Phantom Rider - The Aftermath | Book 1

My Family

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bill asked, concerned.

"Yes, I am sure!" She sat in the chair, excited. They seemed to be racing against time, trying to make up for all they'd missed in the past months. Bill never brought up the wedding theme again. He felt shame after what he told her during their fight. Yet, he wanted to show her he was serious about their future.

The idea of having matching tattoos was sudden and started as a joke, but here they both were, at the salon, poised to make their promises permanent.

They chose a design that held meaning for both - a small bunny and fox drawing. Bill had it inked on his arm, while Mila opted for a spot just above her hip, a bit more discreet. Bill worried she'd regret it, she had no previous tattoos, and the decision seemed rash.

But Mila's eyes held nothing but joy. It was the pure, almost childlike joy of someone who had finally let down their defences. Every day was filled with the laughter Bill had previously only glimpsed occasionally. She danced while making breakfast, sang to the radio, forcing Bill to sing too, just to discover that he, in fact, could sing and dance.

They both were playing house just like they did when they were kids. And just like back then, Tom's toy tractor crashed into that house - he appeared unannounced, crashing their little dream world again.

Bill's nerves made Mila nervous too. "I have to go! Tom will soon be at our apartment" - the one he hadn't been to for days now. "You know I won't be able to stay with you tonight, or nights after..."

Mila's expression fell. "I understand."

"I'll figure it out. But don't do anything reckless. Don't come to the race or get too close. Please, I'm serious." Bill's tone was firm as he gently touched her back.

"I'm not an idiot!" She fought back tears. "When will you come back?"

"As soon as I can. We just need to be careful. I'm not leaving forever." He tried to reassure her.

Later that day

Tom arrived at the apartment just as Bill was finishing up a quick clean-up. It felt strange to be back, as if the walls themselves were watching him, silently accusing him of betraying Mila by returning to this other life. Or betraying Tom by becoming a liar.

Tom dropped his bags and went straight to the fridge. The stench of old food hit him hard as he opened it.

"Oh, hell, no!" He grabbed two beer bottles and shut the door quickly. The odor was overpowering. They both wrinkled their noses in disgust. "Hasn't that fridge been opened since I left?" Tom asked, instantly suspicious.

"I ordered takeout. I hate cooking," Bill said quickly, trying to deflect. He had completely forgotten to clean the fridge, and Tom's sudden arrival left no time to fix it. Bill took a sip of his beer, masking his unease.

"So, what's up with you?" Tom flopped onto the couch casually, putting his feet up on the table.

"Nothing!" Bill replied, forcing a nonchalant tone. "Georg is being dramatic. You didn't need to come rushing here."

"Dramatic, huh? Well, his call freaked me out!" Tom's tone was more serious now.

"Freaked you out?" Bill chuckled, though his laugh was strained. "You're not usually the paranoid type."

"Yet, I came back to Tokyo. You know you can tell me everything!" He smiled at Bill.

"There's nothing really to tell." He gulped down another sip of his beer. "I am doing fine."

"So you're telling me in two weeks you got over everything that happened just like that? I'm not buying this bullshit." He said teasingly.

Bill, barely lifting his gaze from his buzzing phone, smirked to himself. "Yeah, well, I figured if I was going to be stuck here alone with my own thoughts, I might as well figure out how to live my life further."

Tom's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting from teasing to concerned. "Who's calling you?"

Bill set his phone down and gave Tom a lazy grin. "Oh, you know me. Just living the dream - bitches calling left and right, asking to come to parties."

"Very funny! So instead of processing all that you went through, you decided to stay on the wild side?" Tom asked.

Bill laughed, but there was a touch of unease in his eyes. "Oh, you mean the wild side you're so familiar with? Like that time you were completely drunk and tried to convince everyone you were a professional dancer?"

Tom pretended to be offended, placing a hand on his chest. "My dancing is legendary. You're just jealous. Those moves are probably trending somewhere in a parallel universe."

"Good to know your delusions have no boundaries," Bill retorted with a grin.

"Seriously though, it's good to see you're feeling better. I was starting to think I'd have to look for therapists and doctors." Tom's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in Bill's casual attitude.

"Stop staring at me like you're trying to inspect me, Tom," Bill tried to explain himself. "I was just clearing my mind, taking time for myself. Georg's really overreacting this time."

Tom gave him a long, suspicious look. "You know, for someone who needs 'clearing his head,' you seem way too relaxed. Where exactly have you been, aside from dodging my calls?"

Very often, when you try to lie to someone you love, someone who knows you all too well - lies try to escape you every way possible. And Bill was no exception to this human behavior, his lies slipping out in a form of a joke. "What, you think I'm hiding a secret family or something? Maybe I just found my inner peace."

Bill's brief pause as he realized his slip up was enough.

Tom's grin widened like he'd just uncovered a major secret. "Oh, I see how it is. Who's the lucky girl? "

Bill opened his mouth to deny it, but the words stuck. Instead, he settled on a half-truth. "It's complicated, Tom. And it's... personal."

Tom's smirk softened into something more genuine, though still laced with concern. "Hey, I'm just messing with you, but if something's up, you know you can talk to me, right? I mean, sure, I'll probably make fun of you for it, but that's just my way of saying I care."

Bill smiled, but there was a tightness in his chest. "I know. Thanks."

"Alright, fine, I'll let you off the hook - for now," Tom said, leaning back. "But don't think you're off my radar. I'm gonna figure out what you're up to."

"You wish you were that clever," Bill shot back jokingly.

But later that night, after they'd laughed and joked like old times, Bill slipped out of the apartment to call Mila. He tried to shake off the nagging feeling that Tom wasn't buying anything he said. He walked for a while but decided not to make the call, sensing someone's presence behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Tom a few paces back, trying to look casual but failing miserably.

Bill couldn't help but smirk despite the anxiety gnawing at him. "Come on, if you're gonna stalk me, at least be subtle about it," he called out.

Tom jogged up beside him, looking determined. "You know I'm not letting this go, right?"

Bill sighed, realizing he was in deeper than he thought. "Yeah, I know. Just... don't push me too hard, okay? Some things are better left alone."

Tom gave him a long, searching look before nodding. "Alright. But just so you know, I've got your back. Whatever this is."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that! I missed you!" Bill said, genuinely touched. But as they walked in silence, side by side, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much bigger mess.