After Us (Next Generation #6) - J.M. Walker Page 0,4
nodded, clearing my throat. “Did you want to drive?”
“Are you sure you want him to? It’s been a while. He probably forgot how to.” Sammy pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “Unless you want your baby.” He dangled the keys, waggling his eyebrows.
Cyrus rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
Jaron took the keys from him. “Did you bring both helmets?”
“Of course.” Sammy held out his hand. “I’ll drive your car.”
“Oh.” I looked ahead at my car. “The keys are in my bag. The doors are unlocked.”
All three guys looked my way.
“What? I was a little distracted. Sue me.” I tugged Jaron’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“You watch horror movies with us, and you still leave your car unlocked.” Sammy shook his head, running his hand through the mess of light brown hair that was longer on top and shorter on the sides. “Women, they never learn.”
“Ignore him.” Cyrus nodded toward us. “Take your time,” he told us, following his brother to my little beater of a car.
“I need my girls.” Jaron turned me toward him. “I need you.”
My heart stuttered. “We can pick Brynn up; let you see your parents and everyone and then take a drive somewhere. Unless you want to stay at your parents’ place tonight. I understand if you do.”
“No.” Jaron walked by me, pulling me toward his bike. “I appreciate everything they’ve done for you, but I need…” He stepped up to his bike, running his hand along the sleek black machine. He pulled both helmets off of the seat and handed me one before slipping the other onto his head.
“What, Jaron?” I asked, pulling on the helmet. “What do you need?”
“You.” He pinched my chin, placing a soft peck on my mouth. He helped me do up the straps beneath my chin. “I need to get reacquainted with you.” He gave me a final kiss before he straddled his bike. “Everything else can wait.”
A breath I didn’t realize I had been holding escaped me. A part of me feared that he would get released from jail and move on. I knew he would be a good father to Brynn. His parents raised him right that way but when it came to us, I had spent many lonely nights wondering how it would be when he got out. I still didn’t know but all we could do was take it one moment at a time.
“We’ll meet you at your parents’ place,” Cyrus called out, straddling his own bike.
Jaron nodded, starting up his bike that Sammy had driven for him and revving the engine. He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Ready?”
I cupped his shoulder, sliding onto the seat behind him.
He reached behind him, giving my knee a squeeze. It was as if he was saying, ‘We got this, babe.’ But a part of me wasn’t sure if we did.
Or if we ever would.
Jaron
Feeling Piper holding onto me like I was the only thing stopping her from going anywhere, hit somewhere deep inside of me. It had felt like a lifetime since I touched her, kissed her, heard her laughs, and seen her smiles. I wanted more from her, but I didn’t know how to tell her that. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I could show her.
What we had, wasn’t serious at first. Not by our doing. Friends of ours had a little thing for her and kept her from me. I shouldn’t have let it stop me, but I also didn’t want to cause a scene whenever I was around, so I played nice and kept to myself most times. But I watched her. I wasn’t even sure if she knew that.
“Jaron.”
My body stirred at the feminine voice coming up from behind me.
“How are you?” Piper sat on the patio couch beside me.
I looked around us, wondering where the twins were. Ashton and Aiden never let her out of their sight.
When I didn’t see them anywhere, I took that single moment as my chance and inched closer to her.
Piper’s breath caught, the sound shooting through every cell in my body. She stared up at me with wide eyes.
The private moment between us was short lived as the twins joined us but I savored that moment with her. Even if it had only been just a second.
Even though we had been kids, I always had a crush on her. I just wished I could have saved myself for her and her the same for me. But that didn’t matter anymore. I would make her forget every