PROPERTY OF THE BIKER KING

A RELATIONSHIP BROKEN

Arthur's breath was uneven under the duvet, the bed creaking softly under him as he thrusted again. He pulled himself up and dug his fingers into the fabric of the sheets as beads of sweat rolled down his skin.

Under him, Lila didn't move.

She lay flat on her back, one arm stretched under her head as she stared past Arthur to the ceiling above her. Her other hand rested loosely on her stomach, her fingers tapping as she counted silently.

Arthur closed his eyes and tried to ignore how zoned out she was as he forced himself to concentrate on the moment, on the feel of her breasts against his hands. He squeezed them softly and pinched her nipples, ramming harder as a low growl slipped past his lips.

Still, she just sighed disappointedly.

"Are you done?" she asked, finally speaking since they started. "I need to get back by--"

“I'm cumming," Arthur grunted, his fingers pinching her nipples. “I'm… ugh!"

His eyes snapped open, expecting to meet her hungry gaze only to find that she had turned toward the bedside table. He followed it and to the timer on her phone, propped against the lamp.

00:07:42.

Something in his chest twisted and he forced himself to look away. Her eyes never left the timer and never met his, even when he poured inside her. He thought of having a little foreplay but the desire to go on had faded immediately. Instead, he threw his body to the side with a low grunt.

For a moment, none of them said anything.

Unable to bear the silence anymore, Arthur propped himself against his elbow and turned to her. Her gaze was still fixed on the phone, watching as the seconds flicked by.

He swallowed, his throat dry. “You okay?"

“Mm," was all she gave.

Not even a full response.

Forcing a smile, he tried reaching for her but she turned and sat up before he could. The knot in his chest tightened and he withdrew quickly before she caught on.

Lila swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her clothes. Without a word, she pulled her shirt over her head, already grabbing her phone like she was running late for something.

“Wait, where are you going, Lila?" Arthur asked, trying to keep his voice light. "I thought we'd spend some time-"

"A meeting,” she replied simply, slipping her sock over her legs. “I thought I told you earlier."

“You did, but…" He paused, his face creasing with a frown. “Do you really have to leave now?"

Lila stopped and glanced back at him, like the question itself was ridiculous. "Yes, now. Don't act like you weren't informed, Arthur. I don't want to go over this.”

Arthur sighed, pushing himself up fully. “I just thought… maybe we'd hang out a bit before you leave,” he said, forcing a small smile. “You know our anniversary’s this weekend, right?”

"Uhun,” Lila mumbled as she returned her attention to her socks again. “What about it?"

“I was thinking we could do what we discussed last month,” Arthur continued, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "We could either go kayaking like we used to. Or maybe stop at our favorite bar. Just us, no work, no phones–”

"Shit!”

The word cut him off as Lila froze mid-motion, her brows pulling together. She cursed under her breath again, turning her phone toward her.

“I… I forgot to put that in my schedule,” she whispered, looking up at him. "I thought I marked that up."

Arthur's smile faltered as he tried to keep his composure. “It's fine," he said, moving toward her. “We can just clear a few things off and just–"

“Next week," she said quickly. “We can do it next week. I think I might have some free time on... Tue--No. Friday."

There was no hesitation nor apology in her voice. Just the same plain, simple answer.

Arthur rubbed his freezing arm, still staring at her.

“You always say that, you know."

Lila paused before slowly turning to look back at him. “Excuse me?"

“I’m serious, Lila,” he continued, the words coming out before he could stop them. “It’s always next week. Or later. Or when things calm down. You never just… live anymore. You… you used to be different.”

Lila's expression hardened slightly as she blinked with disbelief. “I understand what you're trying to say,” she began flatly, "but there's no fucking way I'm clearing my schedule for something that… unimportant.”

She sighed, running a hand through her silky hair.

“You'd understand if you actually had a job, but you're just speaking from the comfort of your bed while I handle everything," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, yet every word hit Arthur.

For a long moment, there was silence.

Then Arthur exhaled softly, nodding anyway. “Right," he muttered.

He pushed himself off the bed, grabbed his clothes from the floor and began tossing them on without a pause. Behind him, Lila didn’t speak or even move to stop him.

It wasn't until he was nearly done that she finally turned fully toward him.

“Arthur,” she called softly.

“What?" he said without stopping as he pulled his trousers up.

“I… have something to tell you.”

The calmness in her voice finally got to him and he paused. Slowly, he turned to her and watched as she stood up from the bed. She walked closer, reached up and placed her hands lightly on his shoulder.

Even her touch felt distant now, as if it was something she'd practiced.

"What is it?” Arthur asked, frowning slightly.

Lila hesitated for just a second before finally answering, “I want you to meet my father.”

He went still.

“…What?”

“My dad,” she repeated. “I think it’s time I finally bring you to him.”

Arthur blinked, trying to process what he'd just heard. “I thought you said you don’t… talk to him anymore. That things were complicated."

“They are,” she said. “But… that doesn’t change anything.” Her grip on his shoulders tightened just slightly. "If we’re actually getting married, then I think it's time you meet him.”

Arthur's chest tightened as he stared past Lila, at the engagement box lying on the vanity table–the one he'd proposed to her with. A small smile tugged at his lips before he could stop it.

“That’s… big news,” he said with a low chuckle. "It’s progress, right?”

Lila stuck her tongue between her teeth, smiling. “I know.”

Unable to contain the excitement anymore, Arthur leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. He lingered for a moment, his hand began traveling up her shirt and cupping her breasts as the other already undid the button.

Yet, just as he began to feel something real again, Lila suddenly pulled back and their lips untangled with a wet smack. The moment snapped and she returned to her normal stoic demeanor, like a switch that had been turned on.

“I have to go,” she said, already stepping away.

Arthur swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck as her taste settled on his tongue. “Right,” he murmured.

Without another word, she turned toward the wardrobe, grabbed her bag and checked her reflection like nothing had happened. Then she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Arthur with the silence.

He stood there, watching the door swing shut as he sighed.

It wasn’t exactly what he wanted. But still, meeting her father… that had to mean something.

Right?