Page 7 of Crusher

Within a matter of seconds, he goes from soft and caring to hard, noticing my bruise. I wince as Crash, Clark’s brother, who, as you guessed it, crashed his bike, frowns and asks, “Yo, Alex, what the fuck happened to your face?”

I walk into Hayes’s body, and his arms instantly wrap around me as I lie, “A customer slammed out of the bathroom while I was walking past, and I got covered in hot coffee while the metal tray smacked me in the face. I think I saw stars for a while,” And Crash snorts while Belle, who is trying to lean against him, scowls my way, not liking that I’m talking to him, but I ignore her.

Last year, the girl made her move on our friend's brother, who accepted her, not that everyone knows, and he has refused to kiss and have sex until she’s eighteen next week. Being one of the youngest in our year, apparently has pissed her off, and she’s extremely territorial. Heck, Kodi doesn’t even speak to anyone because of the constant crap that comes out of Belle's mouth.

“Ouch,” Crash mutters, and I nod before I lay my chin on Hayes’s chest and look up at him, and he gently cups my cheek.

“It looks sore, baby,” he murmurs, and I hum as I take in his tense features.

His dad has been more on his ass lately, knowing he’ll be graduating in two months, and while my boyfriend wants to go straight into the emergency services, his dad wants him in the clubs garage. To become a grease monkey like him, heck, his dad said he can’t have any distractions outside of his role within the club, meaning ending things with me but Hayes hasn’t even entertained that.

“I’m okay,” I whisper, hoping to ease some of his tensions because he doesn’t need to add me to his pressure with his dad.

He hums before he bends forward and gently places his lips against mine, tingles and fireworks instantly shooting between us just like the first time we kissed after he spent my whole shift at the diner getting to know me. I put a little bit more of my weight on him just as Belle complains, “Why does he kiss her, yet you won’t kiss me?”

“Because she’s eighteen and only us two brothers are aware of your relationship, so shut up,” I hear Linc grunt just as he complains, “This so isn’t fair, she was my friend first, you know?” before he demands, “Stop hogging my friend, Crusher!”

Hayes smiles against my mouth, and I grin back as I pull back and give my friend a blinding smile, making him chuckle.

“Did you get your certificates?” I ask, and he nods, waving them.

“I still don’t understand how they fucked up the printing when I actually graduated nearly a year ago,” he grunts, and I chuckle, “Because the school is shit,” and he nods in agreement.

“We need to make some changes, baby,” Hayes says, gaining my attention, and I look his way with a raised brow as he pushes me back a little then he nods to the hoodie that I still wear and demands, “Off,” and I smirk and deny, “Hell, no, you know I love big baggy hoodies, not unless you bought me one that is preferably pink,” and Linc chuckles.

I’ve told Hayes several times over the past year that the only way I’ll remove Linc's hoodie is if he replaces it with another. Unfortunately, even a hoodie means claiming in the club, and I haven’t been ready for that step, so he’s refused to even buy me one.

Seeing he won’t budge by the pierced raised brow, I sigh and slowly pull off the black hoodie that I basically live in, my summer dress coming into view, causing my boyfriend to smile as he takes the hoodie from me then chucks it in Linc's face, making everyone well everyone except Belle laugh. My smile soon disappears when he holds up a very large black hoodie with the Carnage logo, a massive spider in the middle with the carnage name surrounding it, up to me and I choke, “Hayes,” knowing what he is doing in a now very quiet hallway.

“I think it’s time you wear something that belongs to your old man,” he says softly before he slowly places the hoodie over my head, helping me put my arms inside and I quickly bring the fabric to my nose and inhale. His scent instantly calming me, but my eyes tear up when I see him holding up a leather cut – not a vest like I thought they were called, something they find offensive when you do call them that – my nickname stitched into the breast pocket but Hayes turns it around and shows me the back.

Again, the Carnage logo is large, but at the top, it says property of, and at the bottom, Crusher, and a few tears fall.

Oh my, he’s claiming me, right now in front of everyone…

“Now, I know you’re not aware of this because I made sure you weren’t, but when you had my name tattooed on your skin, when you sat in the spare seat and watched the tattoo artist, who Cage is going to kill, tattoo your name large on my neck, we were claiming each other. It’s how I knew you were ready, so I’m not going to ask you to be my old lady because you already are, what I will ask you, is to turn around so I can help you put your property cut on and after we graduate, we’ll make things official in the eyes of the law and marry,” he rasps in a the quiet hallway and a few tears fall as my right wrist tingles while my eyes go to his neck, my name enlarged and like I said, I’m ready to give myself to him.

Sniffling, I turn around, and I hear several intakes of breath as I feel the leather being pulled up my arms before large, strong arms wrap around me from behind, and I look up at my boyfriend.

“I love you,” he whispers as he caresses my lips, and I murmur, “Not as much as I love you,” and I press my lips harder against his as the crowd all cheers around us, though I don’t miss the scowl from Belle.

***

“Have you told your dad about this place yet?” I ask as Hayes gently guides me into his five-bedroom house, five miles away from the clubhouse, deep into the woods, and he grunts, “Nah and I don’t think I’m going to because then he’ll contest the will.”

I sigh but nod. His grandfather, on his mother's side, left him the cabin that his dad thinks burnt to the ground. While the cabin is still technically on club grounds, you can’t get to it from the main gate that is manned, you have to take a twenty-minute drive to a private electric gate, and only a few are aware of it, his dad not being one of them.

Over the past year, I’ve watched my boyfriend slowly pull himself away from his dad, and it’s hard to see, especially when mine is an epic fail, and I don’t know how to help him.

Hayes takes a seat on the black leather couch with a sigh, and I follow him, but instead of taking a seat next to him, I straddle him and he smiles softly as he grips my hips then slowly moves one hand up and pulls my hair out of its clip, chucking it on the rustic oak coffee table then grips my hair.

I’m supposed to be planning to leave town, but I can’t, because of this man. Instead, I’m actually looking into colleges, maybe to study sports medicine or even look at teaching skating, and this man is the reason why.

He’s making me dream, making me want to live and not for my mom.

“I like you wearing my property patch,” he murmurs, and I hum as I run my fingers through his hair, loosening the bun, freeing his shoulder-length hair that I love so much.

“I don’t want to wait until graduation,” I admit, trying to ignore my heart pounding and his eyes race between mine before understanding shines and he nods and agrees, “Then we won’t,” and I smile as I slam my lips against his, instantly pushing my tongue into his mouth, and he groans as he moves his hands to my ass and lifts up my dress before he grips me and holds me close.