Glancing at the clock, I realize that it’s already the end of my shift, but still curious about what the fuck happened… or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.
24
“Are you okay?” Liza shouts out as I maneuver the car through the compound.
“Huh, yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” the words tumble out as I try to avoid this. I was hesitant about giving Liza a ride back to the house from the gym after Z was released from custody. Ever since I let the bit slip out in purgatory, I have been hesitant around her in general.
“I don’t know. It’s just the last couple of times I’ve seen you, when you were up in purgatory with us, you’ve just seemed… I dunno… sad.” I can see that she’s legitimately concerned about me, but I can’t put her in the middle of this.
“I am.” I tell her honestly, as I pull up to the house I grew up in. I can read the concern on her face as she looks at me, and I appreciate her concern; I really do.
“You wanna talk about it?”
“No.” Shaking my head, wishing I could just push all of this, all of my feelings, out of my life.
“Okay.” She grabs my hand, stilling me as I’m trying to leave the car. “If you need to talk, I’m always here.”
“Thanks, Liza.” Smiling at her, before I’m out of the car and sighing.
“I’m serious. Please feel free to. You can trust me.”
“I know I can, and I love you for that. But I can’t put you in a position where you have to keep things from my brother.” Shaking my head as I tell her this. I can’t do that to either of them, just when they’re figuring shit out.
Thankful as soon as I hear the engines coming behind us, I let in a fragment of hope as I turn around, watching the van pull up to the house, followed by the bikes that weren’t destroyed. All the breath leaves my body as I see the police cruiser pull up behind them all.
Turning back around, I attempt to compose myself as I see Liza watching me.
Get it together, Drew.
Plastering a smile on my face, I turn back towards them. The group tumbles out of the van as if it were a fucking clown car; if I weren’t so damn nervous and miserable, it might actually be funny.
The club dismounts their bikes. And as if he were a beacon, Eli stands from the driver’s side seat, and my eyes are on him instantly.
We lock eyes for a moment, and I can see from where I stand as the gasp comes out of his mouth. As if he hadn’t expected me to be here. As if he hadn’t followed me out of the courtroom just yesterday. Almost as quickly as our eyes find one another, he looks away.
The fence is being opened as I turn back around, looking into the backyard. Pulling my phone out, pressing the screen, and put it to my ear.
“How’d it go?” Low asks in a sleepy tone.
“You’re asleep, never mind.”
“Drew, what is it?” she sounds exacerbated with me.
“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”
“He’s there, isn’t he?”
“Yeah,” I whisper. Looking over where my brothers are talking with Eli.
“I’m on my way.” She says in my ear.
“Z.” Eli’s voice trails off from behind me. “I just need something to put down.”
“We’re fine. We don’t need anything.”
“Your insurance will cover it.”
“Don’t need it.”
