The Biker in Lace

Chapter 13.

After a few silent moments and a few tears everyone around the table read the threatening words in black prints, one question still remains. Why didn’t Amelia tell Joshua about the surrogacy?

Josh silently stares at the big oak tree in the garden, his mind running a million miles per second. Clive is the first to break the silence as he feels the need to lift the question on everyone’s mind. “Mom, why didn’t you tell Joshua about the fertility centre and what you wanted to do for Sam?”

A heavy sigh leaves Amelia’s lips as she tries to put her words together. “I… I thought… I honestly thought that I would break up with him, but he said he was sorry and promised to change. I loved him. I always did.” Taking a deep breath Amelia gathers enough strength to continue. “I never told him after that since Sam wasn’t getting better and we stopped the treatments. By the time I received the letter I knew that if I tried to convince him of the truth he would never believe me so I chose to have at least one of my sons then none.” A single tear rolls down Amelia’s shame ridden face. “I am so, so sorry Josh. I should have…” Amelia’s voice breaks before she could finish her sentence.

“I understand why you did it.” Josh tries to console his mother, but the right words elude his brain. His mixed feelings is hard to put into words and rather than telling his mother how he feels and what he thinks, Josh builds a wall around him again, one which only his two best friends would be able to breach when they are alone again. His hand stills on Amelia’s back as his face turns emotionless. He knew that some of these answers would be hard and some he never wanted to know, but the truth had to be heard as hard as it is. His father was no saint and the choices he made had consequences, the same with Amelia, but both had a great and unforeseen impact on Josh. Their choices became his burden and his life was influenced. The hardest part is that he would probably never know his father’s reasons for his actions or his side of the story. Amelia’s sounds censure and she has proof to most of what she says, but the picture she paints of his father is a contrast to the one he knew so well. There are still some parts he does not understand and he doubts that he ever will. “Did you go through with the surrogacy?” He asked as he looks to Amy and then back to his mother.

“No.” She said silently. “I could not do it. I closed myself off from everyone and I refused to go anywhere for the first four months until I had to start work again. We came to live here with my mom and as Sam got worse she asked me if I would become her nurse. They paid me a very generous salary and when Amy was born six months later I stayed on not only as Sam’s nurse, but as Amy’s nanny. Sam and Ethan decided to get another surrogate as they knew the stress of losing you would be too much for me to be acceptable for the treatment. They could not wait too long either as the doctors gave Sam less than two years to live after her last chemo therapy failed. Sam passed away three years after Amy’s birth and every day she made it passed the two year mark she was elated that she had another day with her daughter. Ethan and I remained friends and I stayed on as Amy’s nanny until she turned eighteen.” Amelia smiled at Amy with adoration in her eyes as she locked eyes with her. Amy was like the child she lost in a way even though her heart never healed she had someone to fill the void with.

Josh listened silently to his mother’s story while gripping her hand tightly as if she would disappear if he let her go. “I am happy that you had them to help you through this. Thanks to Mrs. Cavanagh I knew what it was to have a mom. She treated me like a son of her own.” He gives Lacy a sad smile that she returns as the memories flows through her mind. “Dad never talked about you and I never knew I had a brother until yesterday. Last night I learned that dad forbade everyone to speak about you. For years it felt like it was just me and him against the world and even now I still want answers that only he can give.” He shakes his head as if he wanted to get rid of the thoughts that plague his mind. “I need to think.” Josh quietly states before he stands abruptly from his chair. With a shake of his head he stops his friends from following him down the stairs.

The five people left on the terrace, silently watch as Josh walks to the big oak tree before he sits down on the cement bench next to the fountain in its shade. “He just needs some time, he will be fine.” Bradley states, his eyes never leaving his friend. He knows Josh well enough to know that he must have a lot of feelings he is not prepared to show to the strangers around them. The moment Josh started to close up he and Lacy could see and feel it. Josh needed his father’s point of view and he would never get it. They knew that Josh was a fair and rational person. He never assumed or made conclusions without having all the sides and everyone’s point of view.

Lacy sits whit her eyes focused back on her hands her thoughts with the information they learnt so far, but she too can’t imagine the Uncle Joshua she knew and loved as this cruel person that Amelia paints. Could someone really be so different to the one you know? How could you treat a person you say you love the way he treated Amelia and how can Amelia claim to still love him after all he did to her?

The silence hangs thick around them as everyone processed the information that they learned. Amelia quietly gets up from her chair, making her way to Josh. A light breeze tugs at her blond hair and long white cotton dress. The midday sun burns warmly down on the earth beneath. “May I?” She asks indicating with her hands that she wanted to sit next to Josh. With a barely noticeable nod he gives his permission. A few silent moments passed again before Josh speaks.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say or do. I understand why you did what you did and I am sorry that it happened to you.” Josh admits. “I just need to process everything and the only way I know how is to climb on my bike and let my thoughts take over, but I can’t do that because I don’t want to leave you again.” Josh tries to explain, hoping that Amelia would understand why he walked away earlier.

“I will be here if you need me.” Amelia assures as silence falls around them again.

*_*

“So, you guys gonna ignore Lacy the rest of the day or are you finally gonna address the elephant in the room?” Amy breaks the silence on the terrace. She never was one for awkward silences, besides this need to be resolved.

“What do you mean?” Clive asks faking his innocence by giving Amy a confused look. He is not about to reveal his feelings in front of Bradley.

“You know exactly what I mean. Since we found you this morning you did not even once look at her or greet her and you…”

“Just leave it, Amy.” Lacy stops Amy before she can continue. It was easier to ignore them too.

“Why? The both of them are just a pair of cowards. Not willing to admit to their true feelings.” Amy defends. “It’s not your fault they both…” Lacy stops Amy’s words by pressing her hands against her mouth, muffling her words.

“We both what?” Clive enquires as he frowns towards Amy.

“You are an i***t!” Bradley chuckles knowing that Amy thought they both had a crush on Lacy.

“Oh really and what are you then?” Clive asks mockingly. Sitting back relaxing in his chair, he did not like Bradley very much and he did not know or care why. “An imbecile or a layman?”

“Stop it you are both simpletons.” Lacy says slapping Clive against his head as she stands from her seat, making Clive sit up while rubbing his head. “You both are just two stupid arrogant bastards. I thought you are different then that piece of… of… of meat.” Lacy struggles to get the right word as it is strongly against her morals to curse at another human. Her hands flying as she indicates Bradley as the subject of her disdain. “But just like him, it looks like all you have going for you is your looks. So when you are done with your c**k fight, please grow up!” Without looking back at any of the three people on the terrace or the two on lookers sitting underneath the oak tree Lacy grabs her leather jacket, determined to leave. She is done with all of this. She should have never come on this stupid man hunt anyway.

Bradley and Josh spring into action before anyone else could figure out what is happening. Lacy is just too upset to get on her bike right now and Josh is afraid that she will wrap it around the nearest tree if they do not stop her in time. “What the hell did you do this time?” Josh shouts at Bradley already knowing he is the root of all evil.

“It wasn’t just me this time.” Bradley defends as Josh joins his side.

“If anything happens to her, I will……” Josh starts, but gets cut off by the roar of Lacy’s bike coming to life. “Lacy, wait!” He yells as they leave the garden gate, but with one look in Bradley’s direction Lacy starts to drive away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“Go back to your mom. I will follow her.” Bradley says already on his bike, pulling his helmet over his head.

*_*

Lacy refuse to give in to the tears threatening to burst from her eyes. She does not even know why she is so upset. Why does it matter if the two idiots ignore her? Clive’s unwillingness to let her explain what he saw last night she could understand, but she did not expect him to ignore her. She could care less if he would ever let her explain now. It would not even bother her if she did not see him again, but she knows she will now that Josh found his mother. She did find him attractive there was a few times that she wished he did not only came near her to get Bradley jealous, but that flew out the window the moment he his attitude changed towards her last night. Bradley ignoring her was nothing new, but she started to realise that it hurt more than a few days ago. Lacy gives a sarcastic laugh as the thoughts run through her mind. Why did it matter if he ignores her for the rest of her life? Why would it be different now and why did it hurt more than Clive ignoring her? It’s not like she cares about him or the kisses he stole from her. She just needed to get away from the idiots for a while. All this must have been her hormones that came rushing through her veins like the speed freaks they are. Cursed womanly hormones!

The more thoughts she has the faster she drives. Sometimes she wishes she can just drive away from her own mind. Focusing on the road in front of her she forces the thoughts of Bradley and Clive out of her mind. She empties her mind from all thoughts even the ones about Amelia and Uncle Joshua and how he was not the man she always thought he was. She imagines every thought going up in a puff of smoke, making her giggle as she thinks how crazy Josh would think she is if he could see her imagination right now. She is really happy for him finding his mom and all. Shaking her head to empty out the last thought so she can focus again on the road ahead, Lacy sees the truck heading straight for her just in time to swerve out of the way, making the bike tilt dangerously close to the ground. Keeping her head Lacy carefully rectify her balance, before coming to a stop on the side of the road.

Her heart thumps inside her chest as she reflects on how narrowly she missed the truck and almost lost control of her bike. Her blood swishing in her ears and her body trembling, she does not even notice Bradley, before he puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her to face him. “Are you okay?” He asks out of breath and his eyes full of concern. He saw everything and up until the truck obstructed his view. He was sure she was done for. The relief he felt when he saw her standing next to her bike was indescribable. Bradley tries to convince himself it is because of the treat Mr. Cavanagh made before they left, he surely loves his life to much to lose it now.

“I’m fine.” Lacy breaths out still dazed. Bradley pulls her closer into a tight hug. Resting his chin on her head, he closes his eyes, trying to calm his shocked mind. The tears spilling over her eyelids as it cannot be contained anymore.

“You can never do that again. I cannot lose you.” Bradley suddenly lets go of Lacy when he realise what he said. “Josh cannot lose you.” He adds quickly, rubbing his almost hairless head. “Your dad will kill us.”

“Yeah, You’re… you’re right.” Lacy says pretending to be untouched by him and the concern in his voice. Turning away from Bradley she awkwardly folds and unfolds her arms.

“I’m… I’m sorry, okay?” Bradley says hesitantly.

“For?” Lacy asks confused, turning back at him. There are hundreds of reasons she can think of for him to say sorry. For one her broken bones throughout the years, hurting Mary, his father marring them, the kisses…

“I… I don’t know.” Bradley cuts through her thoughts shrugging his shoulders. He did not anticipate her asking why he is sorry. “It just felt like the right thing to say.” He confesses, tugging his hands in his jean pockets and randomly kicking at a stone. The truth is he does not know where to begin. He all of a sudden felt remorse for all the wrongs he did to her and for seeing her as fake all these years.

Lacy cannot help, but laugh at the awkward looking Bradley. “You know you are and i***t right?” Lacy asks with a smirk. “You couldn’t find something to be sorry for?”

“Nah, don’t have anything.” Bradley shrugs after pretending to think about it for a while.

“Oh I think there is plenty.” Lacy says inspecting her bike for any damage. “We can start with you ripping my doll’s head of when I was six.”

“No, you should not have pulled her legs.” Bradley shakes his head in denial.

“My broken arm when I was eight.” Lacy says standing up from her crouching position on the opposite side of the bike.

“Nah, not my fault either.” Bradley says folding his arms over his chest. “You should have never climbed that tree after us.”

“The broken ribs when I was nine.” Lacy mimics his stance.

“Come on you cannot blame me for that. It’s not like I aimed the baseball at you, that’s why they call it a foul.” Bradley defends with a duh look on his face.

“Broken leg when I was eleven?” Lacy asks lifting an eyebrow.

“Nope, you’re fault for trying to play soccer with boys.” Bradley denies again.

“The tampon incident when I was fifteen?” Lacy asks taking a step around her bike.

“It did come in handy, didn’t it?” Bradley says smirking, remembering the time he wanted to embarrass her in front of a boy she liked. How was he supposed to know he would be the one needing it in the end when she broke his nose.

“My sister?” Lacy crouches again looking at the other side of her bike.

“Hey, you can’t blame me for not feeling the same way she did.” Bradley defends holding his hands up.

“For stealing my first kiss?” She trumps, standing up again she wipes her hands on the back of her jeans. Bradley’s eyes involuntarily follow her action, biting his lip between his teeth he momentarily forgets what she said. When she turns around, she looks at him questioningly waiting for an answer.

“Oh, uhm.” Bradley clears his throat bringing his attention back to Lacy. “It does not count if you liked it.” Bradley winks at her with a cocky smirk lingering on his lips, while folding his arms over his chest.

“The marriage?” Lacy asks stretching to her full length, her head slightly tilted back so she can look Bradley in his eyes.

“My father, not me.” He states a small muscle jumping in his jaw as he clamps his teeth together. He still has no idea what was his father’s reasoning behind that, but he was going to force it out of him as soon as he gets back home.

“Today, the kiss?” She folding her arms again, she is getting a bit annoyed at him not admitting to anything. Does he really think he is so innocent in everything that happened to her?

“You would not shut up.” Bradley says, unknowingly taking a small step closer to Lacy, his eyes capturing hers in an invisible trap, their arms almost touching.

“For hating me?” Lacy asks in a soft voice, almost too soft for Bradley to hear.

“You hate me.” Bradley he whispers back, his eyes a mixture or caramel and chocolate. Lacy never noticed the lighter specks in his dark brown eyes until now. His dark lashes accentuate the deep rich chocolate colour of his eyes. The serious look on his face is unnerving and Lacy feels the need to step away from him, but his eyes keep her prisoner. Bradley cannot move away either, even when his brain sends warning signals for him to move or say something. The feelings he feels towards Lacy rushing through his veins. Where they come from is a mystery to his already overwhelmed mind. Why did he suddenly since last week notice certain things about the woman standing here in front of him? Why was she constantly occupying his mind these days and since when did he care about her wellbeing?

First it was small things, like the clothes she wears, the perfume she uses, the colour of her lip gloss, the smallness of her frame, the silver streaks with the golden blond and brown in her hair, the perfect cupid’s bow of her lips, her crystal blue eyes with white gold flecks around the pupils, the long lashes surrounding them and the kissable plumpness of her lips and again all he can focus on is her lips. He wants to taste them again and feel their softness beneath his, feel them open for his tongue exploring the warm wetness of the inside of her mouth, he wants feel her return his kiss with passion and need. He wants to kiss her more than he ever could imagine or thought he would want to. He wanted to hold her tight to his chest and make sure that she was unharmed and safe.

Staring into Bradley’s eyes Lacy’s mind starts running again. Thoughts she avoided is suddenly vivid and unescapable. Why does she hate Bradley? Lace always avoids this topic, because she never really want to admit it to herself that she does not really hate Bradley, she just reacts to him differently then she does with Josh. Josh is her brother, her best friend. Bradley is… is… Bradley. He is the one that teases, make jokes and pranks her. Lacy’s eyes flick over Bradley’s face as she tries to describe him, her eyes frozen still when it lands on his soft, moist lips. A memory of the kiss he gave her this morning flashes before her mind’s eye, the taste of his lips and the feel of his tongue against hers, the urgency of the kiss slowing down to the soft sweet pecks, leaving her breathless. Her mouth feels dry as she looks back up into Bradley’s eyes. “I don’t hate you.” She confesses as his pupils dilate as she pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth, knowing on it as she waits for his reaction.

Slowly Bradley unfolds his arms, afraid of shattering the moment his eyes remains on hers. His right hand slowly lifts to her chin. With his thumb he pulls her lip free from its captivity. His thumb lingers on her soft lips stroking the redness away. “Don’t do that.” He whispers huskily.

“Why?” She frowns while Bradley’s finger stills on her lip and before she knew it his lips replaced his finger as his hand slides to the nape of her neck and pulls her closer to him.

The kiss is slow and tender. Bradley’s left arm encircles her waist, pulling her even closer. Lacy’s arms find their own way to the back of his neck, her fingers scraping the back of his hairline. A moan escapes Bradley’s lips as he deepens the kiss. His tongue sweeping over Lacy’s cherry flavoured lips, asking for entrance and gaining it. Slowly Bradley moves his arm around her waist to just beneath her butt and lifts her sideways on her bike, without breaking the kiss. Then he moves his hands to her hips, gripping it tightly as he stands between her legs. The sound of the cars passing is nothing more than background noise to the two people locked in this heated kiss. This kiss is the first to be born out of want and need and it is returned with the same feelings. This kiss holds a shocking revelation for Bradley and the key to Lacy’s conundrum of questions.

“We need to go.” Bradley says minutes later with his head pressed against Lacy’s. His eyes still close as he tries to catch his breath, but he does not move. He is afraid that when he does move he would lose this feeling of closeness and companionship he feels at this moment. It feels so right having Lacy in his arms and for the first time he does not feel the need to tease her. He just wants her close to him. Slowly he pulls his head away from hers, making her moan in protest.

“I know.” Lacy agrees with her eyes still closed. Without hesitation Bradley’s lips finds hers again in another heated kiss leaving them breathless again, unable to resist the urge that builds up inside him.