Always Yours

He sat down stealing one of my fries as he did.

“Hey”. I swatted his hand away and moved my plate slightly.

A laugh fell from his lips. “How’d he get so lucky to land a girl like you?”.

“Who?”. I frowned.

“Franko. The names Marko by the way”.

“Ah your Franko’s friend”.

“Brother sweetheart”.

“Brother?”. I frowned.

“Not by blood but we’re brothers”.

So, this was Marco’s lifestyle also. I wonder if he was here because of Franko’s accident. I had never seen or heard of him before.

“You been to see him?”. He asked.

I wasn’t sure what was going on. I had never met this guy before and yet talking to him felt like I had known him for years. It was easy and it was like I was talking to Franko.

They were so alike.

I shook my head. “He doesn’t want to see anyone”.

“He doesn’t but you’re his girl”.

“I’m not”.

“Eh?”. He made a face. “You ain’t his old lady?”.

Everyone just assumed we were together.

“We’re just friends”.

A laugh fell from his lips. “That fucker made me think you were together. Fucking knew he couldn’t land a girl like you”.

“How so?”. I frowned.

“What?”.

“How couldn’t he land a girl like me?”.

“Cause girls like you don’t fall for guys like us princess”.

Well, that wasn’t true because I had fell for Franko and I had fell for him hard, but no one needed to know that.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“I wouldn’t say that”.

“Marko”. Jen yelled. “You better not be doing what I think you’re doing”.

“Just introducing myself Jen”. He winked.

“Ah huh, well let that be all you’re doing”.

“I gotta go sweetheart. Maybe see you around”.

“Bye”.

“Marco’s a charmer Aubrey”. Jen sat opposite me placing her coffee on the table. “Nice boy though”.

“How come I’ve never seen him before?”.

“They only really visit when they need to and after what happened they need to be here”.

“They?”. I asked.

“Everyone falls under Blue, but Marko is from a different charter, a different clubhouse. But we’re one big family and we all come together when we need to”.

I wasn’t sure what Jen was to the club, but I don’t think our relationship was at the stage where I could ask.

“Is Franko really going to be, okay?”. I asked.

“He’ll be fine. You should go see him”.

“His mom said he doesn’t want to see anyone”.

“He doesn’t but I’m sure he’d love to see you”.

“I don’t know”. I frowned. “I think it’s better if I leave it”. I didn’t want to go if he didn’t want to see anyone. I didn’t know what state of mind he was in, and I didn’t need to put myself in a sticky situation.

“He’s staying at the clubhouse”. She smiled. “Just in case you change your mind”.

“The clubhouse?”. I frowned. “Shouldn’t he be in the hospital?”.

“Doesn’t work that way, Aubrey. When something like this happens nowhere is safe”.

“Oh”.

“I have to get back to work but I’ll see soon”.

I drove around the city wasting gas. I wasn’t sure how many times I passed the clubhouse, but it was a few. Finally finding the courage I pulled up outside and parked across the street.

I don’t know why I was here. It’s not as if I had the courage to go inside. I hadn’t been invited; I wasn’t part of the club therefore I had no reason to be here.

A sigh fell from my lips I had to get out of here and stop being stupid. He didn’t want to see anyone and that included me. I switched on my engine and took off down the street.

And I ended up right back outside the clubhouse. I had to see him for myself. This time I parked in the parking lot and switched off my engine. It was strange not to see anyone about.

It was strange for it to be so quiet.

Unclipping my seatbelt, I got out and made my way inside. It was dead. No one was around that I could see. Walking a little further inside I made my way over to the bar.

“You lost sweetheart?”.

Turning round I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Blue”. I nodded.

“You here to see my boy?”. He asked.

I nodded.

“He’s through back last door on the left”. He nodded to the door that led to the kitchen. “Go through there and you’ll find the double doors. They lead to the bedrooms”.

My stomach knotted. The nerves started to creep in, and suddenly I forgot how to walk. What if he tells me to leave or worse yells at me for being here? I mean he didn’t want to see anyone, and I still showed up.

“Aubrey?”. Blue spoke.

“I don’t think coming here was a good idea”. I chewed the inside of my cheek.

“A bit late for that darling”. He laughed. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you”.

“Will he though?”. I made a face.

“Talks about you all the time”.

He did?

“He does?”. I frowned.

He nodded. “My boys smitten with you darling”.

“I like him to”. I whispered.

“Then why you still standing here talking to me? Go through and see him and if he gives you smack sort him out yeah?”.

A laugh fell from my lips as I gave him a nod. I felt safe here. I felt safe around his family. I felt like I belonged.

All of that disappeared when I reached the room he was in. The giggle reached my ears and I wanted to be sick. Smitten with me? Fat chance when he was in there with another girl.

I knew coming here was a bad idea.

Feeling deflated I made my way back through the bar and headed straight out the door and to my car. Getting the hell out of here I took off down the street and headed home.

This time I made it.

Parking in the driveway I switched off my engine but stayed seated. What was I thinking? Franko wasn’t going to change his ways for me. But then again this was what I wanted right?

I told him many times we couldn’t be together. I couldn’t expect him to wait about until I changed my mind. Truth was I didn’t know what I wanted. I was sick of debating the pros and cons about it.

But if I was to give him a chance, would it be different?

A frustrated sigh fell from my lips. I couldn’t keep doing this to myself. The best thing for me to do was to forget all about Franko Mendez and get on with my life.

..

I was putting away my dishes from lunch when there was a knock on my front door. Because it was still school hours, I wasn’t sure who it could be. My parents were at work like always. But my car being in the driveway was a big tell that someone was home.

Another knock.

Drying my hands I walked through the kitchen into the living room and towards the front door. Pulling it open I smiled as she pushed a milkshake in my face.

“Skipping school without me?”. Alice grinned.

I shrugged. “Thanks for this”. I took the milkshake and moved to let her inside.

“You don’t skip school Aubrey”. She spoke taking a seat on the couch.

“And I won’t be skipping again. It’s boring”. I made a face as I sat next to her. “I take it you left at lunch?”.

“Why’d you skip?”. She asked.

“Just wasn’t feeling it today so I headed to the diner instead”. I was embarrassed to tell her I went to see Franko. I mean I went to see him only to find him with another girl.

That’s embarrassing right?

“How’s Franko?”.

“No idea”. I shrugged. “But I did meet Marko”.

“He’s fine right”. She giggled. “I mean I’m totally into Tommy but Marko”. She fanned her face with her hand. “I definitely would”.

I rolled my eyes, but my grin matched hers. He was fine. “I met him this morning. He sure knew who I was”.

“Of course he does. He knows your Franko’s girl”.

“Why does everyone assume we’re together?”. I sighed.

“They don’t”. She shrugged. “They just know you’re his”.

That didn’t make any sense and it sounded a little caveman like. I wasn’t his, I didn’t belong to anyone. I was sixteen, had never had a boyfriend. This was crazy.

“That’s crazy and anyone who believes that kind of behavior is okay is also crazy. I don’t belong to him I’m not something that can be owned”.

“Oh, calm down”. She sighed. “It’s just how their lifestyle works. It’s how they see it. Like right now I’m Tommy’s, he owns me”.

“What?”. I made a face. “Don’t talk rubbish”.

“Fine”. She huffed. “Are you working tonight, or can we go out?”.

“Go out?”.

“We could try and sneak into a club?”.

“Yeah, because we look 21”.

“I’m trying to find us something to do. Feel free to shoot some ideas about”.

“I’m working tonight come by and I’ll give you a free burger”. I got to my feet as there was a knock on the door.

“I can’t wait until I’m 21”. She huffed.

“Shouldn’t wish your life away”. I grinned pulling open the door.

I did not expect to see Franko standing there.