I am on the way home when I see Mikayla, wearing a long-sleeved white flowy dress, and walking unusually slow in the opposite direction. I step on the back brake of my scooter, followed by the front brake for a complete stop.

Shit!

I'm a goner to imagine that she is walking toward me in her wedding dress. I blink several times to dismiss my unreal but welcomed thoughts.

"An—" She continues walking as if she doesn't see me. "What the hell?!"  I say in an almost inaudible voice, but she stops and turns around.

"Jarrod?"

She says my name. Fuck! The last time she did, was when we slept together. I can't help but smile. "Where are you going, Angel?"

"Mr. Kosher Cafe," she says like she's talking to her best friend. I'll be damned if I don't seize this moment.

"Can I go with you?"

"Only if you are paying."

My eyes are widening in yet another surprise. "Did you just agree?"

"Agreed. I changed my mind." She starts walking like a turtle.

I kick my scooter and stop beside her. "Hop on."

I am astounded when she turns so I quickly get the extra helmet from my backpack.

"I see. You're more prepared than last time," she smiles and lifts her hand in an attempt to get the helmet from me.

"Let me." I placed the helmet on her head. "I've learned from last time and you can't fault a guy for hoping that it might happen again," I chuckle heartily but stop when I catch her eyes, staring intently or scrutinising, I can't figure which is which.

My hand instantly reaches for her face but before it can make contact, she averts her gaze and moves to hop on my scooter. I sigh and position myself behind her.

When I steer the scooter towards the road, I inhale her flowery and sweet scent. I love everything about her. It feels fucking good to have her here, not caring if the fastest scooter in the world is running at minimum speed.

Our blissful moment has been interrupted by the roars of motorbikes. Glancing at the side mirror which I added in the scooter, my assumption is right. Black Coast gang.

"Fuck!"

The first motorbike is going straight towards us.

"Angel, hold on tight. Now!"

She peers over her shoulders but doesn't say anything to protest. I set the speed to maximum, turn left to a small street, pass the park, and enter the front yard of an apartment building which has tall and thick bushes where we can hide. This is why I prefer a scooter over a motorbike — quiet, can be folded and hidden. We crouch down at the corner where the bushes are thickest. Mikayla squats down behind me.

"Are they the Black Coast gang?" she asks nervously.

"Yes." I turn around and the close proximity makes me stare at her baby blue eyes. She looks vulnerable and the spark her eyes used to have is gone. Before I could ask, she hit me.

"This is why I hate you. You can do all the bad things but get away with it, forgetting that your enemies will strike when you least expect it. You punched his brother, that's why he's after us."

"Angel, they attempted to harm you. I would've beaten him to the point that he couldn't get up if Marc didn't stop me. No one has the right to disrespect you or any girl. That's not the way White Coast gang operates. We might be involved in street fights, drugs and other dangerous stuff but we respect girls and protect minors."

She looks at the bushes as if it's more interesting than talking to me and  whispers, "I hate you."

I know I'm a fucking bad boy but I'm not the worst. "Do you still think I raped you?"

"I—"

The sound of motorbikes cut our conversation, making us both snap our heads in their direction. Some of them continue to go down the street but James stops two houses from where we are. I hold Mikayla's hand and squeeze it to reassure her that everything will be alright.

"Look for them. They might be hiding in the bushes," James commands the other guys with gritted teeth.

"Shit!" James is sometimes more clever than his brother.

"Do whatever you want with the girl, but bring Jarrod to me. I will kill him."

Mikayla gasps and I feel the fear radiating to her skin. My blood has reached its boiling point. So fucking angry with James as well as with myself for putting Mikayla in danger.

"What are we going to do?" Mikayla's worried voice makes me look at our surroundings.

I smirk. "I guess it's time to visit someone." I tug her gently while I pick up my scooter and we run towards the apartment building and stop at the third unit on the ground floor. After knocking three times, the door opens.

"Jarrod?!"

"Let us in, quick!"

Jace glances behind us and opens the door widely. He closes it as soon as we are inside.

"Kayla?" Eloise emerges from the bedroom and shock registers in her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Black Coast gang is chasing us," says Mikayla.

"Are you ok?" Mikayla nods as Eloise walks towards us, glares at me before linking her arm to Mikayla's, tugging her to sit on the couch.

"Since when did you two become friends?" asks Jace. Eloise stares at him like she's conveying a message that only I couldn't understand.

"I'm out of place here, am I?"

Jace just shrugs. "Take a seat. Want anything?"

"Do you have coffee?" asks Mikayla.

"No, sorry Kayla, we only buy from Mr. Kosher Cafe," says Jace.

Mikayla waves her hand. "That's fine."

"Jace and I can go there quickly, right Babe?" says Eloise, already pulling Jace's arm towards the door.

"Of course." Within a few seconds, they're gone.

I plop on the grey 3-seater couch beside Mikayla. Silence engulfs us. I can hear her breathing as if she wants to say something but couldn't.

"I'm sorry for putting your life in danger," I say while staring at the Nintendo switch on the TV stand.

"Then why do you keep on lurking around me? You know I will be in danger if I am with you," she pauses to shift from her seat, "so why don't you leave me alone?"

Unbelievable! "I am fucking in love with you."

She gasps and tilts her head but doesn't meet my gaze.

"If it's not obvious, then I am doing everything wrong here. Aren't I, Angel?"

She looks at me with glassy eyes. "It crossed my mind but I dismissed it. Your reputation doesn't include being boyfriend material."

That feels like a punch to the gut, literally and figuratively.

"Earlier, you asked me about the rape accusation I threw at you weeks ago." She moves her gaze to the indoor plant on the window. "I remember everything that night. How you feel. How I feel. You made love to me."

So fucking right. I fucked girls like a whore except her. "If you do, why did you say I raped you?"

"Because I know I wouldn't have done it if I was sober. I rejected you multiple times but being drunk made me forget why I should stay away from you. My parents told me to avoid the bad guys but..." she trails off.

"You ended up in the bed of one of the leaders," My lips curve into a smirk. " Without your parents' opinion, will you accept me?" My voice sounds more hopeful than I intend it to be.

She stares at me, moving her head slightly from side to side.

"No. I'm sorry." Her eyes brim over with tears.

"Are you trying to say you prefer to sleep around than be with me?" I go from being a gang leader who's being feared by others to being putty in her hands. Every fucking time, she tosses me like I meant noth–

"I don't sleep around!" She seethes as unstoppable tears wet her cheeks and she tries to wipe them harshly.

"Hell yeah! I'll break their bones before they can touch what's mine." I'm going to kill that guy if it happens.

"I'm not yours." She snarls at me.

"I'll make you mine. Mark my words, Angel. You will be mine." I notice the goosebumps appear on her arms. "For now, tell me, why do you go to parties and bars alone?"

"Am I really alone?" She scoffs. "You always show up...all the damn time."

"Answer me. Where are your friends?"

"Isn't it obvious? I didn't invite them," she says like that's a normal thing she does.

"Why, why are you always drinking with guys you barely know?"

"Why not?" She raises her eyebrow. "You enjoy that life so why can't I? I totally understand why you like this kind of lifestyle."

"What do you mean?"

"It numbs everything and makes me forget something." She covers her mouth as if she doesn't intend to say the last part.

When she stands and attempts to get away, she bumps on the table.

"Fuck!"

I catch her before she face-plant on the glass table and place her on my lap rather than helping her back on her feet.

"What are you doing, Jarrod? Put me down." She wiggles and tries to remove my hand around her waist.

I hug her instead, burying my face in her neck. I release a heft sigh, feeling restless about her weird behaviour. Her body slightly shakes, letting me know that she's crying silently.

I sigh, holding her tighter and rubbing her back in a soothing way. "I know something is bothering you. Let me in, Angel. Whatever it is, we'll figure it out."

Instead of replying, she wiggles again, attempting to stand. "Let me go, Jarrod."

But I ignore her and that's when Eloise and Jace come back. Eloise rushes to Mikayla and pulls her away from me.

"What's going on here? What did you do, Jarrod?" Her eyes are sending daggers which baffles me.

"Babe, I think we should go," says Jace, putting his arm on Eloise's shoulder and looking at me. "The spare key is in the bowl. Stay here. Jacob is still around the area."

"Thanks, Bro," I say and nod at him.

"It's fine. I'll go home tonight. Mum asked me to join them for dinner." Jace places the two coffees and a brown bag on the counter.  "Here's your coffee and a box of quiche and croissants."

"We can't leave her alone," says Eloise.

"Babe, Jarrod is a family friend and almost a brother to me. He won't hurt Kayla. Trust me." Jace and Eloise look at each other as if they are the only people in the room, talking to each other through their eyes.

After a few minutes, Eloise turns to Mikayla and wipes her tears. "Will you be alright?" Mikayla nods. "Call me if you need anything." Mikayla nods again and Eloise guides her back to sit on the couch."

What the...

"Wait!" I catch Eloise's wrist before she turns around. "You know something, don't you?"

Eloise eyes widening in surprise but in a blink of an eye she manages to remove her wrist from my grip and ignores me.

"Tell me. Fuck...please." I don't beg but right now I'm pleading even by looking at Jace. I'm desperate to know what's going on with my Angel.

Jace gives me a sympathetic look because he knows that Eloise won't say anything to anyone so he has no idea as well.

"Go Eloise," says Mikayla, and Eloise doesn't need to be told twice.

I watch as she drags Jace away and they both disappear from the door.

"I have juvenile macular degeneration."

I snap my head towards Mikayla who is typing on her phone.

"Juvenile mac-fuck-what?"

"I'm going blind."

###
If you read lots of bad boy stories, have you encountered this kind of story before?

What can you say about this chapter? Did you like it?

Are you familiar with juvenile macular degeneration?

Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be how Jarrod will react to this. See you in the next part.

Lovelots,
Alya