Street Riders

Chapter 6 - Just A Whisper

As they lay on the roof of his car ten minutes later, Brad couldn’t help thinking about all the nights they’d come out here and spend the whole night doing this, just talking softly to each other, planning and dreaming together. Alex lay her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as he started to play with her hair, just thinking to herself. “So honey, are you gonna tell me what happened with you and Luke?” Alex asked, not having to look up at him. She didn’t need to see his face to know if he was being straight with her.

“Well, I always knew he never liked me. I can remember when you got caught sneaking out the house so you could come meet me…” He laughed. “I could hear you arguing you know, talking about me. Well anyway, I thought that once we’d been seeing each other for a while, he’d learn to live with the fact that we were together. But he never did. I could tell from the little things he did, that he didn’t want me around you.” He sighed, as he held his hands behind his head, uncomfortable with having to tell her the truth about someone she loved so much. But he knew if he didn’t tell her, then no-one else would. She deserved to know.

“Hey…” Alex smiled sweetly as she looked up at him. “I’m here with you. And Luke has nothing to do with the way I feel about you.” She kissed him teasingly and looked him in the eyes as she pulled back. “Okay?” She asked.

“Tell me that last part again and we‘ll see.” Brad whispered, easing her into another, lingering kiss. With a seductive smile, he pulled back and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Is it me, or did it suddenly get a whole lot hotter?” He teased her. Alex blushed and sat up, looking out at the docks, embarrassed. He used to say that to her all the time, but she’d never realised that he only said it because he loved her and wanted to be with her. She’d always thought that he only said it to make her smile or because he wanted to make love to her. It was strange how she was suddenly seeing things so clearly. “Alex…what is it?” He asked, concerned as he sat up and slowly ran his hand over her back. Turning to face him, she smiled when she saw he’d taken his shirt off. But she realised that by letting her derail the conversation he‘d avoided having to explain things.

“Brad, tell me everything…” She begged, moving so she had one knee on either side of his body. She ran her hands up his arms and around his shoulders before she spoke again, hoping to delay her begging for a few more precious seconds. “I want to know what went wrong…” She continued, looking into his eyes. “I need to know.” She added unhappily.

“Okay…” He sighed, touching her face. “I’ll tell you.” He couldn’t help giving in to her. He couldn’t ever deny her anything. He’d never been able to and now wasn’t the time to start. He’d said he’d tell her, so why did he let himself get sidetracked? Brad lay back, his hands behind his head as he thought about how to begin. Even though his anger at the truth being hidden for so long was building within him, he barely raised his voice or showed his frustration. Alex lay over him, her arms folded over his bare chest, resting her head on top, as her legs, crossed at the ankles, rose and fell thoughtfully. He tried his best to keep what he had to say in context, only telling her how he felt and how things seemed to him. He told her everything he knew about it and decided to let her make up her own mind.

-

Alex couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How could her own brother, her own flesh and blood take away the only thing in her life that had ever made her happy? How could he have deliberately sacrificed her feelings and her happiness in order to get his own way? Why would he ever cause her so much pain and yet tell her it would be best for her? It just didn’t make any sense at all. Alex couldn’t think what she’d do the next time she saw him. She had a right to be angry at him, but would yelling at him really do any good?

“So, you see, when I came to see you that day in the hospital, the nurses wouldn’t let me in to see you cause I wasn’t technically family. They said that I could only see you if you asked for me, which you hadn’t.” Brad explained thoughtfully, twirling a strand of her hair in his hand. “But Alex, I wanted to see you so much. When Luke came out to talk to me, to tell me what happened…I barely even registered any of it. I just kept asking him how you were and when I could see you. I didn’t care about anything else.” He sighed. Alex looked up at him with a smile, resting her chin on her hands.