Chapter 108: Those to Protect

Chapter 108: Those to Protect
Chad took a deep breath. He sat on the ground and patted at the space beside him. Stacy mirrored his actions and sat on the ground.
“You didn’t know my ex. You’ve never met before. Our history ended around five years ago,” he said. She did the mental calculation in her mind. “When you were my age,” she nodded. “Yes,” he affirmed, “when I was still a useless young lad.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can’t imagine that. You are basically supporting the whole town right now.” Chad shook his head. “Everyone has a past.”
There was a moment of silence as she waited for him to continue the story. She turned to check on him when the pause was too long.
“What ended it?” She finally asked. “Death.”
She nodded before doing a double take. Chad’s expression remained neutral. He stared at the scenery far away. Stacy quickly looked away, not wanting him to see her surprise. The word settled heavily between them.
Stacy remained quiet, taking the time to process the information. Chad used to date someone and she passed away five years ago. It must be hard for him. She couldn’t imagine how it would feel if she were to lose him one day.
Just as the thought settled in, she reached out to hold his hand. She simply needed to feel him, to be assured that he was still there, breathing and living, in flesh beside her. He gave her hand a little squeeze, as if responding to her thoughts.
“I couldn’t protect those that are dear to me,” he added, “so from that day onwards, I vowed to become stronger. Only then, I can protect all that I wish to protect.”
He looked at her. There was a feeling of deja vu. It happened before.
He was sitting on the hill with Sofia, telling her about his mother’s passing. He had told her the same thing then. If he was stronger, he might be able to save his mother.
Still, he wasn’t strong enough to prevent her fate. He studied the woman in front of him. After those two failures, would he confidently say that he would be able to protect her? Because as he remembered, the next question would be..
‘Will you protect me forever?’
“By protecting yourself, you are protecting those you hold dear.”
He blinked. Stacy watched him intently but his expression remained unreadable. Then, his brows furrowed. It wasn’t something that he had initially anticipated. The line was totally out of the pre-defined script. It was something out of nowhere, causing his mind to short-circuit. He looked at her, tried to say something but he opened his mouth just to close it again.
“By taking good care of yourself, you are also protecting those dear to you. In this world we are in, I suppose the pain of losing a loved one is one of the greatest pain of all that could possibly be inflicted. You’ve got the experience first-hand,” she said, “it’s alright to want to protect everyone and everything. But the world is not perfect. Look at my old man.” She chuckled before continuing, “no matter what, make sure that you include yourself in the list of people to protect.”
He studied her closely. “How did you know the pain of losing a loved one?” The question came out before he could stop himself. “I don’t know how, but I seem to be able to feel it. Might have happened to me in the past,” she had an easy smile as she looked out at the river, regarding the flowing water and the living beings in it.
He chuckled. Of course the response would be different. Stacy was different from the other girls, or even the peers her age. She could comprehend the essence of all that lay below the surface, relating to the deep emotions on another level. She’s not one to rely on anyone for protection. She believed in herself, that she had the ability to push through the hardest situations no matter how impossible they were.
“I’ll make sure to stay safe and healthy,” he vowed, “I will fight the devil himself just to come back to you. No matter how impossible, I will hold on to the thread of life because I know you will be waiting for me.”
She returned his smile before lying down on the grass. He did the same. They watched the clouds moving slowly in the blue sky, enjoying the rare sense of calm. “They say that third time is the charm,” he said casually. She rolled to his side, settling on her stomach as she rested her chin on his chest. “What’s the third time?”
He shook his head, and decided against it. “What?” She pushed, making him chuckle. “Tell me,” she demanded.
He placed his hand on her head, guiding her to lie on his chest. “I’ve lost two important women in my life,” he said, “but I believe you will stay with me till the end of the time.”
“Hmm,” she gave him a lazy affirmation, listening to his steady heartbeat as she closed her eyes. Chad’s hand was still at her head, softly threading through her hair.
‘I wish that the world will be peaceful from now on. If that’s too much to ask, at least let the time stop at this second. I can live in this moment forever,’ she thought.
Just as she was basking in the peace of their moment, the sound of motorcycle engines sounded, fading in as they neared.
The two immediately jumped to attention. Stacy was on her feet in just a second and Chad was already reaching for his gun. One could never be too careful outside their own territory. They held their breaths as they waited in silence, leaving only the sound of the nearing engine. “Two bikes,” Stacy confirmed. “Four men at most,” Chad agreed. “I don’t have a weapon,” Stacy mumbled as the seconds ticked.
“I’m your weapon,” he said as exactly two men appeared on their bikes. Their tension reduced visibly when they saw familiar faces. It didn’t escape their attention that something was happening.
They didn’t bother to get off their bikes. “Chad! Something happened at the clubhouse,” one of them shouted. Without a second of delay, Chad was already on his bike. Stacy jumped on without a word.
Just when they thought that it was finally peaceful, something would happen to remind them that it was all wishful thinking.
“Hold on tight,” Chad shouted over the wind before tightened his grip and sped back to the clubhouse.