Page 99 of X My Heart

Sky

Early the next morning, I get a coffee and settle myself on one of the porch chairs watching the sun come up. I pull the sleeves of my shirt down, hiding the bruises he gave me. I shouldn’t have jumped on him like that. What was I thinking, using sex to distract him from the real reason I didn’t want to talk? I can’t break his heart.

I walk to the track and lean against the fence, watching Hunter practice for half an hour. He is a force of nature, the way he defies gravity by jumping high and never losing his balance, pedaling the bike like it’s easy. His head moves up when he notices me. He skids to a halt as I approach him, and takes off his helmet and gloves. Stopping right in front of him, I get a whiff of his sweat, and I bite my lip when his dark eyes meet mine.

Brushing my sweaty palms on my shorts, I tell him. “I’m sorry.”

Hunter

Those big brown eyes make me swallow a couple times before I find my voice. “For what?” Shit, I sound angry as hell.

She flinches but stands her ground. “I’m sorry for last night, Hunter. I should have never thrown myself on you like that. I know I owe you an explanation,” she says, her voice trembling as she turns the rings she wears on her fingers.

“What about?” I ask.

“Us,” she whispers.

I swear under my breath. “Is there really an us?” My voice sounds husky to my own ears.

“I know I haven’t been honest,” she tells me.

“Forget it, Shorty.” I grimace, pushing my gloves into the back of my shorts, and placing the helmet on the bike.

“No, I won’t.” She focuses on the ground. Her voice is small as she asks, “Give me a shot, please?”

“You need to give me time to figure some shit out,” I tell her and kiss her forehead before walking to the garage. I’m falling for her, for the first time in my fucked up life, I’m imagining a future with her by my side. She doesn’t follow me. Probably for the best. She isn’t ready for what I have to tell her, and a part of me believes she never will be.

Sky

I take the back porch steps one at a time, and Jay looks up from the letter he’s been staring at.

“What is going on there, kiddo?” he asks, motioning to Hunter, who storms into the garage.

“Do you really want to know?” I mumble, taking my seat next to him.

“No, I don’t.” He leans forward, and flashes me a small smile.

“What’s going on with you, Jay?”

He lets out a deep breath. “Hunter signed with someone else. Kid’s in deep.”

“How did you find out?” I mutter, staring at my hands.

“Drew thought something was up, so he called Ryan, one of Neil’s riders, last night. He’s a good kid, and he confirmed it. Fuck, I can’t believe Hunter did that to save my ass,” he says, heaving a sigh.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve had some money problems the last couple of years, and he probably figured this would help us all in the long run. Damn, I don’t know what I should do. Maybe Hunt’s father can help us,” he drawls, tipping the brim of his baseball cap up. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“What’s in the letter, Jay?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“Something I didn’t have the guts to say to your face,” he confesses, leaning back in his seat.

“I’m sorry I never talked to you,” I rasp.

“Same here, baby girl, that’s why I’ve been carrying this damn letter around, trying to find a good time to show it to you. I guess I didn’t want to upset you. I wanted to keep you safe. I didn’t want him to break your heart.”

“I think I’m breaking his.”

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