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For the longest heartbeat of my life, I watched her mull over her choices. She chewed on her lip. Eventually, her eyes widened and then she nodded. “Sure, we probably should talk.”
Behind her, Elodie had stilled, her head half cocked to the side as she listened in.
There was something going on there. Lola and Elodie had a secret. And it was one that I wasn't privy to.
But I was going to be. If Lola had a secret that affected our relationship going forward, I needed to know it.
* * *
“You've been sick?” Settling myself on an empty corner of Erik's curving sofa, I pulled her down with me. There wasn't much room, but that worked in my favour because her leg was pressed against mine.
Lola looked at me, her blue eyes glistening. “I'm ok.”
I frowned. That wasn't what I had asked. I asked if she had been sick, not if she was ok. It spoke volumes that she didn't want to answer my question.
Keeping my grip on her hand, I brought it into my lap and held it there. “You've been at your mums? Why? Were you that sick?”
“I'm ok now, I promise. How have you been?” She searched my face. “You said you were going to meetings?”
I nodded, but I wasn't really paying attention. From my place turned into her, I had an almost unobstructed view of the bar and at first glance, everything was fine. Everyone was there, laughing and drinking with a few of the security guys. Lola’s glass was there, forgotten and untouched.
“Dion?”
Shaking myself, I gave her my full attention. “Yeah, I've been doing good. Better anyway.” My thumb rubbed across the back of her hand. “I've been missing you, though.”
“I've missed you too.”
My heart leapt. “You mean that? So will you come home?” I whispered and yet somehow I knew she had heard it even over all the racket that was going on around us.
“Dion.”
“Don't say my name like that, Lola. Come home. Forgive me and come home.” I wasn't about to take no for an answer. Lola was meant to be with me.
“I want to, but there are things we need to discuss. Important things.”
Groaning, I let go of her hand. “Isla,” I spat. It always came down to Isla. When it came to the women in my life, I couldn't do right for doing wrong.
“Partly, yes.” She shuddered, staring down at her hands which she had clasped in her lap. It was more than a submissive gesture. She was battling with something. “But that's not what this is about.”
“Look, Isla is just a friend. I know that's hard for you to get your head around, Lola. But she's my friend, and she needs her friends now.” Holding up my hand, I cut off her next argument. “I know she put us through a lot of shit, but friends forgive each other. It’s you–”
She didn't let me finish. Her hands grabbed at her stomach like she was in pain, and the colour drained from her face. “Excuse me, I need to get a drink.”
With lightning speed, I grabbed at her wrist. She wasn’t about to run out on me again. “I'll get the others to bring your drink over, Lola. This is something we need to discuss. Something we need to work through if there's any hope for us.”
“I know.” Her face was so pale that the blush on her cheeks looked garish. “I just need some air.”
“No.” I was fed up with her running from our problems. One way or another, tonight we would work things out. My voice carried across the room. “Can someone get me Lola's drink?”
From the bar, Rake nodded his head.
“Please, Dion, I don't feel well.”
I barely heard her. My eyes were trained on the young biker. He had not reached for Lola's drink at all. Instead, he was fumbling with something that I couldn't see. A glass appeared in his hands. One identical to the one Lola hadn’t touched. He plucked the straw from her old glass with a smile that turned my blood cold. What the fuck was he doing?
Watching with narrowed eyes, I tracked his progress across the bar. And the smile on his face didn't shift. He looked like the cat that had got the cream.
“Hey, Lola.” He handed her the glass with a nod. “Hey, are you ok? You don't look great.”
