I tilt my head at him and put my hand in his again. “What are you saying?”
He looks off for a few moments, deep in thought. “I don’t know if I want to do this forever, Evie. I want to have a family with you, and just be fucking normal. Maybe just work on the bikes and leave the band in a few years. Maybe play a few local acoustic gigs once in a while. But not this touring stuff and being so out in the public eye.”
“Storm... you know I’ll support whatever you do. But it would crush Asher... losing Vandal and then you. Ashes and Embers will fall apart.”
The band is Asher’s life, his baby. I can’t even imagine what he would do if he lost Storm, too. Of course, Storm could be replaced, but he’s the front man of the band, the one who extracts the most attention and gets the crowd going. Ashes and Embers just wouldn’t be the same without him.
He nods slowly, squeezing my hand tighter. “I know that. I don’t want to do that to him, or any of them. But we come first. I have to do what’s best for us and our family.”
Our family.
A million butterflies have taken over my insides. I’m starting to see that underneath his tough, rocker facade, is a guy who just wants to be loved and have a normal quiet life.
“Sweetheart, I have faith that no matter what you do, you will always do what’s best for us. I’m with you no matter what. Whatever you decide to do, we’ll make it work.”
“I know, Evie. I just keep thinking about Vandal and little Katie... and my baby... Life is really fucking short.” His voice cracks.
I stare at him, not sure what to say. He’s never mentioned Britney or the baby before. “I let them down.” He doesn’t look at me when he says it.
I want to go to him and put my arms around him, but I don’t want to create another scene in the restaurant.
“Storm, you did not. You were just a kid. Even an adult wouldn’t be able to handle everything you had to go through. When someone’s depressed or dealing with mental illness, they don’t behave normally. They don’t let people help them. I’ve been there, I know.”
“Michael stayed with you when you were depressed,” he deadpans.
“And look how that ended up. Him staying with me didn’t fix anything, it hurt us both. I don’t think anything you would have done could have changed what Britney did, Storm. Once someone gets to that point, they are too far gone. Their mind is made up.”
“It’s been on my mind a lot... since this stuff with Vandal. I want to do things right this time. I don’t want to do anything to risk losing you or our family.”
“Storm, you didn’t do anything wrong. You were eighteen. And I’m fine. I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I love you more than I thought possible. We’re good in every way. If you want to leave the band, then do it because your hearts, not in it but don’t do it because you think it’s going to somehow protect us. I’m happy when you’re happy. We’re on this ride together, right? That’s what you said. I’m in. If bitches want to interrupt our dinner, that’s fine. We laugh about it. It’s not going to hurt us. Our kids will grow up with two parents who love each other, just like you did. They’ll be okay, I promise.”
I’m not used to this side of him. He’s like an onion, layers slowly peeling, revealing more and more. His mom was right, there is so much more to him. The more I learn, the more I love this man.
We enjoy the rest of our dinner, all talks of babies and depression left behind.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Come on, baby. Put this on your head and get on.” He hands me the helmet and I take it from him.
“It’s heavy,” I protest.
“No shit. It’s gotta protect your head. Put it on.”
“You’re not wearing one,” I point out.
“I know. But you are. Now put it on, please.”
Scowling, I put the heavy thing on my head and he buckles it under my chin for me. My head feels like it weighs a ton now.
He pushes the visor up on my helmet and smiles at me. “You look adorable. Now get on and hang on to me, okay?”
I climb onto the motorcycle behind him and put my arms around his waist tightly.
“Good girl. Now don’t squirm around, all right? Try to stay with my body... if I lean to the right, you lean with me. And when I brake, try not to let your helmet slam into the back of my head like my fucking sister does.”
“Okay... got it. Just go slow, okay?”
“Of course, I will. I want you to enjoy this. If you start to feel nervous just let me know and I’ll pull over.”
I give him a thumbs up and he starts the bike, the engine roaring to life. It’s much louder than I expected it to be. This is the ride he promised me months ago when we were in the blizzard, and he’s taking me back to the spot he told me about, right near where we were stuck. When he made that promise back then, I never thought we’d be together now, madly in love and building a life together.
Hugging him as we ride together is an incredible, bonding experience. A feeling of total love, trust, and freedom envelops me as we roar through the forest-lined road. I love this man so much, at times I feel like my heart will burst. He has become my world, showing me so many new things, opening my mind to new adventures, loving me unconditionally, even when I have been difficult. In return, I have devoted every day to showing him how much I love him, want him, and appreciate him. Fate threw us together in such a crazy way, but she certainly knew what she was doing.
We ride for about forty minutes, his long hair whipping behind him and tickling my neck, my arms wrapped around his waist, my legs pressed against his, until he slows and pulls the bike over to a gravelly clearing on the side of the road. I wait until the bike has fully stopped, and he puts his feet down and gives me the okay before I jump off and unbuckle the helmet. Pulling it off my head for me, he places it on the back of the bike and takes me into his arms.
“You did great, baby. Did you enjoy it?” He tilts his head down, the sun beaming behind him, and plants a kiss on my forehead.
“I did. I was a little scared at first, but I actually did like it once I got used to it. It feels so... free.”
“Doesn’t it? I love riding. Hopefully, you’ll come with me more now that you’ve had a chance to see what it’s like.”
He releases me to go back to the bike, rummaging around in the saddlebag, and he finally pulls out a rolled up blanket. “I came prepared,” he says, tucking it under his arm.
He grabs my hand. “Come on.” He leads me from the road, helping me down a small hill, and through the forest. In the distance, I can hear water, like a river running.
I take in our surroundings. “Is this really where we were? It’s so beautiful.”
“Yup. Right over there.” He points to a spot about fifty feet away where some small thin trees are knocked down.
We walk a bit more and run into a small, thin river. Still holding hands tightly, we follow the river and come to a small clearing where there’s a small waterfall. It’s absolutely beautiful this spot nestled in the forest. It’s hard to believe this is where
we were. It’s not nearly as scary in the sunlight with the birds chirping all around us.
Storm spreads the blanket on the ground and pulls me down on it with him.
“This is beautiful, hon. Thank you so much for bringing me back here. It kind of feels like we came full circle.” I lean across the blanket and kiss his lips.
“Hey, didn’t I tell you I’d bring you back here?” His lips brush across mine again. “I never break a promise.”
We sit in contented silence, watching the waterfall and cloud gazing. I wish we could have brought Niko with us for our little reunion here.
I turn to Storm, taking him in. He looks gorgeous as always, the wind blowing his hair, his faded black t-shirt stretched across his muscled chest and shoulders. He catches me staring at him.
“You’re staring at me again,” he teases.
“Yup. I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“Likewise, baby.”
He grabs my hand, kisses my open palm, and then slowly sucks my finger into his mouth, sending a shudder up my spine. His tongue swirls around my finger, sucking it deeper into his mouth, his eyes watching me. His teeth come down lightly around my finger, grazing my flesh. I’m captivated, watching his mouth, the sensuality of it making me dizzy and wet.
He locks his eyes onto mine and slowly pulls my hand out of his mouth. And there, on my finger, is a diamond ring.
I gasp, and stare up at him, my mouth hanging open. My brain is spinning. How the hell did he do that? And is that what I think it is?
“Storm... oh, my God... I—how did you do that?”
“This is my Gram’s ring. It’s very special to her. It was given to her by a man she loved before she was with my grandfather, but he died very young, before they could marry. She was hoping someday, one of us boys would meet a girl special enough to wear it. She and I agreed that’s you.”
I swallow hard, staring at the large glistening gem on my finger. It’s beyond beautiful, and the fact that it belonged to this wonderful woman, given to her by someone special, means so much to me. This is more than just a ring, more than just a proposal. This is an invitation into a wonderful, loving family. This is acceptance.