Craving You (TBX #2) (28 page)

The roaring of the crowd never gets old. The emcee of this event, Justin, who happens to be a good friend of mine, is revving the crowd up for the competition, the shouts of excitement pushing my blood faster through my veins. Wind whips around us, the sun high in the sky, and along with that, the temperature is rising. Colt and I are currently on deck but have a few riders ahead of us.

My eyes scan the crowd landing on the girl my heart works so hard to beat for, causing a hitch in my breath. It’s still hard to believe she’s mine. It’s even harder to believe she isn’t running anymore. Looking at her, my past fades away, any pain I once knew, all the times I
thought
I was happy-erased. Happiness began with her entering my life and lighting a feeling inside me I couldn’t shake, her love absorbing all of the toxic of my life. Kelsey’s smile overtakes her face beaming up at me from the crowd after she blows a kiss in my direction.

“You ready to officially take yourself off the market?” Colt’s plan will be set in motion in less than ten minutes.

“Never been more ready. When will you be? Look out there and tell me you don’t see your whole life wrapped up into one tiny,
sexy
, perfect package.” His hand grips my shoulder and happiness radiates off him.

“Was just thinkin’ the same thing.”

“Whoa, that jump was sic! Give it up for James!” Justin booms from the microphone across the ramp from us. “We’re gonna mix things up a bit here for a minute, so stay with me folks. It’ll be worth it.”

Colt’s body tenses for a split second, but I know it’s from nerves. He looks over at me with his signature grin. “Here goes the rest of my life…” he says then walks off toward Justin.

Kelsey

Every year we exchange birthday cards, no presents. They are mostly of us rambling on paper instead of vocally. Why we waited until we’re in the parking lot of the competition, I don’t know. We’re random.

Happy birthday to my main squeeze. I love you more than a Slore loves Halloween and that’s sayin’ a lot. You know how much they like to dress up half naked and frolic around like injured deer. I’m off subject, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BITCH!

Your Brea (not to be confused with bae)

“Let me have your card back.” Swatting for it, she holds it just out of reach.

“Don’t even think about it.” Her glare doesn’t scare me.

“Get out of my head.” She knows I was going to scratch out her name on the card, but now, I’m thinking about changing her nickname from Brea to Bae, indefinitely. “Read yours!”

Opening her card she begins, “Roses are red, bitches are cray.

I’m glad our birth was on the same day.

I tried to write you a poem, but it sucks, the end.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BITCH!” Closing the card, she laughs and swipes away a fake tear. “It’s so poetic. You made my soul weep.”

“It’s a gift.” Shrugging, I bat my eyelashes before opening the door and stepping out into the hot but windy summer day.

Brealynn and I walk toward the section we’ll be standing in for the event. Blaine, Tim, and Jamie, Melanie, Candis Savannah and Hannah are all already there waiting for us. Things have been quiet between Jamie and Tim lately. It’s not an awkward quite, just a sad, it’s not the right time, silence.

“Happy birthday!!” Jamie shouts and hugs us both at the same time.

Tim wraps his arms around all three of us and squeezes. “Love my girls!” I see the small smile play across Jamie’s face before she schools her expressions.

“You’re suffocating me!” Tim’s arms tighten around me.

“You people are weird, but I love it!” Before I know it, Blaine has joined in on the insanity wrapping his arms around us as well.

“I hate hugs, you crazy people. What is this, birthday torture?” Brealynn is trying to back out like a caged animal. Hair tangles and swirls around us while she tries to break free before Tim finally allows it. “Ew. Don’t do that again. You can’t just hug people all willy nilly. It’s wrong.” She fakes her hatred with a shake of the chills, but she loves us.

“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday dear, you bitches, Happy Birthday to you!” Hannah sings and we all laugh.

“I love your shirt.” Savannah adds. I’ve paired my green converse with a shirt I ordered off the Internet. A green tank that reads, ‘
I ride boys who ride bikes.’

It’s my new motto.

“Thanks. Ordered it a few days ago.”

Turning to face the ramps, a strand of hair flies in my mouth. Moving it away, my eyes find Parker. Damn, really never thought I’d be a fan of the man capris, but holy hell. His hair is styled perfectly, of course, until he puts his helmet on. It creates the perfect amount of mess when he takes it off. That’s my favorite part of watching him. When he’s high on the thrill, sweaty, and a happy mess. All of his walls are down. It’s a magical sight.

What is that?
My eyes narrow in on his left wrist, the green and black plastic shining brightly at me. He must have taken it that day in my room. Warmth grows inside of me at the fact he’s wearing the bracelet I made. Never thought he’d actually put it on, let alone at a competition.

That man is mine. I can’t fight the smile as I feel it spread across my face. Love is a funny, amazing, scary, and perfect emotion. You never really realize what you’re missing out on until you allow yourself to feel it. Even with the bad, I wouldn’t change a thing because it got me to this place with him by my side. We go through things in life that cause us to create a wall surrounding our hearts. Sometimes it freezes, and sometimes, as in my instance, it cracks and someone slips in to warm you from the inside out, breaking you free of the maze of walls you’ve built around your soul.

Justin’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. “We’re gonna mix things up a bit here for a minute, so stay with me folks. It’ll be worth it.”

Wait … What?

Colt stands in the middle of the ramp, no bike.

“What’s going on?” Brealynn is just as stunned as me, and Jamie, Blaine, and Tim are all smiles.
What’s up?

“Brealynn Stutton, love, please come here.” Colt’s voice travels over the now quiet crowd. When he calls her love, she swoons and her feet carry her past the barricades and to the love of her life.

“What’s going on?” I know Jamie hears my whisper, but she shushes me.

Colt takes hold of Brealynn’s hand, and it’s then I see he’s wearing his bracelet Brea made him.
These boys
. “I love you.” Colt begins to speak. Brealynn’s lips move, and I assume she’s saying it back. “All of this,” throwing his arms up, “used to be my life ... until you.” The crowd stays silent but all the females are smiling. Grabbing both of her hands in his, he continues. “Nothing matters without you by my side for the ride.” Then he drops down to one knee and pulls out a little black box. Brealynn looks to be crying happy tears and the crowd is in awe. “B, will you be my wife and ride forever with me?” I can’t hear her response, but she nods her head and jumps into his arms not even a second after the ring slips on her finger. With her wrapped tightly around his body, Colt shouts, “We’re gettin’ married!” and the crowd goes wild.

Two years later

Parker

“If I’m fucking pregnant, I’m kicking your ass.” Kelsey paces the floor of our bedroom. After Colt and Brealynn’s wedding last year, we decided to get a place of our own. It would be weird to be roommates with a married couple. Colt and I graduated, and finally, we’re able to devote all of our professional time to TBX. The brand is growing tremendously; we sponsor many other riders and our line is up at major retailers.
Life is good
.

“And I’ll let you because you’ll be my baby momma and I hear they’re crazy.” She stops working a hole in the wood floor to glare at me. I try and give her my best signature grin and hope it pleases her.
It doesn’t.

“I’m going to have to adult. I DON’T WANT TO ADULT! What if it can hear me cussing now? Oh shit, it’s already corrupted! Ahh! See!”

DING!

Kelsey freezes.

“Turkey’s done.”

“Totally not funny! Go look, I can’t do it, I’m too nervous.”

“Let’s go together.” Misted gray eyes soften toward me. We approach the pee stick like it may pop into a baby right now. Two lines mean positive.

Two lines will change my life forever. Glancing down at the object that could change my life…one line. Negative. The feelings that run through me are indescribable. Want, relief, sadness…

“Negative,” she whispers from beside me. “Just when I was accepting it.”
My ass
. She was straight trippin’. I don’t tell her that, of course. Wrapping my arms around her, she cuddles into my chest, and we mourn the
what-if
of having our first child.

After a few reflective minutes, my mind is made up. Dropping down on one knee, I pull out the ring I’ve been carrying in my pocket for weeks waiting for the perfect time. There’s never a perfect time other than right now. I’m tired of imagining my life with her being my wife; it’s time to make it official. Tears spill down her cheeks as the diamond shines under the vanity lights.

“I want to make a perfect little boy who adores his mother and a sugar sweet little girl with you. I need your sweetness for the rest of my life. Everything, the whole package, I want it all. Will you marry me?”

“Oh my gosh, Park, Yes!” We collide together after the solitaire diamond rests on the finger claiming her as mine for the rest of our lives.

Want to see how the wedding turns out? Stay updated for Jamie and Tim’s story.

Novella coming 2016

If you’d have told me two years ago that at the end of 2015 I would have finished writing two books, I’d have told you, you were insane. I still can’t believe it. Thank you so much for taking a chance on my stories. I know time is valuable and you spent your hard earned free time reading a new author. I’ll be forever grateful.

TJ, my love, thank you for dealing with all of my writing notebooks around the house and the late night writing sessions I fall into. Your support means the world to me. I love you.

Kelsey, thank you for being my person. Book one, I knew my brother was going to ask my best friend to marry him and make her his wife and my sister-n-law for life, because let’s face it you’re stuck. Life works out in funny ways and it seems since the first time we met, we were meant to be sisters. I love you and am so blessed to call you my Best Friend. Thank you for supporting ALL of my ideas and being so enthusiastic. Sometimes I slack in the friend department, life gets hectic, thank you for understanding me and loving me despite it.