Jamie Begley - Knox’s Stand

“I’m on a diet, Mom,” she responded to Sex Piston’s threatening glare accompanied with the finger behind her mother’s back.

Her mother returned to the table with a cake that looked remarkably good, but Diamond had learnt that looks were deceiving where her mother’s cooking was concerned. She always waited for the consensus before jumping for a slice of chocolate cake. The look of horror on their faces confirmed her fears.

“Sizzle, we need some milk. Beer and chocolate don’t go together.” Her mother went back into the kitchen and everyone sprang into action. Sex Piston dumped her cake onto her father’s napkin and he dumped his there also then left the room just as her mother returned with the milk and paper cups.

Diamond wanted to go through the floor, wondering if the night could get any more embarrassing as she watched Knox when her father returned to the room, explaining to her mother he’d had to go to the restroom. Knox managed to take a couple of bites before even he couldn’t gag any more down.

“I’m not a big sweet eater,” Knox explained to her mother when she cast him a questioning glance.

“I’m not, either, but I know they enjoy it when I make something sweet to finish off dinner.”

“It was a delicious meal as always, Sizzle,” her father lied.

Diamond had, with that, had enough. She wanted to escape before she had to have any more time in her father’s company.

“Mom, what did you want to tell us? Knox can leave, go in the other room while we talk—”

“There’s no need, Diamond; it’s not bad news. I just wanted to ask you two girls if you’d be my bridesmaids. Your father and I have finally decided to tie the knot.” Sex Piston whooped, getting up to hug both parents. Her mother’s smiling face turned toward her as Diamond rose carefully from the table.

“I’ll talk to you later, Mom. I need to leave. I don’t want to hold Knox up any longer than necessary. I was worried you may be sick again. I’m glad it’s good news.” Diamond put her chair back under the table. Not waiting for Knox, she practically ran for the door.

“Diamond, what on earth? Wait a minute. The wedding is going to be at the Destructors’ clubhouse. We’re going to have a caterer and everything.” Diamond could hear the tears in her mother’s voice, but didn’t stop.

“I can’t, Mom. I just can’t,” Diamond answered, pulling open the door and going for Knox’s bike.

“Damn it, stop, Diamond,” her father yelled.

Diamond stopped; her back to her family, sensing Knox stopping by her side.

“What’s your fucking problem?” Sex Piston yelled. “Why are you being a bitch to Mom? They’ve been together for years. You should be happy.”

Diamond swung around facing her family.

“Why should I be happy to see her marry a man who has fucked around on her for years? Now that he’s an old man and not president of a motorcycle club the pussy probably doesn’t come as easy as it used to, does it, Pops?” Years of hurt along with feelings of betrayal welled and found their target. The stunned look on her father’s face had her wanting to inflict more hurt. “You haven’t deserved Mom for years, so no, I’m not going to watch you get married to my mom when you damn sure don’t deserve her now.”

“You bitch!” Sex Piston yelled at her sister.

“You’re calling me a bitch? You’re the bitch; always in heat for some man. You’re just like him, chasing anything with a dick—you and Ace both. The only difference is you didn’t get knocked up like that woman he’s got now.”

Diamond saw the look of pain on her mother’s face, and with a sob, went to Knox’s bike, getting on and putting on his helmet. He paused, but then hopped on to the bike, starting it and pulling out. Diamond cried all the way back to Treepoint. Angry at her parents for springing the news on her and even angrier at her mother for putting up with her father’s shit for all the years they had been together.

She was also embarrassed that she had let loose in front of Knox. She should just have left, but she had lost control when she had faced her father. All the admiration she’d had for him as a little girl when she would have at one time been overjoyed for her parents to get married were washed away by the memory of him with that other woman at the Destructors’ clubhouse.

The hardest thing to admit was that she could finally understand her mother after all these years; the attraction of wanting someone you knew was incapable of being faithful and being the man you wanted him to be. The torture of a body in need versus a mind that said it was a heartache in waiting. Knox was like the wind rushing passed them, uncontrollable and free. He would never be the man she needed to make her happy.

As Knox pulled up in front of Diamond’s apartment, she barely managed to wait for him to stop to jump off.

“Thanks for the ride.” Handing him the helmet, she took off for her door. When she was there, she realized too late she had left her purse in Knox’s saddlebag. As she turned to go back, she bumped into Knox.

“Diamond, what’s wrong with you? Don’t fucking jump off my bike like that again,” Knox growled, handing her purse to her.

Diamond ran her hand through her flattened hair. “I made a fool of myself. I didn’t mean to drag that crap out in front of you. I’m sorry.” Digging in her purse, she found her keys and then opened the door. She started to tell Knox goodnight, only to find herself propelled forward into her apartment.

“What are you doing?” Diamond said, startled.

“I’m going to check your apartment out before I leave,” Knox answered, brushing past her to walk through her apartment, checking each room.

“I believe I would notice if someone broke in,” Diamond said sarcastically.

“Your neighbors aren’t home next door. Who’s going to hear if you yell for help?” Knox said, unfazed by her attitude, which only irritated Diamond further.

“I have a cell phone,” she snapped.

“Yeah, you tell the man who breaks in and is waiting to take you out that you need to make a call. I’m sure he’ll listen,” Knox said sarcastically. “Until we find out who broke into your office, you need to play it safe, Diamond.”

In the turmoil of the last few hours she had forgotten about her office.

“I wasn’t thinking. Next time, I’ll be more careful,” Diamond admitted.

“Good. Now do you have anything to eat, I’m fucking starving.”

“I think I can manage something.” She laughed, setting her purse down on the table.

“Good, because I hate to tell you this, but your mama isn’t a good cook,” Knox said with a grimace.

Diamond had to agree. “How was the cake?” she asked, going to the refrigerator and pulling out lunchmeat, lettuce and tomatoes.

“I think she mixed up the salt with the sugar, and the chocolate was God awful,” Knox said, picking out an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter.

“She always manages to mix up the different types of chocolate. Sorry my dad didn’t help you out.”

“Hell, I understand; in that situation it was every man for himself.” Diamond laughed harder.

“Thank God, she doesn’t cook often. Usually it’s about something pretty bad, and I guess, tonight was no exception,” Diamond said, her laughter dying.

“You don’t want your parents to get married?” Knox went to her fridge, pulling out a grape soda. “How long have they been together?” he asked, taking a bite of the apple.

“Thirty-five years. Twenty years longer than they should have been.”

Knox paused, unscrewing the bottled grape drink. “Is that the reason you yelled at them out in their front yard?”

Diamond made the sandwiches, cutting and slicing them, even removing the crust. Then, setting them on a couple of plates, she carried them to the table.

“Yes.” When they sat down to eat, regret began to bloom in her chest, making it hard to swallow.

“I bet they hate me.” Diamond got up, throwing the rest of her food away and putting her plate in the sink.

“No, they don’t. They aren’t real happy with you right now, but they don’t hate you,” Knox said. “I have to say, though, if a man can eat that kind of cooking from a woman, there has to be a lot of love there.” Diamond had to partially agree; her mom was a terrible cook, although she had never seen him complain, acting like each meal she served had been prepared by a five star chef.

“Sex Piston hates me.”

“That’s probably true,” Knox said, finishing his sandwich, then rose to put his own plate in the sink. Diamond leaned against the counter, trying not to laugh.

“Gee, thanks.”

“I don’t believe in bullshit. What you said tonight, nothing was wrong with saying it. You simply should have done it sooner. That shit’s been festering awhile for you, hasn’t it?”

“Ever since I was fourteen and saw my dad fucking one of the sluts that had been hanging around the clubhouse.” Diamond turned away, walking into the living room. “She was always so friendly with Mom and me when we went to the clubhouse; both before and after I saw her with my dad. It didn’t bother her at all she was doing him behind my mom’s back.”

Knox followed her into the living room, sitting on the sofa. “You sure your mom didn’t know? They’ve been together a long time for her not to know he’s fucking around on her.”

“We never talked about it. I couldn’t tell her, and I’m damn sure my dad didn’t.” Diamond sat down at the end of the couch.

“It wouldn’t be something your mom would talk to you about,” Knox said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Are you saying my mom knew he was fucking around on her and she stayed with him anyway?” Diamond asked angrily.