Ride of the Heart

Chapter 7

The hum of Ivy's thoughts lured her back to a familiar dark place from her past. It was a place she fought every day not to remember, but sometimes, the memories slipped through the cracks, manifesting in flashbacks. Tonight, the flashbacks were unforgiving, unwelcome, and all-consuming.

Malcolm's apartment had always been dark, with only faint light peeking through the shut blinds. She remembered it vividly. It was a place she should have felt at home, but instead, it felt like a cage. Malcolm's controlling personality had branded her then and in memory now. His fury simmered over the smallest issues—a missed call, a text not answered quickly enough. She could still hear his voice, low and dangerous, with a disturbing calmness. "You think you could do better than me?" he'd sneer, eyes gleaming with a twisted possessiveness. "No one else would ever want someone as damaged as you, Ivy. You're nothing without me."

Those words had stung, but they'd hurt even more as she began to believe them. Malcolm's cycle of praise and tearing her down had left her wondering who she even was without him. In a fragmented memory, she saw herself at his mercy, Malcolm's fingers curled tightly around her wrist, his grip like a vise. She felt trapped, suffocating under the weight of his control. Even now, she could feel his fingers digging into her skin, the silent threat lying just beneath the surface.

Back then, Ivy had been too scared to fight back. And when she finally made her escape, every moment felt like life or death. She'd left with nothing but the clothes on her back, her heart pounding to the tune of her roaring engine as she tore away from his world, desperate for a new beginning. But no matter how far she ran, echoes of Malcolm still lingered in her shadow.

Ivy shook herself, shoving the memories back into the depths of her mind as she looked out over the horizon. The beach stretched before her, the quiet crash of the waves soothing, as if they could wash away everything she wanted to forget. She wrapped her arms around herself, letting the cool sea breeze brush against her skin. At that moment, she noticed Jake standing a few feet away, watching her with a quiet intensity. He approached slowly, sensing her anxiety.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice a gentle rumble that pulled her out of her head and back to reality.

She nodded, though she knew he could see through it. His gaze softened, a mixture of concern and something else she couldn't quite place. It was then she realized she wasn't just some broken thing he wanted to fix. He understood.

They stood there, side by side, their silence filled with unspoken words. Jake let out a sigh, looking out over the waves. "Sometimes it feels like the past never really lets go, huh?" he murmured, almost to himself.

His words caught her off guard, and Ivy felt a connection spark between them. She turned to him, noticing the way his jaw tightened, his eyes distant as if he, too, was haunted by memories. She took a steadying breath before she spoke.

"Jake," she said softly. He looked at her, his eyes heavy with an unspoken history.

He hesitated, his shoulders tensing as though deciding how much of himself to reveal. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and raw. "My dad left when I was a kid. Just up and gone, left my mum to raise me alone. She did her best, but... the world we were in was tough. She got mixed up with the wrong people who didn't care if they used or broke her. I learned quickly that you can't trust anyone to protect you. You've got to protect yourself."

Ivy's heart ached for him. She understood the hurt he carried, the scars that weren't visible but ran just as deep as her own. His mother's struggles had left their mark on him, forging a man who guarded himself with an impenetrable toughness.

"Is that why... you started the club?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

A faint smirk crossed his lips, though there was no humor in it. "Part of it, yeah. When I was younger, I got pulled into things I didn't fully understand. The club started as a way to build something, to belong somewhere, to create a family where there wasn't one. But it's complicated." He ran a hand through his hair, his gaze drifting back to the ocean. "We've done good things. But the darker side... it's always there. I didn't want to end up like my old man. But sometimes, I wonder if I did."

For a moment, she just looked at him, trying to imagine the weight he carried, the choices that shaped him. "You're not him," she whispered, her voice about to break. "You're better than that."

The breeze whipped her long blonde hair around her face, and she brushed it back with a quick, nervous gesture. Jake's gaze lingered on her a beat too long, as if seeing her in a new light. The openness in her, the strength hidden behind her fragile appearance—it was something that drew him in. Ivy was like a storm, fierce and unbreakable. A silence settled between them, charged with an intensity neither could ignore. Jake's hand found hers, a small gesture that grounded her. She looked down at their intertwined fingers, feeling the roughness of his skin against her own. It was a reminder of who he was—a survivor, just like her.

He gently tugged her hand. "Come on," he said with a mischievous grin. "Let's walk."

They strolled along the shore, their feet sinking into the cool sand as the tide gently washed over their ankles. The rhythmic sound of the waves, combined with the quiet intimacy of their shared moment, allowed Ivy to relax. As they walked, Jake suddenly stopped, glancing toward the ocean with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Dare you to go in," he challenged, raising an eyebrow.

Ivy laughed, shaking her head. "It's freezing!"

"Chicken?" he teased, his tone light and playful.

Before she could respond, he splashed a bit of water at her, just enough to make her gasp and jump back. Ivy's eyes narrowed, a playful challenge sparking within her. She kicked a small wave back at him, grinning as he took a step closer.

"Oh, you're asking for it now," Jake warned, and before she could protest, he scooped her up, carrying her a few steps into the shallow water before gently setting her down.

The sudden chill of the water made her gasp, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she stayed close to him, feeling the warmth of his body against her even as the cool water rippled around them. The air between them shifted, charged with an intensity they couldn't ignore. Ivy looked up at him, her heart racing, and for a moment, she was lost in the depths of his eyes. His fingers brushed a stray strand of wet hair from her face, lingering a bit longer than necessary. There was a softness in his gaze, a vulnerability that mirrored her own, and it made her feel seen in a way she hadn't in years.

Her breath caught as his hand slid down, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. He leaned in slightly, his lips a whisper away from hers, his gaze flickering from her eyes to her mouth.

But he stopped, pulling back just enough to study her face, as if giving her a choice. Ivy's pulse hammered in her chest, her mind racing, yet a calm certainty settled over her. She felt didn't want to run anymore. Slowly, she closed the space between them, her lips brushing against his in a tentative kiss that quickly deepened. It was fueled by years of pain, longing, and the slow-burning connection between them.

Author note: Hi thanks for reading Ride of the heart. Please note this is an ongoing story so I am trying to publish each chapter when I can. Please drop me a vote if you are enjoying it and let me know what you think?