Crushing on the Bully (8 page)

Chapter Nine

Skull rose gently from the sofa and kissed Clarissa’s lips softly. For a moment he stayed as he was, looking down at her. Asleep, her beautiful face was free from the worry and stress she usually wore. He almost touched her cheek, but stopped himself. He didn’t want to wake her up. This was the way he wanted to remember Clarissa if things went wrong tonight.

He hadn’t intended to stop by her apartment at all, but he saw that her bedroom light was still on when he drove by. Skull had argued with himself as he performed an illegal U-turn and pulled into the parking lot. He had to see her one more time, just in case.

Skull gently covered her with the blanket that sat on the back of the sofa before retrieving his jacket and boots. He turned the lock slowly and opened the door. For a moment he considered closing the door and returning to the sofa. Skull shook his head and left before he really did change his mind. He had come too far to turn back now. He was closer to finding the truth than he had ever been. This was almost done, for better or worse.

He took the steps down, because he didn’t want to encounter any of Clarissa’s neighbors in the elevator. Skull pushed his bike onto the road before starting the engine fearing that Clarissa would hear it and come running out after him. Skull could tell that she knew that he was ass deep into a tight spot, unlike any of the numerous girls that had watched him since he had begun to frequent the AlleyCat. Clarissa knew he had secrets and she wanted to know them. He’d tell her once things were settled, if he survived. If he didn’t, he hoped that Hugo or one of the other guys would tell her what he had been trying to do.

As he drove towards his apartment the expectant, loving look on Clarissa’s face as she looked up at him the night before haunted him. She had expected that he’d go all the way with her, her eyes and body called out to him, but the way her cheeks flushed and her body trembled told him she had never been all the way before. He wouldn’t have believed it with most girls her age, but he could believe that Clarissa was waiting for ‘the one’ before giving it away.

Skull felt guilty for leaving her to wake up alone, but he knew he couldn’t be the one, not yet. If things went south tonight he didn’t want her to have given up a piece of herself for nothing. He didn’t want to be the scar she wore for the rest of her life.

Chapter Ten

“Skull?” Clarissa whispered reaching her arms out searching for him, “Skull?”

She opened her eyes and blinked. Had it all been a dream conjured from how much she missed him? Sitting up Clarissa looked around the room and stretched her arms above her head before heading to the bathroom. Small clumps of mud and dirt lay scattered by the end of the sofa where Skull’s boots had fallen in the early morning hours.

Clarissa smiled at the memory of his weight pressing against her body as they kissed, but where was he now? After washing her face Clarissa started the coffee pot and retrieved her cellphone. The little red message light was blinking indicating that she had a voice mail.

“Hi, Clarissa, this is Debbie. You called about buying my car yesterday? If you want we can meet up sometime today and you can take her for a test drive,” the message said.

She called Debbie back and set up a meeting for six this evening. Clarissa would have the cash in hand and if the car was acceptable she would drive it to work. She poured herself a cup of coffee and stumbled out to the balcony. Clarissa enjoyed the fresh air feeling her senses, drawing her from the sleepy world she inhabited until she was adequately caffeinated each day. She had tried to kick the habit several times before, but had recently given up on it. As long as she worked in a coffee house Clarissa was going to be addicted to caffeine.

“Skull,” she muttered under her breath and smiled. His name tasted delicious on her tongue and made her wish that he had at least woke her up before he left. She would have enjoyed a goodbye kiss.

“I’m getting in too deep,” Clarissa thought to herself, “Why can’t I just give him up? He’s going to be the death of me.”

But Clarissa knew why she couldn’t give him up or quit thinking about him when he wasn’t around. He made her feel alive, free, and vulnerable all at the same time. It was an intoxicating mix that made her pulse race and kept her wanting more. There was also the fact that she constantly worried about his well being and if she was going to hear from Julie or Maggie that he had been on the news. Clarissa bit her lip. Could she live with that fear forever?

With a sigh she decided that she was going to have to track Skull down tonight after she got off from work.

“It shouldn’t be too difficult, he may even drop by,” she grinned to herself.

A roar in the distance made Clarissa turn her head. The motorcycle sped by in a blur, but she would know that leather jacket anywhere. That was Skull and he was headed towards downtown, most likely to the AlleyCat Pub. Clarissa grinned as she sipped her coffee.

At seven o’clock sharp Clarissa pulled into the parking of the coffee shop driving her new car. It was a green four-door that looked like it should belong to an old lady, but Clarissa was excited none-the-less. The purchase of “Green Grandma” as she dubbed it meant she no longer had to pay taxi fares or bum rides from Julie or Maggie.

After making sure all of Green Grandma’s doors were locked Clarissa sprinted inside and clocked in.

“You’re two minutes late,” Maggie said.

“I was out buying a car so I wouldn’t have to keep bugging you for rides,” Clarissa grinned.

“Good,” Maggie teased, “because I was going to have to start taking fare out of your paychecks.”

Clarissa stuck her tongue out at Maggie as she tied her apron around her waist.

“You’re in a good mood today,” Maggie laughed.

“Yea, I got a new car,” Clarissa said, telling a half-truth.

Maggie arched a brow at her in question, but Clarissa was saved from having to lie by the bell above the door ringing.

“Hi, how are you today?” she asked, turning to face the counter.

“I’m doing pretty good, Bookworm,” Skull grinned at her.

“What can I get for you today?” she asked, trying to act nonchalant, because she could feel Maggie watching her.

“Frozen mocha,” he said and arched a brow.

Clarissa tilted her head slightly to the side indicating that Maggie was watching them. Skull laughed as she turned around to make his drink. Clarissa’s heart pounded in her chest and she silently prayed that something in the back would need Maggie’s attention. She needed to get Skull to agree to see her again tonight. She needed to get him alone and make him answer her questions, but Maggie stayed rooted to her spot behind the counter.

Skull paid for his drink and then handed Clarissa a few dollars as a tip before heading out the door. Once he was out of site Maggie headed into the back of the shop. Clarissa starred down at the money confused until a piece of paper fell from between the bills.

“I’ll try to stop by tonight,” was hastily written in the same hand writing as the note that had been slipped under her door.

“Don’t just stand there smiling because he tipped you. Get to work, kiddo,” Maggie called from the back.

It was just after midnight when Clarissa clocked out and left. She had successfully evaded Maggie’s questions and made it to the parking lot with a sly grin playing on her lips.

“It’s now or never, Grandma,” she said to the car as she turned the key in the ignition. Clarissa smiled when it started easily and purred under the hood.

She took the familiar route home hoping to avoid the late-night red lights that seemed to last forever. Clarissa wanted to get home and shower before Skull arrived. She knew his note had only said that he would try to stop by tonight, but she gleefully hopeful despite the voice in the back of her mind that was yelling at her. Something was wrong. Things were going too well, happening too easily. The world was about to end or at least come crashing down onto her head any second now.

A paranoid feeling of anxiety began to creep into Clarissa’s stomach as she drove. Something was wrong. Was it her parents? Julie maybe? No, it was definitely Skull.

“Quit it,” she scolded herself, “You’re being paranoid. Quit worrying about him, he’s okay. He knows how to...”

The words never made it out of her mouth, because in the distance red and blue lights were flashing. She swallowed hard and slowed down. Clarissa hoped the officers on duty took it as a sign of respect for their safety, but she was trying to soothe her own worries.

“People get arrested all the time,” she told herself, “It doesn’t mean Skull is involved.”

Her car inched by the scene where several other cars and a lone motorcycle stood surrounded by police cars. Through the chaos she spotted an officer walking someone to his car. Her heart dropped hard into her stomach when she saw that it was Skull.

“No,”
she cried out silently, because fortunately she had temporarily lost the ability to speak.

Clarissa wasn’t sure if she had imagined, but she felt as if he had looked right at her and that his deep brown eyes had met with hers briefly. Clarissa drove until she could no longer see the police lights flashing in the rear view mirror before pulling into the parking lot of a grocery store to turn around. She considered heading to the jail, but she thought better of it. Clarissa was going to the source and they were going to give her answers whether they wanted to or not.

She pulled into the parking lot of the AlleyCat Pub and parked Green Grandma behind a few of the bigger bikes, in hopes they belonged to Hugo and Lobster, and they would be forced to stay until they gave her the answers she was looking for.

Clarissa left her purse in the car and locked the doors before heading inside. She paused at the door of the bar and took a deep breath. After raising her head high and squaring her shoulders she opened the door.

“Hey,” Lobster called out cheerfully.

“Your boyfriend’s not here tonight,” Hugo said.

“I know that,” Clarissa said, “I just saw him get arrested.”

The middle-aged blond woman sitting next to Hugo gasped and covered her mouth, but the guys just shook their heads.

“We told him not to go,” Lobster said, while Hugo was busy consoling the blond next to him.

“Go where?” Clarissa asked crossing her arms. The men didn’t seem to be surprised about it and that pissed her off.

“None of your business, sweetheart,” Lobster said.

“I deserve to know the truth,” Clarissa stomped her foot, “What is going on with him? What have you guys got him involved with?”

“Us?” Hugo laughed, “We didn’t get that kid involved in anything.”

“Bullshit!” Clarissa yelled, “I saw his tattoo!”

“Maybe, but that Starless isn’t at fault for what happened tonight. We told him not to go,” Hugo said.

“Who the hell is Starless?” Clarissa asked, blinking in confusion.

“We are,” Lobster said.

“That’s the name of your gang?” Clarissa asked, “That’s a stupid name for a biker gang!”

“Honey, it’s not a gang,” the middle-aged blond interrupted, “Starless is...”

“I know what Starless is!” Clarissa yelled, “And I’ll make sure to mention it to the police when I talk to them, because I’m going to figure out a way to help Skull, even if you fat cows are just going to sit on your butts and shake your heads about the situation! Maybe it’s normal for you guys to lose friends because they get arrested, but it isn’t for me! I’m not going to let this happen!”

“Depending on what happened we might not be able to help him,” Hugo said.

“So you’re not even going to try?” Clarissa shouted.

“I didn’t say that,” Hugo retorted, “We’ve been trying to help him for the last four years!”

“Help him by getting him involved with your little gang?” Clarissa yelled, “You should have just left him alone!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, missy,” Hugo said, “You don’t know a damn thing about that boy you’re seeing. If we hadn’t been there he might have...”

“Just shut up!” Clarissa yelled, her stomach quickly becoming filled with rage, “Just shut the hell up! I’m so sick and tired of being told what I do and do not know! How the hell am I supposed to know anything when none of you want to give me the damn answers? I’m outta here! I’m going downtown to see what I can do for Skull.”

“A lot of use you’d be!” Hugo laughed, “I bet you don’t even know his real name!”

“Shove off!” Clarissa said and ran to the door. Hot angry tears were falling down her cheeks and she didn’t want to cry in front of the ass hats sitting around the bar. She swung the door open and sprinted to her car.

“Sweetheart!” she heard the blond call after her, “Sweetheart, please wait.”

The woman’s voice sounded huskier. Clarissa cringed and said a silent thank you that she had never been tempted to take up smoking. She didn’t want to sound like that when she was an old lady.

“I have things to do,” Clarissa said as she tore open her car door.

“Sweetheart, you might not be able to help him,” the blond said.

“So I shouldn’t even try?” Clarissa said her fists balling at her sides.

“I didn’t say that,” the older woman said, “Can we talk, sweetheart? Girl to girl?”

“Fine,” Clarissa sighed.

“Sweetheart, there’s a lot you don’t know about Skull,” the woman said.

“No, duh,”

“Now don’t get that way with me, missy, I’m not the boy whose breaking your heart, now am I?”

“Sorry,” Clarissa muttered and rolled her eyes.