seemed interested in me before, but was he just faking that? Was he just trying to get in my pants, and then he’d ghost me anyway?
“No, I really really do,” he said, suddenly looking determined. He climbed off the motorcycle and lifted his helmet in my direction. “You need to wear this.”
I cast my eyes at the empty motorcycle and realised the problem. He didn’t have a spare.
“What about you?” I glanced behind me again, and the curtains were gaping enough that I knew she was watching right now.
Oh god. She’d be out here in mere seconds now.
They suddenly dropped closed and I knew I’d run out of time.
When I turned to him, his eyes found mine again, from looking past me, and I knew he got it too.
“Here.” He eased the helmet over my head, and fastened the strap at my chin.
“Good?” I nodded, and he smiled, lowering the visor for me.
He climbed back on his motorcycle, and reached out to help me climb on behind him.
He tapped my thigh and lifted his hands over his head, clasping them together. Huh?
Next he reached for my hands and pulled them around him, tapping my fingers and lifting his hands again.
Oh. He was demonstrating how to hold on.
He started the engine, and there was an instant low rumbling hum that I could feel vibrating through my body.
Why hadn’t I realised this before? Motorbikes were something else I could almost hear, because of how they filled my other senses and made me feel them.
The biker guy, Stag, patted my hands again and the motorbike started to move, my grip tightening as he picked up a little speed down the street, just as my sister charged out of the house and started waving her arms. She was probably shouting too, if Stag’s tensing shoulders were an indicator of him feeling her words hitting like knives.
She would probably go nuts when I got home.
Wow, she wouldn’t do anything else, right?
The motorbike was taking a bend, and again, my grip tensed as I felt myself leaning with the movement, and then we were parking up somewhere.
Already? I was just getting to enjoy myself.
We were outside a still open business, that was lit up in the darkness, and in the window, I saw a man in leathers moving boxes around.
The sign said ‘Harley’s’, and not ‘Harleys’. Huh? A grammatical error, or something else?
Stag patted my hands again and I assumed that meant to release him, even though I really didn’t want to. He fiddled around and next he passed his phone back to me with a message typed on it.
I need to get a helmet from here before we can go anywhere. You wanna come in and meet Harley?
I passed the phone back and lifted my hand in a ‘thumbs up’ gesture, because the engine was still rumbling, so I assumed he wouldn’t hear my response.
The guy from inside was already in the doorway by the time we were off the motorcycle and Stag’s helmet was in his hand again. The guy looked seriously pissed off, and that was aimed directly at Stag, his lips moving in anger.
“You came here without a fucking helmet on? Are you out of your mind?!”