Page 9 of Falling for Her
I shrug, “I don’t really know what you want me to say. You were sleeping with Portia the whole time we were supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, then dumping me an hour after I gave you my virginity. It hurt Cody, and I think we’re better off as friends because seriously, Cody, as a friend, I love you to pieces but that could be because you are myonlyfriend other than my mom.”
He nods as he looks down and mumbling, “I really fucking messed up,” and I don’t correct him because he did.
I felt something for him. Whether it was love or not, I don’t know, but whatever feelings I was developing poured out of me after hearing that phone call and realizing everything was a lie.
It also doesn’t help that he was my first boyfriend so the betrayal hit harder than it probably would have say if he was my fifth or sixth.
“Friends, Cody?” I confirm, and he looks at me.
We make eye contact and his race between mine before he nods, and I grin and push off the counter. He drops his arms, allowing me to walk straight into his chest before he wraps his arms around me and whispers, “I’ll always be there for you, and maybe one day, your feelings will return. If not, then you’ll always be my friend.”
I don’t reply to him because, well, it’s kind of a pipe dream. Right now, my baking and parents are coming before anything and honestly, I don’t see him in any other way than a friend, maybe even family but never a true love or a boyfriend.
I wrap my arms around his waist and hold him tightly, grateful I could learn to forgive him so I have at least one friend in this world.
Chapter 3
Jokester – Eighteen Years Old
“Fuck,Ican’tbelieveyou’re now eighteen and tattooing no less. I feel fucking old,” Bear mumbles, and I smirk but don’t reply, my main focus concentrating on the outline of the Eagle I’m currently tattooing on his shoulder, hoping not to fuck it up.
It’s one thing tatting a stranger and messing up, but someone you’ve looked up to, yeah fuck that shit.
Bear is a brother who decided to go on the road after his old man, Eagle, passed away from liver cancer eight years ago.
I barely remember Eagle, he was always doing the club runs and shit but Bear, well, the old fucker used to have dinner around my parent’s house at least twice a week along with Butcher. Now normally, Bear would be with our sister chapter this time of year – Eagles birthday – but this time, he’s decided to come back into town for a few days after talking to Hammer about finally getting the eagle tat that he’s always wanted and didn’t want any other fucker to do the tat. Hammer, well, he decided I’d be the best person to tattoo it, especially now that I’ve graduated, got more experience under my belt and have been apprenticing since around the time shit went down with Bullet and his pregnant old lady Scarlett as in Scarlett, Bethany’s now ex-best friend.
Shit got fucked up in the past year.
Bullet and Scar got paired in English at the start of the year and one look at her properly for the first time in eight years, Bullet fell hard and fast. Made her his instantly which is not a surprise considering he’d always bring her up without realizing, always asking questions or looking her way.
She agreed to date him, to see how things go but after he was told she planned on leaving not just the state but the fucking country after graduating because her home life was really fucking shit. Something none of us had proof of but suspected because of all her bruises she’d come to school with. Not only did he fuck with her college admissions, ensuring she could only accept the three in the surrounding area but fucker knocked her up on purpose, something she wasn’t aware of mainly because he was her first and told her he was using a condom. After graduation she packed her shit after trying to convince everyone she was fucking some old dude, cheating on Bullet and using him for his patch, something Bethany accused her of after Scar shut her out to protect her from her stepfather Ron. We came to find out the old guy was actually sent to rape her by said stepfather, selling her virginity to him, an old dude Victoria sent her way hoping to break Bullet and Scarlett up which nearly worked much to Bullet’s mother and sister’s delight.
Louise wanted Victoria with her son, and Bethany wanted to be the center of attention, which she wasn’t as soon as Scar got with Bullet, and she hated it.
Poor fucking Scarlett didn’t have it easy. Her father passed when she was small, and her mother was selling her body every night to pay for Ron’s gambling habits. She had been trying to persuade her daughter she was being assaulted, allowing her to hear it all from her tiny room when, actually, the woman enjoyed it all while Ron, her stepfather beat her if she didn’t do as he wanted.
Scar wanted to stay in the shadows until graduating and leave Hopeton behind her. She didn’t count on Bethany latching onto her, pretending to be her friend to piss off Victoria, she also didn’t count on falling for Bullet.
As soon as Ron realized who she was seeing, shit turned worse for her. The fucker threatened to hurt her mother if she didn’t get him to clear his debts at the fight club because, of course, he always bet against Bullet, the undefeated champ. His threats didn’t work, he realized she didn’t care if her mom had a gang bang, seeing as she enjoyed it anyway. He threatened to have Scar raped if she didn’t persuade Bullet to do a rematch with a fucker who was sore about losing to him in the ring and the fucker planned on cheating by stabbing him.
Scar did the only thing she could think of and ran after Bullet’s mama gave her the perfect opportunity when she recorded her in a compromising position with the man who was sent to rape her, not knowing she was being attacked but letting her mind believe she was cheating on her son.
Scar thought her plan would work, trying to admit to cheating and clearly didn’t realize that Bullet was going to fight either way because none of us believed she was cheating on him. He not only pursued her, but she never even spoke to him and always kept her distance, so it was obvious she wasn’t using Beth to get to him or his patch.
She fell in love with him and left to protect him.
For a few weeks, Scar had not contacted him and kept the phone he gave to her off so he couldn’t track her. No one had heard from her, and we couldn’t find her, which sent Bullet into a frenzy. He spent most of his time in the ring until suddenly, she tried to call him.
Fucker didn’t realize she knew he could track her through the phone, something she didn’t want to take being too prideful. Scarlett had found out she was pregnant and realized Bullet trapped her, and yeah, she threw a lot of shit at him when we went to pick her up, and he’s lucky she forgave him, and everything is perfect for them right now.
She’s due in roughly two months, her mother and stepfather are behind bars though her stepfather will not be alive for long, and I’m finally, fucking finally, nearly free of Bethany after two years of being forced to date her.
I lift the needle off Bear’s arm and dip it into more ink. Then, I return to the eagle and fill it in with shade trying to keep my hopes down.
The bitch fucked up, and she fucked up big time. I am definitely using it to free myself of this fucked up situation.
After years of playing the devoted friend to Scar, it finally came out she befriended her to piss off Victoria, which worked. Every time Victoria hurt Scar, Bethany fought back, having the excuse to hit her old friend and get more attention around the school while also causing drama at the club. As soon as Scar cut her off to protect her and she saw Bullet doubling down on Scar, seeing that Scar had everyone’s attention, Bethany decided Victoria could be her frenemy. She turned on Scar trying to convince Bullet to dump her.
