Chapter 31: See You Later
A/N: I never know what to say when posting a final chapter. So I'll just say THANK YOU for reading this story. You've been a part of something very special to me. I would love to hear your thoughts on it so please don't be shy. Enjoy! And again thank you. *kjx*
Juice smiled driving himself and Ronnie just outside of town for a late breakfast, happy and grateful to be back on his bike. Settling onto the familiar seat, the added feel of Raniyah's arms around his waist made it feel like home. Settling into the tiny but cheery cafe's booth at Charming's only nearby truck stop, Raniyah was surprised when he slid in next to her instead of sitting across from her like he normally did. Juice had chosen this cafe because he knew it had low foot traffic and he could relax more. With her wrapped around his arm and a hand on her thigh they looked over the menu together. There wasn't much talking between the kisses he pressed into her hair and her hands' frequent trips up and down his arm while they waited for their food. Juice closed his eyes, breathing her in. Memorizing the feel of her while the late morning sun beamed in the window, warming them both.
Don't go.
The simple sentence sat fat and weighty in his throat. They had talked about it as much as they dared to without letting sadness take over the night before. They were together and exclusive and they talked themselves into believing it was better that she wasn't in Charming - as fun as it would be, her not being there was safer. He had to trust that what they had created between them would be okay. She had chosen him and that had to be enough for now. It had to be.
When their food arrived they grudgingly pulled apart. Juice chuckled at the wide-eyed look on Raniyah's face when their server set down two platters of plate-sized pancakes and fat sausages.
Smiling at her shock, their server set down the syrup caddy and asked, "Need anything else, honey?"
"A tow truck," she grinned back at her.
"Enjoy."
It was almost noon when they carried themselves, full and happy, out of the cafe. Getting back on his bike Raniyah wrapped her arms high around Juice's chest, squeezing him. Letting his engine run, he leaned back absorbing her hug.
Raising his voice over the rumbling engine he asked, "You good?"
No. Giving him one more squeeze she lowered her hands to their proper position at his waist, "Yep. Let's go."
0.o.0.o.0
Pulling onto the lot at the clubhouse, Juice could see Chibs, Tig, Happy and Clay standing outside smoking.
As Juice joined the cluster, Chibs put his arm around Raniyah's shoulder to usher her inside, "So! Tis yer last night, yeah?
Raniyah's face flashed sadness quickly, then it disappeared. "He told you."
"Aye." Turning to face her fully, he saw the same resolute look on her face as was on Juice's. They were trying but the eyes never lie. They're just fuckin' kids…he thought, remembering the deep ache he first felt being separated from his family. Chucking her under her chin, he smiled warmly. "It's too bad, Angel. This place could do wit' a smile like yers."
She grabbed the Scotsman up in a hug as hard as one of his own. "I'm gonna miss you."
"Not fer long, yeah? I'll be 'ere when ya come ta see 'im."
"Promise?"
"Ah, cross me 'eart." He winked with a conspirator's smile and kissed her hand - his charm as disarming as the day she met him. "I'd nev'r break a promise ta an angel."
As the rest of the crew came in from outside and they both looked over at Juice. Raniyah's face softening made Chibs put his arm around her again in reassurance.
"And you'll take care of him?" she asked.
"Aye. But you come. An' come oft."
Raniyah nodded determined not to tear up, "I will."
Juice smiled from across the room at the two people who would cross hell to get to him, not knowing one was holding the other together.
0.o.0.o.0
Juice nudged Raniyah's shoulder indicating he was ready to leave. Plastering on a beaming smile she hugged the guys she knew goodbye, avoiding Clay but including Kip. Outside, Tig rolled his eyes at Chibs' third round of hugs with Raniyah.
"Hey, asshole! Move! Stop hogging her!" Hugging Raniyah and lifting her off of her feet, Tig waggled his eyebrows at Juice's protest. Sending a lewd wink his way, he dropped a lingering kiss on her temple which sent her into giggles, at being a pawn once again in their brotherly battle.
Jax and Opie ambled up, having pulled in just in time to get in on the send-off. Kissing her cheek, Jax looked her in the eyes, "Be good, darlin'."
"Not a chance. Tell Tara I said bye."
Opie bent, wrapping a lengthy arm around her, patting her on the back and letting go with a soft smile.
Standing a bit to the side was her most important target. Raniyah marched over to Happy and glared up at him while he stood scowling down at her with his toothpick bobbing slowly. "I'm hugging you anyway so don't make it weird." Throwing herself into his chest, she pressed her hands into his stiff back and grinned. "You were named after the wrong dwarf."
Happy's chuckle bounced his chest one time then his arms squeezed her in return for a millisecond.
"Bye, Grumpy," she said quietly before letting go.
0.o.0.o.0
"I love you," he whispered for the umpteenth time between gasping breaths.
On her knees at the head of his bed, Raniyah planted her hand on the wall. She was biting down on his forearm holding her to his chest to muffle the explosive scream she knew was working its way up from her center to her throat. Juice had been inside of her since they entered the house, feverish and greedy. It was as if he was newly programmed to break her down into a million pieces. She'd lost count of the times he'd made her come. It was indescribable. She was absolutely dizzy from it. She wasn't even attempting words anymore, all she could do was hang on.
"Aw fuck, Ronnie!
Reaching back, she clung to his hip when her climax struck again clouding her mind over so she wouldn't remember leaving five fingernail imprints and a red drag of scratches there. Overrun by her own tremors, she helplessly took every thrust he drove up into her until he buckled again, slamming them both forward. Pressed into the wall, Raniyah absorbed his final cries with her shoulder and his spasms with her spine.
With his arm still around her waist, he panted heavily into her shoulder and she reached back to grip his neck. Come with me to Vegas. The words stayed trapped in her heart as he kissed her shoulder and neck, lapping at her sweaty, salty skin. She blinked away tears as her chest tightened. She wanted them to be together, and start somewhere new. To have him live the life he deserved, not the one he crafted because his beginning years were ruined. Collapsing with him on the bed, she clutched his arm wrapped around her. He loves me. I have to let that be enough.
.
**EPILOGUE**
Their morning was quiet moments, long hugs and whispered promises. When he put the last of her things in her truck, tying a cover on them because he had been hit by something that flew out off of a flatbed once - they had made a communication agreement. They would text daily, see each other as soon as possible and talk at least once every three days - no excuses and no lies. The final goodbye hug ripped her heart to pieces but they held it together.
Leaning into her window for a quick kiss, Juice realized he had walked away from so many people without looking back during his life. How lucky was he that Raniyah was the one who didn't let him go? Fingering the lightning bolt necklace on her chest, he took a step back smiling warmly, not saying goodbye. "See you later."
Raniyah put the truck in reverse and gave him a little wave but she didn't shed a tear until she stopped for gas. Checking in with him as promised, they talked for a bit and the noise in his background did nothing to cover up his whispered 'I love you' before they disconnected, striking her right in the heart.
Raniyah's hands trembled slightly as she finished pumping her gas. Taking a deep breath, she drove to the edge of the parking lot. Breathing past the ache in her chest, she turned off her truck, rolled up her windows and let the tears come.
What she didn't know was that when Juice finished their call, he left the garage and headed home to do the same.
0.o.0.o.0
Las Vegas, Nevada
Her cousin, Lena, announced her 2nd pregnancy along with the engagement to her boyfriend, a week after Raniyah started working, which upended her plans to stay there for her first year. While neither of them wanted her to go, it just didn't feel right to her to stay anymore. She wanted them to have their space and to be able to prepare for the baby. With the housing market outside of Vegas being what it was, she was able to rent a house almost immediately. She spent every waking moment either at work or working on her little house - unpacking, and putting together new furniture. The situation launched her happily into independence, but the unplanned move ruined the chance for her to get back to Charming as soon as she had originally planned.
At the end of three weeks, Juice came up to see her new place. Their reunion was joyful, noisy and sweaty. He helped move things around and made her shop for a dinette set after eating on the floor for a couple of days. Juice had arrived on Friday and was supposed to leave Sunday morning but he stayed an extra day, unable to make himself leave. Letting Chibs block the heat for him back home, they spent every second within a finger's length away from each other and made plans for her first visit back to Charming the following week.
0.o.0.o.0
Raniyah sighed looking at her schedule. It felt like months had gone by since moving to Vegas. She was too busy during the day and too exhausted at night to be properly disappointed that Juice didn't reach out as much as she did. He always responded when she called or texted but wasn't initiating as often. The tension in his voice had been greater every time they talked over the last week. He laughed less and sighed more which put Raniyah on edge.
"What's happening, Jay?" She asked one night when his call came after 2am.
"I'm okay."
"No, you're not." She hadn't hard-pressed him to talk so far but she couldn't stand hearing the despondency in his voice another night. "Jay…you promised me. You promised to tell me what you could."
Juice closed his eyes, the words he so desperately wanted to say lodged in his throat. I'm fucking up. I'm fucking up so bad! "I'm just tired…I can't sleep."
She tucked her lips in to keep from calling him out on the obvious lie. Why won't you talk to me? It took all she had not to get in her car and go to him. Instead, they planned for him to come up at the end of the next week. She would call in sick and they could have days together instead of hours. That decided, he put her on speaker and fell asleep with her beside him on the pillow.
0.o.0.o.0
Raniyah had been in Nevada for six whirlwind weeks.
Sitting at her desk, she was supposed to be speed-reading a new author's submission for publishing to present to her team lead but her mind was on Juice. His visit never happened. He had apologetically canceled in a quick call two days before he was supposed to come and had been not communicating ever since. Five days. It had been five days since he called, texted or picked up and Raniyah's stomach was churning 24/7.
She tried to console herself with the fact that they could be on a run but it wasn't helping. She knew he wouldn't break contact over that. She knew something was wrong but Raniyah didn't want to call the garage. The thought of Gemma knowing she was looking for him disgusted her, adding to the ever-growing ball of fire in her gut. But the memory of him coming home to her with a stab wound kept coming back to her mind. Who's taking care of him now?
Unable to focus, she straightened up to leave early for the day. Just as she was hoisting her bag up on her shoulder, her desk phone rang. Glancing over at the oversized call window she ignored the unknown number and locked her desk. Then her phone started ringing in her bag. Struggling to get it out, she frowned at the screen, another unknown number. Hospitals don't have their numbers in your contact list…her ma always said so she hurried to answer.
"This is Raniyah Cars-."
"Ronnie!" Juice spoke in a harsh whisper, making her stumble in her greeting.
Hearing his voice jolted her whole system. Her hands turned sweaty as she leaned on her desk gripping the phone. Hearing the noisy, echoing background she blurted, "Jay?! Hello? Jay!"
The relief that flooded her body at hearing his voice was iced over by the realization that he was somewhere where whispering was required. Her fingers flew to the lightning bolt necklace that she wore every day now.
With his back to his cell door and Chibs on lookout, Juice leaned on the cinder block wall. Talking on the smuggled-in phone was a serious risk but he had to get to Raniyah himself. There was no way she would forgive him for getting a call from Gemma with the news that they had been picked up and he was in prison. Ronnie. His breath huffed out in relief and a smile spread over his face despite the voices and chaos in the background.
He still spoke low, "Uh, yeah…hey. It's me. Can you hear me okay?"
Her legs gave out and she collapsed in her chair. "Yes." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. With her heart racing, she cleared her throat and spoke up louder, "Yes. I can hear you."
"Okay, good…great." She heard the lift in his exhale and knew there was a gorgeous smile on his lips to go with it. "Um…hey girl."
Raniyah leaned back in her chair, her eyes searching the ceiling while she toyed with the lightning bolt necklace between her fingers, grateful for his voice coming across the line. She couldn't stop the smile that started when she answered, "Hey, boy."
-fin-
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A/N: Maybe it's not done? Maybe you should follow me so you don't miss anything? Maybe? idk. *whispers* Yes I do. ;)