The Day the Storm Struck

Chapter 3: The Day the Storm Struck

Harley (age 21)

As I exit the building for the last time, I push open the studio door and step out into the hot sun. Navigating through the campus at Brockton Community College, I notice the smiling faces of all the other graduates who are leaving their last class of the day. Tomorrow, we graduate from college and are now in control of planning the rest of our lives. Hudson is going off to New York to continue his football dream, glad to be getting out of this vile city. Me? I’m sticking around Massachusetts, but I’m taking a job at a dance academy up in Dorchester, much closer to beautiful, magical Boston.

Since the sun is shining and there’s not a cloud in the sky, I decide to walk back to my apartment instead of hitching a ride. Alec is due home any day now. His return is all that I can fucking think about. He stayed true to his word and enlisted in the Marines right after graduation, leaving me a few short weeks later. We’ve talked here and there, but when he’s on deployment, it’s hard sometimes. This time, it’s been about two weeks since I last heard his voice. Luckily, Hudson does his best to keep my mind off the distance that separates Alec and me. But it’s still lonely without him.

I ascend the narrow, winding stairs to the second floor, where my apartment is located, stopping occasionally to catch my breath and brush the flyaways from my face. I keep my eyes on the ground as I ascend the final few and stumble into a solid chest. I was always told not to look at the ground while I was walking, but old habits are hard to break. One powerful, heavily inked arm curls around my waist as I begin to fall backward and lose my balance, lifting me back to my feet and off the stairs. When I look at him to thank him, I’m struck with a sense of deja vu, like I’ve seen this man up close and personal before.

“Oh, hi. Um, thank you for catching me, so I didn’t bust my ass. Those stairs are lethal.”

I make jokes in an effort to dispel the gloomy atmosphere that seems to hang over us, hoping for my gorgeous savior to smile.

“Yeah, it’s no problem.”

He says it dismissively while focusing intently on my face as if trying to imprint the image permanently in his mind. He still doesn’t smile, though.

“Haven’t I seen you before? I swear you look wicked familiar, but I can’t place it.”

“Look, just because I fucking saved your ass from taking a spill down the fucking stairs doesn’t mean we’re suddenly best friends. Shit doesn’t happen like that in real life, little bird.”

“Oh, I wasn’t tryi-”

My attempt to respond is interrupted when a set of strong arms surrounds me from behind and lifts me off the creaky wooden floor. I shouted, but it only lasted a moment. As soon as I turn to face the offender, my jaw drops to the floor, and tears begin to stream down my hot, rosy cheeks. The gorgeous, enigmatic stranger who saved me sneaks past us and continues down the perilous stairs to get on with his day. I still can’t figure out where I know him from, but I swear I’ve seen him more than once.

“Look at you, beautiful. Fucking look at you, Harley fucking Savage. Jesus, have I missed you, baby.”He’s

Alec, who cups my face in his hands, stands before me decked out in his fatigues, looking like he, literally just got back from deployment. I cover his hands with mine and squeeze my body into his, needing to feel him against me to make sure I’m not fucking seeing things again. I’m not, though. He’s here. My Alec is finally fucking home.

“I’ve missed you too, Alec. I’m so happy that you’re home, baby.”

“I’m here for a while too, baby. I promise I’m not leaving again anytime soon.”

Our lips fuse in desperation as we claim each other’s mouths for the first time in over a year. His tongue curls around mine passionately as he toys with the back of my throat with the tip. I breathlessly moan into his mouth and fall into the kiss, letting him whisk me away to our own little world at the top of the second-floor stairs.

Brixton (34)

Despite sharing an apartment complex with Harley for the past year, I hadn't run into her until today. I try to avoid her at all costs and simply observe from afar, but my gaze was glued to my fucking phone, checking a message from my boy over in Revere, who just got out of jail today. The sensation of her body against mine was surreal. It was more intoxicating than I could have imagined. My arm curled around her tiny waist with a fucking perfect fit, and as soon as it did, I knew I wouldn't be able to let her go easily.

I light a cigarette and wander Brockton's streets, requiring as much distance from Harley and Alec as possible, once I'm out of the building and away from their joyful reunion. My phone rings again, but this time it's him calling, so I pick up, hoping to catch up with an old friend.

“Yo, Trigger. I see your ass is finally fucking free, aye?”

“Yeah, Brix. I’m a free mother fucker who needs a fucking ride. Can you come scoop me up?”

“I live in the city, bro. There’s no need for a fucking whip. Besides, my license is revoked.”

“What for?” He asks, sounding annoyed, but I can’t fucking help that.

“Because I’m a fucking habitual felon, man. They ain’t ever giving me another fucking license. Why don’t you hop on the fucking T and take it to Brockton?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll let you know, Brix. Glad to see you’re still out of prison. I thought for sure that your ass would’ve been locked up again.”

“Nah, not this time, Trig. I’m trying to do the right thing, sorta.”

Before hanging up the phone, we both continued to laugh and shoot the shit for a while. Trigger, a.k.a. Scotty White, was one of my best friends when we were kids. We had the same family dynamics and followed the same life path. We met on the streets, and it was a fucking wrap. We’ve even done some bids together due to being arrested for the same crimes. Our parents consisted of alcoholic, absent fathers and drug-addicted, whore mothers. Boosting cars was me and Scotty’s thing. We were the fucking best at it, and everyone in the neighborhood knew it.

I push Trigger to the back of my mind as I approach the corner in order to score and push Harley to the front, making her the only fucking thing I can think about.

I take the pricey little bag of dope, walk a few blocks to the Dunkin', and sneak into the restroom to do a shot before my next stop. I push the plunger down and inject the heroin into my veins, closing my eyes as I sit on the toilet and enjoy the rush that spreads throughout my body. Ah, fucking finally.

“You look fucked up, Brixton. You got any more?” Raegan speaks to me in a whisper as I head to the side of the building to join the other smokers, desperate to get their nicotine fix before the dreaded Narcotics Anonymous meeting that’s about to start.

“I’m not fucked up, Rae, so shut your fucking mouth before the wrong person hears that. You tryin’ to get me sent back to fucking prison?"

I run my nose along her neck, wishing she were Harley, and respond to her with a low growl. I pin her curvy body against the crumbling brick structure and continue to attack her neck, nipping at her flesh as I slip my hand between her thick thighs and rub my palm over her covered pussy. She cocks her head to the side so I can get closer to her neck and brushes her hand across the throbbing bulge in my pants in an effort to rile me up just as much as I'm riling her up. However, this is what we fucking do. Years ago, Raegan and I met at a NA meeting and instantly clicked—over heroin nonetheless. We became the best fucking “using buddies,” and she’d even fucking help me boost a car if needed. We ended up in bed together eventually, and ever since then, all we do is fuck and occasionally get high. Tonight might be one of those occasions.

“After the meeting, can we go back to your place, Brix? I have something I want to show you.”

She attempts to be cute by pouting her lips and flicking her fake lashes in my direction. She isn't, though. Harley's eyelashes are completely real, just like the rest of her body, and that's all I can think about. Not Rae.

“Nah, your place is closer, so we’ll go there, Rae, and I ain’t hearing no fucking fuss about it.”

I push off of her body and saunter toward the door while adjusting my firm erection in an effort to hide it from the audience.

Another day, another fucking meeting… This life is for the fucking birds.

Harley

Alec hovers his sweaty, naked body over mine, and I find myself getting lost in the light yellow ring around his dark, dilated pupils, gazing intently into his eyes. Having just experienced an overdue, intense orgasm, we both lie here panting and satisfied as small tremors rock our bodies. God, I love this man. I still get butterflies whenever he flashes that smile at me like he is doing now. He removes the wet hair from my face and kisses my cheeks softly and sensually, letting out seductive groans as he does so.

“Marry me, Harley Rain Savage, please, baby?”

He holds my face in his hands and stares down at me, waiting for my answer to his proposal. He already knows my answer, but I can tell he wants me to say it regardless.

“Yes, Alec Rocco Carson. I will marry you, babe.”

His lips claim mine in a passionate, heated frenzy, and the next thing I know, he rolls me on top of him and slams me on his cock in just one brutal motion.

…..

Nerves consume me as I pace the hallway outside of my apartment door, impatiently waiting for my brother and Alec to return from their night out. I clutch my phone in my hand, making my knuckles turn white from the force. All of my calls go unanswered, and every single text stays on “delivered”. The same thing happens when I try Hudson’s phone, and it’s starting to make me fucking panic. Where the fuck are they? Alec left hours ago to meet Hudson for a beer at the bar, seeing how they haven’t seen each other in over a year.

The rain outside is pouring down in torrents, blinding the entire city with its icy, brittle streams that rage angrily in the ferocious wind. I'm tempted to look outside my apartment building's windows because of the sound of hail hitting the glass. I try to look through the rain with my eyes on the cold glass, but it is incredibly difficult to see anything below due to the white-out conditions.

Where are they? It’s starting to make me worry to the point where I feel like I’m about to fucking hurl all over the place. They never do this shit, so I know something has to be wrong. Fuck, Harley, stop overthinking shit. They’re fine.

I fight with the voices inside my head, trying to keep myself composed, and as calm as I can be. And then my phone rings, startling me and making me jump in fear. I remain motionless, my phone vibrating in my hand, as the sound of a door opening and closing reverberates in my ears. I look down at the screen and wrinkle my nose at the strange number that is wildly flashing at me; my eyes are so fixed that I can't even blink. I'm in the hallway when a stunning piece of inked art passes by, and I recognize the man who prevented me from falling down the stairs from his incredible collection of tattoos. This time, I avert my eyes from him and ignore the smile he openly flashes my way. Instead, I tap my phone's answer icon while trembling and nervously pressing it against my ear.

“Um, hello?”

“Yes, I’m looking for Miss Harley Savage, please.” The deep, monotone voice says on the other end.

“Yes, I’m Harley Savage. May I ask who’s calling and what this is about?” I try to say it calmly and confidently, but I can hear the shakiness and sadness in my voice.

“Ma’am, this is Detective Rollins, with the Brockton Police Department. I have some rather unfortunate news about a Mr. Hudson Savage and a Mr. Alec Savagged. You do know them, correct?”

“Um, yes, sir. Hudson is my twin brother, and Alec is my bo- fiance. What’s the matter with them? Is everything okay?”

There’s a brief pause on the other line, and instantly my heart sinks. The overwhelming urge to vomit becomes even more intense as I await the news from the detective.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Harley, but your brother and your fiance are no longer with us. They were shot and killed in an attempted carjacking moments ago.”

His words keep repeating in my head, making everything around me spin ferociously. My feet start to shake, and I feel myself swaying back and forth, his voice fading, my phone dropping to the floor. White spots flash in my eyes like fireflies blinking in the dark, just before I collapse to the ground. Just as my legs give out from under me, my head spins, and my stomach twists into a knot.

And just like my world as I once knew it, everything around me darkens as I fall to the hard, dirty floor.