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My prom entrance was everything I wanted it to be… well, almost.
I tried not to let it get me down even though my heart was a little torn.
Strangely, what gave me the boost I needed was when Nick pulled up in some expensive looking Ferrari stepping out like he was worth a million dollars. I had to give it to him, he had confidence. He was a cocky fucking asshole, but man could the kid bounce back when he was pushed down. Watching him walk up the stairs—not bothering to offer his hand to his date and help her navigate the staircase in her floor length gown—it made me all that much more determined to stand tall and do this shit. I wasn’t going to spend the whole night watching him have fun and enjoy himself while I sat in the corner pouting about a boy.
That’s all Ham was, just another fucking boy.
One that held the strings to my heart, but a boy nonetheless.
People stared as the boys all pulled up to the curb where the red carpet started. Like bodyguards, they all climbed off and walked Emma and me to the door, much to our amusement. Some people were absolutely horrified, pulling their children a little closer to them just in case one of the boys decided to try and snatch them up off the street. It literally made me laugh.
I got it, I really did. These guys, they were intimidating, and honestly, when they were in public, you rarely caught a glimpse of them smiling. I was really close to asking Uncle Leo if it was like a game they played where they weren’t allowed to crack a grin in public just in case people thought they weren’t hard ass bikers anymore.
These people knew nothing about them.
They assumed they were dangerous—I knew just how dangerous they could be. Uncle Leo thought he protected me from most of it, but I’d had that gun held to my head, I’d had to run while Hadley shot the man who was threatening to take me away. I’d seen the aftermath of the clubhouse when it was attacked. I’d seen the bloodstains inside and out on the street, the ammunition and stray bullet holes in the walls. It scared the hell out of me, and I wasn’t about to pretend that it didn’t. But the thing I also knew that these people and their judgmental eyes didn’t, was exactly how far these men would go to make sure not one innocent person was hurt. I’d seen firsthand just how far they’d go to protect their family or even just make the people they love happy.
I’d seen these muscular men with their tattoos, their permanent glares, and intimidating presence sitting at a table with aDisneyPrincess teacup in their hands and their pinkie fingers in the air.
Why?
Because as I was beginning to learn they had nothing to fucking prove.
A lesson I could take from their book.
Emma and I wandered about for a little bit stopping to talk to a couple of her friends from other classes. I was surprised by the number of people who nodded or said hello as they passed by us. It was confusing until Emma rolled her eyes.
“Remember how I said everyone wanted to be your best friend now?”
I did remember, but I didn’t think she was serious.
“Meyah!”
I frowned, spinning around and looking for who was calling my name, the sweet tone one that I easily recognized. Asha and Callie weaved through the crowd toward us, their boyfriends on their tails, joking and laughing as they sipped punch and aimlessly followed their girlfriends.
I didn’t miss the way both their eyes circled around me as if they were searching for something—or someone. I wanted to sink away.
But the look on Callie’s face instantly brightened, and she looked me up and down and whistled loudly. “Hot damn,” she crowed with a grin. “I don’t understand why you don’t show off your body more often.”
My cheeks burned, and I rolled my eyes because I was horrible at taking a damn compliment.
“Come on,” Asha called over the music grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the dance floor. “I think we need to show you off and let all these guys here see what they’re missing out on.”
Callie clicked her fingers in the air. “Yes!”
I followed along, but I knew what they were trying to do. Part of me was thankful for this distraction, part just damn embarrassed.
Ham was a no-show.
And it hurt.
But I tried to remind myself I was with friends, and I had people who cared about me. Tonight, they would be the ones who had my back when I needed them, and I would forget about him. Forget about how he brushed me off. Forget about how he made a promise and didn’t follow through.
Callie puffed hard, fanning herself before pointing at one of the tables that lined the room. “You girls want to get a drink and sit and chat for a bit?” she yelled over the booming music and grinding bodies.
I looked at Emma who nodded brightly and eagerly agreed, the heat in the room was rising with all the moving bodies, and the pain of wearing heels was excruciatingly real.
“I’ll be glad when I’m out of this place and can start somewhere new,” Callie commented as she sipped at her lemonade. “U of A, here we come!”
