Always (Next Generation The Skulls 1)

He didn’t linger to chat, even though he adored Natalie. She was a lovely person. Instead, he made his way to the clubhouse, pulling his bike up at the end of the lot. Compared to all of the Chaos Bleeds crew, his bike looked so small and pathetic, but this was just practice for him. He intended to join the crew as a prospect as soon as he hit eighteen. He removed the large bag stuffed with all the costumes as he climbed off his bike.

Glancing past the bikes, he saw Dick on the ground, eyes closed, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees. He was one of the guys who had no choice but to put himself in rehab. Chaos Bleeds hadn’t been strict on their rules and Dick had been a user, an addict.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Dick opened one eye. “I’m meditating. What the fuck do you want?”

“Why are you meditating?”

“It helps me to find inner peace.”

Simon couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. Now Dick was staring at him with both eyes.

“Inner peace.”

“You ever tried it?” Dick asked.

“Hell, no, that shit doesn’t work.”

Again, Dick was staring at him.

“Does it?” Simon asked, trying to be polite.

“I won’t tell you if it does or not. Piece of shit.”

Again, he laughed. He just couldn’t help it. He held up his hand in surrender. “I’m sorry.”

“Leave him alone,” Martha, Dick’s wife, said, coming out of the clubhouse. “Lexie’s waiting for you inside, and meditating helps.” She sat in front of her husband and Simon watched as the two held hands, their knees touching.

Simon couldn’t look away.

Both were staring into each other’s eyes. Their connection clear. They breathed as one and were together. At that moment, he missed Tabby.

She would be his one.

Whatever was happening between Dick and Martha, they were a team and could handle anything that was thrown at them, together.

“Right, I better, go.”

He didn’t want to keep watching what he couldn’t have, at least not yet. He hadn’t heard from Tabitha that day, and he was already missing her.

Heading inside, he couldn’t see his mom. Ripper was playing pool with Snake.

“Hey, guys, you seen my mom?”

“She’s outside,” Ripper said. “Judi’s with her.”

He nodded and headed out back to see Judi already helping with some of the costumes. A couple of the kids were in shorts and a vest.

After he dropped the bag, Lexie came at him with a hug. “You’re a star.”

“That’s what I am. I’m hanging with some friends tonight.”

Lexie reached into her jeans pocket, handing him some cash. “Don’t forget to eat, and don’t be too late. Your dad will be pissed.”

He took the cash, kissed his mother, waved goodbye to the rest of the guys, and headed back to his bike. Martha and Dick were still doing some kind of breathing and totally digging each other.

Sending a quick text to his boys to meet him outside of the library, he took off and didn’t stop until he was right there, going through the main street of the town, seeing it was still pretty busy, before riding around the back.

After turning off his ignition, he climbed off, leaned against the wall, and saw on his cell phone that Eddie and Dean were having some kind of family crises and would be there as soon as they could. He was bored.

Pulling up Tabby’s name, he dialed.

“Well, this is rather late of you,” Tabby said.

“It’s been a busy day.” He told her about what happened in school with Amber, then the outfits for Halloween. “You talked to Anthony yet?”

“Yep, I did after we stopped talking yesterday. Daisy and I are going shopping tomorrow.”

“That’s cutting it a bit late, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine. I’m just pleased I’ll get to get Daisy’s ass into a costume. She’s in her pissy mood. We’ll see what happens.” She sighed. “So, tell me more about this Amber chick.”

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

“No, but you don’t think I don’t know girls like her. I do and believe me, I don’t like them. I don’t like her being near you.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that. “I won’t ever stray.”

“Simon, I know you won’t, and I can hear you smiling.”

“I can’t help but smile. You care.”

“I’d be careful if I was you. It sounds like this Amber is a bad person and I’d hate for you to be on the firing line.”

“All of the guys were there. Nothing will come of it.”

“Don’t be alone with her.”

“I won’t. Maybe you can come and meet me one day when you guys are visiting?”

Tabitha laughed. “You think she can take me?”

“I think you’ll be the one being pulled off her,” Simon said.

“What are you doing now?”

“Waiting for a couple of the guys.”

“These the preppy boys?”

“One and the same.”

“Why are you friends with them?” Tabby asked.

“They’re good guys and besides, all of my friends are over there.”