Cherry looked at the younger son driving the big truck. He hadn't loved her jumping in the truck with him, but she was insistent, and he was so eager to get home, he gave up fighting and told her to get in and shut up. She didn't care; she was just glad he didn't physically push her out. She knew a lot of the other Sons would've gotten physical, but he'd kept his hands to himself. Hell, he'd kept to himself the whole week he'd been at Indian Hills. He was one of the younger Sons. Attractive in a boyish way with a killer smile she'd only caught crossing his face when he was looking at his phone. The newly re-branded Indian Hills charter had quite the selection of women escorts, and she'd seen a lot of them bat their eyelashes and push their cleavage in the guy's face, but he always stepped around them. He went to the little guest dorm room, locked the door, and stayed in there until the next morning when he'd walk out looking freshly showered and well shaved. He was probably the cleanest biker she'd ever seen walk through the clubhouse doors. His room was always pristine even though the girls were supposed to be the ones to clean and maintain it; he always turned down the service, saying it wasn't needed. "You gay?" she asked, breaking the hour long silence.
Juice's brows furrowed, and he looked over at her like she was crazy. "What?"
"I saw those girls shakin' their tits at you. You didn't touch a single one. You didn't even look at 'em," she pointed out, watching his shoulders tense. "I mean, it's fine if you are...would make a lot a sense."
" 'm not gay. I've got a girl back home," he replied, shrugging a shoulder. "Not that its any of your business."
"Lotta guys that roll through there have Old Ladies. Think you're the first not to use the run rule. You scared a her or somethin'?"
Juice smirked as he shook his head. "Nah, I just...love her. Why fuck that up for some stupid one night stand? Doesn't make any sense. Those girls aren't even close to the one I got waiting for me."
Cherry could tell he was being honest, and she couldn't help but smile. She shifted in her seat so she was facing him better. "Wow. Lucky girl," she stated, hoping someday she could find that kind of loyalty with a man. "So how'd you two meet?"
She listened to him detail their relationship. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. She knew he was leaving certain things out, but the way he was gushing about this 'Angel' chick was heartwarming and rare as hell, especially for a club member. Even the SAMCRO President strayed from his Old Lady, and she was a legendary bitch. Cherry had never seen the so-called "Queen of SAMCRO", but she'd heard the stories. She'd been shocked when Clay had gestured for her to come over as she was talking to Kip. Had hated every minute she was with the gross old man. Once he was done, which, thankfully was quick, she'd gone to the nearest bathroom and brushed her teeth twenty times.
She'd wanted Kip the second she'd laid eyes on him. He was kind to her, and she found herself slipping into the dream of earning the title of Old Lady and the respect that would come with it once he got his full patch. "So she's your Old Lady?"
"Angel's not big on titles, especially club shit," he answered on a grimace. "She's my girl. We're kinda leavin' it at that."
"That's stupid," she muttered, shaking her head. She'd jump at the chance to be called an Old Lady. To have someone claim her like that.
Juice shrugged a shoulder. "Not really. Just want our shit to be separate from club shit."
"That's stupid," she repeated. Club shit was a part of all club members' lives. To think it could be separated even a little bit was ridiculous. At some point, the edges would blur and this Angel chick was going to get a rude awakening. "Is that what she said?"
"Not really. Kinda assumin' it just based off knowin' her for so long...and the way she cringes every time someone says 'Old Lady'."
Cherry shook her head as she wrinkled her nose. "She should be proud a that shit. If she's above being a part of the club like some snotty bitch, then y'all are gonna have a lot bigger problems than her not liking that title."
His smile faded, his jaw clenching. "She's not a snotty bitch," he defended, anger in his dark eyes as he glared at her. "You don't know shit about her."
She held up her hands, raising her eyebrows at the sudden change in his mood. "Sorry I said anything," she muttered, slumping slightly in her seat. She got the feeling their conversation was over, which sucked because they had another two hours of driving ahead of them. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair as she thought, this is going to be a long trip.
~'~'~'~
Angela adjusted the orange lace push-up bra she was wearing quickly, checking herself out in the mirror. The color made her skin look just a little tanner, and the lace and mesh of the panties left little to the imagination. Juice was going to love them. She put on a pair of her ripped jeans and a simple black tank top with a Harley logo in the center in grey. She finished off the look with a pair of chunky heeled boots that hit her mid calf pulled over the jeans. Was she doing too much? Probably, but it'd been days since she'd last seen Juice, and she wanted to knock his socks off.
She headed to TM and smiled when she spotted Jax sitting out front. "Hey dude," she greeted, bumping her fist against his.
"Hey Ang. You here to see your boy?" he asked with a wry grin.
Angela nodded enthusiastically. "Yep!" she chirped just as the big truck pulled into the lot and backed up expertly into the unloading bay. To her surprise, the first person that jumped out was a female. Her stomach felt sick, all of the excitement she had evaporating. Did Juice bring back a sweetbutt? Had he fucked someone else because of the damn run rule? He'd sworn to her he wouldn't, but maybe he'd changed his mind. Maybe he'd fallen for her. She glanced at Jax, who cursed under his breath. "Who's she?"
Jax shook his head. "A whole lot of trouble," he muttered in response. Clay was the one to approach Juice, grabbing him by the neck and shouting something at him.
His response was not helping her anxiety. "Jackson, did Juice..."
His eyes widened when he realized what she was asking. "No! No, God no, he didn't touch her. He didn't touch anyone. This is Clay and Sack's mess comin' back to haunt 'em. Nothin' to do with your boy," he assured her. She relaxed a bit at his words knowing he could be lying to her, but it didn't seem like it.
Juice stopped short when he saw her, a surprised look on his face. He didn't look guilty though, just surprised that she was standing there. She couldn't blame him; he'd told her he was on his way there, but she'd never said she was going to meet him. "Oh hey, Angel," he greeted, dropping the other girl's arm and holding up his hands. "It's not what it looks like."
"You the infamous Angel?" the red head asked, looking Angela up and down in a way she didn't appreciate.
Angela raised an eyebrow, wondering what she meant by infamous, but she was the only person Juice called 'Angel', so it had be her she'd been hearing about. "Sure," she answered awkwardly, crossing her arms over her chest. "And you are?"
"Cherry. 'm not here for him, promise," she said on a smirk. "Guy spent practically the whole damn trip over here talkin' about you."
All the fear and anxiety she had about Juice maybe cheating went out the window. How could she have ever doubted him? "Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Fuckin' annoying," she muttered before sighing. "Don't worry about me. I'm just gonna head out. Find somewhere else to be."
No one stopped Cherry as she headed towards the front gates. It was another reminder of the way certain women were treated within the SAMCRO universe, and it left a bad taste in Angela's mouth. Someone should've at least given her a ride to the bus stop or something. Thankfully, Charming was a relatively safe town despite the motorcycle club's presence, and Angela had no doubt Cherry would be safe until she found a place to land. "I'm gonna go see if she needs a ride," Angela said starting to go after her.
Juice grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to him. "Relax, baby. She'll figure it out. Plus, you don't want to get on Gemma's bad side, do you?"
"Gemma's bad side..." she trailed off, brows furrowed in confusion. Juice's dark eyes went from Cherry's back towards Clay then to Gemma. "Did she...Clay? Ew. Really?"
"Dunno the specifics, but apparently she and Sack hit it off but Sack had said somethin' about Gemma so Clay wanted to teach him a lesson. Put him in his place," Juice explained, his thumb brushing over the inside of her wrist, his gentle touch making her shiver. "Cherry's a sweetbutt. Can't say no to a club pres."
Angela stared at him, open mouthed. "There are so many things wrong with all of that," she said, shaking her head feeling a little disgusted. "You're sayin' if Clay wanted me to sleep with him...I'd have to?"
To her surprise, Juice's eyes took on a dark, possessive look, his chest puffing out slightly. "Absolutely not," he replied, his voice rough as he pulled her into him. He moved a hand to the side of her face, thumb moving over her jaw. "You're not a sweetbutt. You're so much better than that, and you're mine. Not sharing you. Ever."
The sentiment was a sweet one and despite the many things she found wrong with it, she was willing to let it go. It'd been too long since she'd seen him, and she didn't want to fight with home over something as stupid as semantics. "And you're mine," she replied, grabbing onto the front of his cut. She captured his lips in a hot kiss, enjoying the familiar taste of him as she slid her tongue passed his lips. She sighed into his mouth, a happy, relieved sigh. It was nice to finally have him home and be back in his arms.
Whistles and cheers erupted from the garage bays, and she couldn't help but smile in response. Pulling away slightly, she tapped her forehead to his. His love drunk grin gave her butterflies. He leaned in again, his mouth moving softly against hers as he murmured, "Love you, Angel."
"Love you too," she replied, nuzzling her nose against his. "You comin' home?"
He heaved a heavy sigh, looking over his shoulder at his brothers and hesitating. "Church in five!" Clay barked, looking straight at them.
Angela frowned, wondering if the President was doing it as punishment to Juice for having brought the sweetbutt back to Charming. "Guess there goes those plans," she muttered, playing with the pocket of his cut. She really wasn't sure why she even tried anymore. She should've just waited on him to come home that night. "Shame, 'cause I got some new panties on that I'm sure you'd love."
Juice made sure he was blocking his brothers' view before he hooked a finger in the neckline of her tank top and tugged it down just enough to see the orange lace. His eyes met hers, dark and full of lust. "This shouldn't take long," he said, his hands settling on her hips as he dipped his head to press a kiss to her throat.
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Bull shit," she stated, hissing when his teeth sunk into her neck. His lips softened over the bite, kissing it gently. "I'm here on break. I only got an hour then I got an appointment with a family, then another, then like three embalmings. My day is packed."
He sighed, his forehead pressing into her shoulder dejectedly. "Well, fuck."
"I tried," she stated, raking her fingernails down the strip of hair in the center of his head. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, and she already knew what he was going to say. She pressed her finger to his lips. "Don't say sorry. It's fine. I'll see you tonight, and we can pick up where we left off."
He sighed again, a heavy tired sigh; she had a feeling he was exhausted. "All right, baby. I'll get dinner tonight."
At least that was one thing she didn't have to worry about, she mused, leaning forward to kiss him once more. "That'd be awesome. I'll see you later then?"
"Mm-hmm," he replied, pulling her in by her hips and capturing her lips with his own. Clay barked his name again from behind him, and he cursed softly. "It's like he's doin' it on purpose."
Angela laughed, shaking her head as she pushed him away. "Pretty sure he is, goof. Go before he comes over here and demands my company."
"That's not funny," he shot back, still holding onto her hips.
She kissed his nose, pushing a little more forcefully until he let go. She backed away, blowing him a kiss as she did so. "Love you! See you tonight!"
"You too, crazy lady!" he called back. She could see him grinning at her in her rearview as she tore out of the parking lot, throwing out her hand to wave to the boys as she did so. She hoped they both got home at a decent time so they could actually see each other for once.
~'~'~'~
Angela was exhausted when she finally got home at around ten o'clock at night. Her whole body was aching, and all she wanted was a hot shower. She was surprised to see Juice's motorcycle parked in the drive; he rarely was home before her nowadays. Feeling her mood lifting, she flipped down her sunshade and checked her appearance in the mirror, cleaning up the smudged eyeliner under her eyes and taking out her braid. She combed her fingers through her hair, saw the frizzy mess left behind, and re-braided it into a simpler style. She opened the door slowly, groaning as she got out of the car. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she headed up the walk and into the house. The smell of something cooking made her stomach gurgle. "Juice?" she called out, setting her bag down before taking off her shoes and socks.
"Backyard!" he called out.
She wandered back there, gasping softly when she finally got to the door. Juice had set up an old folding table with a fresh bouquet of lillies and plates piled with food on each setting. Tall glass prayer candles with all sorts of different saints on them were on the table and set up in the grass, their flames flickering in the soft breeze. He was standing in the grass, hands in his pockets, looking just a little bashful. "What's all this?" she asked, looking at the simple set up and back at him.
"Me sayin' sorry 'bout missin' the fundraiser and Cherry," he replied on a shrug. "And just...being away all the time."
Angela was speechless, just taking it all in. "I...did you make ropa vieja?"
"Nah, kinda told your aunt what I had planned, and she made it for me," he answered, staring down at his feet.
"You told my aunt? Did she..."
"She made it, but I was already ridin' around, so I...stopped by to pick up the food...and dessert, but that's...that's for later. The market didn't have normal candles just all these religious ones, which was kinda perfect because it was like that night of the black out in New York we were talking about. Then I got the flowers. Your Ma told me to get you roses, but I know you..."
"Don't like roses," she finished, touching one of the lily's petals. She was still surprised by the little things Juice remembered about her. Her favorite food, favorite flower, and she was sure if Elena had gave him dessert, it was probably flan, another favorite of hers. "This is...amazing. You didn't have to do any of this."
Juice shrugged a shoulder and nodded. "I know, but I wanted to. Been skippin' out on you a lot, and I wanted to do something special. Show you how much I care."
She looked around the small backyard with the cute little setup and slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she murmured, smiling when he squeezed her back, his lips pressing against her forehead. Tilting her head back, she sought out a kiss from him, feeling her heart skip a beat when his warm lips met hers in a lazy kiss.
She tried to deepen it, but he pulled away, tapping his forehead to hers. "Hold that thought," he said, kissing her head. "I got one more thing."
He jogged over to a pair of iPod speakers he had propped up on one of their Adirondack chairs. He pressed play, and she got goosebumps as the beginning chords of "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis started playing. "Think I owe you a dance," he said, holding out a hand to her.
She put her hand in his, allowing him to pull her in close. His arm moved around her waist as he brought their entwined hands close to his heart. She ran a hand over the back of his neck as he pressed a kiss to her temple, letting his lips linger there as they swayed in the grass. "I love you," he whispered, squeezing her hand. "So much."
"Love you too," she replied, turning her head to catch his lips with her own. He nuzzled his nose against hers as he moved away, his lower hand on her back pulling her in closer. For a moment, she let her mind wander to the idea of dancing to the same song with him while wearing a white dress, their friends and family surrounding them. She dismissed it quickly though; it was too fast to think so far ahead into the future. She wanted to stay present in the moment as it was happening, soak it all in because times like this were so few and far between. This moment itself was perfect, and she wanted to sear the memory into her brain to go back to during the not so perfect moments that were sure to come. She was confident they could weather through them. No matter what. He was worth it.
~'~'~'~
I loved writing this chapter. It just made me happy, so I hope it makes you guys happy too! :)
Let me know what you think!!
~Love Ink
💙