Forever Faith: A Biker Romance Page 10

  “Now last is the kitchen.” And he leads us there.

  Entering a screen door in the kitchen is a Spanish-looking woman with greying hair. She smiles warmly at us as she puts her laundry basket down.

  “Maria, this is Faith. Maria takes care of the house for us. She cooks, cleans, does the laundry, and bosses me around.” He laughs at his own comment.

  “Nice to meet you, Maria. You do a wonderful job. Everything is so beautiful,” I say, and she holds my hand in both of hers.

  “You are all well now, chica?” she asks. So she knows about me and my “accident.”

  “I am fine.” I take my hand back, and Liam begins showing me the fabulous kitchen. Granite counters, all stainless steel appliances, including a built-in double oven. There is a large laundry room leading off from the kitchen and behind that a small room and bathroom. He calls this like a maid’s room or something. I look to Maria and then him and he says, “Maria and her husband Juan live a few miles down the road from here. It is just the two of them now that their kids are grown up and moved away. Juan takes care of the outside projects for me. He helped me with the remodel.”

  I smile and nod my understanding and when my eyes go back to the room, he adds, “No one has ever stayed in there. I just had the space and the plumbing worked out so I made a little apartment. You never know.”

  He continues with the tour.

  “You noticed the dining room off of the living room through there, but I never use it. All the meals are eaten here in the kitchen.” He nods to the kitchen table sitting in front of bright double windows. There are four chairs around it, but it can sit six easily. This kitchen is gigantic and bright and happy. I love this entire house inside and out. No one lives this well at the compound. I had no idea that anyone in our little town lived so well or had such modern, nice things.

  He takes my hand and we step outside through the kitchen door. I see Maria has hung laundry on the clothesline. The backyard is also clean, and looks like something out of a home and garden magazine. There is a patio with a BBQ pit and lots of chairs as well as a proper vegetable garden off to the left.

  “Just perfect, Liam. You should be so proud.”

  We sit down under a tree where he has a small bench. Liam looks kind of comical sitting on such a delicate little bench.

  “Liam, I cook and clean and do all of those things. I would like to do them and earn my keep while I am here.”

  “No. Maria and Juan need the income. I don’t want to put them out of work. You are going to just focus on school and studying. That is your only job,” he says, to my surprise.

  “School? You are helping me go to school?”

  “Yes. I want you to go to school and do what you want to do with your life. Make something of yourself. Whatever you decide you want. I will help you get there.” He catches the strands of hair blowing across my face and places it behind my ear.

  “Why?” I ask in an almost whisper.

  “I came to my senses just in time last night. You can be so much more than my old lady and hang out at the club. You are too smart for that. Too good for that.”

  “What if after I go to school and get a career or whatever, what if I still just want to be your old lady and hang out in the club all day?” I ask.

  “Well, smartass, by time you get finished with school, you will see what an old fuck up I am and want to stay as far away from me as you can get. By then you will probably have had a lot of college boys trying to marry you and give you babies.” He smirks, and it feels like he slapped me. How can he be so casual about me marrying someone else and having their kids? I must mean nothing to him. Toughen up, girl. Be tough.

  “I hope so!” I try to sound cocky like I don’t care either.

  He doesn’t look so happy about my response and stares out across the open field in back. We sit in silence for a while. It is very calm and peaceful. I think I can be happy here. But something keeps nagging at me and I have to say something.

  “So when I am dating all of these college boys, trying to have their babies, are you seeing other women?”

  He looks angry. “There will be no trying to have their babies! At least not before they marry you. Ok? And I don’t “see” women or date women. I have been known to fuck with my share of women, but you don’t need to worry about what I do. I would never bring that shit here. I won’t bring that around you.”

  “Fine.” I stand up to walk away because I can’t take anymore of this, when I hear a car roll into the drive slowly.

  “That will be Jury, his old lady, and the girls. They brought our stuff in the van.” He walks around the side of the house to greet them, and I sit back down and stare across the field. I wish I could go back home to my parents. Things were so clear then. Painless compared to this.

  “Hey girly!” Gypsy yells as she and her mom are walking to me. Gypsy breaks into a run and hugs me. The three of us sit together. Gypsy explains Megan is sick and couldn’t come. Gypsy and her mom make eye contact and I know something is going on with Megan.

  “What kind of sick?” I ask looking to them both for the answer.

  “Maybe the morning kind of sick!” Gypsy’s mom says.

  “Oh my God! For real? Did she do a test? Does Kyle know? Wow. Just wow.” I rush.

  “You need to be careful that you don’t come down with the same sickness,” Gypsy’s mom says, raising her eyebrow to me.

  “I wish. But not possible, I am afraid.” And I try to be cool but emotion takes over and I cry. The three of us keep sneaking glances back to the house in case the guys come out.

  I am in Gypsy’s mom’s arms now and she is shushing me and saying it’s ok at the same time as she asks me, “What is it? What happened?”

  I share all of the gory details. All of them! I know that is a no-no, but I need someone else’s opinion. I am lost. Finally, they tell me Liam loves me. He doesn’t know what to do. He feels too old. He feels like he is responsible for me, so having sex with me is wrong. Like taking advantage. He pushes school so I will be more of an equal. I pray they are right. I clean up my face and get control before we get caught like this. Gypsy giggles that we will be living out here all alone. There is no way he won’t cave. I feel better. Her mom says she knows it’s hard for me, but I should do my best to ignore him. Act uninterested. We are living side by side. Alone. Gypsy is right, something will happen. She soothes my bruised ego when she says that Jury is Liam’s closest friend, and he swears without a doubt that Liam loves me and wants me.

  We sort of cook up a plan for the summer. I am looking forward to all of this now. It will be fun. Especially the part where they tell me I have to tell Liam he has to beg me to get into bed with him again. We are all three having a fit of giggles when the guys join us. No more evidence of tears or any problem out here.

  “What are you girls laughing about?” Jury asks, and Gypsy jumps in with a bogus answer.

  “We were telling Faith how much the guys miss her already! It’s only been a few hours and everyone keeps asking about her or saying they miss her. She left some broken hearts.”

  “Who?” Liam says loudly in his rough, graveled voice.

  “Everyone. She has to come hang out. Maybe we can have a sleepover in the clubhouse on the weekends so she isn’t so lonely out here. Or we could sleep over at my house, if you don’t want us to sleep at the club.”

  “No! Fuck no!” he actually yells.

  “Gee, Uncle Liam. What is your problem?”

  He walks away instead of giving his answer. It gives me hope that these girls were right. Jury looks at the three of us smiling like fools. He shakes his head and he tells the ladies it’s time to leave. I get goodbye hugs from all three of them and off they go. Liam is nowhere to be seen.

  I wander around a while and put all of my things away and even a few of Liam’s things. Maria lets me know she is going home and will be back around eight to cook breakfast tomorrow morning. I assure her that I can do breakfast and she can take
her time coming in the morning. No rush. She has left a supper for us that smells heavenly for tonight. So we are all alone now. Though I have yet to see Liam since he stormed off. I set the table and see a fresh pitcher of iced tea full of lemon slices and pour myself a glass. I guess I need to get used to being bored. At least until school begins. There was a box full of novels in the stuff they brought me from the clubhouse, so I have that to look forward to.

  Liam comes in through the kitchen door and stops when he sees me.

  “Are you ready to eat?” I ask.

  He does the slight nod in answer and goes to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. This feels so domestic. Nothing like the bikers’ life I had imagined. I only wish the tension was gone.

  I set the beautiful casserole of homemade enchiladas in the center of the table, along with the salad and some kind of rice dish. I had enchiladas at the clubhouse for the first time, but they didn’t look as yummy as these. I ask Liam if he wants tea and he says no, he will have a beer. I go to get one from the fridge and he steps in front of me.

  “I got it. You don’t have to wait on me or do things for me. I am used to being on my own.” He growls.

  “Oh well, sorry to be a burden. I didn’t ask to come here and stay here. If I am in your way, I can go someplace else,” I say loudly, and feel like fighting for some reason. I feel so frustrated.

  “You aren’t going anywhere. You will stay here with me for as long as I want you to.”

  “What about what I want? Doesn’t that matter?”

  “No it doesn’t.”

  I gasp at that, lost for a comeback. “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really. You will listen and do as you’re told. Now sit down and let’s eat.”

  Dinner was delicious even though I was upset and thought I wouldn’t be able to eat a bite. Liam, as usual, wolfed down the most of everything. Not one word was spoken. I am glad of it, too, because I have no skills when it comes to arguing. Silence is better.

  I begin to clear dishes and Liam says, “Leave it. Maria will clean in the morning.”

  “No. Why should I leave this mess and go to bed with dirty dishes all over the kitchen? Why don’t you want me to do anything like I live here? Is it because you think I am trying to be a wife? Like I am trying to make this my home permanently? Pfft. Please. Not interested. Been there. Tried that. It didn’t work. I am over it. This is temporary. I want to be out of here and have my real life as soon as possible. My new life without you. Away from you. My new life with someone it does work with! So please, let me do dishes because I want to, and for no other crazy reason. Get over it. I have!”

  His mouth hangs open at that. He is in total shock. It is almost funny. Gypsy and her mom would be so proud of me. He does his nod and walks out of the kitchen. I feel fantastic. I feel like a woman. I feel like I have the power now. Everything has turned around.

  So, the long, hot days of summer are here and these past few weeks have flown by. Liam is home every night, and has not stayed late at the clubhouse even one time. He keeps hours like a real, legit job. Gone by eight in the morning and home after five. I try to ignore him as best I can. If he says hi or bye I respond, but otherwise, I never speak first or try to get attention from him for any reason. Inside I am dying. I remember his touch and kisses and all of the things he did to me. I want him to come into my room at night and say he really wants this. I would swear that one evening when I was taking my shower, he was standing outside my bathroom door listening to me. I got so excited just imagining him walking in and taking me naked out of my shower. But when I left the bathroom, he was nowhere in sight. We have sat together and watched a movie a few nights, but kept our distance and the icy silence between us.

  I have gone out with Megan and Gypsy a few times a week to shop or to the campus library. Just today, I got my nails done. It really isn’t me, and I really don’t care for them, but the girls always have long, colorful, nails. It is a big part of their lives, so I decided to try it. I am stuck with them for a few weeks until I can have them taken off, but never again. I guess some things about me will never change.

  I am enrolled in the community college and classes start in the fall. But I am taking an evening class starting next week. That will give me one more excuse to get away from the house for a few hours. I am ashamed that I rarely think about my family. If Russell ever pops in my mind, I wipe away the thoughts. We discuss him less and less in therapy. It is the entire package of my upbringing as well as the abduction and abuse at the hands of Russell that we discuss. I feel ok. No nightmares, no depression. I am very well adjusted and adapted to my new life of freedom very well according to my therapist. I put it behind me. I can’t regret not having a relationship with my siblings or my parents. They are so deep into their beliefs I can never make them see any other way of life. It is black or white. No grey areas. Sinner or a saint. They would be amazed to know how little I have sinned living out here in the world.

  I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. Life would be perfect if Liam loved me the way I love him. I am not sure if Gypsy and her mom are right. I have begun flirting for real and dressing a little skimpier around the house. Still not winning. They keep telling me to be patient. I am trying. Megan wants me to start hanging out with one of the other Horsemen. I cannot bring myself to do that. I am not certain I even have the power to instill feelings of jealousy in Liam. I won’t risk hanging around and leading on one of the other guys just to try and make Liam jealous.

  Maria has dinner ready and is leaving a little earlier than usual. With nothing left to do around here, I take my book and lay out on my blanket in my favorite spot under the tree in the front yard. I try to concentrate on my book and not be so obviously waiting for Liam to come home.

  Liam

  I pull in the drive and see Faith lying under the tree reading where she often spends her afternoons. I am scared at how much I like her living with me. She is easy to be with. I never knew a woman that had such little chatter. She is quiet. At first, I thought she was pissed and giving me the silent treatment. Now, I think this is just the true Faith. My bike is loud when I pull in, but she refuses to look up at me from her book. Wow. I keep my distance and take a lot of cold showers now. Since moving out here, she has turned into some kind of Lolita. She doesn’t wear enough clothes around the house in the evenings and she often gives me hot looks that get me instantly hard. Like I said, I keep my distance. I watch my liquor and keep my head straight so I don’t let my guard down. I feel like this little, not-so-innocent girl can easily bring me down. I fight not to weaken even when I want to more than anything. I remember her sweet taste.

  I walk to where she is lying and hate being ignored like this. I get all the way to her blanket where she is lying on her stomach, holding her book out in front of her. My boots are right by the book. She knows I am standing here. A few strands of her hair blow around her face. She has not yet cut her long hair and I am so glad about that. The sun this summer has given her a lot of blonde streaks and her sun-kissed skin is a soft brown. She is more beautiful than ever. Her hand turns the page of her book and I see she has some fake nails now. Most of the whores and old ladies wear that bullshit. I‘m not a fan. She has some kind of black and green design on the tips. Does not seem like her taste. I know this is the influence of those little bitches she runs around with. She comes and goes as she pleases now. I keep tabs and it is harmless trips to shop or whatever. She is enjoying her freedom.

  I lift my booted foot and press her book down. Finally she looks up at me. I instantly have inappropriate thoughts about what else she could do while looking up at me like that. Careful, Liam.

  “Hey.”

  “Hello.”

  “Book must be good. You didn’t hear me pull in.”

  “Yes. It’s very good. Are you hungry?”

  “Yeah, I can eat. Dinner ready?”

  “Yes. Help me up.”

  She reaches her hand up to me. I hate that the thought of touc
hing her, even innocent touches like this, go straight to my dick. I take her small hand and help her up, putting my other hand on her waist. We freeze like that for a minute just staring into each other’s eyes. Her eyes are blazing with need; I want this. Too much. I let go and bend down beside her to pick up the blanket. I do a half-assed job of folding it and we head inside together. Another dinner and evening spent without having her like I want to. I am so fucked.

  Dinner is quiet. She cleans up the kitchen while I shower. This is our routine. We usually meet up in the great room to watch TV for a while after or play cards. I had a lot of fun teaching her a lot of basic card games. She has gotten pretty good. It is never boring living with her. Tonight, when I finish showering, I see the TV is now on and she is sitting in front of it in her usual spot. This is all so routine. Not boring, but routine.

  After only a few minutes, Faith jumps up and says she is going to shower and go to bed.

  “Already?”