Arrow of Time (Marauders)

by Andersson, Lina

“I think he’s crazy about her and she about him.”

  In fact, he thought they were solid, it would work out as long as Dawg managed to keep it in his pants and Edie kept her head screwed on right. In other words, about as big a chance as any relationship had.

  “That’s what she says.”

  “So you might wanna give them a break and just be there the way she wants you to be.”

  “I know. He’s been through a lot.”

  “Yes. He has, and whatever they got going, it looks like a good thing.” He got up. “Don’t go into the storage room. That’s where they’re making up.”

  “Making up?” She asked and he could see when she got it. “Oh...”

  He gave her cheek a kiss. “She’ll be fine, if she’s not, that’s when you step in. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  He left Mel and walked into the garage. Fifteen minutes later, Edie and Dawg came out from the room. When Edie saw him she smiled, turned to the side to give Dawg a kiss and then left.

  “I take it you two are okay now?” He said when she was gone.

  “For now,” Dawg shrugged and looked after Edie as she left. “We’ll be at it soon again, probably. She’s a lot of work.”

  “Worth fighting for?”

  “Worth fighting for,” Dawg smiled and lit a smoke.

  “Wow! You really got it bad,” Bull said and shook his head.

  “Yup.” Dawg laughed and nodded. “I know. Fucking pathetic, isn’t it?”

  “Nah. I admit, pretty fucking surprising since it’s you, but the shit that’s happened to you lately means you're seeing shit differently.”

  “I don’t know.” Dawg seemed to think about it. “Think it’s a combination of things.”

  “Usually is when tides turn.”

  “Aww, Bull, are you comparing me to the ocean?” he said and batted his eyelashes in his direction.

  Bull laughed and shook his head. “When you’re down from that cum high, you can fix that Ford over there.”

  Bull walked out and left Dawg behind him. Turning tides. That was pretty much the best way to describe what had happened. He’d always liked Dawg. Respected that he’d gone away from his home club, where his dad was president, to prospect with people who hadn’t known him since he was a kid. He knew it had been some crap between the two of them for that, but his dad had come around and understood what Dawg was doing.

  Losing Vasco and then his dad was probably a blow unlike any he’d ever had, and Edie had been there with him. At Vasco’s funeral they’d been there for each other, and he’d seen her with Dawg at Hawk’s funeral, too. They hadn’t talked to each other for weeks; she was pissed and he stayed out of her way, but then she just walked up to him, held him and was with him. He’d overheard their conversation in Dawg’s room. That it was history and if he still needed to, they’d talk later, but to focus on this 'cause there was no later for it. Even he had liked to hear her say that to Dawg. It was really sweet of her, and Bull rarely found things or people 'sweet'.

  Bull had checked up on Edie, early on. So he knew what she’d done and why. She’d been brainwashed by her dad for eighteen years, and she’d still had the strength to go into his room and put a bullet in his head. Everyone has a breaking point; there’s nothing strange about that. It’s what a person does when they reach that point that defines them. Lay down and give up, or rise up and, in this case, put a bullet in the fucker’s head. Chicks probably didn’t see it that way, but he was pretty impressed with Edie even so. There was a strength in here, the same strength that let her put her own feelings aside and just be there for a guy when he needed her. If Dawg was as smart as Bull knew he could be, he'd see that that's the kind of woman you kept your dick in your pants for.

  -o0o-

  Melanie was on the deck, drinking wine, when Brick came walking though the kitchen and then noticed her outside. She patted the chair next to hers, and he came out and sat down.

  “I talked to Edie today.”

  “Okay?” He took her hand. “About Dawg?”

  “No. Not only. We talked...” She took a deep breath; just thinking about it made her eyes water. “She said it wasn’t my fault, that I had to forgive myself.”

  She could hear Brick take a deep breath.

  “And?”

  “That I...” The tears were running now. “That she left because she didn’t know anything about herself. That she didn’t know what food she liked, not even what her favorite color was, that dad had controlled her so much that she didn’t even know those things about herself.” Melanie looked at her husband. “Can you even imagine what that would be like? ‘A blank page,’ that’s what she called herself.”

  “Baby,” he said and pulled her into her lap. “She’s right, that wasn’t your fault, and you do need to forgive yourself. She knows you love her, that you’ve always loved her.”

  “She said that the emails I wrote—” It was hard for her to talk now, so she tried to calm herself down. “That the emails I wrote, showed her that someone loved her and that she had something to come home to.” That’s when she broke down. “My sister was a blank page.”

  “Baby. Listen to me.” He pulled her closer. “She came home to you when she was ready, and she came to you because even if you let her leave, you didn’t let go of her. You gave her a base. And you letting her leave with that base brought back the woman she is now, and she’s something. A fantastic woman. Some of that is on you. She left, but she was never lost because you were there, do you understand?”

  Melanie couldn’t speak now, she just nodded and hugged her husband closer. When she finally calmed down, she looked at him.

  “It was a lot her, too.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “She said she loves him.”

  “Not surprised about that. Think he’s got it bad, too. Like I said, she’s a pretty amazing woman.”

  That was something she could agree on. She was more relaxed, calmer, and that talk with Edie had been a long time coming. Edie was right, she needed to forgive herself, and she needed to let go and trust that she could handle even tougher things in her life. They had more to talk about, but this was a start ,and no matter what, she would never let go of Edie completely. If needed, she’d be there, just like any sister would.

  -o0o-

  Saturday, February 23rd

  ELIZA CAME RUNNING TOWARDS him when he walked into Edie’s apartment. He picked her up and she pulled off his beanie while she put her arms around his neck.

  “We’re having girls' night.”

  “Wow! I didn’t know that.”

  “Yes you did,” she giggled. “You have the movies cuz I forgot them and daddy said you’d bring them.”

  Brick had walked into the clubhouse with a fist full of cartoon musicals with girls falling in love. With black eyes he told Dawg that his baby girl had forgotten them and that he had to get them to Edie’s place. Brick might love his baby girl like crazy, but he was still lost on a lot of the girl stuff and the whistles and yells filling the clubhouse about 'the pink shit in Brick's hand' wasn't making it any easier for him.

  “And we're celebrating her anniversary,” Eliza added with a happy smile.

  “Her what?”

  “She's been here a year!” Eliza looked at him as if he was stupid, but he hadn't known that. “We're gonna have a girls' night every year on this day. We've decided that today.”

  “Think that's a really good idea,” he gave her cheek a kiss and then he noticed her t-shirt; it had the text, ‘My dad is a Marauder Rider’. “Like your tee, sweetpea.”

  “Daddy gave it to me.”

  He walked into the living room with her still in his arms.

  “Did I miss the mud mask?”

  “No, but we’re not doing that. We’re doing hair stuff, we can do that now when she doesn’t have those dreads.” She squirmed to get down so he put her on the couch. “I’m glad you’re friends now, it’s more fun when you’re here.”

 
; “I’m pretty happy about us being friends, too,” Dawg smiled and just then Edie came out, holding two jars in her hands.

  “I got lavender and honey. What do you wanna smell of?” She looked up at him and smiled. “Did you bring the movies?”

  “I did.” He put them down on the table. “So you've been here a year today?”

  “Yeah, I realized it this morning, but I think this is a good way to celebrate.”

  “The best!” Eliza yelled and jumped up and down on the couch with her hands in the air.

  Later that night he had the honey-smelling girl sleeping on his arm and the lavender-smelling one on his chest with her thumb in her mouth. She looked up at him.

  “You’re not just friends, are you?”

  “No.”

  “Are you in love?”

  “Yes we are.”

  “Like The Little Mermaid and the Prince?”

  That was the movie they were watching at the moment.

  “Or like Belle and the Beast.”

  “Good,” Eliza smiled and put her thumb back in.

  She was right, it was good. Did suck a bit that he had to sleep on the couch during girls' nights. That was the next thing Brick had said to him. That there was no fucking way he’d sleep in the bed with Edie and Eliza. He didn’t want him in his baby girl's bed with a hard-on for her babysitter. He’d laughed and agreed.

  -o0o-

  Saturday, March 2nd

  BRICK WAS STANDING BY the barbecue of the annual Spring Hog Roast, held the first Saturday in March every year. It was just a thing that had started even before the club became a Marauder club, and they'd kept the tradition going. Along with the Christmas party it was the biggest one of the year. Everyone that was anything to the club was there. Just one of the reasons he'd been so keen on getting Edie to go the year before.

  Mel and Edie had made up, as far as he could tell, but Edie was avoiding him and he had a pretty good idea of why. So when she went inside to go to the bathroom, he followed her. He waited, leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom door. When it opened she stared at him

  “Time's up,” he said with his hands still crossed over his chest.

  “Time's up?” She asked and kept staring at him.

  “Yup, I know you're a runner, but I've given you enough time to come and yell at me for my big mouth, you didn't, so we're gonna talk about it now.”

  “You can't force me to argue with you.”

  He pushed with his foot against the wall to stand up straight and then took another step towards her.

  “Wanna bet? I'm very good at getting people to yell at me. Especially women.”

  She laughed, pointed towards the dorms and when he walked towards his, he made sure that she was following him. They went inside, he sat down on a chair and she took the armchair.

  “I told Dawg, because I thought he needed to know. He needed to understand why he couldn't pressure you, where you were coming from, and why Mel was acting the way she did.”

  “It doesn't matter why you told him or even what the outcome of that was, it's that you told him.”

  “I know that.” He leaned forward and when she looked at him he gave her a smile. “And I know how you feel about it, I knew how you'd feel about it when I told him, too.”

  “Then why?”

  “Thought that was obvious, girl. Because I love you, and how you felt about me was less important than what you needed.”

  “Fuck!” She muttered. “You're making it really hard for me to stay angry at you. I still am, mostly because I trusted you and...”

  “You want to trust me again, you're just not sure you can,” he filled in for her. “Honey, take your time. I'll be around when you decide whatever you decide. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She looked at him. “You owe me one, though.”

  “I do,” he agreed with a laugh. He just hoped she wasn't planning on asking about club business, because he'd have to break a promise again if she did. “Got anything on your mind?”

  “I might, but give me some time on it and I'll get back to you.” She stood up and went over to him. “I'm not good with forgiving people when they break my trust, and it takes me a really long time to do it.”

  “I know. But it doesn't look like anyone of us is going anywhere, so let's just see what happens.”

  He stood up as well and gave her a hug. When he came back outside Mel came up to him. She circled his waist and gave him a squeeze.

  “So?” She asked.

  “We talked. Don't worry about every little thing, baby. You'll go mad if you do that.” He gave her forehead a kiss. “We'll be fine. Edie's the kind of girl you need to give a lot of slack, and if you do, she comes back. You of all people should know that.”

  Mel glared at him with a smile playing on her lips. “You think you have her all figured out, don't you?”

  He laughed and walked her towards the grill.

  “I know the dangers of thinking you have women figured out, and I don't make that mistake.”

  That being said, he thought he had Edie figured out, and he felt kinda sorry for Dawg cuz he would run into shitloads of trouble with that girl. She'd probably be more than a handful, but he had high hopes about them.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

  Sturdy Thing

  -o0o-

  Wednesday, April 17th

  I'D HAD A SHITTY day. A really shitty day. Waking up alone after going to bed alone sort of set the tone for it. The club was away, ‘on business’. I still didn't know for sure what ‘the business’ was. I figured it involved pot, but whatever it was it meant that Dawg was gone, and I’d gotten use to having him in my bed. He'd been there most nights for over two months. I missed him when he wasn’t there. He'd tried to tell me to stay at Lanie's while he was gone. I might have considered it, if he hadn't said it like it was an order. I didn't react well when someone gave me orders.

  The next blow came when I picked up my mail. Turned out I was being evicted. The owner of the Chinese restaurant, who owned the entire house, was going to turn my flat and the one next to mine to an upper floor of the restaurant. I’d nagged about the place, a lot, that it smelled funky, it was small and pretty run down, but it was my first own apartment. To make the entire situation even more awesome, I was being evicted at the end of the month, which gave me two weeks to find a new, equally cheap, place to live.

  Work sucked balls, big time. Shauna and Micha had broken up, so they weren’t talking and good service was pretty fucking reliant on people communicating, which in turn mean I had to pick up their slack. Luckily I had the early shift, so at eight my ass was out of there so fucking fast. I still hadn’t heard from Dawg, and I went up to Lanie’s to get some love. I needed love and my sister was good at that.

  She smiled when I walked into their kitchen and sat down by the kitchen island.

  “Hey, honey. How are you?”

  “Really shit. Ultra shit day.” I stared when she held out a joint for me. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. Looks like you need one, and I need a glass of wine or four so let’s get out on the deck and relax.”

  “I love you.”

  Once we were there I lit it and she took the first sips of her wine.

  “So what’s the shit in your life?” she asked.

  “I woke up alone.”

  “I feel ya!” She said and took some big mouthfuls from her glass.

  “It’s shit at work since Micha and Shauna broke up.”

  “Bummer.”

  “And I’m evicted.”

  “What?”

  “They’re expanding the restaurant. Need to be out in two weeks, and I'm not sure how fast I can find a new place. Is it okay if I crash here until I do?”

  “Ehh...” She looked surprised. “You wanna stay here?”

  “What?”

  “Nothing. Sure you can.”

  “Think I can start today? I want to get stoned like hell and feel sorry for myself, and I don't wanna drive once I'm done
with that.”

  My driving skills were still pretty bad. If you'd asked Dawg or Brick I was a huge risk in the traffic—total exaggeration according to me, but driving stoned was idiotic no matter who did it.

  “Knock yourself out.”

  We talked in a way we hadn't in a long time, if we ever had. About everything. She was looking up when it came to Dawg, so we could talk about him without her getting that tense upper lip.

  For the first time since the Spring Hog Roast, over a month ago, we talked about Brick and him telling Dawg about me. Or rather, about us. It involved Lanie as well. We didn't reach an agreement regarding that, but that wasn't the point. It was just her wanting to give me her version of it, and it was okay. It felt like the first time we talked as sisters, not a mother to a daughter, and I liked it. We said goodnight and I went to the guestroom, soon to be my room again. I ate cookies and then I went to bed.

  I woke up to the familiar sound of a full kitchen and laughed when I saw Lanie. She looked like shit. I kissed her cheek.

  “Another reason why I don’t touch alcohol.”

  She didn’t answer my comment, just put her hair up and sighed. “I need to get to the office.”

  “I’ll take Eliza to school. You drink a lot of coffee, and I’ll drop by at the office later on. Okay?”

  “What time are you working today?”

  “I’m not. Day off, but I thought I’d get started on the hunt for an apartment.”

  “Talk to Mace. He’s seeing some girl who has a dad who owns some houses. Or something like that.”

  “Seeing?”

  I had a hard time imagining Mace seeing any girl, let alone a girl with a dad who owned houses. A trailer, maybe, but houses, in plural. Lanie raised her eyebrows in an explanatory way, and I got it. He wasn't 'seeing' her, he was tapping some rich girl again. He had a thing for the rich bitches who wanted to go slumming before they got properly married. Said it was the best since it was guaranteed not to have any strings attached.

  After a very unsuccessful apartment hunting, I went to the garage and noticed all the bikes outside. They were back. The first one I saw was actually Mace, with a redhead next to him. Definitely not the rich girl; must be a sweetbutt.