Page 3 of Deceit

“I don’t know, Mimi. I’m trying to find my groove here and get work done. It’s been slow going and I have finally found my rhythm. I think I have any way,” I answer her, not telling her the truth about the situation because if I leave, I know I’ll lead my stalker right back home to them and then I won’t ever be free until the situation is dealt with.

“Why do I get the feeling that’s not the truth of the matter, Brynn? I have a feeling something more is going on and you’re being stubborn and not telling anyone about it. You don’t have to take care of everything on your own, my sweet girl,” she tells me, her voice going slightly hard because if anyone knows how stubborn I am, it’s her.

“You just know I’m stubborn because you raised Dad and Uncle Ace. I get it from them and you remind me of that every time you get the chance,” I state, laughter filling my voice that’s genuine and something I’ve needed for longer than I realized.

“That I did, Brynn. Out of all of my grandchildren, you’re the main one to inherit that trait. While I love that you're independent and want to keep everything close to the vest, you have a large family who will have your back no matter what’s going on. Brynn, we really do miss you around here,” she tells me, her voice full of remorse as she lets her words drift off.

“I know I do, Mimi. I just haven’t told you all how I’ve felt over the years about things. There’s a lot no one knows and reasons I don’t feel comfortable coming home. The last thing I want to do is make someone feel bad about things, but I can’t help how I feel either,” I tell her, not giving my Mimi any details because she’ll end up going off on people without me wanting her to.

“Brynn, I know you’ve never felt as if you belong here with your family and none of us really did anything about it. We thought you understood Zoey, Maddox, and the others were just teasing you because you’re the baby of the family. Were we wrong in our assumption?” she questions me, her voice taking on that sad tone only my Mimi can pull off.

“It doesn’t matter, Mimi. Things will never change and that’s okay. I’m used to dealing with everything. It’s just easier being here in Pine View because I don’t have to hear stuff on a daily basis any longer. But, I’ve gotta go. Something for work just popped up and I have to take care of it,” I tell her, not lying because I did just think of a scene for the story I’m working on.

“Brynn, I love you so much. If you won’t come home to visit, I’m gonna come see you. I don’t care if your papa doesn’t come with me either. I miss you and want to spend time with my girl. You can show me around the city and tell me why you like it there so much,” she says and I know she’s smiling because there’s no way in hell my papa will ever let her come here alone.

“I love you too, Mimi. I’ll see what I can do soon and let you know,” I promise her before hanging up the phone and placing it back in my pocket.

Sitting up straighter in the chair that seems to be molding to my body from how often I’m here sitting in this exact position. My fingers fly across the keyboard as this new scene explodes from my mind and onto the screen in front of me. Everything else fades to the background as the words write themselves on the screen and I get lost in the world I’m creating.

No one in my family knows I’m writing a book. It’s not that I’ll keep this from them long-term, but right now this is something that’s all for me. Growing up reading, I’ve learned what I do and don’t like when it comes to the stories I read. So, knowing that tropes and things I want to read about, I decided to try my hand at writing my own book. It’s a long process and I’ve scrapped more words than what remains in the document. Every single time I get rid of words, they end up in another document in case I find a place for them to go somewhere later in the story. I’m also trying my hand at designing my own cover for this story. Instead of having to spend money on a picture from a photographer, I took several pictures of my bike in various areas around the city and it will be on the cover of this book. My female lead rides a bike and it fits her perfectly. Then, I plan on changing the color of my bike again because I don’t want anyone knowing it’s my bike.

This will be the first time I do a wrap on my own. Before I had my dad and uncle to help me. Maddox even came out a few times to lend a hand when I needed help. It was the time with my dad and uncle though which mean the most to me. We got lost in our work on the bike and they shared stories of growing up with my grandparents and what they’d do with their dad when the three of them were in the garage at all hours of the night. It’s also how I learned my mom knew them before she auditioned to be a stripper in their club. They lost touch over the years until that fateful day she walked into their club and my Mimi recognized her. I’m sure my dad and uncle told me stories I wasn’t supposed to hear, but I loved every single second of the time we spent in the garage together.

By the time I’m ready to take a break from writing, my fingers ache and I’ve managed to get four chapters of the story written. It’s more than I’ve been able to do since I started this book and I’m happy with how my day has gone. Grabbing my coffee, I drink the last of it and stand to gather my garbage to throw out before packing all of my stuff up. Before making my way downstairs, I use the bathroom upstairs to put my riding gear and helmet on so I can head home. Trepidation fills me with the thought of finding something new from my stalker, but I refuse to let them keep me away from my home.

Chapter Three

King

BETWEEN CLUB BUSINESSand my physical therapy appointments, I haven’t had the chance to go back to Turn the Page to talk to that girl. I wish I knew her fucking name, but I didn’t manage to get it the first and only time I saw her there. Still, I manage to think about her nonstop. Even when I’m thinking of the female bike rider, I’m thinking of the girl in the book store. My dream girl would be a combination of the two of them—someone who rides and is confident in her skills to control a machine of her own while also having her own life away from the bike and all that comes with riding. I have a feeling once I start to get to know either of the girls, I won’t be able to stay away from them for any reason. Nothing short of club business would keep me away and even then I have a feeling I’d be torn between needing to do what I have to for the club and being there for my girl.

This is the first time I’ve ever had the thought of wanting to have a woman of my own this seriously. Yeah, I’ve always wanted to have my own family, an ol’ lady, and all that stuff, but somewhere along the way, that dream faded into nothing and I lost my way. Thinking nonstop about the two girls who have kept my attention for the past two weeks is showing me the dream isn’t as lost as I originally thought it was. For the first time in my life the feeling of having everything I want is right there within my reach, but I can’t seem to get a good enough grasp on it. Today isn’t going to be the day to change that either.

I’m wrapping up my therapy and already know I’m not gonna be able to leave my room today. Hope is with me and I see the pain filling her eyes as I finish my cool down routine while Wes, my therapist, makes his way over to me.

“Kingston, you did really good today. I know you’re pushing yourself and are in pain. You can’t hide that when it fills your eyes. Are you taking the pain medicine?” Wes questions me as Hope walks up to join us so I don’t lie to him.

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