by Simone Elise
***
Amber jumped off the bike as soon as I pulled up to her front door, like it was burning her to be close to me. She quickly walked to the front door, and I nearly dropped the bike trying to get off to catch her in time.
“Amber, wait!” I walked up behind her.
“What Jackson?” She spun around, pursing her lips and crossing her arms. Jackson? Don’t tell me we were back to that!
“Did Cole talk to you?”
“Yes.” She cocked her head to the side, her eyes glaring holes in my face. “I didn’t know you actually were scared of Cole.”
“I’m not.” I said as I clenched my jaw.
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” Her hands fell to her side, no longer holding them in a tight cross. “We’re over. Thanks for the ride.”
“Wait,” I said as I grabbed her wrist. “I’m sorry,” I said. Sorry usually works, doesn’t it? That’s what I’m meant to be saying in this situation, right? Fuck, women were difficult. This is why I didn’t do relationships.
“Thanks?” She didn’t sound sure. “But it doesn’t make a different Jackson. We just aren’t well, you know… right together.” She moved uncomfortably.
She was as strong as nails. She thought we weren’t right together? I couldn’t think of anyone more perfect for me. “We ARE right together,” I said. I hated talking about emotions; she was torturing me.
“Don’t lie to yourself Jax,” she said, her face softening slightly before her head dropped. “You should go. I’ll see you later.”
“So what? We go back to being friends?” I snapped. Couldn’t she just take me back already? She knew I hadn’t meant it.
“We were never really friends,” she pointed out, and then pushed open her front door, closing it in my face.
Why was she going to make this harder than it needed to be? Lighting up a cigarette, I straddled my bike. She was going to make me work for her. Christ, just another thing I had to do, although Amber was worth it.
***
“GET OUT!” I roared, as some idiot attempted to pull me from my drunken slumber.
“You have to get up!” Troy grunted, “SCHOOL!”
“Piss off,” I scoffed into the pillow, and rolled over the crushed beer cans scattered across my bed. The whole weekend I had slept, and drank, and slept. I hadn’t left the bedroom, let alone the Shield’s house.
“It’s Monday. Don’t want to break your parole.” I heard the smug tone in his voice. Stupid blood parole!
“Bloody hell,” I slowly dragged myself out of bed. My head was splitting.
“Amber’s already left,” Troy said, standing with his annoying smug look. I wanted to kill him. “You’re going to be late.”
I said a few curse words under my breath as I searched the floor for clean clothes. “How’s Amber?” I picked up a black t-shirt and pulled it over my head.
“Don’t know. She hasn’t been home much.”
“What?” I looked up too quickly and the room started spinning. Gripping my forehead, I attempted to calm the hurricane inside. “Where has she been going?”
“Don’t know.” Troy shrugged his shoulders. “We aren’t allowed to follow her.”
“Daddy’s orders?” I smirked, the smug look on Troy’s face disappearing.
“No, Amber’s orders,” Troy crossed his arms, “And we are respecting them.”
“Hah, for how long?”
“Not your concern. You’d better leave.”
“Yeah, yeah I know… school.” I picked up my packet of cigarettes and Troy moved out of my way as I went to walk past him. “I’ll talk to Amber at school, see where she is heading off to.”
“That would be helpful,” Troy said as he nodded his head. It must’ve been bugging the hell out of them not knowing where Amber was going, or why she was disappearing.
I pulled my sunnies out of my jacket and blocked the light. Today was going to be a long day.
Chapter 34
Jax
The crowds naturally parted as I walked through the hall. I noticed the chatter had stopped when I was close. People knew to be scared of me. I didn’t influence it; rumors and my reputation did it all for me.
I glanced down the hall, her ripped jeans catching my attention. Amber was going through her locker, what do you know, she actually looked like she was getting ready for class. “Amber.” I called, and leaned against the locker next to hers.
“Jackson.” She acknowledged, and glanced at me briefly. “Nice to see you awake.”
She closed the locker door and I walked beside her up the hall, people naturally getting out of our way.
“Yeah.” I yawned slightly, adding, “I heard you were up to stuff.”
Amber shrugged her shoulders. I don’t know whether it was because I was now fully caught up on my sleep, but Amber looked extremely beautiful today. In fact, it was catching me off guard.
“So your umm, brothers were worried about you,” I said as I stuffed my hands into my pockets, and our pace had slowed slightly. I was aware of glances from everyone in our direction but I didn’t care. If they had a problem with me talking to her, they could take it up with me. It was true Amber was sort of an outcast here, but that was because she made herself one.
“Yeah, they were whining at me too,” she said, her free hand brushing mine by accident. “Sorry,” she said, quickly making sure there was more space between us.
“So, want to tell me what you are up to?” I asked as I gently wrapped my hand around her small arm and stopped her. “And don’t lie.”
Her moody eyes stared up into mine. Her skin so pale and flawless; I always knew she was beautiful but this morning it was like she was shining.
“I met someone,” her words were a hushed whisper although they registered perfectly.
Fuck.
“Who?” I swallowed the feeling of complete disgust. How the hell had I let this happen? All I did was sleep for a weekend, and she finds herself a new man!
“I can’t say,” she blushed. AMBER BLUSHED!
I gritted my teeth. “Right, whatever.”
“Jackson, are you jealous?” She smirked tauntingly. “You shouldn’t be.”
“I’m not.” I let go of her, adding, “I’ll see you at home.”
“Jackson, wait,” she called.
“It’s Jax,” I snapped at her. I noticed her smirk had now gone. Well, I had a right to be angry. She’d replaced me within, what, days? Yeah, I meant heaps to her, didn’t I.
“You don’t have a right to be jealous.” She pursed her lips and gripped her textbooks tighter. “You broke up with me.”
“To protect you!” I scoffed. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter.” She could do whatever the heck she wanted. Why should I care? I’d never cared for a woman before, and this was why.
“You’re right. It doesn’t matter,” she said.
The school bell rang and she quickly turned her back to me, storming off. Why had I fallen for a moody one?
But it doesn’t matter now. She’d found a replacement. I gritted my teeth and stormed down the hall. It showed now, how much she really cares about me.
***
I glared into the back of Amber’s head. The whole day she had made it her mission to avoid me, but, now as we sat in, well whatever class it was, she was trapped. She sat as far away from me as possible, sitting down in the front of the class by herself.
How had she found a new guy over a weekend? A WEEKEND! I snapped a pencil. The boy next to me flinched. I gave the boy a look over. Who was he? I hadn’t seen him before.
“Can you believe her?” I said as I nodded my head in Amber’s direction. “She found a new guy.” I didn’t know the guy next to me, but he was the only one close enough to listen.
“Are you talking about Amber Shield?” The guy pushed his glasses up his nose, and looked closer at Amber, when I nodded my head. “He would have to be brave to date her,” the boy added.
“Brave?” I scoffed. “I doubt it.” I tapped my
foot under the table, feeling irritated.
“I wonder if he likes orange too…” The nerdy guy had a bit of a snigger and looked at me with an amused grin. I gave him a look that wiped that look off his face. Like what the fuck was he on about?!
He quickly snapped his head down, and turned back to his work as I continued to glare at Amber. Who the heck had she met? I knew that I had a thing for her, but the jealousy that was ripping through me made me realize it wasn’t just a thing.
Bloody hell, I was in love with Amber.
***
I stabbed the piece of steak, cutting a large piece of it off and stuffing it in my mouth.
“I hate peas,” Tyler announced, flicking a pile of peas off his plate and onto the tablecloth. “Why the heck does the cook always put so many on?”
“Would you like to cook instead Tyler?” Mr Shield asked, from the head of the table.
The Shield boys were feared, and here they were sitting at the table having a good old family dinner together.
“There, there Tyler. Stop moaning about the fucking peas!” Cole grunted, with a mouthful of food.
“Language!” Mr Shield snapped at Cole, and that had everyone smirking.
Cole got told off by daddy.
“How was school, Jackson?” He looked at me. Jackson? What was I, ten?
“Fine,” I grunted back a reply; would have been rude to ignore him completely, considering I was still staying at his house.
“Where is Amber?” Troy asked, and I was grateful he had asked, because I had been wondering where she was. She didn’t come home after school. Maybe she was off with her new boyfriend. I clenched the knife in my hand.
“Here!” Amber announced as she walked into the room. I automatically looked up at her. Why was she looking so pretty lately?
“Amber! You hungry?” Mr Shield asked, and she nodded her head and took a seat next to Troy, even though there was one free next to me.
“So, where you been?” Adam asked her, and then pushed the bread basket across the table at her.
“Nowhere,” she replied. She took a piece of bread, beginning to nibble on it.
“She has a new boyfriend,” I spoke up, loudly. I knew one thing the Shield boys hated, and that was any other male close to their little sister. I was going to use that to my advantage.
“WHAT!” Cole was the first one roaring at her, demanding more. “Who?”
“Thanks!” Amber shot me a glare.
“Didn’t know it was a secret,” I said as I shrugged my shoulders.
“No one you know,” Amber answered Cole, but she should’ve known better. The boys wouldn’t stop at that. All of a sudden, all the boys were throwing questions at her and the dread across Amber’s face was amusing… to me at least.
“ENOUGH!” Mr. Shield shouted from the head of the table, and rose from his chair.
“Thanks dad,” Amber smiled, relieved.
“Amber isn’t…”
“DAD, YOU PROMISED!” Amber quickly cut him off, slapping her hands on the table. She was fuming with anger.
Mr Shield was actually chuckling. All of us were in silence. Mr Shield looked too serious to be chuckling and, by the shock on the boy’s faces, they weren’t used to it either.
“Amber’s boyfriend’s initials are C.S, and that is all I am saying. Now, leave her alone.” Mr Shield sat back in his chair with a grin.
“Thanks dad,” Amber rolled her eyes, and left the table with a huff. Now all I had to do was find out who C.S was and threaten him until he buggered off.
***
“I don’t know anyone named C.S.” Adam said. He was laying on the grass, smoking and thinking of who Amber’s boyfriend was.
“Neither do I.” I said as I lit up my own smoke. Adam and I were out in the backyard, with beers, enjoying the fresh air, and quiet - two things we didn’t usually get much of.
“You know Troy was saying that dad was thinking of sending her away,” Adam said as he sat up. “Troy was trying to get him to change his mind.”
“He wouldn’t send, her would he?” I asked and blew out the smoke. Amber couldn’t be sent away like a naughty child; she was an adult now, although she rarely acted like one.
“Don’t know,” Adam shrugged his shoulders, putting the cigarette out. “But he doesn’t want Amber to get mixed up with what we do, so he might.”
Amber was strong-willed; you couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to do. There was no way she would go anywhere she didn’t want to go.
“I’m turning in; night Jax,” Adam said as he pushed my shoulder slightly, walking passed.
“Night mate.”
I had more important things to think about than Amber. I should be organizing and planning our next run and I should be taking care of business.
But my thoughts were consumed with Amber.
Chapter 35
Jax
Leaning against my bike, I watched Amber move quickly through the school gates; she was jogging to her car. Putting my cigarette out, I quickly mounted my bike and started it.
It had been a week, and Amber was still meeting this secret lover; today I was going to follow her. Every day after school she would take off as soon as the bell rang, and then she wouldn’t be back home until late.
Yes, I did have more important things to do than stalk my ex-girlfriend, but all I needed was an address, and then I would be able to get a name.
I slowed the bike down and followed two cars back from Amber. She was frustrating me, not giving me the time of day. I even bought her flowers last night and left them on her bed. The next morning I woke up to find them thrown out in the hall, outside her door.
To think I wasted an hour picking the bastards. I changed lanes, still following her; why was she going so damn slow? She was holding the traffic up! I crept up behind the car in front, and looked up. Shit.
She had spotted me.
I saw the lights ahead changing, and sure enough, she put her foot down, floored it and ran the lights. I gritted my teeth as I came to a stop behind a car. I had lost her; there was no chance I would find her now. She would be taking every back road possible.
Bloody Amber being too smart for her own good. Maybe I should just take a hint and stop stalking her. She clearly wanted nothing to do with me. I needed to get trashed and forget her.
***
“Jax? Where you been?” Troy grunted when I switched the bike off. I got off the bike and placed my helmet on the handlebar.
“Out,” I shot back, not in the mood to tell him I had been stalking his sister.
“Did you find out who he is?” Cole walked out the front door, with that normal cocky grin on his face, and guessing correctly where I had been.
“Don’t know what you are on about,” I grumbled.
“Right,” Troy smirked. “You ready to go?”
“Go where?” I only had one thing on my mind; drinking my sorrows away.
God, I sounded depressive. Bloody Amber.
“Club meeting, remember?” Cole huffed, still with a cocky undertone in his voice. Cole really knew how to piss me off. “Or did you forget, having other things on your mind,” he added. He was being relentless!
“Shut it Cole,” Troy jumped in, before I managed to answer him.
Damn meeting. I would cancel it, but I had set the damn thing in the first place. Grinding my teeth, I nodded my head. “Right, let’s go.”
“I’ll drive,” Troy unlocked his sedan.
“Why the fuck aren’t we taking our bikes?” Tyler grunted from the back seat, moving uncomfortably between Adam and Cole. “Cole, when the heck did you get so fat?” he grumbled.
I glanced at them in the back; they reminded me of clowns in a tiny car.
“It’s muscle, you tosser,” Cole snapped, and punched Tyler’s thigh.
“Get OFF ME!” Adam yelled and pushed Tyler back to the middle. Tyler had been groaning in pain, rubbing his thigh and leaning into Adam.
“Sh
ut up! All of you!” Troy snapped over his shoulder, taking his eyes off the road. The whole trip into town, all the three did in the back was bitch.
Your leg is on my side, stop leaning on me… the bitching went on.
“CAT FIGHT!” Tyler yelled, loud enough to deafen me. I shot a deadly look in the back at him; he didn’t even notice though, he was too focused on what was happening outside of the car.
Troy slowed down, and sure enough, two chicks were going at it, both wearing orange jump suits. Community service workers, or highway trash pickers. The two guards that were meant to be looking after them were just hanging out, watching the fight.
“Ouch, the one with the dark hair is on a roll!” Tyler said, while Cole cursed him for leaning on his knee.
My eyebrows knitted together as I took a closer look at the girls. “Troy, pull up closer would you?”
Troy frowned, but indicated and pulled up to the side of the road. We were barely crawling along anyway.
“Is that…?” Tyler started, then stopped.
“Nah, it couldn’t be...” Adam added.
“It bloody is!” I fumed and pushed the car door open roughly. Everything was beginning to make sense now.
“Jax, don’t get involved,” Troy yelled out the car window.
“Do you want her up for manslaughter?” I yelled back at him, but kept walking towards the fighting girls. “Can’t you do your job?” I grunted at the guards when I walked past them.
“Not so lippy now, are you bitch!” Amber snarled at the girl after sending a flying right hook into her face, again.
I wrapped my arms around Amber’s small waist, and pulled her off the girl she was beating.
“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” she roared at me, before she went limp. “You have to be kidding me,” she groaned, as she glanced at my arms.
I placed Amber on her feet, and she spun around instantly. Her mouth was half hanging open; she was in shock.
“Want to explain?” I arched an eyebrow at her, still holding onto her waist.
“How did you find me?” she frowned, cocking her head to the side. The girl she was bashing up before was cupping a bloody nose behind her. “I thought I’d lost you in traffic.”
“Cat fights draw attention,” I nodded my head in the car’s direction, and when she saw her brothers, she let out a long groan.