My Brother's Roommate

Chapter Six-Patch

Patch shut the hood of the woman’s convertible and watched as the twins relentlessly flirted with her in the lobby. She seemed vaguely familiar from high-school, but he knew one thing for certain, she hadn’t ran with their crowd. It was evident by her perfectly straightened hair and the nice whip he’d just changed the oil for, not to mention the clothes he would have never even dreamed of having growing up.

If she did ever consider dating or sleeping with one of them it would be done in secret. It was the socs and the greasers all over again.

Snake raked his fingers through his dark black hair, and gave the girl a sheepish smile. “I’m free any night for you, Princess.”

The girl liked the attention, it was apparent, but Patch could see the worry in her eyes. What would her parents think about her dating someone like Snake, or even someone that went by name of Snake?

“Your car is ready,” Patch said.

She stood up from her chair and handed Patch her credit card. Snake pulled out a business card from the holder and wrote his number down on the back.

“You can text me. I’m a pretty assessable guy.”

Patched hurried to ring her up, and handed her the debit card back that he noticed had her father’s name on it. The blonde gave him a finger wave and swayed her way out of the garage.

“You’re asking for a beating with that one,” Patch said from behind the computer.

Snake turned and leaned backward against the counter. “Not if nobody finds out.”

Patch snorted. “I don’t doubt she could keep a secret, but not you.”

Snake hopped onto the counter and tossed an empty soda bottle up in the air and caught it.

“You’d be surprised, if it’s good enough, I’d bite my tongue for it.”

Patch caught the soda bottle the next time he tossed it, and chunked it into the trash. “I’m out,” he said. “It’s five, and I’m ready for a beer.”

Jimmy reached over and clocked Patch out, and closed the computer down. “You work tomorrow?”

Patch pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his shirt and lit it with the lighter Snake offered him. “Yeah, I’ll catch y’all later.”

He started his bike, loving the vibration and hum of his engine beneath him. It’d always been his dream to get a motorcycle, but with his parents being absent, it’d taken a lot of yard mowing and a little help from Mr. Summers to get it after graduation.

If it hadn’t been for him, Patch didn’t think he’d be alive to tell his story. The ride to his house was peaceful, and he needed a brief break before walking into that door. Her car was parked around the curb, still hiding from her dad, and he knew just looking at her made him feel wild on the inside.

He’d always been a take what he wanted kind of guy, and the fact that he couldn’t have something that was clearly in his reach, he felt like it would slowly burn him to death from lust.

The sound of some popular radio station rang out from the kitchen as he shoved the door opened. Delaney stood at the kitchen stove, her hips swaying to the beat of the song. Patch didn’t want to be that guy, the one that creeps on a woman when she isn’t looking, but he waited a moment before he shut the door.

The shorts she wore were a little too tight for her, but seeing she’d grown into those lady curves, he didn’t mind them. It took a lot of strength to move his eyes away from her and that only drew his attention to how small her waist had gotten.

Abruptly, Delaney turned on her heel and the tray of cookies she’d been holding went flying up around her and she yelped.

“What in the—why were you just standing there? Jeez, give a girl some notice,” she said.

Patch slammed the door dramatically with his boot and unbuttoned his shirt from the garage.

“Cookies?” he asked.

Delaney tightened her low pony tail and shrugged. “I’m kind of liking working at the bakery.” She laughed. “Like I need to be eating anymore sweets with this weight gain.”

Patch tossed his shirt onto the back of one of the chairs to the dining room table, and let his eyes wonder once again over the curves he’d imagined riding over the last few weeks.

He debated on saying anything but the look of annoyance of her weight gain made him want to prove to her just how much she should enjoy them.

Some guy would enjoy them gladly, but he just couldn’t be that guy.

“There is nothing wrong with the way you look,” he said.

Delaney gave him a sheepish look and turned around to pick up the raw cookie dough.

Feeling guilty, he bent down to help her, ignoring the sweet smell of her skin so close to him.

Delaney’s phone buzzed from the table and she jumped up to grab it. “Crap,” she mumbled, biting her nail.

Patch sat the cookies on the stove and watched as she debated taking the call.

“Hello?” she answered. “Hey, Dad.”

Obviously, he still didn’t know she'd moved, which seemed like a fight waiting to happen, but who asked him.

“Just sitting on the couch doing some reading,” she said, biting her lip and rolling her eyes at herself. Delaney wasn’t a good liar, and had the heart of a saint. From what he could remember, she’d always told on herself growing up.

Somethings had changed but not everything.

“Yeah, yeah, just been busy and stuff.”

Patch grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and nonchalantly took a swig, watching as she fidgeted while lying to her dad.

“I will. Promise. Love you, too.”

She hung up the phone. “Yuck,” she said. “Lying always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Patch grinned but stopped when he noticed she hadn’t stopped staring at her phone.

“Who’s got you lookin’ like that?” Patch asked, pushing off the counter.

Delaney cleared her throat, and shoved her phone into the pocket of those too tight jean shorts. “Nothing important.”

Patch didn’t believe her, but downed his water and grabbed a beer for the pool. It’d been a while since he took a dip and since he wasn’t parading around kicking some kid’s tail for Daz, he decided he’d chill with Lucas once he got home.

Patch went to get dressed for the pool, stripping out of his shirt and replacing his worn pants with a pair of low-slung blue swim shorts.

Lucas’ shut the front door as soon as Patch exited his room. Lucas had a sheepish grin on his face that Patch knew all too well.

“I’m throwing a party.”

Delaney groaned from the kitchen.

Lucas ran a palm over his buzz cut and looked back over his shoulder at her. “What’s wrong with a party, Delaney?”

“You’re like a grown-up teenager.”

Patch couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s gonna be fun. You can invite all the guys at the garage and I’ll invite some of our old classmates that are in town for the

summer. We’ll get hammered, dance, swim, play poker. Whatever we want to do.”

“I can invite Katie,” Delaney said coming around the corner and stopping shortly.

Lucas said something but Patch didn’t hear, he felt himself go stiff at the sight of her looking at him. The plate of freshly baked cookies in her hand was safe and secure because she was gripping them tight.

Her eyes wondered down his torso shamelessly. It looked like she’d never seen a man before, and that desire struck ten cords in his stomach and made him feel greedy.

“Cookies,” Lucas said, bringing Delaney from her daydreaming, and Patch back to reality.

It wasn’t going to happen, no matter how she looked at him, and how much he wasn’t to kiss her sweet mouth.

“Yeah, cookies for everybody,” she said. “So when is this party so I cannot be here?”

Lucas wrapped his big bicep around her neck and pulled her in closer. “You need to let loose, and have some fun. I’m gonna do it tomorrow. You got plans?” he asked Patch.

Patch shook his head. “Nope.”

Delaney hadn’t looked back over toward Patch and he was thankful. The lust he had for her wasn’t going to go away if she kept looking at him from under hooded eyes.

***

Patch looked up from the lounge chair of the pool and at the setting sun. Lucas had come by thirty minutes or so ago, telling Patch he’d ordered Chinese, which earned him a grunt in return.

Lucas was the worst at waking people up to entertain himself, and Patch made it clear when he moved in that if he was paying rent, he was not to be woken up, and not responsible for a bloody nose if he did it.

“Food’s here!” Lucas shouted as Patch dried himself off with his towel. Food sounded good, he hadn’t eaten since lunch, and it was getting late.

He stumbled into the kitchen, seeing Delaney descend from the stairs to his right at the same time.

Lucas opened the door. “Dad.”

Delaney froze, watching in horror as her Dad made his way into the house. Patch thought of one hundred and one ways to distract him from seeing her, and only one seemed logical.

Patch stepped forward, and pushed Delaney against the wall, covering her with him. All his senses came to life as his hard body met with her soft one. A sigh he would put on repeat later escaped her parted lips, and he did his best to keep his composure.

She wasn’t looking him in the face but everywhere else. The soft curve of her breasts brushed his bare chest, and he swallowed down the groan that formed in his gut.

Her eyelashes cast a shadow over her high cheekbones and her throat constricted as she swallowed.

Finally, she lifted those hazel eyes to his, and he could see the want there. The need.

“Who is Patch over their attacking?” her dad asked.

“Ah, some girl. Come on out back and I’ll show you that new mower I got. You can borrow it if you need it.”

“Ah figures,” Mr. Summers said. “He’s always been a ladies man.”

Patch hadn’t been serious about a girl in a long time due to his mother’s problems; he didn’t want to make that anyone else’s trouble but his.

The back door slammed but Patch didn’t move, he watched her chest as she took heavy, ragged breaths and her eyes as they lowered to his mouth again.

Her eyes looked greedy, like she may never get a chance to be close to him again, and they traveled down the length of his tattoos, and the pink on her cheeks turned a deep red that made him even more hungry for her.

Instead of put himself out of his own misery and kiss her, he pushed off from the wall, and took a few steps away.

Their stare down was heated, and it was obvious that she wanted to say something but what was there to say?

“Thank you,” she mumbled, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Patch ran his fingers into his damp hair and nodded. “That was a close one,” he said. “Better go before your dad comes back.”

He turned and left her standing against the wall to walk to his room. Once the door was closed he let out a humorless laugh and ran his palm down his face.

A cold shower would do him some good, and hopefully wash away the feeling of drowning in a girl’s eyes when he had promised to stay away.

***

Gabriel, Daz and Patch all rode together in Daz’s old pickup truck to Lucas’ party. Patch worked in the garage all day with Lonny who didn’t do parties and Gabriel who was always down for a chance to get drunk

He’d thought about going home to get ready, but decided with his new found dedication to staying away from Delaney, that being there less would give him a better chance at keeping his promise.

There were cars parked down the road and music blasted from the house. Daz let out a low whistle and parked his pickup, tugging at his black vest. “Well, I guess I’ll be getting laid tonight. I can already see a promising victim walking up the steps.”

Gabriel slapped the back of his head. “That’s Joey. Touch her and I’ll kill you.”

He howled with laughter as they all got out and walked toward the house. The front door was opened allowing whoever to come inside and music blasted from Lucas’ huge speakers that he insisted he needed.

There were familiar faces lining the halls and the smell of weed and beer heavy in the fogged room. Some splashes came from the pool and the couches were occupied with couples and guys playing the game on the big screen.

Daz hung his arm over Patch’s shoulder and whispered into his ear, “Who is the blonde?”

Patch let his eyes roam the room, noticing Dillon sitting next to Delaney on the ottoman.

“That blonde?” Patched gestured toward her.

“Yeah,” Daz said.

“Lucas’ kid sister,” he said.

“Over his dead body, right?”

Patch smiled because he knew Lucas and him were close, and could handle himself, but wouldn’t pick a fight with Lucas. “You know it,” Patch said.

Daz slapped his shoulder. “I don’t know how you’re living here with her and not acting on that. I see that jealousy in your eyes now.”

Patch swallowed hard, and grabbed a beer from one of the many ice chests littering the house. He didn’t want to ruin the party and tell Lucas that Dillon was a little too close for comfort, so he pulled the foldout table from the closet and sat it up to play poker.

The boys spent most of the night playing cards, getting tipsy and a few of them found a girl to bring home. Patch pushed himself and his chair from the table and called it quits.

Gabriel was cuddled up with Joey on the sofa, watching two drunken guys hammer it out on the game.

Patch grabbed himself one last beer and walked out back to the patio to see what the buzz of laughter and music was causing under the stars.

It’d gotten pretty late but the party hadn’t really died down. Several people were in the pool swimming and Lucas sat on a lounge chair with Katie perched beside him. She looked a little shy sitting crossed legged beside him and hiding her smile with her hair.

From what Patch could remember she’d been a good girl in school, like Delaney had been. Speaking of, Patch stopped at the edge of the patio and looked out over the back yard at all the people.

At first he didn’t notice Delaney but as soon as an old 00s rap song came on, he heard her squeal. To the right of the patio was a gazebo where several people danced.

Patch noticed Dillon being one, sitting back against the seat watching Delaney as she began to dance like a horny teenager. Fire began to grow in his stomach, and he took a gulp of beer hoping to keep it down.

Lucas made Patch promise to stay away from her, but had he even thought about Dillon? Or was it because he’d been a good kid and part of the right crowd that Lucas didn’t care?

Patch groaned and took a seat on one of the empty foldout chairs facing the pond to the right. If he made it look like he was star gazing, he could keep an eye on her.

Delaney twirled in the little dress she’d worn, and kicked both of her wedges off into the grass. Her blonde hair was iridescent in the moon light, and the way she moved her body made Patch want to second guess his promise.

For several minutes she twirled, not noticing him so close, but when she did her attention changed to him. Something sultry came over her face, and a smile he’d never had directed to him pulled from the corner.

Her hands were on the skirt of her dress, and as she danced around for him, she pulled it up a few inches, showing him the skin he’d loved to run his rough fingertips against.

Delaney had grown up for certain, and Patch wanted to know more about her than what she looked like, because he knew from years of knowing her she had a good heart.

He didn’t. It’d been burned too many times to be considered loveable.

Delaney’s tongue swept over her bottom lip and Patch abruptly stood up and walked toward the door. He didn’t look back at her to see her reaction; he went straight to his room and locked the door. He’d wait to deal with her, as soon as everyone left, he’d tell her what he promised her brother and that it wasn’t going to happen.