Smiles - Hell Rider's MC #3 -

Chapter 14

•SMILES•
Later that night as I was laying in bed, I was replaying what's all happened recently. This was probably the first time I had actually taken the time to thoroughly go over everything I was feeling and why.

The first thing I noticed is that I didn't feel as heavy anymore. There had been some invisible weight on me that I didn't really notice before, but now that I felt lighter I was much calmer.

I turned my head and looked out my window, not seeing much since it was dark outside, but I wasn't really trying to focus on much anyways. I began to smile, sure I could still feel the ache and burn of my injuries, but I knew that the people who have caused me so much pain could now never hurt me again. I knew that I had the club behind me, ready to act at any given moment.

These people are my family. They've helped me through the most difficult times in my life and I don't think I would be here today if it wasn't for some of the people here.

A light knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. I turned my head just in time to see Key peek his head in. When I raised my head and motioned for him to come in, he moved his body into the room and shut the door quietly behind him.

I moved so I was sitting up instead of laying down and turned on my bedside lamp to light up the room so we could properly see each other.

He came over and we sat in silence for a few moments. I could tell that he had something to say and was trying to gather up the courage to speak, so I let him build up his courage and just sat there patiently.

"How're you doing?" He asked quietly. He only glanced at my face for a short moment before giving my body a once over.

I shrugged. "Physically? Not great. Mentally?" I paused, sighing and looking down at my lap. "The people who hurt me the most came back to hurt me again. And if it wasn't for you guys I'd more than likely be dead right now because of them. That's a hard pill to swallow," I let out a short, humorless laugh. "But at the same time, I do have you guys. You all saved me life and I can never thank you enough for that.

"For the first time in awhile, I feel safe. Even though my body is in pain, and I have to use crutches to get around, I feel safe because of the club." I finally gathered enough courage to look at him and found him already staring at me intensely. "I'm beaten, but I'm here. And I'm healing."

"That's all that matters," he whispered.

We sat in silence for a few moments, I turned my head to stare back out the window.

"I've never cared about someone this much," he muttered.

I turned my head back to look at him, but he was staring at his lap.

"The last time I cared about someone this much, they ended up dead," he raised his head and looked at me, and that's when I saw the tears building in his eyes. "My dad was abusive, always beating on my sister and I. My mom left when we were young, too dedicated to drugs to take care of her children. When she was around he'd only slap us if we pissed him off, but as soon as she left that's when the beatings started.

"I did my best to protect my little sister, but I couldn't manage it all the time. I had to work as I got older in order to get money for food, because our father never bought enough food to feed us properly and we were always hungry. I always made sure my sister had more than I did, I tried to give her the best that I could," his voice cracked and he paused to take a deep, shaky breath.

"I got home from work late one day. I got home close to ten at night, when I'd usually be back around seven. When I got inside I heard crying, and ran upstairs," I watched silently as tears started to drip slowly from his eyes. "When I opened her door, he was - he was on top of her." 

"The bastard was raping his own daughter," Key bit out. "I threw him off of her and we started fighting. I was only sixteen at the time, and significantly smaller than what I am now. He got me to the ground and stomped on my ankle so hard I felt it crack. I was in and out of consciousness but I saw as he..." Key swallowed and paused.

"You don't have to tell me," I whispered. I could see how much it was hurting him to tell me this.

"I need to," he spoke, barely above a whisper.

"He had reached down to his pants that were on the floor and grabbed his gun." He turned and looked at me, and I could see his red eyes and the tears streaming down his face. "He shot her," he whispered. "He shot my baby sister," Key broke down sobbing, no longer able to get anymore words out.

I moved closer and wrapped my arms tightly around him, trying to blink back tears of my own. I didn't say anything, but held him tightly as he cried in my arms, crying over a loss that's obviously been haunting him for years now.

It wasn't for awhile that he was able to talk again, and he kept his head on my shoulder as he did so. "He got in my face and smiled. I don't really remember how I did it, but I was so overcome with everything I launched myself at him, got him to the ground and grabbed his gun. I didn't hesitate before I shot him."

"Didn't anyone hear what was happening?" I asked quietly, trying not to startle him.

He shook his head. "We only had one neighbor, a deaf old woman so she didn't hear anything. I called one of my friends who I knew wouldn't call the cops. He got his parents to help me move the bodies and clean up, and we set up a small burial for my sister. I still visit each year on her birthday," he fell silent, and I knew that was all he was going to say for now.

I moved us so we were laying on my bed, and I gently maneuvered him so his head was on my chest. I ran my fingers through his hair and slowed my breathing to help settle him.

We laid there for awhile, and it was right when I went to shut my eyes and fall asleep that he spoke again.

"It was Alpha's dad that helped me."

"What?" I asked.

He raised his head so he was looking at me. "My friend was Alpha. And his dad got the club to help me out. That was probably the first interaction I had with the club. I did some cleaning and cooking work for them instead of the job I had before, and then when I turned eighteen they made me a prospect. Although I didn't care for the area after what happened, so I asked for a transfer to a different chapter. Than as luck and life would have it, I made my way back. And found you," he smiled. His eyes were still puffy and red, but his smile was filled with genuine affection.

As cheesy as it was I think my heart skipped a beat. This man just opened his heart to me about his trauma, and is now looking at me as if I'm holding his heart.

I looked over at my alarm clock and saw it was already one in the morning.

Looking back at Key, he was looking at the clock as well. "I should probably go," he muttered, and moved to get off of me. However, I grabbed one of his hands as he lifted it and stopped him from moving much more.

"You can stay," I whispered. He looked concerned and opened his mouth, getting ready to say something but I interrupted. "Yes I'm sure and no you're not a bother. I would like you to stay in here with me. Please? Only if you'd like to," I added at the end.

He smiled, "I'd love to."

We settled back down, this time I was cradled against his chest as he held me tightly to him.

The feeling of his fingers combing through my hair lulled me to sleep almost instantly, and I wasn't able to keep my eyes open for very long.

Just before I drifted off, I felt him place a gentle kiss on top of my head. "Thank you for not giving up on me," he whispered so quietly I doubted he knew I was still awake.

He pulled me even closer and finally I drifted off to sleep.