We sipped in silence, both hoping the brown liquid would somehow give us the energy we needed to make it through the day, or the morning, at least. It seemed to be working for him because he asked, “How long you think you can keep going like this, Son?”
“As long as I need to.”
“You’ve been at the shop in the afternoon and the clubhouse in the evening, then her house at night and in the morning. Not her house, but on your bike outside her house. You keep this up and you’re going to crash.”
My head shook as I stared into my mug. “I’ll let the manager handle the shop and stop going to the clubhouse before I stop looking out for her, Pops. It’s not a choice of what matters most to me.”
With a sigh, he ran his hand down his beard and slouched down in his seat. “Okay.” Pops lifted his hands in surrender as his head bobbed. “It’s clear you love her. So tell me what’s going on. Why’d you end things? I want to be glad you did, but not if it has you walking around like a zombie.”
“I figured ending things was for the best. I don’t fear The Outlaws, but I don’t want to risk her safety. If I could keep her with me at all times, I wouldn’t have ended things, but she has a life outside of me, and I don’t want to keep her from that because I don’t know what they’re going to do.”
“So is the separation temporary until we can get this situation under control, or permanent?” he asked, and I hadn’t considered that.
“I want to selfishly say it’s temporary, but I can’t control us like that. We’ve already wasted ten years, now I called it off again. She probably won’t even want me after this.”
His head tilted and mouth twisted as he considered what I’d said. “I’m not quite sure I agree with that. You do control thedistance of the relationship, though the woman usually controls the pace. My question is, how did you call things off?”
“Abruptly,” I admitted. “We didn’t really discuss it. In fact, she didn’t say anything at all. She just . . . nodded and agreed.”
“Damn. Okay. Well. Yeah. That’s . . . not good.”
Him trying to hold back his laugh made me chuckle and shake my head. “What was I supposed to do? I couldn’t ask her if she wanted to call things off. I had to make the decision myself.”
“Why?” The question was clearly rhetorical, because he continued before I could answer. “Because you knew her words would make you change your mind, or because you were afraid she would actually choose you?”
I considered his question, but before I could decide which it was, my phone vibrated on the table. It was Jelai. Snatching it up, I answered quickly.
“Wassup, bae? You good?”
“Hi. Yes. Can we talk?” Jelai chuckled nervously. “Not about us. Um . . . I need some help, and you might be the only one that can help me get the answers I need.”
“Yeah, sure. Do you work today?”
“Yes. I get off at six.”
“Go to the main library, and I’ll pick you up from there. I’ll find somewhere we can talk without having to worry about being seen.”
She sighed in relief. “Okay. Thanks, Wicked.”
“You’re—damn.” I couldn’t help but laugh from how quickly she disconnected the call. She might have needed my help, but she for damn sure didn’t want to talk to me beyond that.
I figured it was safe enough to ride my bike since I was going to take Jelai to Sunny Cliffs. It was considered Rose Valley Hills County, since the twenty mile stretch of the ocean opened roads that led to several small neighborhoods that had detached themselves from The Hills. The view of the ocean on the ride was probably the most beautiful part of the city, and I couldn’t wait for Jelai to see it. Plus, I knew no one from The Outlaws club would be there, because it was the wealthiest part of the city and heavily protected by police presence.
Pulling in next to her car, I hopped off my bike long enough to open her door for her and give her my helmet. She barely looked in my eyes as she muttered a quiet thanks before putting it on. As fucked up as shit was, I kept telling myself this was for the best and that I’d made the right decision. Once she was settled behind me, I took off.
The longer I drove, the more relaxed she got behind me. Eventually, the barely there grip tightened, and she rested against my back. By the time we arrived at the cliffs, she was holding me like she did the first time she rode my bike. A quiet giggle escaped her as she hopped down.
“What’s funny?” I asked.
“I was just thinking about thatKing of the Hillepisode when Hank and Peggy were riding the motorcycle and Hank didn’t want to ride behind Peggy because he said it was the bitch seat.”
I smiled, more because I was happy to see her smile than me being amused over her corny ass. She laughed like it was the funniest memory she had, and I couldn’t help but freezethe sight of her beautiful smiling face into my memory. Jelai released a shaky breath as she looked toward the ocean beyond the cliffs.
“This is the most stunning view I’ve ever seen. Truly makes me marvel at God’s creations. His masterpieces.”
“I feel the same way,” I shared, staring at her.
When she met my eyes, she gave me a smaller, shy smile. “Thanks for meeting with me.”
