Forgiveness

by Elise St. George

  Harley told me the other day that she was giving me an early Christmas gift tonight, and I’m excited. I get off work, take a shower, and change clothes before meeting up with Harley. I pull up to her house and she comes to the drivers’ side of the car.

  “Get out,” she says while holding a blindfold in her hand.

  “You’re blindfolding me?” I ask.

  “Yes. I don’t want you to know where we’re going,” she tells me.

  I let her blindfold me and lead me to the passenger side of the car, while she gets in the driver’s side. We drive for about twenty minutes until we come to a full stop. Harley parks the car and takes off my blindfold. I look around and realize that we’re at the Burnt Kings compound. I know I told Harley that I wanted to meet my grandad, but I’m not sure if I’m ready. She must see the hesitation on my face because she lays her hand on top of mine.

  “I already talked to Ghost and he’s really excited to meet you,” she says.

  “Really?” I say.

  “Yea, he almost cried when I showed him a picture of you. I literally know exactly what you’re going to look like when you’re older. It’s scary,” she tells me. “He told me to bring you to the club Christmas party so you two could meet.”

  I sit there to compose myself for a minute. “I’m ready.”

  We get out of the car and she grabs my hand. We walk into the clubhouse together, and as soon as I step in the door, the whole room gets silent.

  “Holy shit, he looks exactly like Ghost back in the day,” says one of the older bikers.

  I guess Ghost didn’t tell them I was coming. An older man walked walks up, and he literally looks like an older version of myself. Damn, Harley was right...we look a lot alike other than the beard. To be honest, if I didn’t shave constantly, my beard would look like that but without the grey. Now I see why mom didn’t want me coming to the clubhouse with the rest of the group. There’s no way Ghost wouldn’t have figured out we were related if I’d visited.

  Ghost walks up to me and pulls me into a hug right away, and I hug him back. He’s the only grandparent that I’ve ever met so I can’t help but get a little emotional. He breaks the hug and holds me at arm’s length, placing my face in both his hands.

  “It’s good to meet you, son,” he says before enveloping me in another hug.

  “It’s good to meet you too,” I respond. Then, Ghost looks up and around the room. I guess he realized that the whole crowd was focused on us.

  “What the fuck are y’all staring at?” he bellows to the crowd. “Celebrate Christmas, goddammit!”

  Everybody bursts into laughter and continues with their conversations. Ghost takes us aside and we sit at a table while a club girl brings us drinks. Ghost just sits there staring at me for a while before he realizes how long he’s been staring.

  “Sorry,” he says. “It’s uncanny how much you look like I did at that age. It’s so great to meet you. How are you? How’s your mom?”

  “I’m good,” I say. “I joined the Atlanta Police Department and mom comes to visit every once in a while. She’s doing alright, I guess. Playing the dutiful sheriff’s wife down in Winslow.”

  “What the fuck?” he says. “You’ve been in Winslow this whole time? The president, Tank, was part of the chapter here for a short time before starting the chapter down there.”

  “I know,” I respond. “He told me that he recognized mom, but wasn’t sure who she was until he saw me.”

  “Yea,” he says. “Tank wasn’t here long enough to remember what Jamie looked like, and by the time she started dating your dad, she rarely came around the club. I really miss her. You know, my wife left me because she blamed me for running our daughter away.”

  I feel so bad for Ghost. I can tell he’s made some decisions that he really regrets. Harley walks off to talk to Loki and gives me a chance to talk to Ghost alone. It’s moments like these that make me realize how much I really love this girl.

  “Ghost,” I say softly. “I’m proposing to Harley on Christmas and we’re throwing an engagement party at the club. Mom is supposed to be there, and I want you to come. She needs you, and you need her.”

  Ghost looks at me with hope in his eyes, along with an immense amount of respect.

  “You’re smart to marry that young lady. She’s got a big heart, and I can tell that you do too. I miss your mother like crazy, son. No offense, but I can’t stand your dad. He only cares about himself and I knew that as soon as I met him. Instead of letting your mother see him for what he was, I forbid their relationship, which only made her cling to him more. He’s not the first guy I ran away and looking back, I wish I’d given ol’ Bear a chance because he genuinely loved your mom and would do anything for her.”

  “Bear?” I ask.

  “Her best friend growing up. He was a club kid that joined the police force, and I went out of my way to make sure they didn’t end up together. Unfortunately, she ended up with something worse. Old age has a way of making you see things differently,” he tells me.

  “Are you talking about Doug?” I ask.

  “That’s his birth name,” he confirms. “We call him Bear because he grew up to be a big mother fucker. If you can believe it, he was the runt of the litter until he hit puberty.”

  “He’s my partner in the department now,” I tell Ghost.

  “Really?” he says. “Well tell Bear he’s welcome to come around anytime. I get why he didn’t join the club, but we’ve cleaned ourselves up since then. He can still be a cop and a member of the club now.”

  “I will,” I promise, but I have a feeling that he was referring to me as well.

  Harley comes back over and we spend the rest of the night drinking while Ghost tells me funny stories about mom. As the night winds down, we head back to my apartment where Doug is waiting up for us. I realize that he hasn’t gotten a chance to know Harley. When we walk through the door, he looks up from the book he’s reading.

  “Where were you two at?” he asks curiously.

  “Oh, Harley had an early Christmas present for me, Bear,” I respond with a chuckle. His mouth drops.

  “You went by the club?” he asks softly knowing those are the only people who would refer to him by that name. All of a sudden the mood gets really serious and I don’t really understand why. Harley sits by him and puts her hand on top of his.

  “Ghost told us that he really regrets the way he treated you and that you are more than welcome to visit any time,” she tells him and now I get it.

  Doug grew up in a motorcycle club like Harley, and they’re like a giant family. Being rejected by people that are supposed to be your family is something that people never really get over, they just learn to live with the reality of the situation. Honestly, mom probably feels the same way. Doug gives Harley a hug and has nothing but gratitude in his eyes. He barely knows her, but he sees what a beautiful heart she has. He was bitching at me about getting married so young, but now I think he gets it.

  We say good night to Doug and head down to my basement apartment. As soon as we go down to my apartment, I’m all over her. I kiss her and instantly become hard as a rock when she grinds her pelvis into mine. We both groan in each other’s mouths and that’s when I realize that I’ll never get enough of this girl. She reaches her hands down my sweatpants and I can’t take it anymore.

  I grab her and bend her over my bed, and it’s the best view I’ve ever seen in my life. I look at her ass and my hands go straight to it like a magnet. This ass is all mine and I’m going to make the most of it. I kiss and nip her ass, which has her gasping in ecstasy. I widen her ass cheeks and start eating her out from behind. She starts moaning and pushing her ass back against my tongue, and I start licking her pussy even more. Her pussy juices start dripping down her legs and I lap up as much as I possibly can.

  I make her cum twice before she starts begging me to fuck her. When she begs like that, I always want to give her what she wants so I slowly enter her from behind and slid
e in and out. I’m purposely going slow because I want her to curse me out and tell me to fuck her harder. I love it when she does that because I love the reaction I get when I fuck her hard. Unless we have to be quiet, she moans and screams so loud that it pushes me to fuck her as hard as I possibly can.

  I slow down so I can switch her to a different position. I tell her to lay face down on the bed and lift her left leg up so I can slide inside her. As soon as I thrust a few times, she starts moaning again.

  “Right there,” she gasps. “Whatever you’re doing right now.”

  That’s exactly what I needed to hear and I just lose myself in her. I thrust harder and harder while her pussy gets tighter and tighter around me. I’m not going to be able to hold it any longer, and when I hear her moan ‘Oh fuck’, I know she’s about to cum. I give her the best I have until we’re both screaming in ecstasy. How is it that every single time I’m with her the sex is amazing?

  I tell her to lay down on the bed while I run to the bathroom and get a towel to wipe us both up, and then I curl up under the covers next to her in my bed. Within minutes, Harley has dozed off to sleep and I realize that this is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’m never going to let this girl go ever again.

  Chapter 29 - Harley 18 years old

  It’s Christmas Eve, and the only thing that sucks is that Steve can’t share it with us at momma’s house. The only people that understand why my mood is a little down are Brandon, Loki, and Livy. They’ve been consoling me pretty much the whole night, and Loki has been trying to make it fun. I’ve been texting Steve, but his family is opening gifts tonight since his parents have an obligation on Christmas Day. I really don’t want him to spend Christmas alone, but Ace would want to know why I invited him to Christmas at our house. It’s not that I’m ashamed of Steve...I’m concerned for his safety.

  Momma bought all of matching pajama sets that we all decide to wear on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so everyone is Christmas coordinated. I don’t know what is going on with momma, but she’s acting a little strange. We bake cookies for the night, a Christmas tradition that momma and I used to have, so it’s great to bring it back. I walk into the kitchen to take the cookies out of the oven when momma hugs me from behind.

  “Hey momma,” I say.

  “Hey baby,” she responds.

  “How are you?” I ask. I haven’t really asked about her divorce from Hammer, but I remember her sobs, and I just want her to be happy.

  “I’m the best I’ve been in a long time. For the first time in a while, my life is drama free and I’m building my family back up. I couldn’t be happier,” she tells me. I love that for her.

  “What about Hammer?” I ask.

  “It’s a shame that our marriage ended up the way it did because I remember a time when Hammer really was a great husband and father. That’s why your uncle is so hard on him. Please don’t be jaded when it comes to relationships because of what your brother and I went through. If two people are meant to be, they’ll always find their way back to one another,” she finishes.

  That was strange advice. It’s almost like she knows about Steve, but that couldn’t be possible. We only go out in public together in Atlanta, and he wasn’t around when momma came to visit us. I go back out the living with the cookies and all the men pounce on the plate. The cookies are all gulped down in less than five minutes, and it’s back to the movie marathon.

  We stay up all night watching Christmas movies until all the adults have gone to bed and it’s just us college kids staying up and watching movies. I gently nod off until I feel someone drape a blanket around me. Momma and Hawk are putting blankets on all of us because we fell asleep watching movies. I smile and go back to sleep, ready to wake up for Christmas morning.

  It’s Christmas morning and everybody is excited. You would think that we were all ten years old again the way that we’re fighting over and ripping open these gifts. Everybody got some really cool stuff, but I’m just happy to be around my family. I wish Steve was here, but I think that would be too much for everyone. I texted him a Merry Christmas this morning and he said he’s fine, but no one should be alone on Christmas.

  All the gifts are open, and then I hear Ace clear his throat. It’s still a little weird to call him by his road name, but he refuses to answer to anything else ever since he found out his ex cheated on him. He gets out of his chair and pulls a small box out of his pocket, and I hear momma begin to tear up. Ace opens the box and it’s our grandma’s ring.

  “You’re giving me grandma’s ring?” I ask with tears in my eyes. I’m not going to lie, I was really upset when I found out he proposed to that skank with our grandma’s ring. Grandma Esther would’ve rolled over in her damn grave if she knew Ace gave that girl her ring.

  “Not exactly,” he says with a smile. “However, there is someone who would like to give it to you.”

  I look at him with confusion until I realize that Steve has walked up behind me. Ace hands him the ring while Steve gets down on one knee. Holy shit, is he doing what I think he’s doing?

  “I know we’re young, Harley, but I cannot think of anyone else that I would rather spend my life with. We’ve been through more together than some people who have been together for decades, and I can feel that our souls are tied together. Harley Reynolds, will you marry me?” he asks.

  I’m crying so hard at this point that I can’t even speak. He stands there patiently waiting for my response and all I can do is nod my head. He smiles and all our friends and family cheer. The first three people to congratulate me are Livy, Loki, and Brandon. They knew about Steve so they weren’t surprised, just happy for me. Hawk, my aunt, and my uncle’s jaws drop...they know who Steve’s father is and are shocked. They hug me and congratulate me, but my uncle Joe looks nervous. He’s the local judge so I’m not surprised that our relationship worries him a little. The club and the sheriff don’t have the best relationship. Finally, momma and Ace don’t look surprised at all, which is surprising to me.

  “You knew?” I ask through my tears. They put their arms around me and envelope me in a hug.

  “Yea,” Ace said.

  “He approached us over Thanksgiving,” momma confirms. I start laughing and crying at the same time. I turn to Ace, which a question in my eyes.

  “You didn’t beat him up when you found out, did you?” I ask him sternly.

  Steve intervenes and changes the subject so Ace won’t have to answer and I see respect in Ace’s eyes. Come to think of it, right after Thanksgiving, Steve stopped take his shirt off during sex for a couple of weeks and now I’m beginning to think my brother and the club had something to do with that. I give my brother a death stare before hugging momma again.

  What momma said in the kitchen makes so much more sense now because she knew that Steve was coming here to propose to me. I also see why Livy and Brandon didn’t know about it because those two can’t hold water...they would’ve been dropping hints as soon as Steve told them.

  I’m really happy and Ace threw us an engagement party at the club. I cried as soon as we walk in because this is their way of saying that they support our relationship. Most of the club members congratulate us, but others are sitting back and watching suspiciously. I get it. His dad is the sheriff, but we’re creating our own path in Atlanta because I’m not sure our relationship could survive the drama-filled town of Winslow. We’ve basically just become the Romeo and Juliet of our hometown...star-crossed lovers.

  When the night is over, Steve heads back home to say goodbye to his mom before he leaves early tomorrow morning. He still has to work because the holidays are when the APD are needed on the streets the most. The rest of us are staying in Winslow through New Years and then heading back before school starts. As I lay in my bed and think about this day, I realize that momma was right...this was the best Christmas ever.

  Chapter 30 - Steve, 19 years old

  I’m back in Atlanta freaking out because mom just texted me and said that da
d caught wind of my engagement to Harley. Apparently, one of the guys was bitching to a club girls about how a club princess is ‘sleeping with the enemy’ and the girl just happens to be one of Crystal’s high school cronies. She told Crystal who then ran to my dad, and I’ve been doing damage control all day.

  The one thing I don’t want is for my dad to approach Harley with his manipulative bullshit and make her doubt our relationship. I already called Ace and told him what happened, because we’ve become surprisingly cool with each other ever since the club beat my ass. He said he was going to figure out who it was, but he also proposed the idea of a quick wedding. I wasn’t sure, but he also pointed out that my dad can’t break up an engagement if we’re already married.

  I also called Loki and he reassured me that he still had the video of Crystal trying to pin a baby on me, and all the people admitting that they didn’t use protection with her. Hell, that could be my dad’s baby for all I know. I don’t think my dad is that stupid, but you never know. I call my mom, and she’s trying to figure out my dad’s game plan so I can get ahead of this.

  I decide to call Harley and let her know what’s up before my dad can get to her. The good part about her being in Winslow right now is that she’s pretty much always surrounded by members of the club, which will make it harder for him to get to her. However, we need a game plan for when she comes back to Atlanta. I tell her what’s going on with my dad and that we need a plan.

  “We can elope,” she blurts out. “We’ll just get married now so it’ll be harder for him to come in between us.”

  “Babe,” I sigh. “Your brother said the same thing, but do you really want to get married without the whole club, plus our friends and family, at the wedding?”

  “I don’t care,” she says stubbornly. “I’m not letting your dad interfere with us again, Steve. He’s willing to ruin our lives to look a certain type of way, and we should be ready to take things are far as possible to prevent him. I say we get married now, and then have a ceremony later down the road.”