Born to Ride_A Clubhouse Collection

chapter 8

Madison

I unzipped my bag and then answered my ringing phone, balancing it between my shoulder and ear so I could continue packing my clothes. It was Tuesday morning, and after talking it over with Serena and getting her opinion on the situation, I had decided to leave today. J seemed immeasurably happy about this, as did Scott. I was yet to talk with my father about this which surprised me; I had figured he would be straight on the phone to me about it. He usually had something to say about everything I did, or at least that was how it felt to me. Since moving to Coffs Harbour, I had managed to lessen his involvement in my life and even my mother had stepped back and given me the space to live my own life. She was the kind of woman who had to have a say in just about everything her family was involved in. I was feeling quite apprehensive about immersing myself in the club life again; I had fought hard for my independence and wasn’t about to give it up for anybody.

“Hello?” I answered the phone.

“Madison,” it was Blake, “What time are you leaving?”

“Soon, honey. Have you got time to come over so I can say goodbye?” I really needed to see him before I left. Serena was my best friend but Blake was the person who always calmed me, and I could use some calming right about now.

“I’ll be there,” he replied and we hung up.

I opened my closet and started throwing clothes into my bag. My plans were so up in the air that I really had no idea what I would need so I just filled the bag, figuring I could buy more later if I needed it.

Serena breezed in and sat on my bed watching me pack. “That man of yours is moody. I’ve been trying to make conversation but I give up,” she said.

“Let’s get something straight. He isn’t my man,” I said, as I finished packing my bag.

“Why did you two break up?” she asked.

I sighed and sat down on the bed next to her. “There were a lot of reasons we broke up, but he was the one who ended it when I accused him of cheating on me. When I found out later that he didn’t cheat I thought we might have had a chance at getting back together but stuff happened, and he told me to get out of the club, to leave town. He was done with me.”

“F*cker,” she rocked a dirty look; best friends were the shit. I loved that Serena never pressured me for more information than I was willing to give. Even though we had been best friends for two years now, she had never pushed me to talk about this stuff from my past. She knew I had been through something that I didn’t like to talk about, and knew that I had had a messy breakup, but was happy enough to leave it at that.

“Yeah, f*cker,” I grinned and hugged her. “God, I am going to miss you.”

She hugged me hard and then pulled away. “I know. Me too. Maybe I could come and visit soon,” she said.

I shook my head. “I don’t think you should, honey. From what J and Scott have told me it is pretty messed up at the moment. I don’t want you getting mixed up in all of that.”

“F*ck that. I can’t leave my best girl alone when she needs me. I am sure that J and his boys can look out for both of us.”

I laughed out loud. “You’ve got no clue but I do love you. Now, get your ass off the bed and help me carry my stuff out of here.”

We carried my bag out to the living room and ran into Blake who had just walked through the front door. He pulled me into a hug and we stayed like that for a moment. It would be tough leaving him as I had come to depend upon him over the last two years. He was my voice of reason when my level of crazy hit epic proportions, and he was the steady influence in my life.

“You know where I am if you need me, baby girl,” he murmured in my ear and then let me go.

My eyes met his and I smiled at him, “Absolutely. You’d better keep your phone close all the time because I’m sure I’ll be calling you often. I’ll need you to talk some sense into me when I lose my shit. Okay?”

He nodded and grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “I mean it, Maddy, if you need me, I am there.”

A phone started ringing and I looked around to catch J staring intently at Blake and I. He was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, and I had not heard him come in. It was his phone ringing but he wasn’t rushing to answer it.

“Are you going to get that?” I snapped.

He scowled at me and stabbed at his phone to answer it. “What?” he barked into it and walked back into the kitchen, away from us.

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Blake and Serena. “Are Rowan and Faith able to come and say goodbye?” I asked Blake.

“No, they are busy, but I think they will both give you a call later on,” Blake answered. He jerked his head towards J, and asked, “What was that all about?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea.” And I really didn’t. J could be a moody bastard and I figured he was just in one of his moods, especially because of what was happening with Nix and the club.

“Are you sure you want him to take you back home? I could drive you,” he offered.

“No, I’ll go with J,” I said quickly and Blake raised his eyebrows at me.

Shit. That was pretty eager of me. F*ck, this wasn’t good. I needed to keep my distance from J.

“No, maybe you could drive me,” I changed my mind and looked to Blake who was nodding in agreement.

“Madison is with me,” J growled, and I turned around to find him almost right behind me. He caught me by surprise and I stumbled back a little, and his hand shot out to catch me from falling. His arm snaked around my waist and he held me firmly. I looked up at him as he stepped closer to me; our breath mingled and I felt my stomach clench with that feeling of anticipation that I hadn’t known since we broke up. “You’ll ride with me, it’s safer,” he ordered.

“I think Madison can make her own mind up,” Blake retorted.

J tore his eyes from mine to glare at Blake. “Did you not f*cking hear me the first time? She rides with me.”

“You’re joking aren’t you?” Blake snorted, “Madison is a grown woman and can make her own decisions.”

“Do I look like I am f*cking joking?” J challenged Blake, and I realised it was time to cut in before this got out of hand. Blake was still being polite, probably for my sake, but if push came to shove, Blake wouldn’t hesitate to take J on.

I laid a hand on J’s chest and said to Blake, “It’s okay, I’ll ride with J. He’s right. With Nix off their radar it will be safer for me to stick with him.”

Blake and J continued glaring at each other, and I pushed on J’s chest and pulled myself out of his hold. “Are we going?” I asked him, impatiently.

He looked away from Blake to me and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll get our stuff and meet you outside.” With that, he gathered up our belongings and headed out to his bike, shooting Blake one last glare before he left.

“Like I said, moody,” Serena stated and looped her arm through mine as we followed him out. She turned her head to me with a wicked glint, “I bet he’s f*cking intense in bed, right?”

“Oh my god! We are not going there,” I shook my head in exasperation. Serena had a one track mind most days and today was no exception.

She laughed and I couldn’t help but join her; she really was the sunshine in my life.

***

I grabbed Blake and Serena in a group hug. “I’ll call you once we are there. Will be in about four or five hours.”

J was waiting for me on his bike and I could sense his impatience so I finished my goodbyes and climbed on behind him. Apart from the other night, it had been years since I’d been on the back of a bike and it felt good. I had missed it. Wrapping my arms around J’s waist, I tried to wipe away the thoughts of just how good it felt to be on his bike. He pulled my hands so that I was holding him tighter and pleasure shot through my body at his touch. I wondered if he felt it too, but quickly dismissed that thought because, let’s be honest, he was the one who had ended it all those years ago.

We took off and I settled in for a long trip. It would give me some time to try and get my thoughts and feelings about J, and going home sorted out. As much as it thrilled my body to be close to him, my head and heart weren’t thrilled. He had been the love of my life; breaking up with him had devastated me. We had many nasty run-ins after we separated, and it had crushed me to watch him go through woman after woman. After I moved, I’d never heard from him, and had not intended to see him again. My heart was still fragile; I hadn’t given it away since he shattered it and I wasn’t sure it could cope with being near him again. The heart wants what it wants. Often we have no say over who it chooses, and I was just trusting and hoping like hell that my heart knew that J had the power to break me again.