by Bella Jewel
When I’m done, I head into the kitchen and turn on the kettle to make a quick coffee before Roman arrives. I hear the rumble of his truck only minutes later and smile. He certainly doesn’t waste time. A knock sounds out at my door a minute later. “It’s open!” I call out.
The door swings open, and Roman strides in.
He holds an air of confidence as he moves into my house, like he’s been here a thousand times. “Hey,” he says, eyes scanning the room. “Nice place.”
He walks over and glances at the photos on my bookshelf.
“Just make yourself right at home,” I tease.
He flashes me a grin. “Sorry, I’m a snoop.”
He moves about my living area, checking everything out, and I can’t help but chuckle as I drink my coffee. He’s not shy. That’s for sure. And yet he would have me believe it when we first met. I study him as he takes in my place. He’s so relaxed. So at ease. As if he’s known me his whole life.
“You ready to rock and roll?” he says, glancing at the coffee cup in my hand.
“I’m ready. Let’s do this.”
I pick up my phone and purse and lock up my house on the way out to his truck. We climb in, and he shoots me a wink before reversing the car out onto the road.
“So, have you owned this place long?” I ask as he pulls out onto the highway.
“Yeah a while. I’m trying to sell it.”
“Oh, how come?”
“Just like living here better.”
“Fair enough. It is nice.”
“I built the shed in myself, it wasn’t there when I got the place.”
“Wow, that’s pretty cool. I didn’t know you could build.”
He snorts. “I looked up YouTube videos until I could do it myself.”
I burst out laughing. “Well done, I’m so impressed by you right now.”
He chuckles. “I know, right? I fucked up the tiling a bit at first, but by the end I was a pro.”
I roll my eyes. “We’ll see.”
He grins. “I got some watermelons in the back. I’ve always wanted to shoot one. They say they’re just like a head.”
I half wheeze, half laugh. “Oh, my god. That’s a little disturbing, you know that, right?”
“I just want to see how they explode.”
“I’m concerned for you.”
He rolls his eyes. “Don’t say you don’t want to see what happens.”
“I kind of do,” I admit.
He nods enthusiastically at me. “Right? Be fucking awesome.”
I shake my head with a grin. Men.
“See that house there?” he says, pointing to an old red-brick house we pass on the highway.
“Yeah?”
“Want to hear a funny story?”
I cross my legs and turn slightly towards him. “I don’t know, do I?”
He grins and nods.
“Okay, tell me.”
“I got a call from a chick once, saying to come over and fuck her. I hadn’t seen her for a bit, and thought she lived in that house. She had lived there for ages. So anyway, I rock up at the house, all ready to go, and knock on the front door but nobody answers. So, I think fuck it, and just go inside. She said she’s alone, so what the hell?”
I start giggling, because I already know where this story is going.
“So, I just walk in and start waltzing down the hall, and this girl comes out of the bedroom. But it isn’t the girl I’m here to see. She looks at me. I look at her. And I ask her if the girl is home.”
I’m snort laughing now.
“She says she doesn’t live here anymore. She’s looking at me like I’m a total psycho. I’m all primed and ready to go and I’ve gone into the wrong house and was just walking down to the bedroom like I owned the place.”
I double over with laughter, then shoot back up again. “Wait, you didn’t screw the chick that was actually in the house, did you?”
He laughs. “No. I found out where the other girl lived, but it was fucking hilarious.”
“That poor girl. Imagine walking out of your room and seeing some random dude, probably sporting a boner, waltzing down your hall.”
We both laugh for a solid few minutes.
“It was fucking funny.”
I shake my head. “God, only you.”
He nods. “Yeah.”
“I have a funny sex story too. Want to hear it?”
He glances at me, then nods. “Yep.”
“So, I was only about sixteen when I lost my virginity. I was going out with this guy for about six months and we finally decided to do it. But both our parents wouldn’t allow anything like that in the house so we had to improvise. We went down to this park, it was quiet, and dark, and it seemed like a good time to do it on the grass.”
He urges me on with his hand, a wicked grin on his face. This man has a devilish personality, I can tell already.
“So, there we are, the awful moment of losing your virginity. We’re on the ground, kind of close to a garden, and we go the whole way you know. It takes a while. When it’s over, and we’re dressed, we’re both sitting there when he turns to me and says, ‘Was it good for you?’ the next thing I know, a voice comes out of the darkness, from in the garden, and says, ‘It was good for me.’”
“Oh, my god!” Roman roars with laughter.
“Yes, there was a homeless man in the garden, and he sat and enjoyed the loss of my virginity, from start to finish. I was horrified. I ran off, covered in grass and leaves, ready to die a slow and painful death of shame.”
Roman is laughing so hard, and I can’t help but join in.
“That’s the best fucking story I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s funny now, but it totally wasn’t funny at the time.”
“Fucking hilarious.”
I roll my eyes.
He winks at me.
God. This man.
CHAPTER 6
“Wow,” I breathe, taking in the nearly 360-degree views from Roman’s property. “This is absolutely amazing.”
“Yeah,” he says, standing beside me. “It’s nice, hey.”
“If I lived here, I’d just sit up here and never move. It’s so beautiful.”
The rolling hills in the distance, and the thick mass of trees on the horizon just makes for an incredibly stunning view. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
“My ex never came out here, she didn’t really like it,” he says, sitting beside me.
“What the hell is wrong with her? If I lived here, I’d never be inside. Motorbikes. Horses. God, the things you could do on all this land.”
“Yeah, for sure.”
I cross my legs and lean forward, dropping my chin into my hands and sighing. “You could even just pitch a tent if you felt like it, anywhere on your land, it would be like a camping trip without going anywhere.”
“Want to hear another funny story?”
I grin at him. “Hit me.”
“I had some cows on here, and one day this one cow was giving birth. I was driving past and I swear, she was just standing, ass to a big drop off, and I just knew what was going to happen.”
“Oh, no!” I say, eyes wide.
“Yep, the calf came out, and just dropped down the side of this cliff.”
“Oh, my god!” I cry, pressing a hand over my mouth. “What did you do?”
“I thought for sure it would be dead, it was a pretty high fall. So I got out of the truck and climbed down the side of the ledge, tripping and stumbling. I’m searching around for this dead calf, and I push a thick mass of grass aside and you’ll never believe, there was these two, big brown eyes looking at me.”
“Aw,” I cry. “He was alive?”
“Yep. I felt so sorry for it, I just wrapped my arms around it in a big hug. Then I had to push its ass back up the hill.”
I giggle. “That would have been fun, but totally worth it because he lived!”
“Yeah, he was lucky he was so fucking cute.”
&n
bsp; I shove him in the shoulder. “Stop acting so tough.”
“Come on,” he says, standing. “Let’s shoot some guns.”
We move down a hill just slightly, and I see three orange traffic cones set up. Roman pulls out his guns and loads them while I go and position the watermelons near the edge of the drop off and the traffic cones. Then I go back and stare at the awesome shotgun he’s holding in his hand.
“This one is really cool, it’s like the movies,” he says, showing me a grey colored gun.
“That is cool! Is it heavy?”
He hands it to me, and I feel its weight. Not too bad. Excitement bubbles in my chest, and I hop from foot to foot excitedly. He puts a pair of earmuffs on and says, “Block your ears and let’s see how this bad girl explodes.”
I block my ears with a huge grin on my face as he squats down and aims the gun. He pulls the trigger, and it hits the watermelon. The fruit explodes into a mess, flying in all different directions. I scream happily and clap my hands.
“That was fucking awesome!” He laughs. “You have a go.”
“Oh, my god, I don’t know how to do this.”
He hands me the gun. “You just pull this bit back—” he points to a little leaver “—then hold it up to your shoulder here, stare down through the little hole, and pull the trigger.”
“Eeek,” I say, taking the gun from him and fiddling with it until it feels right.
“I’m recording you,” he says, pulling out his phone. “I want to see how the second one explodes.”
“Oh, pressure!”
“Wait,” he says, walking over and sliding the ear muffs on. “You’ll go deaf otherwise.”
I grin up at him and then position the gun and peer down through the tiny hole. I pull the trigger. The sound explodes around me and the gun presses back into my shoulder, but the adrenaline that rushes through me makes me want to scream with excitement. Damn. That felt pretty fucking good.
“I missed it!” I yell.
“Go again, you got five bullets.”
I aim again and pull the trigger. The bullet hits the watermelon, and it explodes. I whoop with joy and look over to Roman, who is laughing as he films. “Fuck yeah! Now hit the traffic cones.”
I aim again, and shoot the last three bullets, missing the traffic cones each time, but I’m so pumped I don’t care. I stand up and hand the gun back. “That was so cool!”
“Well, the trees, bushes, dirt, and air that got hit by your bullets don’t think so.”
I thump his shoulder. “Shut up. I tried.”
He rolls his eyes with a grin. “You couldn’t see the big, orange traffic cones?”
“Tosser.”
He winks at me.
“You like that?” he asks as we walk back to the truck.
“That was awesome! I loved it.”
“You should get some. When I used to live out here, I used to just sit in this half closed in shed I made and just shoot for hours. Kind of like a man cave, I guess.”
I laugh. “I wouldn’t come and piss you off in that man cave.”
“Ha, nah. I wouldn’t either.”
“It’s a shame you have to sell this place. It really is incredible.”
“Yeah.” He nods, putting the guns back in the case and sliding it into the truck. “It is, hey. Still, when I sell it, I’ll buy something closer to where we are now.”
“That’ll be nice too. It’s a good area.”
“Yep. You hungry?”
I nod.
“Let’s go get some food.”
We both leap back into the truck, and I realise for the first time in a few weeks Michael hasn’t crossed my mind once.
Is this how it feels to finally move on?
~*~*~*~
The rumble of bikes has a massive smile spreading across my face. I look up from doing the dishes and reach for a towel, drying my hands. Dad and the club have been out the last few days for a ride, and they’ve obviously just gotten back into town. I rush over to the front door and swing it open. My dad is standing, hand raised, ready to knock.
“Dad!” I cry, throwing myself into his arms.
He takes a step back and makes an oomphing sound. “Last time you jumped on me like this, you were ten,” he grunts, wrapping an arm around my waist and squeezing me. “How are you, baby girl?”
“Awesome,” I say, letting him go and glancing past him. He has Krypt, his Vice President, Mack and Tyke with him. They’re basically his right-hand men. All of them are extremely close. “Hi, guys! Come in!”
“Tell me you take after your old man and keep beer in this place?” Krypt says, winking at me as he walks into my house.
“Don’t ask stupid questions, Krypt, of course I have beer in the house. You do realise it’s only midday, though?”
“It’s five o’clock somewhere, darlin’,” he says.
“Hey, Mol, how’s things?” Mack says, stepping up and hooking me around the waist, pulling me in for a hug.
“Good, Mack. How are you? How’s Jaylah?”
“Drivin’ me nuts, as always. Wouldn’t have her any other way. My boy been over here driving you crazy?”
“I haven’t seen Jack for a few days, but I have no doubt he’ll show his face either today or tomorrow. He’s busy hunting down a female that doesn’t want him.”
Mack chuckles and lets me go. “Do him good to have a challenge.”
“Yeah.” I giggle. “And it’s entertainment for the rest of us.”
Mack laughs and disappears into my house.
“Hey, Molly,” Tyke says.
“Hey, Tyke, how are you?”
He grins. “Awesome.”
They all move into my kitchen, help themselves to a beer, and then flop themselves onto my couch. I sit down on the carpet, crossing my legs.
“Where’s your sister?” Dad asks, cracking a beer. “I went past her place, she wasn’t there.”
“I think she’s working,” I say. “How was the ride?”
“Ride’s a ride, baby.”
I roll my eyes. They never give anything away.
“You look happier this week,” Mack says, resting his beer between his legs.
“Yeah, it’s been a good week. How Diesel? I haven’t seen him for a few days.”
Mack grunts. “Swooning all over that girl still.”
I laugh. “Aw, come on Mack. She makes him happy.”
“A bike could make him happy, too.”
“We all know Diesel is not going to be a biker.”
Mack purses his lips. He’s Native American and extremely good looking, even for his age. He still keeps his hair long and braided down his back. His skin is soft, untouched, and light brown. He doesn’t look like he’s old enough to be my father, I guess his heritage makes his youth stick.
“Fuck knows what Diesel is going to be.”
“Happy,” I point out.
Mack raises his brows, then grins. “Can’t argue with that, darlin’.”
“What about Phoenix and Quinn?” I say, turning to Krypt. “Still driving the world crazy, one sarcastic comment at a time?”
Krypt nods, a disgusted look on his face. “Those two will be the fuckin’ death of me.”
Dad chuckles. “Should have had girls, I’m tellin’ ya.”
“Had no choice,” Kyrpt mutters. “My swimmers decided boys was the way to go.”
“Weak,” Dad says and Krypt flips him the bird.
“How’s that fuck sandwich who was messing around with you?” Dad asks, blue eyes swinging in my direction. “He still bothering you?”
He’d have to talk to me to bother me. My chest clenches at the thought. Thinking about Michael still hurts. It’s easing, sure, but the fact that he was so careless ... It just makes no sense to me. After everything we shared. I shake my head, pushing the thoughts away. Dwelling on it won’t change it. I’m starting to come to terms with that fact.
“No, he isn’t.”
“So, I don’t get to fuck him
up?”
I shake my head with a grin. “No, old man, you do not get to fuck him up.”
“I can, though,” Krypt says, and I shoot him a glare.
“Me too,” Mack adds.
“And me,” Tyke nods.
I sigh and push to my feet. “Bloody bikers.”
I walk into the kitchen, and their laughter follows me.
They drive me crazy, but I don’t know what I’d do without them.
CHAPTER 7
R – My ex is a cunt.
I glance at my phone just before I walk into the restaurant for work. Roman has gone to work, and he’ll be gone for a few days. It sucks not having him around to hang out with. The last few days with him were awesome. They eased something inside me. They took my mind off things.
M – A cunt monkey.
R – Hahaha. Cunt monkey. That’s awesome.
M – Do I need to find her and punch her in the twat? Because I would. I so would.
R – A good twat punch. Lol.
M – It can be arranged. Everything okay?
R – Yeah. It’s a long story. I’ll call you later and tell you. But she text me last night. I haven’t heard much from her, so it kind of came out of the blue.
M – Oh true? That sucks! U okay?
R – Yeah. I’m okay.
M – That’s good. How’s work?
R – Boring. Lol. How are you?
M – About to start my shift! Sucks. Give me a call later, okay?
R – Ok. Have a good day
I tuck my phone into my pocket and head inside to start my shift. The restaurant is already packed. It’s going to be a long afternoon.
I’m right.
It’s a long, draining afternoon. I end up doing two extra hours because it’s so packed. By the time I get out, there are only a few hours until sundown. With aching feet, I move out onto the sidewalk and stop when I see Matilda running towards me, a massive grin on her face. “Sissy!” she cries, throwing herself at me.
I laugh and wrap my arms around her. “It’s not normal to stalk your sister, Tilly. You should know that.”
She laughs and pulls back. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“I’ve got a date.”
She does a little wiggle, and I roll my eyes. “Give me the deets!”
“Want to get some dinner?”
