Read Blood (Dark Riders Motorcycle Club) for Free Online Page B

them and held my head in my hands.
    What was I feeling? Not sadness. My body felt light, like I was floating.
    I wiped the tears away and looked back at the letter.
    I love you, Lilly Clarkfeld…. Always…
    A smile slowly crept over my face. I got up on wobbly legs and laid back down on the bed. The letter crinkled in my hand as I pressed it against my chest.
    Why did it take me so long to understand? Finally, I knew the answer. I knew what I should have told him such a long time ago.

Chapter 14
    Breakfast was normal. We had oatmeal with plums and cherries. I sat down at the little table across from my mom, and we spooned the warm cereal into our mouths.
    It was a beautiful day. The sun shone into the house, falling on our skin and warming the air. It was quiet. There were no gunshots. No motorcycle engines revving. Just the sound of the wind and the chimes on the porch tinkling in the breeze.
    Still, I couldn't relax. I kept bouncing my feet against the floor. It was hard to eat because my stomach refused to settle. It was hard to keep still.
    "So how are you feeling today?" my mom asked.
    "Good," I said. I gave her a wide grin.
    "Much better than yesterday?"
    "Yes," I said. " Much better."
    "You know, I was thinking that we could go shopping together today," she said. "Only if you're up for it, of course."
    A lump formed in my throat.
    "That sounds... great ," I said.
    The clatter of my mom's spoon against her bowl made me jump. I looked up at her, and she was staring at me.
    "Go," she said.
    "What?"
    " Go !" Her voice wasn't angry, just stern and steady. "Look, you can hide from yourself but not from me. So go!"
    I looked at mom for a while, but her expression didn't change. It wasn't a joke. I stood up, slowly moving away from the table. By the time I reached the door, my feet were moving ahead of me.
    I ran.
    Down the stairs of our porch. Across the street. To the end of our road.
    I ran. And I kept running. Where? I wasn't sure.
    My childhood streets rushed past me in a blur. The sun shone in my eyes, obscuring my vision. That was okay. I didn't need to see. My feet would take me there.
    The ground was harder than I expected. I hadn't even stopped to put on shoes, so every little rock jabbed itself into the bottom of my soles. I was probably bleeding. It didn't matter. I had to run.
    Warm air filled my lungs as I gasped for breath. It smelled like it always smelled. Of the trees lining the streets. Of the flowers tended meticulously by the old lady down the road. Was she still tending those flowers? Or was someone else?
    I should have known.
    The old school loomed up ahead of me. Where else would I have gone? This is where everything happened. Where I always ended up.
    And this time? What would happen?
    I stopped running in front of the chain-link fence. My fingers clamped onto the weather-worn metal, and I felt its warmth burn into my skin. For a while, I just stood there looking at the old overgrown field, and feeling the sun beat down my back.  
    Sweat formed on my forehead and spilled all over my body. I must've looked like a mess. Ha. Like I always did back then. All I was missing was some dirt on my face.
    Suddenly, a dark fragrance filled the air. It smelled familiar, and my heart started to race.
    "Lily?"
    I turned around. It was Asher.
    His arm was bandaged again. This time, he had some kind of sling to keep it stable. It was good. That was exactly what I would've wanted.
    We stared at one another. It was stupid, really. After everything, why were we hesitating? What was there to be shy about?
    Still, I stayed where I was. I took a step back, and pressed my body against the fence. It clanged under my impact.
    Asher ran his hand through his hair and pressed his fingers against the back of his neck.His mouth opened, but nothing came out.
    It was now or never, wasn't it? If I didn't say anything, the moment would pass. We'd go back to how we were. Nothing would have changed.
    Was that what I wanted?
    At first,