Beautiful Outlaw by Emily Minton

You and Me

Shay

I didn’t quite make Bowie’s five minute time line, but I’m close.  Zipping the backpack I swiped from Rachel’s room, I slide it on and walk out of my bedroom.  Each step I take closer to Bowie has my heart picking up a beat.  I’m not sure what happened, but my kiss of gratitude turned into much more than a simple thank you.  In fact, I’ve never been kissed like that before in my entire life. 

Something has changed between us, something big.  Over the last week, I could feel the difference.  It’s like I was a shadow before, as far as he was concerned, barely visible to him.  Now, I’m his sole focus. I didn’t miss when he called me his woman, but I chose to ignore it.  I’m not sure how I feel about him saying that, but I think I may like it. 

“Ready to go?” he asks as I walk into the living room. 

Nodding my head, I walk over to the door.  “Yeah, I want to get to Mom as soon as we can.”

“Did you call Nina or Priss and let them know you were heading out?”

“No,” I murmur, wondering how in the world I could’ve forgotten the people that have been keeping me sane the last few months.  Today is Nina’s birthday, and Rachel took her out for a mother-daughter spa day.  I was invited, but I decided to stay home and make her a cake instead.  “I didn’t even think about it.”

I watch as he pulls out his cell and starts to type out a message.  A second later, it’s back in his pocket and he’s walking toward me.  “I got it covered.  Let’s hit the road.”

He walks past me to the door then holds it open for me.  As we walk outside, he lays a hand on the small of my back and follows me off the porch.  “You know shit changed for us a few minutes ago, right?”

I have no idea how to answer, not sure exactly what brought on the change, so I simply shrug.

“I’m gonna lay it out for you,” he explains as he leads me to his bike.  “I’ve decided to give this a go, you and me.”

I hesitate, not sure how to respond.  “What do you mean, you and me?”

He stops, using his finger in my belt loop to stop me in my tracks.  “I want you. I wanted you the moment your brother showed me your picture fuckin’ years ago.  Now that you’re that girl again, I’m claiming you as mine.”

His?  What the heck?  “You can’t just claim me.”

“I already did.”

“No, no, no.” I shake my head as his words send a wave of fear crashing into me.  “I just escaped one man that thought he owned me. I don’t want another one.”

“You can get that shit out of your head right now.  I’m nothing like that fuckin’ bastard.  I won’t try to change you.  I’ll just give you a chance to be the woman you want to be, no holds barred.”

I run his words through my mind over and over again.  As I do, the look on his face when we first met works its way into my thoughts.  “You didn’t want me when I first met you.  You acted like you couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”

He looks straight into my eyes, letting me see his determination.  “The up-tight bitch that got off the bus isn’t you.  She was some fucked up doll that your husband created, and I fuckin’ hated her.  This is you, and I want you.”

His words send me back on my heels.  So much of what he says is true; that wasn’t me, but I have to wonder if the person I am now is real either.  I haven’t been me in so long that I’m not sure.  Either way, if I don’t know who I am, I’m sure Bowie doesn’t.  “You don’t know me.  There’s no way you can want me.”

He places his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to look into his eyes.  “I do know you, and anything that I don’t know, I’ll find out once you’re in my bed.”

Again, his words shock me.  Do men really talk to women like this?  “That’s not gonna happen.”

He crushes his lips to mine, stealing my breath, then pulls away leaving me panting. “Sure it will.”

Not giving me a chance to argue, his hand on my lower back again, he starts a fast pace toward the bike.  “We have to hurry up. I wanna be there by midnight, and I still have to stop by the clubhouse to get my shit.”

I nod, willing to go along with anything to get to see my mom.  “Okay.”

“Tin-Man’s coming with us,” he says as he climbs on his bike.  “You got a problem with that?”

The thought of his brother brings a smile to my face, even though, inside, I feel nothing but sadness.  “I like Tin-Man.”

My statement is simple, but something about it causes a flash of possessiveness in Bowie’s eyes.  He leans forward, crossing his arms over the handlebars. “My brother is off limits.  Fuck that. Everyone is off limits to you.  Do you understand?”

His words come out in a deceptively soft voice. The threat in his tone isn’t lost on me, though.  A part of me wants to tell him to kiss my ass, let him know I will no longer be controlled, but a bigger part of me knows that this man is the only reason I’m getting to see my mom before she is gone. 

I swallow back the anger I feel and nod.  “Whatever you say.”

Without waiting for him to assist me, I climb behind him on the bike and settle myself into place.  He looks over his shoulder, his eyes taking in my face.  He slowly shakes his head from side to side and mutters, “Nothing but fuckin’ trouble.”

A second later, the engine starts and its welcoming rumble hits my ears.  The powerful vibrations send tingles throughout my body while we back out of the driveway.  As soon as the tires hit the blacktop, I feel the freedom that only comes from being on the back of Bowie’s bike.  I finally let out a breath, releasing my stress into the wind.  Then, I lean my head against his shoulders and enjoy the ride.