The Biker in Lace

Chapter 14.

“We really need to go.” Bradley says after a few silent moments passed with their heads pressed together.

“I don’t want to, I actually like this.” Lacy says her eyes still closed. For once it feels like her mind is clear and vivid thoughts runs smoothly through her brain. She never thought that she would be able to find so much peace and clarity near the man she once thought of as her enemy.

“Yeah, girls usually like my kissing.” Bradley jokes as he hesitantly pulls away from her. He has the urge to stay here and kiss her again, but at the same time he wants to figure out where this need comes from before he indulges in it again.

“And Mr. Arrogant is back.” Lacy says opening her eyes and slapping Bradley on his shoulder causing him to chuckle, rolling her eyes at him she continues: “I meant, this…” pointing her finger between the two of them. “Being near you and not wanting to hurt you or fight with you.”

“I have to confess…” Bradley starts to say before he takes her hands in his. “I like the kissing part.” He whispers in her ear with a smile in his voice, making Lacy giggle before he captures her lips in another short kiss. “I like this too.” He whispers when he places his head against hers again, but this time he does not close his eyes and neither does she. Staring into each other’s eyes everything that surrounds them disappears and leaves just them and this moment.

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Lacy confesses with honesty burning in her blue orbs as she looks into the dark pools of chocolate. Then she clears her through and starts to pull away from Bradley, disconnecting the invisible tread that tied them together. “You are right we should go.” She is disappointed that this moment has to end, but it has to at some point and now is as good a time as any.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Bradley says taking a step back, giving Lacy enough space to swing her leg over her bike an take her helmet from the handle bar. “Are we leaving Josh with his mother?” Bradley asks, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, a look of bewilderment on his face. Bradley feels like he just woke from a drug induced state, did he really hear Lacy saying she never hated him? Was he really so clueless? This was the reason he always hated her, because she hated him.

“I don’t want to see Clive again, so I’ll just let him know I went home.” Lacy says before she slips the helmet over her head. The engine roars to life as she starts the bike. “I’ll see you later.” Seconds later the crunch of the gravel giving way under the tyres brings Bradley back to present.

“I don’t hate you either.” He whispers as he watches her drive away.

*-*

“Yes, Josh I am fine. Don’t worry.” Lacy speaks into her phone as she opens the door to her parent’s home. “You need this time with your mother.” A few silent moments pass as she listens to Josh, making her way up the staircase to her room. “Yes, I just arrived home. I’ll call you tomorrow, please send my regards to your mother and Amy and tell them I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.” Opening her bedroom door she listens to Josh again. “It’s nothing, don’t worry. I love you, Josh and I am really happy that you found your mother. I’ll see you when you get back and I am just a phone call away. I love you.” She hangs up the phone before Josh could ask any more questions about why she left. Her thoughts are now only consumed by one thing and that is: Bradley.

Lacy knows that this time of day her father and sister would be at the office still and her mother would be at the soup kitchen busy with some charity event she would be organising, so there would be no reason to go search for any of them. Leaving her bedroom door unlocked she makes her way to her en-suite bathroom to take a warm bath in big luscious bubbles. Maybe that would help when she dissects her feelings and the kisses she oh so willingly shared with the man that hates her. Lacy sits down on the edge of the bath as she watches the water flow into the bath. Using her hand, she swirls the water in a circular motion, helping the white soft bubbles make a cloud like layer over the once clear water. Caught in her thoughts, she does not notice the person standing in the door way watching her closely.

“You’re home early?” The person suddenly speaks, making Lacy jump. Losing her balance she falls backwards into the tub half filled with water. Gasping for air, Lacy’s arms flies in all different directions trying to find a place to hold on to. The person at the door folds over double as they watch Lacy’s struggle against gravity.

“What the hell?” Lacy shouts as she sits with her legs over the edge of the tub, trying to wipe her hair and some bubbles out of her face. “I thought you were still at the office.” She rants when she finally sees her sister is the culprit.

“Nah, Dad gave me some time off. Something to do with something he had to sort out with Judge Jones today.” Mary says as she takes a few steps into the bathroom to help her sister out of the tub. “What had you thinking so hard that you did not hear me knock?” She asks as she pulls on Lacy’s hands.

“Yeah, I bet they have a lot to discuss.” Lacy says sarcastically, thinking about the whole marriage thing. “Josh found his mom.” She adds, trying to distract Mary from what she might know about her father and Judge Jones’s meeting.

“Yeah, mom told me last night. He looked torn between his feelings when I saw him last night.” Mary says as she hands Lacy a towel. “But, that is not what you were thinking about was it?”

“You saw Josh?” Lacy asks trying to avoid Mary’s question, but like always Mary knows what goes on in Lacy’s mind just like it is her own.

“Come on Lace, I know you and I can see you are troubled.” Mary tries again, concern clear in her voice. “I know this is not your ‘worried about Josh look’.” She makes bunny ears around the last words and rolls her eyes. “This is more you’re Bradley-is-an-ass mixed with an I-did-something-stupid look.”

“No change, he is still an ass.” Lacy says softly to herself, before giving a loud sigh. “Okay, fine.” Lacy says giving in. No need to prolong the inevitable. “I am such an i***t. I told Bradley I don’t exactly hate him.” Lacy admits looking down to her feet, trying to avoid Mary’s eyes.

“Finally!” Mary shouts, sounding a bit happier then what Lacy would have expected. Throwing her hands in the air and looking up at the ceiling, she continues with her very loud chanting. “I knew it, I knew it, I… Knew… It!”

“Why don’t you throw in a happy dance while you are busy?” Lacy asks again very sarcastically.

“Oh… Oh…” Mary says suddenly realising that that might not have been the right reaction to what Lacy just said. “I mean… uhm… what happened?” She gives Lacy a sympathetic look and fake concern in her voice as she waits for the answer.

“I got mad at Bradley and Clive, left in a hurry, almost caused an accident, kissed Bradley and confessed to not hating him.” Lacy rambles off what happened. Hoping Mary would miss the kiss part. “And then I panicked and came home.” She ends with a painful look edged on her face.

“Wait, you kissed Bradley?” She was truly shocked. She knew Lacy did not really hate Bradley, but she never imagined that she would kiss him.

“You got that?” Lacy groans in disappointed. “What about me almost causing an accident with a truck, any chance I can elaborate on that?” She tries, but Mary is like a blood hound when she stumbles on a good story.

“No. How did it happen?” Mary asks her eyes shining with interest.

“Well, I was driving too fast and just in time saw the truck…”

“No. The kiss, how did it happen?” Mary interrupts her sentence. “Stop stalling.” Mary adds when she sees Lacy unwillingness to give detail.

“The first time…”

“There was more than one time?” Mary gasps.

“Do you want to hear about it or can I take my bath now?” Lacy snaps as she gives Mary a pointed look. “First one was at the tattoo parlour, we were fighting and he just kissed me in the middle of my sentence and I fainted.” Mary giggled at that, but stopped when Lacy’s eyes blazed in her direction again. She swallowed her comment as she motioned for Lacy to continue. “The second was at Dave’s house when we left for the rally site, he kissed me to get rid of a bimbo who we later learned is Amy Ethan’s daughter. Third was this morning when we were fighting again at the rally, but to quote his words that was the first real kiss. Which leaves us with the fourth, fifth and I lost count next to the road he said sorry, I asked why, he said he don’t know, I listed some of the very long list of his wrongdoings, which he all denied and then I said because he hates me, he said I hate him, I said I don’t really hate him and then he just kissed me.” Lacy again gives the short version of the events, much to Mary’s disappointment there is no juicy details as to how it felt. Mary loves a juicy love story and here her sister is giving her nothing.

“Come on. I want details!” She calls out when she realise Lacy isn’t going to give her any.

“There are no details. That’s what happened.” Lacy tries to avoid her sister’s look of disappointment by rubbing her hair dry, hiding behind the towel.

“Come on Lacy, you cannot drop a bombshell like that and expect me to just leave it.” Mary tries again.

“Believe me that isn’t the bombshell you should be worried about.” Lacy mumbles under her breath as she realises her sister had no idea about the marriage.

“I have something that I need to confess to you. Last night when I saw Josh, he kissed me.” Mary admits after giving up on getting more information from Lacy. She suspected that Lacy might have objections about it, but what she did not expect however was her sister squealing with joy and hugging her tightly to her wet body.

Lacy clears her throat and composes herself before she holds her sister at arm’s length as her eyes searches hers. “And how did you feel about it?”

“To be honest, I loved it. I liked Josh form the age of thirteen, but I was afraid that you might not like the idea of me dating your best friend, so I tried to turn my feelings towards Bradley.” Mary admits with a slight tone of uncertainty, still unsure if Lacy would be okay with this.

“I… I don’t know what to say… except for… This is amazing!” Lacy yells as she jumps into her sister’s arms out of excitement. “This is the best day ever! My best friend found his mother and the girl he loves, might love him back!”

“And you kissed Bradley.” Mary mocks still not willing to let that one go. “Take your bath and meet me in our hiding spot in fifteen minutes.” Mary orders as she sees a far off look in her sister’s eyes. Just as she steps out into Lacy’s room something Lacy said earlier hits her. “Wait what did you mean the girl that Josh loves, might love him back?”

“Josh loves you Mary, he has for a long time.” Lacy says before closing and locking the bathroom door. A little bit of suffering would do her some good.

*_*

After a nice long chat in their secret hiding spot, Lacy finally admits to her sister the feelings she tried to run away from since she left Bradley standing alongside the road. “I don’t know how I should feel, but I do know I am confused. I liked it when Bradley kissed me and I felt so at peace and clear headed when he held me close, his head resting against mine. It felt almost like it was where I belonged. I never felt like that before, sis, never.” Lacy takes a deep breath as she rest her chin on her pulled up knees, her hands playing with her shoelaces as she tries to find the right words to describe how she feels.

“I know exactly what you mean. I felt it yesterday whit Josh.” Mary confesses as she rubs comforting circles on Lacy’s back.

“I wish I knew what to do. I should never have said that I don’t hate him.” Lacy says self-reproaching. “I wish he never kissed me.”

“You don’t mean that. If he never kissed you, you might never have confessed that you don’t hate him, but I think it opened your eyes to what you really feel for Bradley.” Mary tries to make her sister listen to reason. “Think about it, you said it yourself earlier, that you only acted the way you did, because Bradley always hated you and that when he kissed you, you realised it. Maybe this was all just a misinterpretation on both of yours’ parts.” Mary says trying to bring some light onto the subject.

“I do not love Bradley and he hates me!” Lacy fiercely defends.

“I did not say that. I meant maybe he liked you when we were younger and did not know how to show it and it ended up in you thinking he hates you.” Mary tries to explain, but Lacy being the hard headed girl she always was shakes her head profusely.

“No, Mary. He just always hated me.” Lacy insist, just as her phone starts buzzing in her pocket. Taking it out from her jeans she holds it up to see who is phoning. “Dad.” She says to Mary before she answers the phone.

“Lacy, please meet me in my study.” Her father says with his strong voice before hanging up without waiting for her response.

“Dad wants to see me.” She informs Mary with a troubled look on her face as she bites the chipped nail polish from her nails. “There is something I should probably tell you.” She tries to conger up the courage to tell Marry about the marriage, dropping her head into her hands. “Bradley and I are married.” She mumbles through her hands, causing Mary to strain her ears so she can hear.

“Oh, wow. This day is just getting better by the minute.” Mary screeches in excitement and then wen Lacy gives her an incredulous look she clears her throat and stretches her hand out to touch her sister’s shoulder to show sympathy.

“I just wish I knew why dad..?” Lacy’s eyes gleams with unshed tears of frustration as Mary’s voice cuts her off.

“Dad did this?” Mary sends a sympathetic look in Lacy’s direction when she nods her head, before she stands up and wipes the dirt from her dress. “You better go, Dad isn’t known for his patience.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Lacy says reluctantly following her sister’s actions.

“When you are done with dad we can continue our conversation.” Mary says putting her hands on Lacy’s shoulders giving her a piercing look. “It does not help to ponder over this when we don’t have the facts. I’m here for you, sis.” Then she pulls her sister into a tight supportive hug, before leaving the shelter of the willow tree.

“Your right, I need to hear his side.” She agrees as she too steps out into dusky coloured sky. “So, did you talk to Josh since last night?”

“We talked for a few seconds this morning before he left, but nothing important and he said he will phone me tonight. I have these butterflies in my stomach just thinking about Josh. I know this is kind of early after the whole Bradley thing, but I would not mind finding out where it is heading.” Mary confides in her sister.

“I am so happy for you, Mary.” Lacy says as she gives her a side hug when they reach the porch. “I know you two will make each other happy.”

*_*

Sitting behind the mahogany desk in his study, Mr. Cavanagh looks every bit as stern as the man Lacy came to know as her father. His serious demeanour is a well-known characteristic of the head of the Cavanagh family, especially when something big is about to be discussed or happen. Lacy takes a cautioned step towards her father’s desk, her feet dragging along the plush red carpet that lines the floor. She should be the one enraged and demanding answers, but instead she feels like the ten year old being reprimanded for the numerous time over breaking Bradley’s nose or pulling a prank on her most hated enemy.

“Dad?” Her voice trembles as she speaks, indicating her nervousness “You wanted to see me?” Her voice is a bit more stable after she cleared it before she continued.

“Lacy, we are just waiting for someone, but before he gets here I would just like to apologise for not informing you about this beforehand.” Her father speaks in a less stern voice than before indicating for her to sit, but that is not the thing that caught Lacy of guard. Her father’s look of shame and remorse is one she never saw before. Her father was always the strong and inferior party and to see him like this is just something she never thought she would ever see.

“What do you mean beforehand, Dad?” Lacy asks confused, sitting down across from her father.

“I will explain everything to you when the other party arrives, but please forgive me for my part in this.” Her father asks politely, but the earie feeling Lacy gets only grows stronger. Something she would not like is about to happen and she would have no say in it what so ever.

“I cannot forgive you, if I do not know what for, Dad.” Lacy says still a bit confused. “What are you talking about?”

Mr. Cavanagh sighs feeling the disappointment he has in himself weighing heavily on his heart. “I knew about the marriage. I could not say anything as if this gets out to the wrong people, everything we did will be for nothing. I did what I thought was the best. I hope you can understand that.”

“I only have one question, Dad. Why? Why would you do something like this?” Lacy asks calmly, she knows it is of no use to be mean or hysterical at this stage even if it feels like she can rant and tantrum like a two year old.

“I promise I will tell you as soon as…” Mr. Cavanagh’s sentence gets cut off by the knock on the study door. “Enter.” The strong stern voice of Mr. Cavanagh is back and Lacy knows that this man she saw seconds ago was one of a father feeling ashamed for what he done to his daughter. Lacy cannot stop the feeling of compassion she feels towards the man she calls her dad, even if she wants to be mad and throw her toys out of her cot, she is grateful for seeing the person her father is underneath his rough and toughness. Fighting against something that neither of them can change, would bring them nowhere, all that they can do now if find a solution to their problem.

“Mr. Cavanagh, Lacy.” The person at the door greets before taking the seat next to Lacy where Mr. Cavanagh indicated for him to sit.