Separately Together

Chapter Twenty: 2/2

I come to a few hours later with Harley snuggled into my neck, his breathing not as heavy as they are when he is sleeping. He is awake, "Did you mean it?"

His voice raspy and almost sounded strained, like he was holding himself as still as he can. "Mean what?" I ask a little confused about what he was referring to. There was a multitude of things that he could be talking about, and I wasn't going to guess at them.

"Mean that you were, here. That you weren't leaving." He takes a deep breath in. "That you were going to stay no matter what." He pushes his lips onto my neck and my breath catches in my throat not allowing me to breath, but it isn't ... scary. Not with Harley it was anything but that. It was exhilarating, breathless, amazing, world altering, demanding, beautiful and raw.

His warm exhales cascading against my skin as he pulls his mouth away from my flesh. I assume he was waiting for a reply, "Yes."

It was a whisper and I felt him tug me into him closer than before resting his chin on the top of my head. "No one has ever cared, like you."

The words break my heart but also fills it with contentment from the realization of our situation. I wasn't going to have to leave Harley behind, I was going to stay with him. I wouldn't have to fight through the nightmares by myself. Wouldn't have to come home to an empty house with one too many locks on it. Wouldn't have to be alone anymore and Harley would finally have someone that cared about his wellbeing not just their own.

"Do you realize that once this is all over, you lose the window to leave, right?" He asks, the question almost muffled by my rough looking curls. "You'll be stuck living a life without a husband, without kids. Eventually I'm going to be Ben, stuck at the clubhouse unless there is something that needs burned down or someone that needs ... killed."

"Separately Together. I understand Harley. I'm not leaving you alone. I'm going to make your life worth living eventually, Harley Walker." His knuckles graze my hip bone making me shiver slightly.

"I think you already have."

~.~.~.~.~

Harley was gone the next morning, all of our whispered promises hanging in the air. I didn't know where this left us at. My brother, his father and The Voiceless men thought we were together, and according if I didn't book it as soon as The Forefathers were taking care of, then I was stuck with this fake relationship, stuck with Harley. Was that enough, would Harley's friendship be enough for me to live a fulfilled life? Harley would always be enough, even if we were stuck in a dungeon together. He would be enough to make me feel like I was whole, safe.

I spend the hour before I have to get to work writing and I finish my first ever book. Excitement filled my veins when I wrote the last word, but the smile quickly disappears when I realize I wasn't ever going to let anyone read it. After the realization all that it felt like I had accomplished was a waste of time.

I walk down the stairs ready for work to find Gale drinking a cup of coffee at the kitchen table. "Harley has instructed me to drive you to work. Something about extra precautions."

"Okay." I say a little glum, from having finished my book and realizing it was just a big waste of time.

"You, okay?" Gale questions, sensing my bad mood.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say quietly.

"Oh no. My sister always said that when a woman says 'fine' that it is the exact opposite." He tsk his tongue in my direction and comes to stand near me. I forgot he grew up in a house full of woman, he must have picked up on a few things in all of them years.

"It's just. I spent a lot of time on something I enjoyed and now that its finished, I don't know. I just feel defeated because it felt like a waste of time." I explain it the best that I could without revealing to him what it was, because I felt like he would make fun of me or think it was stupid. that kind of reaction wasn't in his character, but my insecurities got in my head and stopped me from sharing.