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We sat side by side on the bench. I turned her hand up and placed the box in her palm. “I wanted to give you this for graduation. I’m so proud of you.”
She unwrapped it and gasped, “Roman.” The box was small and flat. Nothing like the kind of box an engagement ring should come in. But the name of the jewelry store was embossed in shiny silver script on the top of the box.
“Open it,” I encouraged.
She popped off the lid and let out a sigh. “It’s so pretty.”
“Butterflies have a lot of meanings but one of them is growth and transformation.” I gently pried the necklace out of the box and held it up. “You’ve grown and changed a lot since the day I tried to break into your locker.”
She laughed softly, then turned and held up her hair. “Some say they symbolize eternal love, too.”
I leaned forward and kissed right below her ear. “You already have mine.”
“You have mine too,” she whispered.
I slid the chain around her neck, worked the tiny clasp open and secured it. “There.”
“Thank you.” She let her hair down and turned to face me. “You got out of jail and the first thing you did was swing by the mall to pick up a present for me?”
“I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”
“This is your home too.” She laid her hand over mine and squeezed. “Get dressed. You need a decent meal. And I want to talk to you some more.”
“Yes, dear.”
Laughing, she leaned in and gave me a quick kiss, then hurried out the door, closing it behind her.
I returned to the dresser and pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Sighing as I slipped into the clean-scented clothes, I felt better than I had in weeks. I grabbed my damp towels and hung them in the bathroom before heading downstairs.
In the kitchen, Juliet was seated at the table, munching on a bag of chips. I took the seat next to her and stared at the huge roast beef sandwich she’d prepared. Oozing with mayo, it was stacked with tomatoes, lettuce, and a thick layer of roast beef. Just the way I liked it. She slid a small bowl full of something white that looked like chunky mayonnaise in my direction.
“Horseradish mayo. Dex has a thing for it. I thought you might like it too. Careful, it’ll set your sinuses on fire, though.”
“This looks perfect as it is, but I’ll give it a try,” I promised before biting into the closest half. “Ohmygod,” I mumbled while chewing, not caring about manners. “Best damn thing.”
She chuckled and bit into another chip.
Feeling wrong about eating in front of her, I nudged my plate toward her, offering her the other half.
She held up her hand. “I stuffed plenty of roast beef in my mouth while I was putting yours together.”
So overwhelmed by the behemoth of a sandwich, I’d overlooked the macaroni salad she’d neatly scooped into a bowl for me. I shoved a forkful in my mouth. “You’re the best damn cook.”
“It’s hardly cooking.”
“Don’t care.” I slathered the horseradish mayo on one corner of my sandwich. “You’re the best.”
She watched me in silence as I destroyed the meal she’d lovingly put together. But it was a comfortable, easy silence.
Finally, I sat back. “Thank you.”
“There’s more if you’re still hungry.”
“I’m good for now.” I shifted, unsure of where to go next.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Today?”
“All of it.” Her steady gaze drilled into me. Fearless. Juliet wanted the truth, no matter what.
So, I told her all of it. From the Wolf Knights’ plan to the container full of cocaine the cops caught me with. My time in jail, all the way to the surprise change in lawyers, my swift unexpected release, Dex meeting me and giving me the bike. All of it.
Juliet absorbed the story in silence until I purged every last piece.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
All of Dex and Ulfric’s warnings to “keep women out of club business” returned but I didn’t care. This woman had my back unlike any other person I’d ever known. Her loyalty deserved truth from me. “I trust you more than I’ve ever been able to trust anyone, Juliet.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “Is Dex…is that what his club is involved with, too? Drugs?”
“I don’t think so, but I’ve never directly asked. The job he hooked me up with is going to be strictly fixing up bikes.”
“Or so he said,” she muttered.
I huffed a quick laugh. She had a point.
“Who hired the lawyer for you?” she asked.
“Dex’s club or maybe both clubs did once they knew I wouldn’t snitch? I didn’t get to ask. Everything happened so fast. Barry said it was a family friend. I assumed it was you at first.”
“Why didn’t you tell the cops the truth? You weren’t involved.”
