I've Got This Friend

Chapter 31

"Anything on the second guy?" Opie asked in a hushed tone. He and Mae had fallen asleep on the couch watching TV until Jax called and startled Opie awake. She was on her side, laying between his legs with her head on his chest, breathing steadily, and for the first time she looked peaceful. Stroking her hair he smiled and tried to enjoy the intimacy

"Yeah, we found him. He's gonna be heading back to New York soon, I don't know why he's not there already but that means we can still get him."

Opie relaxed beneath her and nodded as he listened to Jax on the other end. "Good. We should pick him up."

"Aren't you with Mae? Brother, let us get him, you can meet us."

Looking up through her eyelashes Mae watched him whisper and discuss the plans with Jax. She smiled a little, his desperate attempts to not wake her were charming her all over again.

"It's okay, I'm awake." She whispered. It surprised her to be so comfortable while being so close to him but she didn't immediately panic which proved her issues with him were more in her thinking than actual emotional issues.

"Sorry," he mouthed. "Jax, let me call you back brother."

"You could have finished."

"No, it's fine." His index finger ran down the side of her cheek. "How did you sleep?"

"I haven't slept so well in a while. Thank you for staying."

"Thanks for letting me." Frowning as she sat up, Opie knew he had to keep his disappointment to himself.

"So you found him? Mitchell, I mean."

Opie nodded slowly unsure what was too much to say. "Jax said Juice did. He'll be out of town soon, we gotta move on him."

"Can you not?" She sat against the opposite arm of the couch and extended her feet pressing them against his.

Opie's face twisted with confusion. "He's gonna run, he's an idiot for not running already."

"Just let him go." She pleaded. "There's been enough of this shit and I'm ready to just leave it."

"Mae, what he did to you, you can't just let him go, he has to pay." Opie sat up and spoke with conviction.

"You don't have to remind me what he did. He'll pay somehow, eventually."

"Won't you feel safer?"

"I feel safe with you." She said specifically putting emphasis on the last word. "Please just let him go. It's a risk, legally and illegally. What if this starts some insane bicoastal war?"

It seemed unlikely but Opie didn't want to push her. "Fine. I'll let him go."

Mae smiled and reached for his hands. "Thank you, Ope. I know it's how you guys work but I just want it done and over with and I want us both to move on."

"I get it." He sat up and placed his feet on the floor. "How are you?"

"Unimaginably sore." She grimaced as she got to her feet. "But I'm managing. It's not bad enough for that prescription either so that's good."

"Yeah it is. Did you call that doc Tara told you about?"

On her way to the kitchen, Mae stopped and turned to glare at him. "She told you?"

"She mentioned it." He swallowed hard. "You know, like in a warning about not being a dick, I forget that sometimes."

With a tight smile she nodded. "If I called or not is none of her business or yours, Ope."

"I'm sorry." As much as he loved Mae and be her supporter he was floundering and growing more and more frustrated. "I just want to help."

"Then stop asking about it. Stop acting differently. Aside from sexual shit I'm fine, I'm not going to break if you don't ask how I am or wait on me. Please, Harry, I'm begging you to just be normal."

He nodded knowing that wasn't what she wanted and whatever she was thinking he knew she wouldn't share. Mae warned him of the mental backlash, she tried to push him away and this was clearly what she was talking about

"I gotta get my kids." He grumbled. "I'll call you later."

"Okay."

When he left, tense and awkward, Mae barely waited five minutes before digging around in her purse for the prescription she, physically, didn't need. Popping open the bottle of Oxycontin she swallowed two without even thinking.

--

"Hey man, what are you doing here?"

"Fucking Mitchell Jacoby." Opie said with fire in his voice. "I want him tonight."

"Alright." Jax gave him a strong handshake and grabbed them each a beer.

"I gotta talk to Tara." He admitted.

"That bad?"

"Yeah, it is."

"Let's get this Jacoby jackoff and then I'll deal with my fucking feelings." He tried speak jokingly but his voice was dark and pained. Opie only said that to Jax knowing that out of anyone, aside from Mae, he could talk to with complete openness.

"Your feelings?" Jax stopped short and gave Opie a questioning look.

"And Mae's. I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, Jax. One second she's sleeping on me and the next she can't even look at me."

Jax shook his head, truly feeling for Opie, and shrugged. "I got no answers. That shit, I don't know, man."

"Yeah. I don't either."