Trade In (Odd Jobs Book 3)

by AJ Alexander

  I head down the bar and start closing up shop for the night.

  “Look man, I don’t want to be nosey. You got to give me something, I want to have sex again sometime soon.”

  I feel sorry for the man, but it’s no one’s business what happened between Rachael and I. “If you want information, you need to finish that damn beer and help me close.”

  Wyatt thinks about it for a moment then throws back the last of his beer before pushing back from the bar top, “You have a deal.”

  We work quickly on getting the bar closed and clean, before heading to the back to restock bottles. Once we head to the back, I decided to take pity on Wyatt and tell him part of our story.

  “Rachael and I were high school sweethearts. A chance meeting after Sociology class was all it took. With a smile and a shy hello, Racheal owned my soul.” I remember the day like it was yesterday. The two of us were inseparable after that, although I had to make it through her brother first. Then one night my dreams came crashing down — the night her brother was killed.

  “Sounds too good to be true. So, what happened?” Wyatt asked as he grabbed a new case of beer and headed toward the front.

  “Life happened.” No need to go into all the details. “Just like every other sob story. We grew apart, went our separate ways.”

  “By their reaction, I doubt there was anything amicable about your breakup.” I forgot how perceptive Wyatt is. Eventually he will want more information about what happened between Rachael and me.

  “It’s none of my business like I said, just understand I’m not stupid. There is more to the story than what you’re telling me. I can tell.” He places the case of beer he was holding and loads it into the cooler, I do the same.

  We unload the beers in silence. For the first time in three years, I have someone to confide in. Wyatt and I were co-workers for years, but now I can admit to myself we are friends.

  Without looking up from my task, “Thanks. I appreciate it, Wyatt.”

  He doesn’t take the time to respond, but he heard me. Sometimes all you need is someone to be there, listening to all the things you don’t want to say, Wyatt has become that person for me.

  “Thank for the help, man. I would have been there for a few more hours without it.” I slap Wyatt on the back as I lock the front door.

  “No problem. The least I can do for prying into your personal life, my sex life thanks you.” Wyatt chuckles before heading toward his car.

  I turn in the opposite direction and head toward my bike, another part of Rachael I’ve always kept with me, a love of motorcycles. As soon as I saved up enough money, I bought a beat-up 90’s Harley Fat Boy.

  “Hey, man, wait up,” Wyatt shouts as he jogs toward my bike. “I don’t know all the details about what happened between you and Rachael, but I can tell by the way you talk about her there is something still there.”

  I open my mouth to rebut his observations, but he holds up his hand. “It’s none of my business, but if you wait too long to show her you still feel the same, you’ll lose your chance – maybe forever.” With that, he gives me a nod before turning to head back toward his car.

  I throw my leg over the bike and start the engine. Pulling the clutch, I put my bike into drive and head down the highway. No destination in mind, I drive.

  Now that Rachael has made her way back into my life, I don’t think I could let her go even if I wanted to. Wyatt is right, most people don’t get a second chance at love, especially with the love of their lives. I tried to say goodbye to her once, but the fates have crossed our paths again. I’m sure by now she knows what happened, the part I played in her brother’s death. If only I could show her how much I still love her, then everything will be okay.

  I’m not delusional enough to believe everything will go back to the way they were, be roses and sunshine. We are both older and different people. We need to take our time and get reacquainted with each other again.

  The girl I fell in love with is still in there, somewhere. I saw a glimpse of her that day at Addison and Cole’s engagement party, I need to find her and convince her to give me a chance. I will get Rachael back, there isn’t a question, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop me.

  6

  Rachael

  “You’ve got to be fudging kidding me!” Morgan screeches causing my computer speakers to crackle. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been able to chat. I threw myself into work when I ran into Liam and she’s been busy with school. “I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me this! I thought I meant more to you than that.”

  I giggle at my best friend, “Stop being so dramatic. We’ve both been busy.”

  I get up off my bed to throw on a clean tank top, I can’t sit in the house anymore. Today is Sunday, the shop is closed but I feel restless. Sitting still isn’t something I’ve ever been able to do, but it’s gotten worse since Jeremiah died.

  “More like avoiding the subject.” Morgan scrunches her nose up in disgust. “I get not wanting to talk about it, but you need to deal with this eventually. From what you just told me, he’s friends with your neighbor.”

  I huff, “Ex-neighbor. Wyatt moved out a couple of weeks ago. Him and Heather got a new place together.” I pull my hair back into a ponytail before flopping back onto the bed.

  “Someone sounds jealous,” Morgan pops a skittle into her mouth, “It’s been a long time for you, maybe it’s time to get back on the horse. Say your piece to Liam, let him have it.”

  “Mo, there’s nothing to say. He hasn’t contacted me in years. Obviously there’s nothing there. It hurts sure, but if he still wanted me, he would have come around before now.”

  “Rach, the problem is you’re still madly in love with him,” Mo whispers

  Damn, I love Morgan, but she doesn’t sugar coat things. She’s right, I wish I could just tell my heart to take a hike. I lay back on my bed, starting at the ceiling,

  “He loved me, it makes no sense for him to up and leave like that without a word. Especially after everything that happened,” I pause, not wanting to re-live the day my brother died again.

  “Let him go this time, for both of your sake. I get the need for answers, but once you get them, it’s time to let go.”

  “I know,” I croak across the line. I’ve been in love with Liam for as long as I can remember. Just a chance meeting headed toward the library, and he had my heart.

  “Hello,” a gentle voice says as I head toward the library. I never watch where I’m almost ran right into a wall. Lifting my head, I notice Liam Murphy standing in front of me.

  What no one knows is I’ve had a crush on Liam since the start of the year. Being a freshman in high school, and him a sophomore hurt my situation, but seeing him every day is enough to make my heart flutter.

  I check my surroundings, wondering if he was speaking to me. “Hello,” I whisper back when I notice no one else around me. A fire seems to ignite in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

  Liam looks like he wants to devour me – mind, body, and soul. If I’m not careful, I may let him.

  “Earth to Rachael!” Morgan’s shouting causes me to bolt up from the best memory, bringing me back to the present.

  “Sorry.” I bow my head, letting my long brown hair fall and cover my face.

  “No need to apologize. I’m used to you being off in Liam la la land every so often.” Suddenly, there is a knock on her door followed by her mom’s muffled voice.

  “Sorry chickee, I need to motor. Mom wants one last family dinner before I head back to school.”

  “I miss your mom’s fried chicken! Ask her to make you a batch to bring with you. I’ll come and visit when you get back.”

  The one good thing about this move, I’m closer to Morgan. Although she works for a cleaning agency to help pay for school, she’s only a four-hour drive away.

  “She likes you better anyway. I’m sure she will send enough to feed an army if I tell her it’s for you.”

  �
��Now go eat enough for the both of us.” I give her a wink and wave before the screen goes black.

  A heart-to-heart with your bestie should solve all your problems, not make them worse. I’m no closer to knowing what to do about Liam and his sudden reappearance in my life. I need to figure out his secret, for the first time in years I want to figure him out. That’s the part that scares me.

  “No sense in feeling sorry for myself, I have an engine to fix.” Setting my laptop next to me on the bed, I hop up and grab a pair of jeans. There is no better way to clear my mind than working on the engine of a motorcycle. Heading down the hall, I give my dad a goodbye shout before heading to the door.

  “Rach, we’ve got a new client coming in tomorrow. He needs a tune up on his early nineties Fat Boy. He said he would drop the keys in the box at some point tonight. If he comes by, try to get all his information. That way I won’t need to call him in the morning.”

  “Sure thing. I’ll be cranking on my Indian in the shop. Hopefully he’ll see the lights on and come inside.” I grab my keys off the hook and head out the door toward the elevator. I wait for the doors to open, and climb in. It wasn’t too long ago when having to ride this thing drove me nuts, but change isn’t always a bad thing – at least that’s what I keep telling myself.

  I remember when my dad first told me we were moving to San Diego, I was angry, but I was lost. I continued to hope that if I waited in Shawnee long enough, Liam would come back for me. Funny, I move, and we find each other again. I spent all that time, wasting away in that small town waiting for someone that didn’t care about me. Morgan is right. He had plenty of chances to contact me but didn’t.

  Now I’m faced with the scenario I waited for three years to happen, with no clue what to do next. I planned what I wanted to say to him. I rehearsed it all those years, ready to tell him how he broke my heart and wasn’t there for me when Jeremiah died. That there was no way he loved me as much as he said he did, if he’d disappear when I needed him the most. However, when the time came, I had nothing to say. All the words I rehearsed disappeared, and the broken-hearted girl came back to the surface.

  I slap my hand on the wall of the elevator, watching the metal shake at the impact. “What the fuck is wrong with me? He is a piece of shit liar. Tell him off and be done with it. Who cares why he left, you need to let it go,” I murmur to myself. My brain knows what I should do, but my heart won’t let go of the small hope that Liam may truly love me.

  I haven’t been with anyone since Liam left. I’ve dated, but it was to keep Morgan and my dad off my back. I wanted someone to love me the same I thought Liam did, to the point that they would do anything, give up anything, to be with me. I can’t hold on to fairytale dreams anymore, I need to face reality. If Liam loved me, he’d have stayed. He’d have been there for the worst time in my life, instead of running off to do God only knows what. Now is my chance to find out why, nothing more.

  I’m startled from my thoughts as the elevator chimes signaling my arrival in the garage. It’s time to grab hold of my future and let go of the past. The next time I run into Liam, I’ll give him a piece of my mind and get the closure I need.

  I head straight for my dad’s 70s Ford pickup truck with the Beaufort Bike’s logo on the side. I put the keys in, bringing the engine to life, and pull out of the parking spot.

  I crank up “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones as I get back to work on my 1950 Indian Chief Black Hawk my dad saved from the scrap heap before we moved from Shawnee. To say this was my dream bike would be an understatement. He told me it was a peace offering, more like a bribe for me to go quietly – it worked. What he didn’t understand was I wanted out of Shawnee as much as he did.

  Before I can get back to it, the bell above the door chimes. “I saw the lights on and took my chances.”

  I stand up bolt straight, recognizing the voice that has haunted me for the last three years.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?” I shout, throwing the wrench I have in my hand in the voice’s direction — Liam ducks out of the way.

  “No need to be violent! I have an appointment,” he responds, calmly.

  How the hell can he be so calm at a time like this!

  Isn’t he the least bit affected by being around me again?

  Of course not, he left you. Remember?

  “Consider it canceled.” I head back toward my row of toolboxes on the other side of the garage. “I’m sure you can find your way out.”

  “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Roo. I paid a deposit over the phone and everything. I need the carburetors rebuilt on my ‘91 Fat Boy. I don’t have time to do it myself. You and your dad are the best at these kinds of things.”

  “Damn straight we’re the best. When the hell did you learn to ride a bike? Aren’t pretty boys too afraid to get hurt,” I chuckle, slamming the drawer to the toolbox shut before continuing, “Besides, what the hell do you know about bikes in the first place? You could barely pump your own gas, let alone build something.”

  Liam takes a step closer, fire burning in his eyes. “There are plenty of things you don’t know about me anymore, Roo.”

  “Stop fucking calling me that,” I screech before throwing the new wrench in my hand. Liam dodges this one. Hopefully I hit my mark with the next one.

  “Roo, you used to have better aim than that.” A smirk crosses his face as he takes another step closer. He’s so close I can smell his aftershave, the same as always, but there’s also a hint of leather and grease. Maybe he isn’t the same person who left me all those years ago. No, I can’t allow myself to be taken in again.

  “Who said I was trying? My dad doesn’t need a lawsuit. We opened this shop a few months ago. I doubt Mommy and Daddy dearest would let the likes of us get away with hurting their little boy.”

  My statement got under his skin. “You have no fucking clue what you’re spouting off about. Roo, I haven’t spoken to my parents since I left Shawnee.”

  “Yeah, right. There’s no way they would let their baby boy run off to parts unknown. They made damn sure you got rid of the trash…” My statement trails off as I turn and head back to work. He’s a customer, fine, I’ll take his money and be done with him. I doubt after I tell my dad who this appointment was with, he’ll let him make another one.

  “Roo,” Liam pleads I can feel him coming closer. It’s as if there’s a magnet in my body pulling the two of us closer together.

  “Don’t you Roo me! Liam, you left! Left me at the worst time in my life. No phone call, no forwarding address, NOTHING!” The tears I swore I wouldn’t let fall for him, again pour down my face. I turn and give him the full force of my pain, of my anger. “You said you loved me, Lamb! But instead of being there for me you disappeared.”

  Instead of commenting or saying anything, he stalks toward me. “Aren’t you going to say anything? Defend yourself or explain why you decided to be an asshole?” I shout.

  “Right now, I’m going to kiss you,” Liam states. It’s not a request, but a demand. I back up and grab anything within reach to throw at him.

  “Kissing or touching someone without their consent is considered sexual assault, Lamb.” I grab a roll of shop towels and throw them at him. He dodges that as he continues stalking me.

  “Once I get my lips on you, you’ll no longer be unwilling.” He dodges the jack I’ve rolled in his way. My retreat is stopped by a motorcycle we’ve parked in the shop. I turn to see if the keys are in the ignition, it’s not the safest thing to do, but it would get me out of this situation quickly.

  “You’re not getting away from me, Roo. Not again.” Grabbing onto my wrist, Liam pulls me toward him and into his arms. I put my arms out to keep us apart but it’s no use, he pulls me in close, and his lips devour mine. I continue to fight him, turning my head to delay the inevitable. However, if there’s one thing about Liam, when he wants something, he gets it. I’m his prey, and no matter how hard I fight, he’ll get what he wants. Th
e question is, will I survive?

  7

  Liam

  Rachael’s lips on mine are just as I remember, but also so much more. It’s as if I’ve been able to drink water for the first time in years. I run my tongue across her lips, begging for entrance but she refuses. I run my free hand up her back, gripping the messy bun at the back of her neck. She gasps in surprise, giving me the access I desire.

  Sliding my tongue into her mouth, I devour her — owning her. Finally, having the thing I’ve been craving all these years. Rachael’s body relaxes into the kiss as her hands make their way up my chest and wrap around my neck, bringing me in closer.

  “Liam,” she whispers, and that’s all it takes to break the small amount of control I had. I lay her back onto the bike, nibbling and sucking as I make my way down her body. Rachael isn’t one for foreplay, but I can’t resist using one hand to grip her wrists, pinning them above her head on the handlebars while taking the other to pop the button on her jeans.

  I slide my index and pointer finger between her folds collecting the juices, both of us moaning. Kicking her legs open wider, I plunge my fingers into her core, pumping in and out, bringing her close to the edge. Watching her thrash back and forth on the bike as she rides my fingers is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen.

  “Fuck yes. I can’t wait to bury my cock in that sweet pussy of yours,” I growl into her ear before removing my fingers and sticking them into my mouth. Licking the juices from them, I pull her off the bike, turn her around, and pull her glorious ass against me.

  Without my command, she shoves down her jeans and spreads her legs. “Your pussy is dripping for me. What do you want, baby? Do you want my cock or do you want me to lick you dry?”

  I take a step back, unfastening the button on my jeans, and free my cock. I wait for her to answer my questions, before taking matters into my own hands. Shoving my finger back into her core, she moans. “I asked you a question.” Finding the bundle of nerves that will throw her over the edge, I give her a few quick strokes before pulling back out.