Harley’s Achilles(8)

I put together a breakfast of bacon, eggs and some biscuits, and then I cleaned up as quietly as I could in the bathroom. Harley needed his rest; it was evident to me, even if it wasn’t to him. Three hours later, a sleepy Harley wandered into the kitchen where I was sitting with my coffee and reading the paper.

“What’s all this?” Harley lifted the lid on one of the pans and sniffed.

“You need to eat more.” I eyed him over the top of the paper.

Harley made himself a plate and grabbed a cup of coffee, then sat down with me at the table. He ate a bite and looked over at me in surprise.

“This is really good. What did you add?”

“Secret recipe.” I lifted a brow. “My mom taught me how to cook. She said whoever I ended up with would appreciate it.”

“Um,” Harley sipped his coffee. “Were you ever married?”

“No. Haven’t found the right one yet.” Although, I had a sneaky suspicion the one was sitting right across from me.

“Dated?”

I set the newspaper down and pinned Harley with a look. “What do you really want to know?”

“Nothing. Sorry I asked,” Harley muttered.

“What about you?” I threw it back at him. “Serious with anyone?”

Harley snorted. “Nope. I don’t have time for a relationship.”

That was a crock of shit. Harley had time, especially in between tours. It was his parents who kept him from being with anyone. The guy didn’t think he deserved to be loved.

“Are you running with me this morning as well?” Harley asked.

“If you’d like.”

“I’d like to see if you can beat me,” Harley smirked.

“You do realize I was in the military, right?” I reminded him.

“Yes. But you’ve been out for how long?”

“You’re never really out, Harley.”



~*~

We took off after eating and Harley was ahead of me. His house sat up against a mountain, and trees surrounded it. I kept a good pace behind him, keeping my breathing steady, and watched the landscape as I did. We were about an hour in when Harley came to a stop. He leaned up against a tree and wiped his forehead. I stood next to him, offering him my bottle of water.

“Damn,” Harley panted. “How are you not breathing hard?”

“I’m used to running with a hundred pounds on my back, Harley. I’ve scaled buildings, hopped from rooftop to rooftop, all with said one hundred pounds on my back. I can run for miles and never get tired.”

“You’re a machine.” Harley coughed, sipping my water.

“I’m a soldier, Harley. Like I said, you never really stop being one.”

“Wanna go for a swim?”

“In your guitar pool?” I snickered. Harley’s pool was actually in the shape of guitar.

“Yup.”

“Sounds good.”

We walked back to Harley’s house. I think he’d overdone it trying to beat me. The thought made me smile and Harley cocked a brow at me as we entered his back yard.

“Why are you so chipper?” he asked, removing his shirt.

I glanced around the yard. The weather was cold, but the pool was in its own building off to the side. Slate rock covered Harley’s patio, and a table with six chairs was underneath a covered section with tiki torches all around. It had a Hawaiian feel to it. Harley was waiting for me to answer. I shrugged and began removing my own shirt. I walked past him and heard an audible gasp from behind me. I stopped and sighed, hanging my head. I’d totally forgotten about my tattoo.

“Achilles,” Harley said slowly. “What is your tattoo?”

“I think you know since you have one of your own.” I stood still as Harley’s footsteps resounded on the slate floor behind me. He was right at my back and I cursed under my breath.

“You have a Valkyrie on your back,” he marveled softly.

“So do you,” I pointed out.

“But…why?”

I turned to face him. His mouth was slightly agape, but I couldn’t blame him. I’d seen his tattoo. It was almost identical to mine.

“Where did you get yours?” I asked.

“My brother. He wasn’t just a jock or a soldier, he was an awesome artist. He drew it a long time ago, just before he entered the military. He said that a lot of the guys believed that when they died on the battlefield, they would go to Valhalla.”

“Mine represents almost the same thing, but being who I am and what I’ve done, mine serves a purpose. It’s there to remind me that although there is a dark place inside me that allows me to do the things I need to do, I have to remember that there is also a place inside me to protect. I can’t ever lose that or I’ll be a monster.”