3 WEEKS LATER

Hours have ticked by and my eyes are still on the ceiling of the garage, tracing the cracks along the drywall. My dark imagination is running wild right now and it's winking at me through the early morning's air. It's been keeping me up, listening to the tickles in the walls. I'm off in a place I like to call a void of self-deprecation and I know sleep isn't coming.

I'm covered in paint and my head is throbbing while the rest of my body is limp from exhaustion. I don't dare to close my eyes to dream because my dream will turn into something worse than a nightmare. Instead, I stare at my new episodic creation.

This time it's on a canvas.

So at least there's that.

The relief ends there though. I stare at my painting as my heart tries to pump some energy into my limbs in vain. Probably so I can run from this.

A black and white version of my face tries staring at me but little hands cover my eyes and mouth. They're small like that of a child's. The detail is impeccable with how the fingers hold that childlike fat to them and despite it being in black and white you can see the anger? Maybe more like desperation in those tiny fingers with how they dig into my skin.

Yeah, the fingers aren't being kind to my face. In no way are they covering my eyes in the way someone would when they try to surprise you with something. There are angry scratches all over the visible parts of my face.

"That's it," I state standing up abruptly. "I'm being haunted."

Taking a deep breath, I decide to get ready for the day knowing there will be no rest for the weary. After my shower I grab one of my few articles of clothing. I pick out a slouchy pink T-shirt from my bag and roll the sleeves up over my shoulders then tie a knot down at the bottom so it bunches around my waist. My baggy light faded jeans with paint splashes all over it slide right up to my waist. They're very unappealing, but one of the most comfortable jeans I own. They probably remind people of futuristic space pants because they're puffy. In place of buttons it has that nineties elastic band that resembles the bands around winter gloves. That same band is replicated at the bottom of the legs. They're hideous.

So, I have two of them.

I go barefoot and exit my room. The smell of coffee hits me and I welcome it with vigor. Taking the steps like I'm an Irish dancer, I hum along with the made up bagpipes playing in my mind.

When I enter the kitchen dad's looking out the window in a daze. He hasn't slept. I can tell because he's in the same clothes as last night and they're not rumpled at all which tells me he didn't fall asleep on anything. Plus, his face is haggard.

Something is bothering him.

Clearing my throat, he turns taking me in like I'm some ghost. Moments tick by until he turns back around rubbing his hand over his face.

"I've had dreams where I'd wake up and you'd be here. You were smaller in them, but it always felt so real." He pauses and takes out two mugs placing them right in front of him and stares at them. "So why has it been weeks and it still doesn't feel real?"

"Probably because you've convinced yourself that it would never happen."

I sit at the table and dad leans against the counter. A stillness settles over us as he contemplates what he wants to say next. I cock my head to the side and sigh out. "Dad, whatever it is you want to say then say it."

His eyes widen. "How'd you—"

I cut him off. "I'm good at reading people. So, what is it?" I ask, sipping my coffee.

A small smile forms on his face. "Yeah, you are." He ruffles his thick blond hair that's now stripped with white. "Arch and I have to take a trip and will be gone for about a couple of days. It's bad timing but we have to go."

"Oh. Where're you going?"

"North."

I cock a brow at that. "North?"

"Club business."

"Any northern destination in particular?" I ask.

He rubs his beard and his shoulders shrug. "Like I said, it's club business."

"Alright, I got it. No club talk. Geesh, it's like wanting to go up into a treehouse but the boys won't let you enter."

He chuckles, pulling a chair out and sitting down. "Ace said you can go down and stay with her and Lashes if you'd like. "

"Yeah, I think I will. If she's okay with that."

Dad smiles then gets up grabbing a box and sliding it over to me. "A phone. I noticed you don't have one. I put some numbers in there for you."

Scrolling through I see Amber's but put in as Ace. "Should I start calling her Ace?"

He leans back. "Up to you. I figured you and the girls can go out shopping while you're there. You know, so you can get some things for yourself."

"Thanks, dad," I say with gratitude. "I'll get a job soon."

He chuckles. "Aren't you our new receptionist at the Mechanic Shop? You're there every day. We can make it permanent, with pay."

Perking up, I smile. "Would that be okay? I mean with me being around Adonis?"

He scratches his beard. "After he protected you and has been keeping you out of trouble, I don't see a problem with it anymore. He's gained my trust when it comes to you now too. Besides, he gave me a list of reasons why it would be good for you to be the receptionist."

There's no way my blush goes unnoticed by dad, but he's gracious and says nothing about it. Things between Adonis and I have been going well. We haven't mentioned the kiss in weeks and have found ourselves in a nice rhythm of friendship. Friendship where I'm insanely attracted to him but can do nothing about.

He's the best part of my day, especially after the sleepless nights I'm constantly having. My episodes are getting worse and half the things I paint don't make sense anymore. My dark circles are starting to show more and more with each passing day but every time he smiles or laughs, I smile and laugh forgetting about all my problems.

We talk about the most random things thanks to yours truly. The more I get to know him, the more I start to want to be around him every single day. He's way more mature than I am. For obvious reasons.

He's also incredibly sweet, giving me rides on his bike whenever I need something and going on supply runs with me. I know why he's doing it though. He's keeping me safe. Dad had ordered someone to watch out for me at all times after the incident at the speedway. Adonis does most of it. If not all of it.

For him ignoring the attraction seems to come with ease, while for me it's misery. It needs to be this way though. It has to be.

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I ask, "When do you have to leave?"

"In a couple minutes. Will you be okay?"

"I'm twenty-two. I may look young but I am an adult."

He chuckles. "Yeah."

There's a knock at the door and soon Archie comes striding in. "Hey, Uncle Arch."

He smirks at me. "Hey, kiddo."

Dad gets up and dumps his coffee out  "Adonis said he'd take you down to Ace."

I perk up at that. "Forty-five minute ride on a bike, I'm down with that."

Dad cocks a brow. "I'd rather that not be the case."

Pursing my lips, I mumble, "Boo."

Dad and Archie laugh a little. Dad kisses my head and grabs his keys. "But I can't help what Adonis brings. I'll be back in a couple days. Call if you need anything."

I get up. "Will do." I walk over to Uncle Archie and hug him, causing him to wrap me in a massive bear hug attack. "Good to see you, Mr. President."

He ruffles my hair. "Same. Adonis is at the shop and will pick you up as soon as he's done."

I wave at them as they leave. "Sounds great. Stay safe."

After the motorcycles roar to life they're soon gone and I'm in a quiet house staring at that wallpaper. The fire ants start slowly crawling up my legs and the incessant need to grab a putty knife with some soapy water and go to town, grows with each passing moment.

Instead the door opens and Adonis walks in all rumpled and effortlessly rugged with his rusted gold hair disheveled like he had just woken up. I know that's not the case since Archie said he was at the shop. Something's off. He's tense and leans on the doorway to appear relaxed even though he is anything but.

"Everything alright?" I walk up and stare up at him.

"All good. Ready to go?" His voice carries that low smooth tone that I've seen him use when he's upset.

Shrugging, I step around him. "I hope whatever it is you figure it out."

We get to his bike and he beats me with those long strides even though I was in front of him. I tighten my backpack so it's nice and snug while he picks up the helmet handing it to me.

"It will be once you're safe."

I cock a brow with a small smile. "Uh oh, am I in danger?"

Adonis doesn't find it funny. "Did you vandalize one of the bikes that was left at the Speedway a couple weeks ago?"

"Me? Yours truly? Never." I snap on the helmet trying to seem innocent.

"It looked like an Easter egg," he retorts, his tone taking on a note of irritation.

I purse my lips and blow a curl out of the way. "Everyone can paint an Easter Egg. It is a holiday that's celebrated every year. So really anyone could've done it."

He doesn't blink.

"Okay. Yes, I did it. What's the big deal? It was well deserved and I didn't hurt anyone."

The thing that's unnerving about Adonis is that when he's mad, he's eerily calm unless pushed. But those calm and narrowed eyes put you in your place right away.

"You did get someone hurt." He steps closer to me and I stumble back a little. "He brought it to the shop but not after paying a visit to Dana. Your recklessness got her hurt and put us in an even worse situation with them than we were before."

"I'm sorry, I—" I try to say, but he keeps going.

"You may not understand this, but those guys can't afford jack, Georgie. Every penny they've ever earned is spent on their bikes, and you destroyed his. Now I have to come up with some solution for it and quickly before things escalate."

My fists clench and I chastise myself for always doing things without thinking them through. I wish I were normal and better at normal things.

"A lot of those guys in that gang are kids that have no one on their side, so they align themselves with The Silencers because once you're in, your family. It's all about survival. They have your back no matter what. We've been keeping peace with them as much as we can and we got lucky after the commotion at the track, but now you've not only opened a gate you blew right through it. I'm hoping I can neutralize this before it erupts into an all-out war."

My defenses bristle like a porcupine. "Why does it sound like you're defending them."

He drags his hand over his face that's tense around the mouth and eyes. "Because not everything is black and white."

Shame grips me and I not only feel defeated but unwanted... again. "Why'd they go after Dana?"

"She's a tattoo artist so they assumed."

My hands clench onto my backpack straps. "Is there anything I can do?"

His eyes pierce mine with growing frustration stitched in them. "Yeah, stay with Amber at all times and out of trouble, and when you get home keep yourself busy here. I can't keep cleaning up your messes."

Looking away from him I sit on the bike. "I'll stay out of your way from now on. Just get me to Amber and you'll rarely see me around."

Adonis says nothing else and sits right in front of me. This time I don't put my arms around him and opt for holding onto the bike. We leave and as we ride down the road I watch the pavement. It's interesting how if you view it without the vehicle it seems like the pavement is moving you.

I lean back and close my eyes knowing my life when I get back from Amber's will be no different than the one I escaped.

Hidden away.

Or more like locked away.

*

"Adonis has always been like that girl. Don't take it to heart. You are officially part of the flock now that you've been scolded by him." Lashes smiles at me as she, Amber, and I get manicures.

Amber laughs. "It's why all of us girls ended up snapping out of our hopeless crushes on him."

I look at her wide eyed. "You had a crush on Adonis?"

Lashes snorts in an awkward giggle. "Oh yeah, she followed him around all the time during her high school years and she would claim high school boys were too immature for her."

"Okay," Amber retorts. "Says the girl who did the same but starting in elementary school."

"Hey, I have no problem admitting to that, especially with that swoon worthy butterscotch nectar voice of his," Lashes says, fanning herself.

"I don't think butterscotch is a nectar," I state in a deadpan tone.

Amber nudges me, smirking.  "So, tell me are you crushing on him?"

I roll my eyes. "If you mean am I attracted to him because he's insanely hot and I am a female, yes."

Amber checks her light blue nail polish and glances back at me. "He is really hot."

"Preach it." Lashes chants.

She tests her navy blue nails then leans back flicking her long loosely curled brunette hair back. She's strikingly beautiful with catlike eyes that she accentuates with her eyeliner. Honestly, she looks a lot like Elizabeth Taylor if she had been a biker chick with green eyes.

Glancing down at my orange nails, I start to get irritated about how they only talk about Adonis's looks. "Was there anything you guys liked about him besides his looks?"

Lashes hums to herself.  "He's brave and loyal, but other than that we don't know much about him. Adonis has always been a man who prefers his privacy."

"Yeah, which adds to his charm. He's got that whole man of mystery down." Amber jumps in.

My mouth starts babbling before I can stop it. "I mean you guys don't think it's cute how he's got a weird sense of humor, like he loves puns.  I mean lame puns. The kind dad's love, which goes to show he's going to be one of those dad's." I laugh. "Or that he loves oldies music. Retro stuff.  He also goes to church every Sunday and is always fifteen minutes early so he can help out. Or most important of all, how he's one of those who hates wearing socks when he's not wearing his boots and he will never ever wear sandals."

I stop my ranting when I see Amber and Lashes staring at me wide eyed. Amber is the first to break the silence. "Georgie,don't tell me you—"

Lashes cuts her off. "No, first we need to address the main issue here." She turns to me with a very serious expression. "How on earth did you find all that out?"

I raise an eyebrow and give her a perplexed look. "We talk when I hang around the shop and help him keep everything organized, like his tools."

Lashes smacks her hand on the thing that's drying our nails. "Shut up! He lets you touch his tools?"

I shrug. "Yeah, why wouldn't he?"

"Because he's anal about it." Amber quips, looking incredibly ecstatic with the news. "Oh my gosh, Lashes, I think the asexual Adonis we thought we knew has a sweet spot for my baby sister."

"Hey," I protest. "I may have technically been born the next day, but we're still the same age."

Amber waves me off, leaning in like she's about to ask me some super scandalous question. "Has he kissed you?"

My face burns instantaneously as Lashes gasps in utter shock. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Ace, I am officially declaring Georgie as our third bestie. You got Adonis to scratch."

"But he was with Dana, right?! And he has to have had plenty of others before her." My voice cracks a little.

Amber shakes her head. "Him and Dana were not even a thing and I doubt they even kissed. For as long as we've known him," she says as she waves her hands between her and Lashes. "He's never had a girl. He's always kept to himself."

My ears burn and I can feel my blood pumping uncomfortably as Lashes bounces in her seat. "We are skipping the most interesting part here. Was he good? How was it kissing him? You have to tell us. You don't understand, Georgie, Ace and I have been up countless nights describing what kind of kisser he'd be."

'Um," I stutter. "Will me not being able to stop thinking about it be a good enough answer."

Lashes shrieks causing women to turn to us glaring, but she could careless and the same goes for my sister. "Yes it is. Was it intense or just a quickie?"

I suck in a deep breath. "Intense, very intense. He's very good with his hands too."

"Oh, Good Lord, Georgie, you have superpowers." Amber beams at me. "What did he say after? What happened?"

I swallow. "I told him we should forget about it and he seems to have easily done it. After today I doubt I'll see him all that much anyway."

Amber grabs my face. "Georgie, trust me, he has done that to all of us."

"We keep getting off topic here." Lashes takes my face away from her. "That's all that happened. He just agreed. Didn't say anything else?"

My chest aches at the memory. "Well, no, and he did but I don't really want to say."

Lashes pulls my face closer. "Say it."

"He said he'd be dreaming about me wishing I was..." I can't finish it.

Lashes' face contorts and a massive mouth opening smile adorns her face along with eyes as wide as golf balls. "No! Oh, this is too good. I've needed gossip like this for oh so long."

"Same, but unfortunately we're running late. You have a date and I have night class." Amber jumps up and grabs her shopping bags and we follow her lead.

"How late are we?" Lashes asks.

"Late as in you won't be able to change before your date late," Amber replies.

Lashes starts running. "Challenge accepted."

I go to run after them but stop in front of a store that has a cute jean jumper with quarter sleeves and would be perfect for when I help out at the shop.

If what Amber says is true then I shouldn't take Adonis's words to heart so maybe it's okay for me to buy it. "Hey, guys, I'm going to buy this."

"We'll pick you up just wait for us."

With that I go in to make the purchase and hope they have one in my size. I pinch the flab I've developed from my constant snacking. "Oh, munchie monster, what have you done to me?"