by Elias Taylor
After helping her mother clear the dishes from breakfast, Beth glanced down at her phone and groaned. She had a text from Tisha. She had forgotten Tisha was in town this weekend for a family friend’s wedding. They were supposed to have lunch, and Tisha was asking where Beth wanted to meet. Honestly, Beth had expected Tisha to flake out. Half of the time that they had plans to catch up when Tisha was around, she ended up canceling at the last minute.
Beth picked up her phone and suggested a sandwich place downtown. It should be quick, at least.
Beth hated thinking of her old friend as something she had to get out of the way, like laundry or getting her oil changed. It was mostly guilt that kept Beth hanging out with Tisha since Tisha had become so self-centered and toxic. Christian’s cold reaction the night before had made it clear that Beth was tainted by association. Beth didn’t know why that had bothered her so much. For some reason, she had wanted to leap up and defend herself. She had never hurt Christian; she had never betrayed anyone.
Beth was pretty sure Tisha only hung out with her because she was the only one left who still put up with Tish’s nonsense. A lot of people from high school had been turned off by how Tisha handled her breakup with Christian.
Beth had to admit that it had been bad. But then again, Beth had never been close with Christian since Tisha and Christian had only started dating at the end of senior year. He was part of the Road Warriors, and his father was very involved, but Christian had never been all that active in the club. He had always been a bit of a wild card, and from the rumors that Beth heard, he had gotten even wilder since the breakup.
So why should Beth care that he thought of her as a bitch?
It was some leftover instinct, she decided. In high school, she had always thought Christian was cool. He had a bright smile, and he hadn’t only been nice to his own friends. He had been in a tenth-grade biology class with her, and Beth remembered him chatting with everyone.
Of course, it had been a long time since Beth had seen Christian smile.
After hanging out with her parents a little longer, Beth hopped in her car and headed toward the sandwich shop. She half-expected Tisha to cancel still, but when Beth arrived, Tisha was waving at her from a table.
“Hey, girl,” Tisha called from across the room. As always, Tisha was overdressed in a clingy camisole dress and five-inch heels with her face covered with a heavy layer of makeup.
“Hey.” Beth glanced down at her loose-fitting jeans and faded tye-dye t-shirt.
They ordered and sat down. Tisha clacked her fingernails on the table. Beth was willing to bet that Tisha’s sparkling bracelet cost more than a week’s pay for Beth. And Tisha probably would have no problem boasting about the price. She hadn’t always been so obsessed with money, though.
“I’m glad I get to see you before I head back to LA,” Tisha said. “Did I tell you Derek and I are looking at houses in Palm Springs this week?”
“Oh, cool.” Beth nodded along as Tisha babbled on about pools and beachfront views until the sandwiches came.
“OMG, Beth,” Tisha said. “When was the last time you got a manicure?”
Beth glanced down at her short nails. They weren’t dirty, but they were unpolished.
“Tisha, I’m a landscaper, remember?” Beth tried to keep the edge out of her voice, but it was unavoidable. Tisha had not asked Beth one question about her life.
“Jeez, no need to snap.” Tisha giggled and leaned back in her chair with a smirk.
Beth hated to admit it, but that was classic Tisha. Even as kids, Tisha had always been unaffected by criticism. It was always someone else being sensitive if they called Tisha out on her behavior. It had once seemed so brave and cool to Beth, but now it only stung.
Beth continued to eat her sandwich as Tisha spoke about the wedding and how she wanted a certain LA chef who was overbooked, but Tisha was sure she could get him to squeeze her in.
When the lunch ended, and Tisha announced she had to run, Beth breathed a sigh of relief.
“Well, I’ll see you next time you’re around,” Beth said.
“For sure. It is kind of cute and peaceful around here. Derek says it’s so rustic and a nice escape from LA.”
“Right.” Beth could never understand why Tisha talked about her hometown as if it was foreign to her.
Beth had not spent much time with Derek, but she had zero interest in getting to know him better. Tisha would probably ruin his life, and then he would think Beth was a horrible person, just like Christian did.
Beth gritted her teeth. She had to stop thinking about Christian Crown.
She waved goodbye to Tisha and headed back to her apartment.
Hanging out with Tisha didn’t even make her mad anymore. It just made her sad. Tisha could be right in front of her, and Beth still felt like she could no longer see her best friend.
Chapter Four: Christian
The photos from the wedding turned out great. Christian always gave himself credit where credit was due. He had managed to find perfect lighting both at the ceremony and at the reception. He had a good mix of candids and posed photos, and he had captured pretty much all the main guests, but, of course, most of his photos were of the bride. Even so, he had been editing the pictures for hours, and he felt like tearing his hair out. There were only so many sappy, lovestruck facial expressions he could take in one day.
The ring of his doorbell was a welcome distraction. Christian walked across his small living room and opened the door to see his brother, Anthony, on his doorstep.
“Hey, I was in the neighborhood.”
Christian welcomed his oldest brother, and they flopped down on the couch.
“So, you ready for tonight?” Anthony asked.
Christian narrowed his eyes. Anthony had zero subtlety. He was obviously here to deliver a message. “Just tell me what Dad wants.”
“No greeting for me?” Anthony raised his brows. “No asking how my week has been?”
Christian rolled his eyes.
“Since you won’t ask, I’ll tell you,” Anthony said. “I had a good date last night. I’ve been seeing this girl I really like.”
Christian raised his eyebrows. He and his brothers sometimes chatted about women, of course, but rarely did Anthony wear such a dopey grin. First, the wedding, and now, his brother. Would Christian never escape the lovestruck idiots?
“Cool,” Christian said. “Let me know when you wanna do cheesy engagement photos in a field somewhere.”
Anthony tipped back his head and laughed before fixing Christian with narrowed eyes.
“Seriously, though, how’s your dating life going?”
Christian winced and stared ahead. Anthony knew that Christian didn’t trust women. He knew Christian would likely never open his heart again.
“I’m too busy to date.” Christian had been slow to learn, but he had learned, eventually. Tisha made sure of that.
“You know, not all women are like Tisha.” Anthony spoke as if he was some kind of expert.
Christian only shrugged.
“She was a very special breed of bitch,” Anthony said.
That prompted a laugh out of Christian, and Anthony looked like he might be willing to let the subject pass for the moment.
“Anyway, you were right.” Anthony stood up and adopted a serious tone. “Dad asked me to come over and make sure you get to the event tonight on time.”
“Tyler already called me.” Christian rolled his eyes. “I’ll be there. I know how to get to a barbecue on time.”
“Well, they’re honoring Mark Harold tonight, so it would mean a lot to Dad if you could be on your best behavior,” Anthony said.
“They are?” Christian asked.
He didn’t remember Mark Harold, but his dad had talked about his old friend over the years. He had been a big part of the club before the car crash took his life. The name was familiar for another reason, but Christian couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Yeah, it’s bee
n fifteen years.” Anthony sighed and stared into space. “He was a good guy.”
Since he was almost eight years older, Anthony did have vague memories of the older club member.
“Speeches and a plaque?”
“Yup,” Anthony said. “And seriously, get there in time for Dad’s speech.”
“Will do,” Christian said. “Who’s accepting the plaque?”
There was some faint piece of information about Mark Harold tickling the back of Christian’s mind.
“His daughter, Bethany Harold,” Anthony said. “You know her. She comes to some events and has
her dad’s jacket.”
Of course. Beth Harold. He had known she was Tisha’s friend when he saw her at the Thai restaurant, but her name had escaped him. Just his luck that she was also part of the Road Warriors. Did everyone in this town connect back to Tisha in some way?
“She’s close to your age, isn’t she?” Anthony asked.
“Yeah, she is.”
Though she had been Tisha’s best friend, Christian hadn’t spent much time with her, and he barely remembered what she looked like, but he remembered she had always been sitting with Tisha across the cafeteria. Brown hair. And massive blue eyes. They had been just as big and blue at the Thai restaurant, but besides that awkward interaction, Christian hadn’t seen Beth Harold in years. He didn’t spend enough time with the biker club to cross paths with her nowadays.
But he remembered her name. Tisha had used her as an excuse a lot during college. Whenever she was back home, she would say she was going on hikes or camping trips with Beth when Christian wanted to hang out.
“You know Beth,” Tisha used to say. “She’s so outdoorsy.”
In retrospect, Christian was pretty sure Tisha had never gone on any camping trips. She had been cheating on him and using Beth as a cover. So, Christian didn’t have fond thoughts associated with Beth’s name. Not that it was her fault. She probably hadn’t known Tisha had used her as an alibi. If Christian had been smart back then, he would have tracked Beth down and asked her about these alleged hikes. Although, she probably would have lied. Birds of a feather flock together. Beth was likely just as bad as Tisha.
Christian felt a pang of guilt over maligning a girl with a dead father, but after Tisha, he didn’t trust anyone, least of all Tisha’s best friend.
“Anyway, just be on your best behavior tonight.” Anthony picked up his jacket and headed for the door. “It’s important to Dad.”
“I’ll be involved and active.” Christian stood up to walk his brother out. “I promise.”
Anthony nodded and left.
Christian had meant his promise. His dad frustrated the hell out of him, but Christian respected how much his dad loved the Road Warriors. His dad didn’t respect Christian and his career choice, though, and that was the issue.
Even so, Christian could show up and play nice. For one night, anyway.
Chapter Five: Beth
Beth breathed a sigh of relief as the last speech came to an end, and everyone clapped.
She had gotten through it without crying, which was a major accomplishment. The old veteran Road Warriors had told some good stories. She loved hearing about funny fights her dad had gotten into or how much he loved to play jokes on his fellow bikers. Even more, she loved hearing about what a good friend he had been to so many people.
Mel leaned against her shoulder and gave Beth an encouraging smile as Beth walked up to accept the plaque. Beth clutched the cold metal in her hands and thanked all the people who had spoken.
Once she was back within the safety of the crowd, Beth could breathe again. She didn’t like having a lot of eyes on her, especially for such an intense reason. She was happy they were celebrating her dad, but it was definitely an emotional night.
Her mother and George appeared at her side. George had always been good about respecting her father, and Beth was happy he had come to hold her mom’s hand.
“We’re gonna head back home.” Her mom was clinging to George’s hand, and Beth was glad her mother had someone like him to comfort her.
“Okay, have a good night.” Beth hugged her mom and then George. She hadn’t expected them to linger. Her mother used to be a mainstay at club events, but once she married George, her life had changed a bit. She had once told Beth that she liked to make new memories with her second husband.
Once they had departed, Beth handed the plaque back to a Road Warrior so they could hang it at their headquarters.
“Okay,” Mel said. “Time to mingle.”
Beth gripped Mel’s hand as her friend led her through the crowd toward a table of younger bikers who they both knew. Beth was grateful she had Mel around. Mel had a way of putting people at ease. Beth had a tendency to clam up around strangers, but Mel could joke about anything. Even with their landscaping clients, Beth’s designs would blow them away, but Mel was the one who would make them laugh.
As Mel settled into a conversation with a few people, Beth gripped her drink and scanned the crowd. Her eyes stopped on Christian Crown. Even from behind, Beth recognized him. His hair had always had a slight curl where it hit his neck. Beth quickly looked away. She didn’t have the energy to deal with another rude greeting from him.
She tried to remember the last time she had seen him at a club event. His father was very involved and had given a speech since Mark Harold had been an old friend. Now that Beth thought about it, she couldn’t remember going on a ride or attending a barbecue where Christian was present. She would have avoided him, anyway. Yes, he and Tisha were four years in the past, but it had been messy. His reaction at the Thai restaurant reminded her how awful the whole thing had been.
Beth cringed as she recalled how Tisha had shown up with her new fiancé. She said things had happened so fast, and she didn’t know how to tell Christian, but Beth suspected that Tisha got some sort of sick satisfaction out of seeing how much she could hurt people.
When Tisha had felt insecure about something in high school, she would always lash out. She would say something awful about some other girl’s skirt or hair or skin, just to see how much damage she could do. It made her feel powerful.
Beth was ashamed to admit, but it had made her feel powerful, as well. Beth had believed she was safe from criticism as long as she stuck by Tisha’s side. Tisha was bold and brave, and she would protect Beth from the ups and downs of high school. Beth never thought Tisha would turn on someone she cared about as much as Christian, though. She didn’t know much about their relationship, as they had rarely hung out together, but she had believed they were in love.
As she mused over the past heartbreak, Christian turned and locked eyes with her.
Beth panicked, but at the same time, she felt a tingling sensation in her chest. The way a section of his hair was sticking up just a bit was ridiculously endearing. Beth reminded herself that he probably hated the sight of her. She wasn’t Tisha, but she was, as far as he was concerned, an extension of the worst thing that ever happened to him.
But to Beth’s surprise, Christian just nodded and smiled at her in greeting. Beth smiled back before turning away.
Dead Father Sympathy. Beth got it all the time. That’s why she didn’t like talking about her dad’s death. It meant that people treated her like she was fragile and weak. Even Christian was not immune to the sympathy. She wished people would see her, Beth, not a wounded little girl or Tisha’s ex-best friend. It was strange to Beth that he might think of her as just Mark Harold’s daughter, or a member of the Road Warriors, and not as Tisha’s best friend.
“Oh, they’re starting the bonfire!” Mel let out a squeal of excitement.
Beth looked up and saw the flames begin to catch. This was how every biker event went. There would be the official ceremony part, and then the older members would start to head home, and the younger members would dance around the bonfire and stay up late drinking.
Mel started pulling Beth toward the crowd.
“Let’s dance
!”
Beth agreed with enthusiasm. She really liked to dance, and there was a guy monitoring the music and playing good songs over the loudspeakers. Beth and Mel found a spot and started dancing along. Beth let the lingering sadness from the speeches drift away as she lost herself in the music. After a few songs, a few guys from another biker club appeared nearby. It was a mixer, which meant that other clubs had been invited, even though the event was mostly filled with Road Warriors.
Beth kept dancing, but she couldn’t help noticing the guys edging closer and closer while tossing leering gazes at her. Beth locked eyes with Mel, and they both twirled in a fashion that took them away from the guys. Sometimes that worked, but this time, the guys seemed to view it as a game.
They inched closer and closer. Then, one reached out and gripped Beth’s hip. She didn’t want to make a scene, but she also didn’t like being touched without warning, so she pulled away. Mel grabbed her hand, and they stopped pretending to dance as they walked toward the other side of the dance floor.
Beth cast a nervous glance over her shoulder.
The guys were following them.
Chapter Six: Christian
Christian figured that the barbecue was a win so far for the Crown family. Christian had shown up on time, and he had stood with his brothers and clapped during his father’s speech. He had smiled and greeted all the important members of the club.
He hadn’t hurled himself into discussions of club politics with Anthony and Tyler, but he listened. None of it interested him, but he respected his brothers’ passion for the club. It was an important event, too. It was the fifth annual mixer, and it wasn’t often that members from various clubs got together without drama, but everything was going smoothly so far. It helped that the event had honored Mark Harold. Everyone knew that Mark had been a diplomatic force within the biker community.