Ride Me Right

Chapter 16

"He's not, Harley!"

꧁࿈༻༺☠༻༺࿈꧂

Harley Finley

Chloe had finally cried herself to sleep on the couch. After a half hour, I couldn't take much more.

I'm sympathetic but telling a hormonal, over emotional woman to calm down to prevent any further issues is a death sentence. Even I knew that, no matter how often I enjoyed walking the thin line of danger.

Rationality was sitting the garage, drinking beer instead of calming his fiancé.

Staying was the right choice. She needed someone to beat the shit out of Elijah when Colten failed to do so.

It felt only right that it be my turn now.

My tip toed steps were full of rage when I gently closed the house door. Only then did I allow my anger to be actually heard by my older brother in my fuming exhales.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I interrupted Colten right when he started opening his big mouth.

"Me?" Elijah exasperated. "How about you? I come home from a shitshow of a doctors appointment for my fiancé and babies to hear my best friend talking about knocking up my little sister. You know what, I'm over this. Maybe you should go home."

"Oh, fuck you."

"Now kids. Play nice." Colten chuckled from the fold up chair across the garage as he cracked a new can of beer.

My eyes turned to slits when the pop of the can bounced off the broken down bike in front of him. He shook the hair on top of his head before picking up a tool. No matter how toned his arms were, even they couldn't calm my annoyance. Even as I stared at them, focusing on the way his biceps twitched at the tightening grasp of his fist, my temper was getting the best of me.

He could see it. The glint in his eyes, so playful and wondrous all at the same, wondering how far I would go.

"I said my side to all of this. You're turn, angel." Colten grunted when he put the force into the bolt he was attempting to get off of the brake caliper.

"Chloe is a mess in there. I just spent thirty minutes watching the Bachelorette until she calmed down and passed out. You should be doing that! And as for Colten and I, that's our business unless you're actually trying to ask me about it. If so, do it. But if you want to forbid me back home, go ahead and try but for once, I'm here. I'm trying to help out my family - selflessly - and you're making me the bad guy. The fuck type of shit is that?"

Elijah contemplated. His eyebrows scrunching with every difficult thought he could muster, falling short.

"Should I go home instead?" I placed my hands to my hips, expecting an answer as quickly as the question left my lips.

He huffed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm going to check in on Chloe."

"You didn't answer my question."

"It's not my decision." Was his haste, monotone comment before he was out of the room. Careful not to slam the door behind him.

With a groan and a few paces, I decided not to let this bother me. He's just upset and doesn't know how to deal with his own personal issues. Instead of complaining about it, I'm going to move on like an adult would.

"Who the fuck does he think he is?" I asked whoever would listen. Too bad for Colten, he was the only one left with me.

"A man who's world is crumbling." Colten didn't skip a beat. Even as he worked on the all too familiar bike in front of me.