Page 44 of Ghost

Ghost

My lungs burned as I ran on the path that snaked in different directions on the club’s land. At one time it had probably been a trail when the place was a lodge set up for people who liked the outdoors and everything to do with it. Leaves crunched under my feet as I pushed myself deeper into the surrounding forest, turning in the direction the path took me.

Besides my labored breathing and the thudding of my feet hitting the ground, the only other sounds were the occasional bird or small animal that was disturbed by my presence.

It’d been five days since Luna was run off the road. Five days since the doctor said Luna and the babies were fine. Five days of the woman making it harder to resist her. Like it hadn’t already felt a lifetime since I laid her down and sank into her. How the hell was I expected to put aside the thought of how close I came to losing it all again? Especially, when every night I shut my eyes, I saw the caved-in side of my truck?

“Jesus, I should get a goddamn medal for not hunting down and killing that fucker,” I yelled as I started to slow down. When I finally stopped, I bent and placed my hands on my knees and worked to slow my breathing.

My phone vibrated, and I straightened and pulled my phone out of my pocket.

“Yo.”

“Have we not discussed your phone etiquette?”

“Fuck you, Flirt. What’s up?”

“I should be asking you that. Saw your big ass running in the woods behind the pond. Had to look twice, thought it was bigfoot at first.”

“You should take your comedy act on the f’n road.”

“Just worried about you, man. Pops said he’s seen you pass by a couple of times this week. You only run when something is bothering. So...what’s up?”

“When did you start gossiping like an old woman, brother,” I said and pulled the hem of my t-shirt up and wiped my face.

“Evading won’t work. Neither will insults.”

“Got shit on my mind. That’s all. I’ll work it out,” I said. This was what happened when a friend knew you too well. They saw too much.

“Brax, brother, she’s fine. The babies are fine. Don’t let the past rear its ugly head, man. I’m not discounting what happened to Stormy and BJ, it was tragic. You can’t control what life dumps on you. But you got a second chance. Live it. And you can’t if all you do is worry about crap you can’t control.”

“Yeah, I tell myself that. Then I look at her, and I want to wrap her in bubble wrap. I was gutted over Stormy and BJ. Losing Luna would end me. There would be no coming back for me, Max. I just want to take care of her and keep her safe.”

“Got that. But guess what? It’s not today. Wasn’t last week either. Luna doesn’t strike me as the type to want to be coddled. And you have been a mother hen since you brought her home,” Flirt said.

“Has she said something?” I asked, and when there wasn’t an immediate response, I looked at my phone to check if the call dropped. “Flirt?”

“Dammit, I might have overheard the women talking about Luna complaining that she can’t take much more of your hovering.”

Well shit.

“It’s hard, man. I don’t want to hurt her,” I said, my voice low because I didn’t want to admit my fear.

“Stop borrowing trouble. Go home, pet the dog, and snuggle with your woman. She’s here, enjoy it. Besides, when the kids get here, the spontaneous sex is gone. At least that’s what I hear Speed and Dev bitch about. No more bending your woman over the kitchen table just ‘cause you can.”

“Jesus, you’re a dick. Just when I think you were concerned, you had to go and ruin it. You were doing good with the support up until then, too. You’re getting soft in your old age, brother.” I smiled and started walking back.

“You know, go home and spend your time boohooing over the shit you’ve lost. Then get a beer and fucking cry in it. You have a woman who loves you. Two kids on the way. But do you see it that way? No, you focus on what it would be like not to have them.”

“You’re such an asshole,” I said to Flirt.

“A second ago, I was a dick.”

I smiled and started picking up my pace.

“But ya love me, man. Admit it,” I said as I grinned.

“Fuck you, Brax.”

---