by Simone Elise
Two sides.
I chewed my bottom lip thinking that over. Reaper had two sides. Dad had two sides. I guess I was just lucky to be able to see their other side.
“You hungry?” Brad took a hand off the steering wheel and glanced at me. “Or are you in a rush to get home?”
Hurry to get home to Kim’s judgment and Dad’s short answers? Hell no.
“I’m in no rush.”
“Then food is the next stop.” He shot me a smile then his eyes went straight back to the road.
We had only locked eyes for a few moments, but I noticed a hint of happiness dance across his eyes.
Looking out the window, I wondered why it had taken Brad and I so long to hang out. Sure, he was five years older than me, but he had always been a part of my life. Even when I was little, he was around.
I snuck a glance at him. He had his sleeves rolled up, showing off his tattoos and toned arms. His black leather vest was worn in and covered in different patches.
I chewed my bottom lip, trying hard not to smile when I noticed he was wearing the belt I brought him.
His phone started buzzing in his pocket, and he reached in and pulled it out of jeans.
“Can you answer this?” He handed it to me. “Only got one point left, can’t be caught on the phone while driving.”
I took his phone and slid it across, answering it.
“Where the fuck are you?” A voice barked at me immediately, causing me to flinch away from the phone.
“Excuse me?” I shot back. Who the hell greets someone like that?
“Who the fuck is this?”
“Who the fuck are you?” I snapped back.
“Put Brad on the phone.”
“Can’t, he’s driving.”
“Tell him to pull the fuck over then, you dumb whore.”
My mouth dropped open. How dare this stranger call me that!
“How about I just hang up instead?”
Brad kept glancing at me, frowning. “Who is it, Abby?”
I moved the phone from my lips, “Some rude cunt. He called me a dumb whore.”
Immediately, Brad hit the indicator on and pulled over, snatching the phone from me.
“Who the fuck is this?” he barked into the phone.
Good, the rude man can get a dose of scary Brad.
“I told you, Reaper, I’m fucking out of town picking up a motor.” Brad’s voice was hard and blunt, but hearing that hadn’t caused my blood to run cold. No, the word ‘Reaper’ caused my blood to run cold.
I hadn’t even picked up on his voice.
“No, I’m not fucking pissing off with a woman, I’m with Abby,” Brad continued to talk to Reaper.
Reaper must have thought Brad was slacking off when really he was doing what he told them. I had just tagged along.
“Abby Harrison, what other Abby would I be talking about?” Brad snapped.
My stomach twisted.
“We’ll be back when we are fucking back, and you better have an apology for Abby when you see her.” With that said, Brad hung up the phone and indicated to get back on the highway.
“Sorry about that, Abby.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not. Reaper has been more hormonal than normal lately. You’re no whore.”
“Thanks.”
I didn’t know what to say. Was it my fault Reaper was in a bad mood? Or was it because he had just come back from a long trip?
I made myself stop thinking about him. He was a waste of time. Even though everything inside me was screaming to send him a message, I didn’t.
He couldn’t handle me.
I was too much of a risk for him.
Reminding myself of these facts stopped me from thinking about him further.
“So back to food. I’m hungry.” I changed the subject before Brad asked a question or I let Reaper’s harsh words get to me.
I guess Brad was right about having two sides. It seems I had just heard the other side to my Reaper.
***
We had pulled into a twenty-four hour dinner and taken a booth up the back away from all the people who were openly staring at us.
That leather vest sure did bring attention to us.
I sat across from Brad and placed my elbows on the table, resting my head on my hands.
“I wonder how long it takes for them to make a burger here,” I grumbled.
“I’m sure they won’t be long,” Brad said while playing on his phone.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I asked Brad, grabbing his attention.
“What?”
I don’t know if it was because I had been with him all day, but I felt relaxed, and I felt like I could ask him anything, so I was going to before the feeling went away.
“Do you still talk to Linda?”
Linda was his girl for years, but she started out as a club girl, and everyone knew that you didn’t make a club girl your official woman.
An emotion covered his eyes for a moment, and his jaw clenched slightly. “No. She moved upstate, she’s married now. Heard she was knocked up as well.”
I was surprised he gave me an honest answer. “Do you miss her?”
His eyes locked with mine, and I saw the regret and then it was gone. “Not anymore.” He smiled at me. “How can I be missing her when I’ve got you entertaining me.”
I grinned. “Glad I can help.”
“It would never have worked between her and me,” he opened up. “She hated the club, what it stood for.”
“But she chose to be a part of it.” I frowned.
He nodded his head, “When she was young and stupid, she decided to become a club girl. She said she always regretted it.”
I couldn’t understand why. We were a family, a tight family.
“She asked me to pick between the club and her, and well, you know how that ended,” he added.
“She should never have put you in that position. If she knew you for real, she could never do that. You and the club aren’t separate; you’re together. You wouldn’t be who you are without the club.”
He grinned, looking up from the salt and pepper shakers. “And that is what would make you the perfect woman.”
I brushed my blonde hair to the side of my face, “Not everyone would think that.” Reaper didn’t see it like that.
“Well whoever he is, he doesn’t deserve you.”
My eyes bounced up from the table and met his again. “He sees me as a responsibility. Like I’m something he has to protect, and it is too much work.”
“Sounds like a wanker.”
I laughed, “You could say that. As well as stubborn, immature, and hot-headed.”
“Nothing would ever happen to you anyway, Abby. You got a lot of men standing in front of harm's way before there was any chance of you getting hurt.”
It was official, Brad had a soft side, and I grinned across at him. “Thank you.”
He shrugged his shoulders, “It’s just the truth.”
“He thinks that the bad things that define him could hurt me.”
“A man is defined by his choices. But he has to know you aren’t going to wait forever. Or are you?”
Was I going to wait for Reaper to change? To accept me? To change his mind? When I really thought about it, I realized just how stupid I was being.
“I’m not.”
“Not what?” Brad frowned at me.
“I’m not waiting for him anymore.”
“Sounds like a smart idea, darling.” He smiled at me kindly.
And just like that, I made a decision. I wasn’t waiting anymore.
Chapter 62
Abby
We didn’t get back till late, and half of me believed that was because of Brad. He seemed to be in no rush to get back and did the actual speed limit the whole way home.
Now we were here, I didn’t want to go in.
“You alright?” Brad gave me a questioning look as I stayed strapped in the van.
“Yeah just um
,” I unclicked my seat belt. “Not really in a rush to see my dad.”
“Thought things were good between you two?”
“It was.” Then I recalled how he scared Reaper away from me. “But when it comes to him, you never know.”
“Yeah well, I’m gonna get an earful from Reaper.” He unclicked his seat belt.
“What for?”
“For taking all day.”
“What does it matter anyway, wasn’t like he was around today.”
He frowned for a moment. “Reaper rode in last night. Surprised you didn’t hear them.”
He was back.
He had been back since this morning.
I swallowed my anger quickly. “Nope, must have slept through it.”
“Yeah well, he’s acting like a dick at the moment.” Brad climbed out of the van, and I was quick to follow, scooping up my handbag off the floor before slamming the van door shut.
God, it was cold. The freezing air whipped through me as we walked across the lot.
“Thanks for letting me come today.” I gave Brad a smile. I was honestly thankful to get away from this place.
The corner of his lip twitched up. “Surprised you wanted to come.”
“Any excuse to get out of this place.” I suppressed a smirk. “Plus you aren’t bad company.”
He scoffed, “Glad to hear I don’t bore you.”
“You could never bore me.”
We shared a simple smile before he opened up the clubhouse door for me. Was it wrong of me to like having Brad’s attention?
“Where the hell have you been all day?” Kim roared from across the bar; her face went from calm to furious in a second.
“I’ve been with Brad.”
“So you thought you wouldn’t answer your phone?”
“We were out of range for a bit. God, Kim, calm down, it’s not like someone died.”
The anger melted off her face. “Dad’s in the hospital.”
Hospital. Dad. Dad didn’t go to the hospital. Ever, period.
“What happened?” I was more aware of the glum mood that stained the air now. All the boys were quiet and sitting randomly around the room, drinking silently.
“He had a heart attack.” Kim’s voice wavered with emotion. “He was on his bike when it happened. He’s messed up, Abby, like real bad.”
“Why aren’t you at the hospital?”
“Because I’ve been there all day, I just came home to get changed and try to track you down.”
“Well, I’m going back up with you.”
“I can take you,” Brad spoke up. I had forgotten he was standing next to me. “You girls don’t look right to drive yourself.”
“Thanks.” I looked up at him. “Well, let’s go.”
Kim walked around the bar, looking like hell. “Reaper is up there; he has been keeping us updated with any changes.”
“Has there been any?”
“No, he’s still in surgery.”
Stepping back out into the cold night, my stomach twisted tightly. Dad never got sick. He was Dad, strong and untouchable. Suddenly I was regretting giving him the cold shoulder for the last week. Hell, I was regretting putting him under extra stress.
All I knew as I climbed back into the van was it was going to be a long night.
***
He was standing, looking like a guard in the middle of an empty waiting room. At the sound of our footsteps, his eyes shot up and immediately locked onto mine. His eyes were scorching as if he was yelling at me through eye contact.
“Any news?” Kim asked, dropping her handbag on the plastic chair and sitting down next to it.
Reaper shook his head but still managed to not break eye contact.
“Why didn’t you tell us Dad was in the hospital when you called?” My voice was firm and strong, the complete opposite of what I was feeling right now.
“Would it have made you get here any quicker?” he fired back at me with a harshness lingering in his words.
“Just would have been nice to know.” I crossed my arms and continued to stand next to Brad and didn’t make a move to go towards him.
“How long has he been under for?” Brad asked, moving from my side and taking a seat.
“Five hours,” Reaper muttered back and finally broke eye contact with me.
Feeling freed for some reason, I went and sat next to Kim. She was a nervous wreck, which kind of surprised me because I would have thought I would be the one having a breakdown and stressing out, not her.
Brad gestured with his head to Reaper. “Wanna go out for a smoke?”
Something was telling me that these two had unfinished business and something to talk about.
Reaper nodded his head and followed Brad out of the waiting room.
“Wonder how long it is going to take.” Kim tapped her long nails on the armrest. “You would think they would have something to tell us by now.”
I leaned back in the seat. “They’ll come and tell us when they can.” I knew we were in for a long night.
Because if there was one thing you could bet on when it came to a hospital visit, it was never quick.
--
Thirty minutes had passed and the boys still hadn’t returned. Nothing had changed; we were still waiting. Well, Kim had gone from sitting to pacing, so apart from that, nothing had changed.
“That’s it, I need a smoke.” She whipped around to look at me and went towards her handbag. “Fucking useless hospital.”
“No news is good news, remember.” I attempted to be positive, but it was only met by her rolling her eyes.
“I’ll be outside. If anyone comes, come get me.” She walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the empty waiting room.
I was alone for a total of five minutes before he walked in.
Immediately I wished Kim was back.
“Can we talk?” Reaper stood in front of me.
I dragged my eyes up to meet his. “Didn’t realize we weren’t.”
“I’m sorry.”
I blinked up at him, keeping a plain expression on my face. Had he really just said that?
No; I must have heard him wrong.
“Abby, answer me.” He dropped down to his knees in front of me. “Say something, anything.”
If you took away the outfit, removed the outlaw and the fact he was covered in tattoos. Then maybe, just maybe, he would look like a desperate man asking the girl he loved to forgive him.
Pity this was Reaper we were talking about.
“Don’t worry about it,” I blew out, finally giving him something.
“Abby, don’t be like that.”
“Like what?” I forgave him, didn’t I! “I said everything is fine, so don’t worry about it.”
“I was a dick.”
“What’s new?”
“I got scared.”
“I know.”
“Then can you at least try and forgive me?”
“I already have.”
“Like fuck you have, I know you.”
He was right, I hadn’t forgiven him. But what was there to forgive? He didn’t want responsibility for me. Well, he doesn’t have responsibility.
“You and I were never going to work. You said that multiple times. I was just stupid enough to think that a cold-hearted bastard like yourself could have true feelings for me.” I let rip some of my anger. “But I was wrong. So that’s that.”
He pursed his lips together, his eyes hardening. “We aren’t over.”
“You’re right because that would mean something would have actually had to have started.”
“Don’t fucking act like that.”
I crossed my arms. “Could you just go back outside? Or fuck off back to the clubhouse. You don’t need to be here.”
“I’m here for you.”
“I don’t need you.”
He groaned and stood back up. “You’re being difficult.”
“What did you expect?”
“Well, I sure as
fuck didn’t expect you to start chasing another man right away.”
I frowned for a moment, then made the connection. “Brad and I are friends, nothing more.”
“We were friends once.”
I scoffed. “We skipped friends the first time we met.”
Brad and Kim walked in, ending our conversation. Well, it was more of an argument.
“Any news?” Kim asked, stuffing her cigarettes back in her handbag.
“No.” I stood up. “I think I need some fresh air.”
“You ok?” Brad frowned at me. “Want me to come with you.”
“No, I’m fine, just need to get out of this waiting room for a bit.” And away from Reaper.
“I’ll come.” Brad offered.
“I’m fine.” I smiled at him and touched his shoulder lightly before I passed him and headed for the exit.
Maybe the fresh air would help me think clearer. Maybe then I could process the fact that the Reaper had said sorry to me.
The question was, should I believe it? Or was I just asking for more drama?
Chapter 63
Abby
I was putting out my third cigarette when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brad striding across the car park towards me.
“Thought you might need a new pack?” he said smugly.
Sure I had been out here a while, but I just wasn’t in a rush to head back inside to see Reaper.
“Any news?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Kim wanted me to check on you.”
“I’m coming in.” I sighed and stuffed my hands in my leather jacket. It was a chilly night, and the wind was ripping through me. That should have been an encouraging reason for me to go inside.
“Wanna talk about it?” Brad walked slowly beside me as we headed back to the hospital.
“Not really.”
Had he picked up on something?
“Look, Abby,” He gripped my hand lightly, stopping me. “Your old man being sick is a stressor. If you need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
Oh, he was talking about Dad. Thank fuck for that.
I smiled weakly. “Thanks. But Dad is strong; he’ll pull through this.” I was trying harder to convince myself of that than Brad.
The hospital doors slid open, and I walked into the last person I wanted or expected to see.
