Ride or Ruin

A Night to Remember

The band had set up now that the sun had gone down and people were starting to trickle in. Lily was dancing with Mikeal, and Matt was missing from the table we had been sitting at. I looked around for him but couldn't find him. I wasn't a huge fan of dancing, mostly because I didn't know how and if I were to be honest with myself, I wasn't really interested in Matt. He was cute and interesting. I think I would have fun with him, but I had no feelings for him. Maybe it wasn't meant to be or maybe Ricky had broken me too much.

I found my way to the bar and ordered one of the fruity cocktails that Lily liked to order for me. The bartender lady had put a cherry in the drink and gave me a wink as she handed it to me. I ate the cherry and twirled the stem in my mouth absentmindedly. I decided to stay at the bar, hiding by the crowd that was surrounding the bartender, and watch Lily dance with her boy toy.

She looked so alive and in her element here. The song was an upbeat rock jingle and she hopped around, her bob bouncing around her shoulders in an animated way. She was laughing as Mikeal tried to keep up with her, not being used to this music, and I couldn't help but smile at them. He danced in a slow, awkward way, the natural muscles of a ranch hand pushing tight against his shirt sleeves as he moved.

I was wondering how long she would keep Mikeal around when a deep voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hello, Low." It sounded like a growl the way he said it and a heat burned deep inside me. I took another swig of my drink before turning to him. "My name is Harlow, you don't get to make a nickname for me. Why are you still bugging me?"

He was staring at my lips with a grin and I realized I was still playing with the cherry stem. I pulled it from my mouth and gave him a questioning stare. Leaning back against the bar, he asked, "What would it take for you to give me a chance?"

I scoffed at him and folded my arms. I thought about the question for a minute. He was exactly the person I needed to answer all my questions, but I barely knew him and wasn't sure I could trust him. "I told you, I'm not into bad boys." His smirk was starting to annoy me. "What if I'm not a bad boy?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes at that, "If you weren't, you wouldn't have to say you weren't. I've had my fair share of jerks and I don't need another one." I jumped slightly as he lightly grasped my wrist, "I wouldn't be a jerk to you, that's a promise. I might have a reputation around this town, but you have my word, I won't do anything to you that would make you feel like I'm a bad guy."

His eyebrows were creased with the seriousness of his words and I couldn't help but believe him. Our eyes locked. I could feel his presence within me through the pressure of his hand on my wrist, "How do I know I can trust you?" The music had changed into a slower indie country song. "I'm a man of my word. Once I give it, it's yours."

He let go of my wrist and held his hand out in a gesture to take it. "Dance with me." It wasn't a question but a demand and I froze in defiance. Now it was him rolling his eyes, "Low, I'm the safest place you'll ever be. You trust me, I'll move mountains for you. And if the trust is broken, I'll burn them down." I should turn him down and walk away but instead, I slide my fingers into his open palm. A smile crosses his lips and he guides me to the dance floor.

Cole pulls me close to his chest with the hand he still held and wraps the other around the small of my back. I wished I had kept the summer dress on so I could feel more of him pressed against my skin. He had changed since the auto shop encounter into clean jeans with a black tank top beneath his biker's vest. The leather was cool on the arm I stretched around his broad shoulder. He was so close, I could feel his breath on my neck, which sent chills down my spine.

The man on the stage had a raspy and soothing voice and as he picked at his guitar strings, the world seemed to melt away. All of a sudden, Cole and I were the only ones in the room. I could see the dew on his collar bone from the hot night, a few lines of a tattoo peeking around the shirt. I wondered what his skin would taste like, how it would feel beneath my lips, how much I could grasp in my hands. We swayed together and I was finding it harder to breathe. I stared at the stubble around his jawline with an urge to kiss, lick and bite him. We were too close, too intimate.

Finding a way to distract myself before I made a mistake I would soon regret, I decided to put his honesty to the test and get some of my questions answered. "How did you become the President of the MC?" He turned his head towards me, our foreheads almost touching. He held my gaze for a moment then looked away to answer. "I was voted in."

"Did you know my father?" He nodded and I asked, "How?" Cole thought this over for a minute and I wondered if he would shut me down like Lily had. "He was President when I joined. The man taught me many things my own father never had. I was sorry to see him pass." I was right, Cole was the one who could give me all the answers, "How did he die?" The song stopped playing and the tune switched to a more upbeat tempo. Cole and I slowed our swaying to a stop. "It's complicated."

I watched his eyes carefully, "You won't lie to me?" I asked. "Never." He didn't hesitate with his answer, "Was it an accident, or was he killed because of something he was involved in?" Cole's eyes drifted over my shoulder. "Harlow?" Lily's voice was strong and angry. I could feel her cold, defiant stare on my back. Her eyes must be glowing red.

Cole pulled me closer to him by my waist, almost into a hug. He pressed his mouth into my hair and whispered into my ear. "It wasn't an accident," before pulling away to accept the wrath of Lily.