Page 11 of The Bikers Redemption

It’s Harley.He’s here again, sitting on the bed beside me with a plate of pizza.

The smell causes my mouth to water, and I sit up, rubbing my eyes. “What time is it?” I ask in a croaky voice.

“Just after ten. I thought you might be hungry.”

Nodding, I agree. “Yeah, I am,” I reply, yawning.

“I got you a Diet Coke too. I’m guessing you’re still addicted to this stuff?” he asks, lifting the can of Diet Coke to my face.

I smile because he remembers how much of this stuff I used to drink.

“Yeah, I am. I’m trying to quit, though.”

“Right,” he teases. “Same old Serena.”

He hands me the plate, and I lift a piece of pizza to my mouth, immediately moaning when I bite into the delicious pepperoni and cheese.

Harley’s eyes fall to my mouth as I chew. He leans over and wipes the corner of my mouth with his finger, then sucks that same finger into his mouth.

I try desperately to focus on something else and look at the scratch I caused on his cheek.

“How’s your mom?” I ask, trying to break the silence.

He smiles. He’s always had a close relationship with Carolina. I grew very fond of her. I kept in touch for a while after her husband’s death, but it just got harder, especially when Harley wasn’t returning my calls.

“She’s good. She misses you.”

Feeling a little taken back, I admit, “I miss her too.”

Smiling again, he adds, “We will see her when we return. Her sister, Lillian, is visiting from Portugal, so she’s happy she has some company. She’s been struggling with living alone.”

“I can understand that. Your mom was married to your father for a long time.”

He nods. “Yeah, they were married for a while. Coming on twenty-five years.”

He sighs, opens the can of Diet Coke, and hands it to me. I thank him and take a sip, then hand it back to him so he can place it on the table.

“You know, Serena,” he says in all seriousness, causing me to stop midway from having another bite of this delicious pizza. “I never stopped thinking about you, about us. That’s the truth.”

My heart races a million miles an hour, and the funny thing is, I believe him. I believe he never stopped thinking about me, but that changes nothing.

“But not enough to come looking for me.”

He runs his hands over his face, stands, and begins pacing the room. I watch him as I take another bite of my pizza.

He stops and faces me. “I need to ask you something.”

Dropping the slice of pizza on the plate, I ask, “What is it?”

He takes a step toward me. “Why him? Why Luca? If I remember right, you couldn’t stand him, especially when you had those Christmas dinners at the Clementes.”

I think about his question, but it doesn’t take me long to reply, “He was there for me at a time when I needed someone the most,” I say, shrugging, then continue, “When you left me, it broke me.” Feeling a lump in my throat, I swallow so I can keep speaking, “My dad paid for a trip for me and Rachel because he couldn’t handle seeing me that way. Seeing me so broken was too much for him to bear.”

“I’m sorry, Serena. If I could—”

“Stop!” I interrupt, not wanting to hear the words I know he’s about to say. “I don’t need your apologies. What is done is done,” I reply with finality. He sits on the bed beside me again. “So, he was there for you when I wasn’t? Isn’t that what you said back in the hotel room?” His voice is broken, and I can tell it’s killing him that Luca gave me what he couldn’t.

“Yes, he was. He was in Mexico for a meeting, and when he knew Rachel and I were there, so he came to visit. Things went from there.” Picking up the piece of pizza, I take another bite.

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