“Incredible.Honestly, you’d love it here.I just did a Muay Thai class today.”She beams, looking so beautiful and relaxed.
“You look happy.”
“I am.I even went home with this hot-as-hell guy last night.You should have seen him!Oh, I also ticked a new sex position off my bucket list.Reverse cowgirl.By the way, it’s a scam.He gets this incredible view of my ass, and I had to stare at his toes curling while I did all the work.Do not recommend.”
My sister has no filter.
We’re both losing it laughing by the end of the phone call.When she asks me if I’m seeing anyone, I tell her not really.And I’m not, even though my heart is taken.I even felt a little relieved when Jack canceled our date last night.
I’m not surprised to hear the deep rumble of Ghost’s motorcycle, but I am surprised to hear him knock on my door.When I open it, he’s standing there in all black, running the ball of his tongue ring along his lower lip.He lifts his hands, showing me Opie, who is cuddling up to him like the little traitor he is.
“How did you get out?”I ask my cat, who must have run outside while I was distracted talking to my sister on the video call.
“He was sitting on top of your mailbox,” Ghost explains, patting the top of Opie’s head.
Seeing this big, badass biker being so gentle with my cat has me melting a little.“Thank you.I would have had to spend my night searching for him.”I step back so he can come inside, and he accepts the invitation immediately.
“When I was a kid, I always wanted a dog, but I guess a cat is pretty cool too,” he murmurs, lifting Opie onto his chest.
“You didn’t have any animals?”I ask because Ghost offering up information about his past is so rare that I cling to any little bit of information.
He shakes his head.“No, we didn’t.”He tilts his head to the side.“And after my sister died, that was probably a good thing.”
My stomach tightens.“I’m so sorry, Ghost.How old was she?”
“Nine.Her name was Charlotte.She drowned when I was twelve,” he explains, rushing the words out.
I reach out and touch his arm, and he stills.“Tell me about Charlotte.”
We both sit down on opposite sides of my gray couch.“She was my favorite person in the world.She was so kind and funny.So funny.She was always happy.After she died, she took all the happiness with her.My dad hated me, and my mother checked out.After I went to prison, I had no contact with either of them.”
I lean closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder.“I’m sorry you lost her.”
“He blamed me.I wasn’t even there,” he whispers.
“Your father?”
He nods.
“You were a child, Ghost.It wasn’t your fault,” I say, but his eyes are blank like he’s lost in his own head.“You’ve been carrying that guilt with you all of this time?That must be heavy.”
“I always wished that she were here instead of me, but then I met you, and now I want to be here,” he admits, putting Opie down on the couch and turning to face me.My heart breaks at his words.His sister’s drowning was not his fault, especially if, like he said, he wasn’t even there.What kind of asshole father would make their child feel like this over something they couldn’t control?
I hate his father already.
In fact, I’m going to kill him off in my next book.
“I want you to be here too.”
He lifts those solemn gray eyes to me.“I didn’t fuck Daisy, and yeah, she had my dick in her mouth, but I didn’t finish.I didn’t want it.”
Okay, I guess we’re jumping right into this then.
“Why were you even upstairs with her then?”I press, and when his eyes shutter, I know he’s blocking me out.“Why don’t you just tell me the truth, Ghost?What are you hiding?”I ask, scowling.
“Nothing,” he replies, running a hand over his head.“Nothing.The only thing I’m not telling you is club business.”
“Daisy said she gave you head.”
