by A. J. Downey
“I don’t know.”
“That makes two of us,” I breathed bowing my head and pulling on the back of my neck with one hand to ease the sudden tension taking up residence between my shoulders. Anxiety trembled down every nerve ending, my heart picking up pace as the confusion set in.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I… my wife…” I said and she nodded a little sadly, and stepped away. I suddenly felt cold and bereft.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” she murmured and looked genuinely upset.
“No, I’m just as much to – look, can we start over?” I asked and she laughed lightly.
“Sure,” she agreed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Charity, my friend.”
She nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Nothing, my friend.”
I backed out of her doorway and gave a little wave like a lame jackass and beat a hasty retreat down the stairs, adjusting my cock where it strained, uncomfortably, against my zipper.
Friends, yeah right. I thought and slipped out the front door into the rain, tipping my face up to the splish and patter, letting it cool my lips which burned with the memory of hers on them.
Christ. I had it bad, but just like a moth to flame, I would be back in the morning for some more of her presence. It was becoming a sweet kind of torture, really. A whole new kind of punishment for myself. Look but don’t touch.
Christ, I was one seriously fucked up motherfucker. I went home, riding slowly in the rain, dodging some of the debris still left behind. The able bodied townsfolk had mostly looked after their shit, but my place was still a wreck. So were the streets. That was the last thing that The Kraken got around to doing things like we did. Weak and disabled town folk had their places looked after first, both cleaned up and repaired, then the boats went back in the water, then we focused on our own places, and finally, if it hadn’t been looked to by municipal or county crews by then, we cleaned up the streets.
I pulled into my driveway and walked the bike carefully into the open maw of the garage, locking things down tight behind me. I spent a long minute in the shower and when I got out, I braved my bedroom. The bedding still lay folded back, the sheets rumpled from where she’d slept and creepy motherfucker that I was acting like, I laid down where she’d been and breathed deep. I didn’t mean to, but I ended up passing right the fuck out.
Chapter 17
Charity
The rich aroma of coffee dragged me the rest of the way up out of sleep. I opened my eyes to a paper cup being wafted under my nose next to a denim clad thigh.
“Peace offering,” Nothing said, holding out the cup to me.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Didn’t know what you liked, so I chanced it and got you my usual.”
“Which is?”
“Sugar free vanilla latte.”
“Gimme the real thing next time and you’re golden,” I said sitting up and taking the cup, sipping. “Although for no sugar, this ain’t half bad. What’re you doing in here?”
“Like I said, peace offering. That and the guys are already up and moving for another fun filled day of storm clean up. You ready?”
I groaned, “Let me finish caffeinating and figure out clothes and then I should be.”
He lowered his own cup from his mouth and swallowed, “Kay.”
“Charity, you okay?” Hope asked from the door, scowling at Nothing.
“He brought me coffee, it’s okay, he’s one of us,” I said in an attempt to diffuse any ugliness about to go down.
“He brought you coffee, but did he bring me any coffee? I’m the one he needs to be afraid of.”
“It was hard enough bringing two on the bike, and she’s technically the wronged party, so if you can hold off on the ire, I solemnly swear the next time I have access to my fucking cage I’ll spot you.”
Hope narrowed her eyes and pursed her mouth in her mock angry look, “I’ll let you get away with it this time,” she said and breezed down the stairs. Nothing shook his head.
“A real ball buster that one,” he muttered and I raised my eyebrows.
“Yeah, try being raised by her.”
He smiled and, oh my god, he was gorgeous when he did that. Deep smile lines appearing, miraculously, out of nowhere, etching themselves to either side of his lush mouth and framing it to perfection. I suddenly, very much so, had to resist the urge to grab him and pull that mouth to mine.
His smile faltered, “What is it?” he asked, and I felt myself blush deeply.
“Nothing, Nothing. Now why don’t you let a girl get dressed, and I’ll meet you and everyone else downstairs.”
“Okay,” he got up and leaned over, hesitating at first, before planting a swift, chaste, kiss on my lips. I blinked and he was gone. I looked down at the cooling coffee in my hands and drank some more of it before kicking the blankets off my legs and going for clothes. We had another long day ahead of us.
I ended up driving the first aid kit and like four of the guys across town to Hossler’s place. When we got there, she had a big square of the front lawn, all bright with sunlight, cleared of debris she’d pushed off to the side and was bringing canvas sacks out of her house, laying them out on the bare patch.
“Aw, hell no!” Trike cried from the back seat.
“Shut up, Prospect, and try not to be such a puss.” Stoker said laughing beside me. I looked over at him.
“What are they?”
“Snakes,” he answered and got out of my Jeep. The passenger seat was thrown forward and Trike, followed by Lightning and Gator, got out.
“I’m with Trike,” I muttered and got out too.
Hossler’s roof ended up needing repair. Nothing and Radar ended up spending most of the day up there fixing it, while I helped Hossler clean rat cages. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it was honest and with as many kids as Hossler had hanging around, both hers and the neighbors, she was appreciative of my assistance. Besides, the rats, unlike the snakes, were cute. I could handle one snake at a time, they were cool to look at, but Hoss had something like sixty or seventy. That was more than a bit much for me.
After Hossler’s and some talk, it was decided that was all there was room for, for that day and that the town cookout needed to happen to use the freezer food for the homes without generators before it went bad.
To the beach we went with a good three or four hours to go before sunset. I drove the guys to a storage unit around a half hour away so that they could get their motorcycles out and listened with a smile at their joyous sounds. Nothing had ridden, and he stood by smiling as the rest of the guys were reunited with their bikes. Hope went up to hers and hugged it. She’d ridden with Marlin, Faith, Cutter, and Pyro in Nothing’s beat up old Subaru wagon. Cutter and Pyro had been picked up at the marina, their work with and on the Reclaimer having been done for the day.
“You sure?” Marlin was asking Faith and she scoffed.
“I’m sure, I remember how to drive an automatic! I’ll be right behind you.”
I smiled at them as he kissed her fiercely.
“Let’s mount up!” Cutter called. Judging by everyone’s wide grins and animated talking, I think it was safe to surmise they’d all had a good day.
We went back to the marina, Faith in front of me in Nothing’s wagon, and in front of her, the long, double line of motorcycles, Hope just behind and to the left of Cutter, Marlin beside her.
It was both fun and a little strange to watch the hero’s welcome the guys got. Townspeople running to the curbs, waving and cheering, clapping at our arrival as we turned into the marina’s parking lot. People came forward to shake hands and welcome Cutter and the rest of the guys like we hadn’t just been gone an hour or so.
The edges of the marina’s lot were piled with temporary tables and barbecue grills. A bunch of the restaurant and bar owners manning them like the professionals they were, cooking up everything from chicken, to pork, to beef and even fish in some cases, to order.
Salvaging what they could from defunct freezers.
Pyro had told me just about every place along the boulevard, and the town’s bed and breakfasts all had generators to power them through, but it was likely a fuel run would have to be put together for tomorrow if the power wasn’t restored tonight. Really it was the poorer and elderly folks of Ft. Royal that suffered when storms big enough to knock out power blew through.
I stood watching everything, smiling because I couldn’t help it, and wishing that the rest of America would get on board and start behaving like this one little Florida town. Even if just a neighborhood banded together like this in some of the bigger cities, what a difference could be made.
Someone tapped me on my shoulder and I turned to look on my right side, a laugh from my left drew me back around.
“Ah! You’re still here!”
“I am! I see you weathered the storm just fine, too,” Greg said.
I nodded, “It’s been interesting; that’s for sure.”
“You uh, here with anybody?” he asked, looking around at the mingling bikers and townspeople.
“No, not really. My sisters are with them, I just moved here to be with Hope and Faith.”
“I see, think I could maybe interest you in that drink?” he asked, and his expression was steeled for rejection.
I laughed, “I still feel like I’m ‘on duty’ so to speak, so would sharing a bit of food do?”
He smiled like he’d won the lottery, “Perfect! What’s your poison?” he asked.
“God there’s just so much to choose from! I don’t know,” he stuck out his arm gallantly and I looped mine through it.
Greg was funny, and light hearted, taking me on a tour of everything there was to eat with a faux French accent like he was some sort of snooty maître d’. We chose our food and he asked me, “So what have you been doing the last couple of days? Where’d you weather the storm?”
I didn’t quite know how to answer so I fudged it just a little, “Um, well, the guys have been working on some of the older folks’ homes, taking care of the disabled around Ft. Royal first, and I’ve been going along. I just graduated the advanced nursing program so I’ve been kind of putting the skills to good use, checking up on people. You know, the usual, blood pressure, oxygen stats, that sort of thing. Treating minor cuts and bumps, a sliver or two.” I bobbed my head in a nod, blushing furiously, feeling like I was rambling.
“No, that’s great! That’s fascinating, really. Congratulations on graduating. You out looking for a job?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some applications in at some of the area hospitals and doctors’ offices. I put a bunch in before I left to come down here. No call backs yet, but with everyone getting ready for the storm, and now cleaning up? I’m not really surprised. I’m sure I’ll start hearing back soon.”
“I’m sure you will,” he agreed with a dazzling smile.
It was nice talking to Greg. Easy in a way that wasn’t with Nothing. Things were so thick between Nothing and I, it made small talk awkward for the most part. Greg and I continued to make small talk until I spotted Nothing watching us, his gray eyes unreadable behind his wraparound Oakley’s. Radar said something to him and he turned, a scowl deepening his features and I felt bad. It seemed Radar and Nothing were having a fundamental difference of opinion with one another lately, and rather than finding resolution, they were just antagonizing each other. I sighed and smiled at whatever Greg was saying, even though I hadn’t heard a word.
“You haven’t heard a word I’ve said for the last couple of minutes, have you?” he asked and I felt my shoulders drop.
Busted.
“I’m so sorry, my mind is just wandering something terrible,” I said and sighed.
“No, no! Hey, it’s okay I get it. You’ve just moved here, big storm, now you’re helping put your town back together while it’s in pieces. It’s alright, I’m sure it’s been a really exhausting last couple of days for you.” Aw, why does he have to be so sweet and understanding? I thought to myself.
“It really has, and I’m right back at it tomorrow, too.”
“Tell you what, where’s your phone?” he asked. I pulled it out of my back pocket.
“Take this number, five-oh-four, five-five-five-, two-one-six-zero.” I dutifully punched it in and hit send, his phone rang a moment later. “I’ll call you in a day or two, and if you’re not busy, maybe we can meet up. My business here is almost over, but I like it here. I might stick around a few days extra, especially if I knew I might score dinner and drinks with a certain pretty girl.”
I laughed, “Okay, you win. I’ll try to call you.”
“Sound’s good, maybe in the meantime, I’ll see you around, Charity.”
“Yeah, maybe…” I agreed. He got up and with a nod, wandered off in another direction into the crowd.
Faith appeared and sat down next to me, “He looked cute,” she said with a faint smile, “Seemed nice, too.”
“Yeah, he is nice, easy to talk to…”
“But he doesn’t set your panties on fire like Nothing, or intrigue you, or flip any of your ‘I want to fix it’ switches,” she said nodding her head.
“Oh my god!” I gasped incredulous.
Faith shrugged, “I was sold into human trafficking; I didn’t die, and I’m probably more observant than I ever was, I’m just a lot quieter about it than I would have been before.” My sister shifted a bit uncomfortably.
“Therapist tell you to confront it and be open about it?”
“Yeah, it’s easier said than done, I don’t want to upset you,” she made a distressed face and I knocked my shoulder into hers.
“You say whatever you gotta say, Faith. I’m not judging you and if it makes me uncomfortable,” I shrugged a shoulder, “So what? I can live with that as long as it helps you. I’m just happy to have my favorite sister back.”
“I heard that!” Hope quipped and came up to sit on my other side.
“Neeah!” I made a childish sound and leaned away from Hope and into Faith; Faith laughed.
“Woah! Hold up! Need a picture of this,” Marlin cried and whipped out his phone. He framed the three of us up; all smiles, leaning into each other, plates of food in our laps and drinks in hand, and snapped a picture.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of warmth, happiness, and such a feeling of family I don’t honestly think I’d ever experienced before. Not even when my family had been whole, with Mom, Dad, Hope, and Faith all living under the same roof, gathered around the same table. It was educational to say the least.
“You look tired,” Nothing’s voice startled me. I hadn’t realized he was there.
“It’s been another full day. I guess I’m out of shape, too much time on my ass studying.”
He chuckled and stood beside me, where I stood, watching bonfires light on the beach.
“I happen to like your ass,” he said so softly, really for only me to hear. I felt myself blush, then shiver.
“Thanks,” I murmured.
“Want me to take you back to the house?” he asked.
“What about your bike?”
He smiled, “Have a drink, relax a little longer, and hold that thought,” he said walking backwards towards the part of the parking lot loaded with bikes.
I laughed, and nodded, “Okay,” I agreed and he jogged a pace or two backwards before spinning and trotting into the throng of people. A moment later his bike fired up and I watched him pull out and down the street towards Cutter’s.
I did what he asked, I had another drink, and mingled with some of the MC and a woman named Miranda who ran one of the bed and breakfasts, an upscale one called the Nautilus. True to his word, Nothing returned, sidling up behind me to rest a warm hand at the small of my back.
“Ready to go?” he asked and I looked up.
“More than, I’m tired.”
“Give me your keys,” he murmured and I handed them over. He walked me to my Jeep and held my passenger door for me.
I got in, and when he was sure he wouldn’t catch me with it, he closed the door, jogging around the front to get in on the driver’s side.
“What did you do, park your bike and run here?” I asked, noting his hair was damp at the back of his neck. He smiled over at me.
“Maybe.”
It struck me, how incredibly sweet! He’d literally run back here, just so he could drive me home. Who does that? Certainly no man I’d ever met. I liked this Nothing. I wished he were around more than the sad, lonely, tortured, Nothing.
“What?” he asked, freezing in mid motion as he was about to put the key in the ignition.
“Nothing, no pun intended.”
“What was that look for?” he persisted.
I laughed a little, “Just surprised, is all.”
He frowned, “At what?”
“You.”
He started the Jeep and leaned back, clearly expecting me to elaborate.
“You rode to Cutters, parked, and ran all the way back here just so you could give me a ride home?”
“So?”
“So, that’s quite possibly the most sweet and genuine thing that anyone has ever done for me.”
“Did I earn points?” he asked.
“Oh yeah, you earned beaucoup points.”
He smiled and laid his cut, which he was in the habit of taking off anytime he got into my Jeep, across my lap.
“Good, I’m glad,” he said and shifted gears, pulling us carefully around and out the drive, onto the boulevard.
We rode the short distance in silence, and when he got out, he told me to wait, and came around opening my door for me. I handed him his cut, and he swung it on, before taking my hand and helping me out. I smiled, and he kept my hand in his.
“I really am sorry,” he murmured and I nodded.
“I forgive you.”
“Yes, but it still doesn’t make what I did okay. I’m a screwed up head case, Charity. I think meeting you, has made me realize I need to start working on that.”
I simply nodded; I mean what could I say? It was true that Nothing clearly had some unresolved issues regarding the loss of his family, but Cutter had been right to a certain extent. I couldn’t help Nothing until Nothing let me help him, and we just weren’t far enough along in any way shape or form for that to even be a possibility.
