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“Check it out,” Nyx’s head appears from under the bar, and he looks proud with himself as he presses a green button on the back wall that makes a tray in the hatch behind the bar start moving up.
“About time,” Marilyn smiles, cracking a beer open and handing it over to him.
“I can get food from the kitchen down here, without having to do those damn stairs,” she explains. “Good to see you home, honey.” She winks at me.
“How’s this little guy been?” I take Dylan's hand in mine and shake it. He’s grown since I last saw him, and when I look down at Ella’s tummy I see that she has too. “I hear she’s going to be a girl.” I give her tummy a gentle pat before placing a kiss on her cheek and taking a seat beside her.
“Nyx is still getting used to the idea of a daughter,” she says quietly, looking over at her husband who’s loading things in the hatch to send upstairs for a test run.
“He didn't go with the others?” I question, I learned from Rogue that most the other club members are on what they call a run.
“Wouldn’t leave me,” her eyes roll. “And of course he had daddy’s backing on that one.”
“I wish you would have told us you were coming, we’ve made up all the cabins ready for the Nevada members. We’ve got a house full tonight, some of the Nevada boys are riding back with ours as a stop off on their way to Nebraska. I’m sure Abby wouldn’t mind company though,” Grace says.
“Where is Abby?” I look around the bar room, she’s usually hanging around here during the day, especially if the other girls are here.
“She went to lunch with her parents,” Ella looks annoyed.
“And she’ll call if there's a problem,” Nyx shouts over and flashes her a warning look.
“I’m glad she’s trying to work it out.” I smile.
“Her dad gives me the creeps,” Ella curls up her lip.
“Nyx is right, she’ll call if she needs us.” Grace claps her hands at Dylan and steals him off Ella’s lap. I decide not to mention the fact that the man gave me the creeps too, because Nyx won’t appreciate me giving Ella any ammunition.
“I can spend the night at the village, it’s fine,” I go back to Grace.
“There’s a free room upstairs,” Grimm speaks up, tossing me a key. “Cleanest room in the club, I got no use for it anymore.” He wraps the crook of his arm around Rogue’s neck and kisses her temple.
“You have to stay here tonight,” Maddy intervenes before I can refuse. “You can let everyone on the reservation know you’re back first thing in the morning. Just please party with us tonight, and speak to Troj.” Maddy pleads at me with those big blue eyes of hers.
“Sure,” I nod in agreement, mainly because it feels so good to be back around these people again. I’ve learned over the past month that bad memories attack no matter where you are, at least here I have distractions in the form of friends.
“Here, toss me your bag, I’ll send it up,” Nyx opens the door to the hatch and Grimm carefully grabs my bag off the floor, keeping a straight face as he places it on the bar. A sleepy Sphynx pokes his head out the top just as Nyx is about to load it, and the shock has the huge, tattooed brute jumping out of his skin.
“What the hell’s that?” he asks while everyone else bursts out in hysterics, and even Grimm finds a smirk.
I go up to change a few hours later. Just as I expect, the room is basic, but like Grimm promised, it’s spotless. There's a single bed, a side cabinet, and a chair. Then a basin and shower in the corner. I slide the window open to let in some air, and that pine and woodsy scent that I’ve missed so much makes me feel a million miles away from the salty air in Long Beach.
Maddy said the boys are due back within the hour, and I’m starting to feel nervous again. I settle Sphynx on the chair in the corner with a spare blanket I find under the bed, before taking a shower and picking out something to wear.
I choose my jeans and the off-the-shoulder white top that I made myself. I remember thinking of Troj when I embroidered the red flowers onto the sleeves. Back then we were strangers, but I wanted a reminder of the red flowers he left me on the rock after they’d wilted.
Thoughts of Troj put butterflies in my stomach and tears in my eyes at the same time.
I decide to braid my hair the same way it had been the first day he saw me. Hopefully, it’ll remind him of the girl I was before I became a victim.
I apply some mascara, and a little gloss to my lips, like Rogue taught me the night of Maddy’s party. Then check myself in the mirror. All my bruises have vanished, my fractured wrist is out of plaster now, but the scars inside me are still as raw as the day it all happened.
I’ve spent so long thinking that Troj could be my cure, what if I’m wrong? What if we can’t heal each other? I don’t think I can go back to Long Beach. Not now I’ve realized how good it feels to be back here.
Everything feels like it’s riding on tonight.
“They’re back, honey,” Marilyn knocks on my door, then slowly steps inside. She smiles at me wide and bright. “You look a picture, and if Troj can’t see that, he doesn’t deserve the gift of sight,” she tells me.
“Thanks, Marilyn.” I take a breath, preparing myself to go downstairs.
