by Sam Crescent
Chloe looked at him, but they didn’t have time.
“Yo, Rock, man, you still here?” Ian said, yelling.
“Get out.” He was too late in yelling as the door to his bedroom was pushed open.
Chloe let out a scream and pressed herself against him.
“Shit, man, sorry.”
“Get the fuck out.”
“Dude, that’s Chloe, right?” Ian asked.
“Yes,” Chloe said, letting out another little scream.
“I didn’t mean to walk in on the two of you,” Ian said.
“Get the fuck out,” Alfie said.
“Yeah, shit, sorry.”
“Close the door,” he said, yelling to be heard.
The door was closed, and Chloe had her face pressed against his shoulder.
“Forgive me, I have the most invasive asshole friends,” he said.
Her face was bright red. “They were never like this in high school.”
“Yeah, well, it would seem they didn’t grow up at all.”
“I can’t believe they just walked in,” she said, giggling.
“They’re so used to me being on my own.” He couldn’t get enough of touching her. He ran his hands all over her body, trying to convince himself she was very much real.
“It’s all true?”
“Yes. I’ve been without a woman for so long, and you’re the only one I want. I love you more than anything, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep you.”
“Alfie.”
“I know you don’t believe this can work, and you’re right, maybe it can’t, but what if we can make it work? What if you and I are destined to be better, to do better?” he asked.
“I don’t know if it’s possible,” she said.
“You’re willing to run away without giving this a shot?”
“I’m not running away.”
“Then give us a shot the way your mom is going to give Eagle a shot,” he said.
“You know it’s weird how you go from calling him Dad to Eagle.”
“I’m used to it. I’ve spent my entire life doing this.”
“Come on, guys, I’m hungry,” Riley said, banging on the door. “Let’s move this morning fuck along.”
Chloe’s eyes went wide. “Wow.”
“Yeah, they’ve felt guilty about the whole thing and want to make it up to you.”
“By shouting stuff like that through the door?”
“No, by making you feel like you belong.”
“Have you primed them for this?”
“Nope.”
“My clothes are not in here, Alfie. They’re outside.”
“I’ll go and get them for you.” He pressed a kiss to her lips and climbed out of bed.
Pulling on a pair of jeans, he opened his door and closed it.
Riley and Ian were both in his kitchen, looking through his cupboards. “What the fuck are you two doing here?”
“Breakfast. You’ve got nothing. You need to shop.”
“You’ve both got places of your own to eat, so why do you have to invade my space?” He quickly picked up Chloe’s clothes. There was no sign of her underwear, so he hoped that was back in the room.
“You love eating breakfast with us,” Ian said. “I guess it went really well last night, didn’t it?”
“I’m not about to kiss and tell with you guys.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Will you all try not to be a dick around her, please? You think you guys can manage that? I want this to work.”
“Dude, you think we don’t know how important this is for you?” Ian asked. “Five years. I’m surprised you’ve not rubbed your hand out by now.”
“Nice, real nice.” He glared at them. “Just, be nice.”
“She’ll never remember the fucking past,” Riley said. “I swear, every time I think of that piece of shit, I believe you let him off lightly.”
“Yeah, well, there’s nothing we can do about it now.” He’d burned the tape and made sure Daniel never stepped foot in town. There was no way the club could bury him as too many people knew what had happened. It would raise questions.
“Go and get her, and we can head to the diner,” Riley said. “I’m starved. Hurry up.”
Alfie went back into his bedroom, determined to go at his own pace.
Chloe was already out of bed. “They’re still out there?”
“Yep, and I want another kiss.” He dropped her clothes to the floor and pulled her in close. “They want to go to the diner.”
“Cool.”
“Are you coming?”
“I don’t know.”
“Chloe, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I’m not going to hide it, and anyone who says shit to you, you come to me, got it?” he asked. He kissed her for good measure, and this time, she smiled.
“Fine, got it. I’ll give this a chance. All of it. You’ve got to help me with my mom though.”
“Whatever you need me to do, just let me know.”
He helped her get changed, which was the complete opposite of what he really wanted to do. He’d been without her for so long, and all he wished to do was spend the day fucking her.
However, he also had jobs to do at the club.
Once they were dressed, Ian and Riley were waiting, and per his request, they didn’t speak a word of finding them having sex. So far, so good.
****
“You two had sex?” Lily asked.
“Mom, that wasn’t for you to make an announcement,” Chloe said, packing her mother’s things. The doctor had signed her out as an outpatient. She would need to rest while her legs healed. There were no further signs of concussion, and so long as she had help, he didn’t see why she couldn’t heal at home.
For Lily, she couldn’t get packed fast enough.
Chloe stared at the flowers. “What do you want me to do with them?”
“Keep them. They’ll brighten up our sitting room.”
“Eagle’s going to be here any minute,” Chloe said.
“You’re avoiding the subject.”
“Last time you discovered I was having sex, you were mad.”
“No, I wasn’t mad, I wanted you to be protected.”
Chloe paused.
“What is it?” Lily asked.
“Nothing. I’m just remembering the time you yelled at me, telling me I shouldn’t be having sex. It’s all good.” She wasn’t remembering that time at all. Nope. Her thoughts had gone back to the previous night and this morning.
No condom.
Protection hadn’t been on her mind.
Shit.
This was something she was going to have to deal with.
“I don’t like the look on your face.”
“Mom, it’s my face, and you’re going to have to get used to it.”
“I don’t like it. You’re hiding something,” Lily said.
“I don’t want you to freak out, but I’ve invited Eagle and Alfie to eat dinner with us tonight. You will be the one entertaining, and I’ll be the one cooking.”
“You’re cooking for all of us?”
“Yes. I pretty much did all the cooking when they were invited years ago. Why not now? We had a deal, remember?”
“I remember the deal. So, have you forgiven Alfie?” Lily asked.
Chloe rubbed one of the soft flower petals as she thought about Alfie. “Yes. I think I have.”
“Why are you suddenly so ready to forgive him?”
She pursed her lips. “You’re really making me work for this one, aren’t you?”
“Why not? Life sucks at times, and I’ve got no other choice but to force you to use your head.”
“Fine. When I’m with him, it’s like … magic.” She laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, I remember the pain from the day at the fair. Knowing what he had planned, but he wasn’t going to see it through. He keeps telling me he loves me.”
“Do you trust him?”
“I don’t know if I trust him. I’m so confused. Th
is would be a lot easier to talk about if you weren’t my mother.”
“Why?”
“I’d be able to talk about everything and it not be weird.”
Lily chuckled. “Fair enough. I take it he took care of you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I’m glad. You’ve got to learn to take chances in life otherwise you’ll live with regrets.”
“Do you have any regrets?”
“A couple, yes.”
“What are they?”
“I don’t want to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want you to be upset by them.”
“I’m not going to be upset by anything you do, Mom. Trust me.”
“The first regret is putting up with your father for so long. The amount of disappointment we both suffered because of it. I will always regret that,” she said.
“You were so heartbroken when you made the choice.”
“Because I’d failed, Chloe. I’d failed you and myself. I wanted it to work so much. I loved him, so deeply, but he killed that love every single day he picked the club over me. They didn’t patch him in, and he was so weak as well. He was afraid of the dark, you know?”
“He was?”
“Yes. I had to sleep with the night light on, and whenever there was a noise, I was the one to go and check it out.”
“I had no idea,” Chloe said.
“Tell me about it.”
“What’s your other regret?” She saw tears in Lily’s eyes.
“It’s kind of a joined one.”
“Tell me.”
“You, Alfie, and Eagle.” Her mother pressed her hand to her face.
“Mom, you don’t have to do that at all. You don’t have to cover your face.”
“Yes, I do. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“I let you run away. I didn’t force you to talk to Alfie. I knew it had broken your heart, but I also knew he wasn’t the one who sent that tape in. Oh, honey, I love you. I love you so much. I missed Eagle. It’s why I tried to stay as far away from him as possible. I couldn’t stand to be near him and know all of what I’d lost.” Lily wiped away the tears, even as they kept on falling. “They’re a selfish regret.”
“Do you think I should have forgiven Alfie sooner?”
“I think you two should have been able to work this out on your own. I truly believe that.” Lily squeezed her hand. “Regardless of how I got in this hospital, I’m so pleased I did because it meant I could see you again, and we could have this chance.”
She hugged her mom tightly.
Was it a second chance?
Someone cleared his throat, and she pulled away to see Eagle waiting. She would fix this for her mother.
“I’ve got the car waiting,” he said.
“Will you bring her down? I’ll go and load up her bags.”
“Sure thing. Alfie is waiting with the car.”
Her heart beat a little faster as she made her way to the front of the hospital to find Alfie there. He had the trunk of the car open, and he offered her a smile. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Hey, you.” She had no clue what to say. “How are you?”
“Exhausted. I’ve been moving beer for the bar. It’s one of the perks of being a prospect. I get all the shitty jobs.”
“I’ve been thinking, it’s a rather quick thought. My apartment’s lease runs out at the end of the month. I need to head back to the city, grab my things. Would you be willing to take me?”
“I don’t have a car, but I could borrow my dad’s. If he’ll let me,” he said.
“He’ll let you.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ve got a plan for him and Mom. You’ll see.”
“You can’t use your mom to get what you want,” he said.
“Eagle’s still as in love with her as he ever was. Believe me, it’ll work.” She put the bags into the back of the car, and watched as Eagle pushed her mother out of the door. There was no mistaking the love between the two of them. It truly was sweet.
Glancing over at Alfie, she wondered if he did feel as deeply as Eagle did for her mother.
“I can see that look in your eye, and to answer your question, yes. I do.”
“I didn’t even say anything,” she said.
“I can see it. I love you, Chloe, and one day, you will get to see it. I promise.” Alfie walked up toward her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought his lips to her mouth. The kiss was sweet, and she couldn’t deny how much it meant to her. She didn’t want to ever stop kissing him.
Pulling away from his lips, she smiled. “You do know how to make an impression.”
“I won’t let you down this time,” he said.
“I know you won’t. There’s no chance of you ever doing something like that.” She patted his chest, and she did feel herself falling.
“That’s a good sight to behold,” Lily said. “You two always did look good together.”
For Chloe, she knew she would always have a piece of her heart that truly belonged to Alfie. No matter what, she would love him for the rest of her life.
****
Three days later
“You really think this is going to work?” Eagle asked, taking a seat beside Lily. He handed her a hot chocolate, and he turned toward her.
“You and I both know our kids needed a push in the right direction. Have you found out who ran me over?”
“No. Did you tell Chloe we’d been working through our problems and were in fact engaged again?”
“We agreed not to say anything,” she said. “I’m not lying to my daughter; I’m just withholding a few minute details.”
Eagle stroked her hair off her face. They had been dating for nearly two years now. It had started with bumping into her at the supermarket and developed from there. He couldn’t get enough of her. He loved her more than anything. The three years they were apart was sheer torture, but with Kurt constantly coming around, he’d kept his distance. After what happened, he had to deal with the club.
When it came to Alfie, he’d fucked up in so many different ways. He had blurred the lines of father and club president. His anger at losing Lily had turned him into a monster to his own son. His men, they had been angry with him for his treatment of Alfie, but when he started something, he hadn’t been able to stop.
“You know I’ve fucked up in every single way with that boy.”
“Then stop messing up, and treat him how you’d want your own father to treat you, Eagle. It’s not hard. You’re pushing that boy away all the time. I’m surprised he’s still here.”
He rubbed at his eyes. “I’m either the club prez, or I’m the dad, and at times, I don’t know which one to be. He loves that girl though. I have no doubt. No other woman has been able to get close to him, you know. He pushes them away and can’t stand to be around them. It’s surreal, is what it is. I thought she was just some crush.”
“Hey, Chloe’s special. It takes the right kind of guy to see just how special she is.”
“I’m not trying to argue with you.”
“Good. It won’t do you any good to,” Lily said, resting her head on his shoulder.
Before she got run over, they had been making plans on how best to tell their kids, and to also bring them together. It was one of the reasons why Lily had gone into the city rather than invite Chloe home. Neither of them had been ready, and both wanted to make sure Chloe and Alfie were ready for each other.
“Alfie won’t fuck this one up.”
“What do you think they’re doing right now?” she asked.
“Probably having sex.”
“Hey.”
“What? He’s my son, and from what I heard, they have not wasted a single moment and are making up for lost time.”
“This is crazy, we’re acting like children,” Lily said.
“Why? Because we want our kids to be happy and to get over the tape. It wasn’t like Chloe was s
een.”
“It wasn’t about the sex part. Seeing that tape, the humiliation, it broke Chloe’s heart. She didn’t trust him, and little by little, she gave a part of herself to him, and she’s never going to get it back.”
“I get it, I do.” Eagle held her close. “We’ll make this right. I promise.”
“And you will make sure whoever ran me over, will be brought to justice and not club justice.”
“I always knew you’d be a hard ass.” He kissed her lips. “I love you, Lil.”
“I love you, Eagle.”
Chapter Seventeen
“This is pretty much it. It’s small, but it has been home for five years.”
“And the school lets you stay here?”
“You have to excel in every single class and there’s no time for breaks. If you miss too many classes, they can kick you out immediately. It does come with a lot of risks, but the training has been wonderful.”
“I’ll say. The meal you cooked the other night.” He rubbed his stomach. “Your mom is going to be so spoiled because of you.”
“I’ll try. It’s the least I can do.” She felt so responsible for her mother’s loneliness. She was determined to bring Eagle and her mother together again.
“You’ve got to stop thinking about all of it. It’s in the past, and we need to move on.” Alfie pulled her into his arms.
This was why she had to make it work. Whenever he touched her, it was so natural. There was no one else she wanted but him.
Being away from him, she had thought she was over him. Seeing him every single day, he brought back so many old memories and feelings. Not the bad ones either, but the ones that made her feel alive.
“I did tell you it would work asking Eagle to watch her all day.”
“He did seem to enjoy that, didn’t he?” Alfie said. “Have you ever thought about me here?”
“Are you asking me if I’ve thought about you and touched myself?”
“Now you’re getting all dirty.” He pulled her down onto the sofa, so she straddled his waist. “I like it.” He ran his hand to cup her ass, squeezing her flesh. She let out a moan.
“There were a couple of times,” she said, whimpering. “I would imagine us together. I really wish that tape hadn’t come out.”
“You and me both.” He let go of her ass to open the buttons of her shirt. The bra she wore this time was white, lacy, and it showed off her red nipples to distraction. The clasp for this one was at the front, and he flicked it open. She let out a moan, and he was lost to everything but her. “I wouldn’t have seen it through, I promise you.”