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“That’s great. I’ve gotta say, though, I was surprised you wanted to come visit. I figured you’d be spending the holidays with your friends. What’s going on outside of school?” Anthony asked, leaning his elbows on his knees and watching her. He knew her too well.
Sam’s cheeks heated and she didn’t meet his eye.
“I’ll get you a drink,” Anthony said, standing and moving toward the kitchen, “but when I get back I want the truth, you got me?”
He cocked a dark brow and she rolled her eyes but nodded. Being her big brother, Anthony had always thought he was in charge of her and could boss her around. He was usually unsuccessful but tried his hand anyway.
Her brother disappeared into the kitchen and she pulled out her phone, tapping on the screen.
Sammy:Made it to Anthony’s. Having a few drinks.
After a moment, she sent another text message.
Sammy:Miss you. x
Aero didn’t answer right away, but that didn’t surprise her. It was barely four o’clock, so he was probably just getting home from work. Their relationship had also been relegated to infrequent texts and nighttime phone calls over the previous few weeks where neither of them seemed to have much to say.
It saddened her to have the new distance between them, both emotional and now physical with her out of town, but Aero had asked for space and she was trying to give that to him.
Not wanting to wallow in that sadness when she had just arrived for a vacation, she tucked her phone back into her shorts and looked around the room. The space screamed “bachelor,” from the haphazardly stacked books and movies on the television stand to the folded-up beer pong table leaning against the wall in the corner. Her lips twitched into a smile just as Anthony returned, handing her a mixed drink and uncapping a beer for himself.
“What is it?” Sam asked, eyeing the drink suspiciously.
“Just drink it,” he said, settling back in the chair.
Sam sniffed the dark, bubbling liquid, wrinkled her nose, then took a sip.
She smiled. It was a rum and Coke, a staple from their teenage years. She made a mental note to tell Kai she liked them so he could mix some up for her back home.
Home.
Sam frowned into the red Solo cup. The clubhouse was always like a home to her, ever since Gemma started bringing her there. It’s where her friends were, where she was always welcome, where there was always someone to hang out with, a meal to eat, and good drinks to share. It’s where Aero was.
Her heart gave a mournful squeeze at the thought of him at home all alone, and the idea that maybe she wouldn’t be allowed back to the clubhouse in the future if things didn’t work out between them.
“All right, baby sis. Spill,” Anthony said, leveling her with his gaze. Something was up, and he knew it.
Sam sighed, deciding on the truth. “I met someone.”
“Who is he?” Anthony asked, launching into big brother mode.
“His name is Aero.”
“What kind of name is Aero?” Anthony asked, clearly unimpressed.
“His name is Mark, but he goes by Aero. He’s friends with Gemma’s husband,” Sam explained. “It’s his road name.”
“You’re dating a biker?” Anthony asked incredulously.
“Yes, no, sort of.” She ran a hand over her face in frustration. “I don’t know. He’s not like the other guys in the club. He’s different.”
Anthony rolled his eyes. “That’s such a girl thing to say.”
“He’s not just a biker. He runs his own business, he was in the Army for several years, and he’s good to me,” Sam insisted.
“Ah.” Anthony relaxed slightly. “What’d he do in the Army?”
“Aircraft Electrician,” Sam said, a lilt of pride in her tone. She took several large gulps of her drink, steeling herself for the harder part of the conversation, and the new admission that her relationship with Aero wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows at the moment.
