Ride Me | ✓ |

Part Ten.

The Letter
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Harley Finley

I paced the room with the thick letter in my hands. My stomach was twisted and turning at the thought of even seeing Jim's hand writing.

I shouldn't be this indecisive on reading a stupid letter that probably just admits to him hating me for years.

"What are you doing?" Colten asked from the doorway he was leaning on with his arms crossed.

"Don't talk to me." I snapped, not even able to look at the guy who just swore to protect me against an unknown evil.

He was just supposed to be a fun fuck but that was quickly beginning to dwindle and transform into chaos the longer I stayed here and the more I divulged into my past.

"Alright." He held his hands up defensively as he approached with slow, calculated foot steps that brought him directly in front of me.

I didn't look up. All I kept staring at were his sweatpants that hung from his hips.

"Maybe I shouldn't have explained it that way. When I said I'd protect you, I meant Elijah too. Your family has become mine. They took me in when no one else would." Colten groaned when I still refused to look at him.

"I'm renting a car then going home in the morning. I'm not staying here."

"I don't think that's a good idea, angel."

All I could do was roll my eyes and start back on my motions, pacing the floor again as the folded up letter waved in the air with every turn I did.

When I had made my fifth circle in the room, Colten halted me with his warm arms, wrapping them around my body until I couldn't move. I froze in his touch. There was something so sensual about him that made me not want to fight him. His strong masculine build that overpowered my movements only turned me on every time he was close. Then those deep brown eyes that darkened once I peered up through my lashes, made my heart skip a beat.

Colten reached for the letter and gently took it from my now shaking hands. His even, calm breaths fanned my cheek, attracting all the blood to the area and making my face burn with thoughts of him digging his fingers into my hips.

"Dear Harley," Colten started softly, in a whisper as he held the letter up for both of us to see, "for years you were my little girl, so innocent and full of life. I'm not sure when that changed. When you decided to follow the footsteps I had engraved in the ground ahead of you. I can't help but blame myself for the path you followed. I wish you were more of your mother than I. At least then I would know the dark cloud that hovers over me wouldn't affect you but sadly, that's the case. My demons of my life before having you and even Elijah have chased you down and I wish to tell you about them, to warn you of the evils in this town that will stop at nothing to get their hands on the things most precious to me. I can only tell you in person but I fear I have chased you away with the horrid thoughts and words that you killed your mother. Deep down, I'd like to think I was protecting you, trying to get you to leave me and the people I have invited into our lives. My hope is, you never return. You live your life to your fullest potential, which is so much more than you or I could ever imagine. I hope you find someone who treats you right and makes you happy. I hope you find your dream job or open your own restaurant like you've told me you always wanted. But if for some reason, you find yourself back and I'm gone, I hope this letter finds you. I need your help, Harley."

Colten paused as my body stiffened. My mind was circling, as I read ahead, not caring if Colten's hands had possessively entangled in my jean loop holes.

So I continued reading for him, "Many years ago, I found something. Something so big it would bring down this whole town. No one would believe me and in the end, I hid the secrets. Somewhere safe, a place where only you and I would know of. The only spot I gave you life lessons and ridiculed your knowledge of the world. If you find it, bring it to only those you trust, which isn't many now a days. Tell no one else. If this proves too big of a request, I understand but I know you could make people believe you, unlike I could. My best wishes and may you always know I loved you."

My thumb ran across his signature but it wasn't his name. He signed it as Dad. Something I hadn't thought to call him in years.

I crinkled up the letter into a ball before tossing it into the trash. My mind was on overdrive wondering how long Elijah had held onto the letter and if he read it or not. If these big secrets will be the death of another family member if not me.

"Harley?" Colten questioned as I started tossing more junk into the trash can, everything and anything that reminded me of Jim and our good memories.

I ignored Colten and snatched the trash can from the ground and ran downstairs with a packet of matches in my hand.

Once outside, I placed the can to the driveway and lit a match, striking it against the rough material until I held the hypnotizing fire stick in between my fingers in the pitch black night.

No one could find his letter. No one else could read it.

"What are you doing?" Colten asked, ready to grab the letter but I had already thrown the match in, lighting the photos and random things alight. The flames burned quickly, engulfing the material and turning it to ash with each moment that passed.

"Leaving."

"Leaving? Even after reading what Jim said? You're still just going to up and leave?" Colten snapped, grabbing my shoulder and forcing me to look at him.

The flames from the can grew, sending a light under his chin and exposing the purse to his lips.

"Mhmm." I hummed numbly.

"Wow. Didn't picture you as a selfish person, angel. You're able to leave your brother and his pregnant fiancé to face the people your father thinks you could stop." Colten took a step back with a disappointed look.

"You don't know me so stop acting like you do." 

He furrowed his brows and tightened his hands into fists. "Do you have any idea where Jim was talking about?"

I pressed my lips into a firm line, wishing he hadn't asked.

Jim said not to trust anyone. He hadn't even told Elijah where it was. If I was going to figure this out, I needed to do it alone.

"Not a clue." I shrugged before heading back into the house and leaving Colten standing by the flames.