by Zoey Parker
I nodded. “You’re both right,” I said. “This is the kind of shit I wish that we could have talked about today. When do you think Josh can come back? Are we just gonna have to fuckin’ wait around until he’s better?”
Tommy shrugged. We pulled into the parking lot of the MC and I glared at the hole in the fence.
“That’s gonna be a bitch to fix,” I commented. “I can’t believe those shitheads. It’s like they’re trying to piss us off as much as possible. How did they get so fucking cocky overnight?”
Tommy laughed. “That’s their fuckin’ end-game, ain’t it? To run us out of town. They’ll get their wish if we go to jail.”
Slowly, something dawned on me. “Tom,” I said loudly. “Do you fuckin’ think they’re working with the cops? It’s the only fuckin’ thing that makes sense. I don’t see another reason why the cops would be so blind to logic. In any other case, there’s no way I could get time for defending myself on my property. They must have a fuckin’ bribery scheme going on.”
Tommy nodded. “That makes a lot of sense, man. Ever since that new crew took over, we’ve have a lot of problems with them. I wonder if they’re in the pockets of the Aztecs.”
I shuddered. “I hate cops,” I said. “I’d hate them even if they weren’t fucking pigs, but these guys are the worst. I can’t believe they’d rather cozy up to fuckin’ drug dealers than us. We’re not that bad!”
Tommy laughed. “You look so awful right now, man,” he said. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, but it’s so funny. You look like some fuckin’ villain in a horror movie. No wonder the cops didn’t fuckin’ listen to you!” He hooted with laughter. Irritation crossed my face but as he laughed, I felt it melt away. Before I knew it, I was laughing right alongside Tommy.
“Come on,” Tommy said. He turned the key in the ignition and hopped out on the ground. “Let’s go fix that fucking hole in the fence, and then you can go see your girl.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Caroline
“I can’t believe how late he is,” I hissed under my breath to Elizabeth. “This is the fucking worst!”
She eyed me sympathetically and I felt a flash of anger and embarrassment. Of course, he would be this late after I’d spent the whole day gushing about him to my best friend. It wasn’t fair; just when I thought life was starting to go my way, everything went wrong.
Elizabeth picked at her cuticle and yawned. “Do you mind if I go to bed?” she asked softly. “I have to be up at eight and it’s after midnight right now. I’m surprised Amy was able to sleep through all of this.”
“It’s fine,” I said, tears pricking my eyes. “Whatever. Can I sleep on the couch?”
Elizabeth nodded. “Of course,” she replied. “Make yourself at home. Just try not to make too much noise,” she added with a grimace. “And knock on wood that Amy doesn’t wake up.”
But instead of getting up, Elizabeth just sat on the couch and stared moodily at the wall. I watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said with a sigh. “Just thinking about Andrew, that’s all. And how much I wish things had turned out differently between the two of us. It’s crazy to think about how in love with him I was years ago, and now he basically feels like a stranger.”
The same pang of acute self-awareness went through me. “I know,” I said. My mouth went dry and the words seemed like foreign objects lodged in my throat that I was about to choke on. “I know. It feels weird to think about the past like that.”
Elizabeth bit her lower lip and looked at me. Suddenly, she looked years older. In the dim light of her living room, I could see every single laugh line on her face. It made me wonder if I looked that old, too, but I didn’t want to say anything. She still looked beautiful, but it was in the odd way where you could tell that she had obviously been through a lot. Like every other woman I know, I thought sadly. Men are such assholes sometimes.
“I’m not trying to lecture you, but I think it’s worth listening to what I have to say. You don’t wanna wind up like me, Caroline,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot and I don’t even feel like I came out with my head on top. I feel like every day is a new challenge and I’m irrationally proud of myself for getting through everything. Andrew doesn’t help, the child support barely helps, and his parents treat me like I’m some kind of alien bitch for wanting more than that. Like, I’m sorry your deadbeat son didn’t realize how hard being a dad would be. But can you at least not judge me for trying to provide your only grandchild with a decent life?” She rolled her eyes.
I opened my mouth to argue but closed it quickly. When Elizabeth was in one of her moods like this, I had no idea how she was going to respond. I felt like if I said anything at all, she could jump down my throat.
“And, like, whenever they want to see Amy and take her shopping, she comes home with hundreds of dollars' worth of shit that she doesn’t even need,” Elizabeth groused. “Would it be so fucking hard for them to pick out a pair of sneakers or hiking boots or something? I swear, Caroline, they sent her home with a pair of pink sequined snow boots. Amy was obsessed with them, but they didn’t stay clean for five minutes. So then I had to pay for them to get cleaned. Can you fucking believe that?”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s a kid,” I said patiently. “I guess I expect that kids will always want what’s impractical.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s not about that,” she said. “It’s about the fact that Andrew’s parents don’t even try to be reasonable people when it comes to their grandchild. I’m supposed to be grateful for everything they do, but it only adds more stress. They don’t know how to actually raise her. I have to instruct them every time and then spend the whole freakin’ time she’s gone worrying!”
I bit my lip. It seemed like a long rant considering I didn’t really want to have kids, but I wondered if Elizabeth was going to try to make a point about Carson.
“And it wasn’t always like this,” she continued. “When we first got together, I trusted him. He was so different from other guys; he was so intense.”
I nodded. “Yeah, Andrew was an intense dude,” I agreed. I remembered the time that I’d met him for all of five seconds at a barbecue at Elizabeth’s old house. He’d shown up three hours late with a bunch of friends, all tatted up like he was. Elizabeth had acted like it was the biggest thing in the world when he finally got there; she’d made a show of bringing him around and introducing him to everyone. You could tell he was wearing this smug grin like, this girl thinks I’m amazing even though I’m not. It had been so incredibly hard to be nice to him.
Elizabeth shook her head. “He totally swept me off my feet,” she added. “He made me think that everything was going to be okay as long as we were together. And I got pregnant, like, right away. Do you remember? He was convinced that we’d be able to be a little family.”
I nodded. “I remember,” I said. They’d only been together for a few months when Elizabeth got pregnant, and the two of them had been so happy about it at first. I remember that Andrew had crowed about having a son, and toasted Elizabeth’s belly with beer.
“He was so excited about having a little boy,” Elizabeth said wistfully, as if reading my mind. “But he didn’t even stick around long enough to find out that Amy was a girl.”
Suddenly, a door in the hallway creaked open and Amy’s little pink face showed itself through the crack. “Mommy, are you talking about me? I heard my name,” she exclaimed loudly. Elizabeth gave me a look, as if to say ‘well, now you’ve really done it,’ but she obediently got up from the couch and went to collect her daughter.
I leaned back and blew out a gust of air that sent my bangs flying. Fuck him, I thought. He better have a good fucking excuse this time.
Elizabeth disappeared inside Amy’s room and shut the door. In a few seconds, I could hear them singing a nursery rhyme together, and Elizabeth told Amy to pick out a b
ook for “second bedtime.” I had to smile; even though she was an exasperated and exhausted mom, I still envied her ability to raise Amy so well. Amy wasn’t going to grow up to be a fuckup like her mom or me. She was probably going to be a scientist or the first female president or something. She was already more determined to succeed as a toddler than I’d ever felt in my whole life.
My phone buzzed in my lap. When I looked down, I saw Carson’s name.
“Hi,” I said drily. “Forget something?”
“I’m so sorry,” Carson said in his gruff voice. “I didn’t forget, but something happened. Where are you? Can I pick you up?”
“I’m at Elizabeth’s,” I told him. “We were just about to go to sleep,” I added. “It’s really late, Carson.”
“I know,” he said. “I promise I won’t take long to get there. Can you wait ten more minutes?”
I bit my lip. The sound of his voice was arousing, and already my anger with him was starting to fade. “Fine,” I said. “But don’t be late this time, okay?”
Carson chuckled and I felt a blast of warmth in my lower belly. “I won’t be late,” he said gruffly. We hung up without saying bye and I could already feel the butterflies starting in my stomach.
Elizabeth opened Amy’s door and came back out to the living room. If possible, she looked even more tired than she had a few minutes ago.
“Don’t even have children,” she warned me, yawning in the middle of her sentence. “You’ll never sleep again, and you’ll be able to recite nursery rhymes in your sleep but somehow manage to forget everything else you ever learned.”
I laughed shortly. “I’ll take that into consideration,” I said. “I’m gonna go, Liz. Carson just called. He’s on his way.”
Her stony expression darkened further. “Caroline, don’t go with him,” she said. “Don’t reward him for such bad behavior.”
I blushed crimson. “He said something bad happened,” I said quietly. “Is it so wrong to at least want to hear him out?”
Elizabeth tossed her hair and gave me the same weary look that she’d had earlier, talking about Andrew. “It’s fine,” she said. “It’s your life, Caroline. I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I’ve made. Don’t you get that?”
I bit my lip just as we both heard Carson’s motorcycle roar into the parking lot of Elizabeth’s apartment complex. “I get it,” I said. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to let you down, Liz. You know that.”
“It’s fine, it’s your life,” she said. The words came out cold and she grimaced. “Have fun, and be safe, okay? And listen to your gut.”
I nodded. “I will,” I told her. “Thanks.” We hugged—it felt stiff—and then I let myself out the front door and skittered down her steps. Carson was waiting for me, still perched on his bike. He held out the extra helmet to me. Something about his face looked different, but I couldn’t see what it was in the moonlight.
“Hey,” he greeted me. “How are you? Exhausted?”
I shook my head. “I think I’m getting a second wind, actually,” I told him. “I’ll be okay.” I looked at the ground as I strapped my helmet on, and when I climbed on behind Carson and wrapped my arms around him, he gunned the bike into gear and roared out onto the street.
The ride back to his house was quiet. Talking while on Carson’s motorcycle was all but impossible, so I was left alone with my thoughts. I buried my face in his jacket and inhaled deeply, breathing in his musk and cologne. Something about being with him felt so right, so safe that everything Elizabeth had warned me about flew out of my head. I was blissfully happy and turned on by the time we pulled up in front of Carson’s. Between the scent of his body and the bike thrumming between my legs, I was soaked. Carson climbed off and started walking towards his apartment without looking at me. I had to jog to catch up.
“Wait,” I said playfully. “You know how much shorter I am! That’s not fair.”
“Tough shit,” Carson grumbled, and I laughed. He shoved the key into the lock and opened the door. When I followed him inside, my heart started to beat even faster. His whole apartment smelled masculine, like he did, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was like falling asleep in Carson’s bed. Being surrounded by his scent was both comforting and arousing, and I was sure I’d always feel the same way about him.
When Carson flipped on the lights, I saw his face. It was swollen and bloody, with big black-purple bruises spreading over his right eye and down his cheek. I gasped out loud and clapped my hands over my mouth.
“Oh my god,” I said. “What happened? Is that why you were late? Are you okay?”
Carson laughed. “I’m fine. It looks worse than I feel, trust me.”
A sick feeling started in my stomach. “Carson, that looks terrible!” I cried out. “Can I wash your face? You still have some blood there,” I said, pointing to his lip. He winced when my fingers got too close and I drew my hand back, breathing shakily.
“I’m fine, really,” he said, low laughter bubbling out of his throat. “It’s just a little scuff. Happens a lot. I promise I’m fine.”
“Carson, I knew you were a tough guy, but this is crazy!” I exclaimed. “I’m so worried about you!” Guilt flooded my body. “And I’m so sorry that I was mad when you were late! You poor thing! You didn’t have to pick me up, I promise. Do you want me to go? Would you rather sleep?”
Carson laughed again, harder this time, and stepped towards me. “Stop worrying,” he said gruffly. “I promise I’m fine.” A chill ran through my body when I realized how close he was. I bit my lower lip and tucked a strand of red hair behind my ear.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered softly. “I was just so worried. Are you sure that you’re really okay?”
Carson nodded. “I promise,” he said. “Come here, Caroline.”
When he said my name, my heart started thumping hard once again. I stepped forward, closing the distance between our bodies, and Carson wrapped his arms around me and held me close. I closed my eyes and buried my face in his chest; despite the wounds, he smelled clean and like fresh cologne. Carson squeezed me hard and I felt arousal begin to pulse between my thighs. With one hand, he reached down and pulled my chin up for a kiss.
At first it was light, tender, but it grew in intensity until he was sucking on my lower lip. I moaned softly and slipped my tongue into his mouth, desperate to taste him, to be as close to him as I possibly could. Carson’s hands trailed down my back and squeezed my ass, sending bolts of arousal through my body. I squirmed and pressed against him. Almost instantly, I could feel his erection poking me through his dark jeans. My lower belly stirred at the memory of how big he was; I couldn’t wait for him to rip my skirt off and slide inside of me. Carson’s hands slipped under my skirt and yanked it up towards my waist, exposing my ass in a satin thong that I’d worn just for him. As his rough hands slid over my bare skin, I shivered and worked my mouth furiously against his. Carson kneaded my ass firmly with both hands and I blushed. It was like getting a really intense massage, and it was almost ticklish and almost painful. He parted the cheeks of my ass and ran a finger down the center, over my silky thong. When I felt his finger brush past my asshole, I shivered in delight. Carson stopped when his fingers were over the mound of my labia. I cried out and wriggled, desperate for him to touch me. As he stroked his hand lightly over my panties, I broke the kiss and nuzzled into his neck, biting at the tender skin.
“Carson,” I whispered hotly. “I need you. That feels so good.” Carson kept stroking me through my panties, very lightly, and it was maddening. I could feel my clit pulsing and throbbing as I got wetter and wetter, and I was desperate for him to yank my thong away and touch me. Just as I moaned and arched my back so my chest was pressed against him, he stopped. I groaned but Carson slid his hand up my back, under my shirt. Obediently, I raised my arms over my head and let him pull it off.
I reached behind and unhooked my bra, tossing it on the floor with my sweater. Carson stepped back a
nd looked at my breasts, licking his lips. He got to his knees and buried his face in my cleavage. Instinctively, I pulled away because I was afraid of hurting him, but he wrapped his arms around me and drew me closer than ever. As Carson began to kiss and suck at my nipples, I moaned softly and buried my hands in his long blond hair. Carson growled; I knew he loved having his head massaged and I kept up my ministrations as he lavished attention on my breasts. My nipples were swollen and sensitive and I was begging him to keep going when he pulled away, grinning up at me with a devilish look on his face. As Carson pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the ground, I let my eyes wander all over his body. He was covered with scars and tattoos and the sight made me shiver. He was so strong, so tough-looking. I couldn’t believe that he wanted me.
