Page 6

Bull was all bark and no bite. The mother hen of the MC, he kept track of everything. He was always the first to know what was up if someone needed help, a family member got sick, or something else was on the horizon.

“You all have that information because both Charlie and Match have it written down all over the place, texted and emailed, as well as carved into one of the walls at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was written in the sky the moment she goes into labor.” The hospital is gonna have a field day with all of us in the waiting room.

“So where did she run off to?” I looked up, confused. “Your mom. You said she ran out while the girl was on the TikTok.”

I snorted before replying. “She was at a house a block over.” My voice was steady. I was proud of myself for not giving anything away, even if I was desperate to give a name to whatever it was I was feeling. Consumption…All of my being was wrapped up in a girl I had met for only a few minutes.

“What else?” Bull asked. I squinted at him, not liking the way he was looking at me.

“The lady whose house she wandered into somehow got my number out of Ma. Kept an eye on her until I could get there. Then I walked Mom home.’

“Hm,” he said, his hand on his chin, his thumb reaching out to swipe over his scar—a subconscious move he did when he was worried about something.

“Just ask,” I said. I didn’t want Bull to be nervous around me. I hated the idea of being treated differently. I knew he wasn’t afraid of me, but more of how I would react. In the past, I’d had no problem shutting up until I felt like speaking again if someone pissed me off. Hours or weeks made no difference to me.

“Something about the lady you wanna talk about? The one who helped Beth?” he asked, not holding back, and I deflated.

“I’m fucked,” I told him honestly, his eyes widening for a minute before he started laughing.

“I can’t wait to hear this,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t have to talk anymore. Thanks for telling me, though. I’ll swing by Beth’s later. I made some food for her. Plus, we can watch Jeopardy together. Now, go get some sleep. You look like shit.” I knew well enough not to protest. Plus, my mom loved Bull like another son.

“Thanks, man,” I told him. He gave me a nod before tossing another Pop-Tart pack at me and shoving me out of the kitchen.

When I got to my room in the clubhouse, I collapsed on the bed. The room was pitch-black, but I knew where everything was, had the entire room memorized. Letting the complete nothingness comfort me, I tried to clear my mind and find sleep. My body slowly relaxed, loosening and sinking deeper into the bed.

Finally, I closed my eyes, sleep just about to sweep me off. I never used to dream—not even nightmares—but suddenly, bursts of color, streaks of blue and black, painted my lids. My whole body felt enveloped, surrounded by everything and nothing. Color, sound, scent…They all mixed and became one. Then, I woke up, all of the images slipping from memory before I even had a chance to sort through them, leaving me with nothing but the taste of a word as a reminder… Lilah.

Chapter 4

Lilah

Working the opening shift at the cafe was one of my favorite jobs. Most people complained about the early hour, but I liked the alone time and the clear list of things that needed to be done. I found comfort in the routine and mindless tasks, as well as the access to free caffeine as I started my day.

Without my control, thoughts of Elizabeth and her mysterious son flashed over me. He hadn’t stayed long, didn’t explain the situation, and considering I didn’t know them, I hadn’t felt comfortable asking.

Pulling chairs down, I frowned, disliking that realization. When did I become such a coward? I used to be fearless, a straight talker. Kyle, my ex-fiancé, wasn’t a fan of that side of me. Within his circle, I kept quiet, all polite smiles and empty compliments.

My stomach soured at the thought of my ex. The more time that passed, the more distance I got from him and my old life, the better I felt. A weight had been lifted off of me when I broke off the engagement. Memories from that night hit me quickly, my hands starting to shake, and I hated myself for it.

“We can find it when we get back, Kyle. It’s not a big deal. You look great,” I told him as I tried to get my pearl earring in. Taking a step back, I examined my reflection. My silk shirt and perfectly tailored trousers looked luxurious and put together. The entire outfit reeked of money without showing a single label. Kyle’s furious face appeared in the reflection, causing me to jump.

“It’s not a big deal?” he said, his jaw clenched.

“I’m sorry. I’ll help look for them. Maybe they’re in the laundry basket.” Fucking cuff links.

“You know how important this is, Lil. Why do I always have to do everything?” he asked, kicking the basket I was manically sorting through, the wicker scraping my arms as it flew across the room.

“FUCK!” he yelled, the vein in his forehead throbbing as his face got even redder.

“What about the cuff links I got you for your birthday? Those would look great with your Breguet,” I pleaded, trying to distract him so we could get out of the house and to dinner.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE FUCKING CUFF LINKS!” he yelled, spitting in my face. I froze, hunching in on myself. It was easier to let him yell, get it all out. To try to agree with him, then get us out of the house. In public, he would behave. In public, I could breathe.

“If you had listened to me…If you knew how important this was, they would have been out waiting. This is about communication. I told you this morning that I needed them for tonight,” he said, suddenly in front of me. Anger washed through me. Is this what I have to look forward to? Together three years, about to get married, and already burying secrets of what our life was really like at home.

From the outside, our relationship looked perfect. We were both from wealthy families. I was working in the marketing department of my family’s company. Kyle was training to take over his father’s, which happened to be one of our major suppliers. Old money, like a business merger. It helped that he was attractive, and in the beginning, there was something nervous about him that I found charming. I felt a connection, since we were both trying so hard to please our parents.

Suddenly, though, I realized we didn’t have all that much in common. The more I shared about myself, the more he weaponized my feelings. He grew stronger as I grew smaller. Until I was standing silently, getting berated over fucking cuff links.