Page 1 of Bound by Destiny
Prologue
Emery
“Hey,”I answer the door with a smile on my face as I step aside for Micah to come through. As he does, he slightly brushes me, sending tingles throughout my shoulder as I inhale his clean scent. Butterflies swarm in my stomach threatening to take me over.
We’ve been making it a weekly thing that one of us goes over to the other’s place for movie night. Sometimes I cook, and other times we order pizza.
Pizza is a staple in any college kid’s life. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner—it never gets old.
The smell from the pizza has my stomach growling as he carries the large box into the space and looks over at me with his sexy smile.
“Hungry, huh?” Micah jokes with me as he plops the food on my makeshift coffee table, which currently is two milk crates pushed together.
Micah. He’s here. If I could jump up and down and not feel like a stupid moron, I probably would.
I don’t know what I find more enticing, the pizza or the man. His hair reminds me of leaves in autumn right before they fall from the tree for the year. It’s cut very short on the sides with a slight bit longer on the top. It’s Micah’s eyes, though, that deep chocolate brown with specks of gold that a woman could get lost in for hours, especially this woman.
“Yeah, I had two tests today so I skipped lunch to study, and it’s wiped me out.”
Sitting on the couch, I reach for a paper plate and get a slice; sausage and black olives, my favorite. He’s considerate like that, and since he likes everything on his pizza it’s not a strain for him.
“I have one next week that’s gonna kick my ass.”
I bump his shoulder as he grabs his pizza, tossing it on his plate. “Like hell it will. You know you’ll ace it, then call me up to go out and celebrate.” His smile lights up his face, and it takes my breath away. It always has, when he gears it toward me, though. Toward others, I could do without. And that happens from time to time, the blow never lessens either.
“How’d you do on yours?” He slides the pizza in his mouth and takes a bite while looking at me expectantly.
I shrug. “I did okay. I at least got a C.”
“Right. We’ll see when you get it back.”
A smile lifts my lips as I continue to eat. Micah is always confident in me and my schoolwork.
This is us.
Casual. Comfortable. Together.
When we left Sumner to come up to Cherry Vale to college, we hadn’t seen a lot of one another, but when we got here, we made a pact that we would get in touch every week. I’m not going to lie and say that it is a hardship at all. It started out with just a phone call or text. Then progressed to takeout nights.
It kind of reminds me of when we were kids and we’d sneak down to the basement of the clubhouse, away from everyone. There were specks of time when he didn’t have his nose in a video game and would give me his undivided attention. We’d eat junk food and watch movies on the couch. No one knew, and it was our special thing.
I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy or some lovesick fool because I chased him around. I couldn’t seem to help myself. Except, Micah let me in like no one else. We had this connection.
He was a different person then, funny and quick witted. We would make our own fun, like we were in our own little world. It was a side to him that he didn’t show others. When others were around though, his personality changed. I don’t know if it was insecurity, anger, or what. I just knew what I experienced with Micah, one on one, was different—special.
The same stands true even today. We can be in each other’s place, being comfortable and having fun, just the two of us. Yet, if I were to mention anything about his parents, he would immediately shut me down. It’s a trigger for him, one I don’t understand.
Just because he puts a wall up over his family, it doesn’t mean that I back down and avoid the topic. I’d love for him to show this side of himself to the club. Nox would get a kick out him and even Ryker would enjoy seeing the real Micah, and that man, well, he’s nuts.
It makes me sad that they don’t get this part of Micah, yet selfish that it’s only for me. Ravage MC is family, but I don’t think Micah feels that way. I hate that he’s missing that in his life.
“How’s your computer stuff going?” I lean back into the fluffy couch and pull my legs up criss-crossed to get comfortable. That’s what it is between Micah and I, natural, easy—like we are supposed to be right here in this place together.
“Another day, another dollar.” He gives this same response every time I ask him about his computer dealings. I know he’s a wiz on the things, and he always has money. I’m not an idiot, but he won’t tell me where he gets it from. He wants to be independent from the life we had in Sumner. He wants his own thing that isn’t tied to Ravage. This is Micah’s thing and well, I accept it. Maybe it’s best I don’t know. Growing up with the club, I know my dad can’t tell my mom stuff sometimes and she deals with it. Maybe it’s like that in this situation. He’s protecting me. At least that’s what I tell myself.
“Right. Have you talked to your folks at all?” I know it’s a touchy subject and there is a fifty-fifty shot I’ll even get a reply, but I can’t help myself.
He wipes his mouth with a napkin, missing a spot of pizza sauce. Instinctively, I lean over and swipe it with my thumb then put it in my mouth and lick it. Micah fidgets in his seat, and he thinks I can’t see the bulge in his pants. It’s always there, every time we’re together. He tries to hide it by changing his seating positions or tossing a pillow over his lap. I know though, every time. I know, and it gives me butterflies because at least I have the same effect on him that he does me.
