After the women sit, Ava sings happy birthday, and everyone joins in. I stare at the cake, and once everyone finishes singing, I blow out the candle, then close my eyes.
I wish to find out what happened to Misty.
Eleven
Emotional Roller Coaster
Zara
After dessert,I decide to have an early night. Knox leads, and I follow him into his room. There’s an awkward tension between us. I kneel, open the zipper of my suitcase, and flip the lid open. I move my clothes aside until I uncover my silk summer pajamas, which are a set of singlet and shorts. I cringe, wishing I had packed something that covers more skin.
I stand and turn to him. “Where can I get changed?”
His face is emotionless. “In here.” He turns his back to me, giving me privacy.
I grab my dress, lift it over my head, and throw it on my suitcase, followed by my bra. Then I slip on the singlet and step into the small shorts.
“I’m finished.”
He turns, and his eyes drag the length of my body. When I look down, my nipples are erect against the silk material. I cross my arms. His gaze lowers and lingers. When I look down, I see that he’s staring at the scars on my thigh. He frowns, so I hastily step to the bed, fold the comforter down, and shuffle under the covers.
The nine marks underneath my tattoo represent so much. They’re a reminder of each year I’ve been robbed of seeing my best friend.
Knox walks toward a wardrobe, opens it, and grabs another War Brothers MC sweatshirt off the coat hanger before throwing it on the end of the bed. “If you’re going to wearonlythat”—his eyes dart to my chest—“you’re not leaving this room without my sweatshirt on.”
I press my lips in a firm line, trying not to smile at his overprotectiveness.
He lifts a brow. “Are you going to answer me?”
“Yes, I’ll wear the sweatshirt when I leave the room.”
His shoulders fall an inch. He puts his gun into another holster on the side table. He lifts the fitted shirt over his head, and I bite down on my lip. My eyes wander over his muscles, but when I notice the scars that litter his body, my heart feels heavy that he was injured. I look away, not wanting to draw attention to them or make him feel uncomfortable—though, even with the scars, he’s gorgeous. They align with his now hardened personality. He radiates masculinity, and all I want to do is go over every mark on him. We wear scars of painful pasts, but it’s the internal ones nobody sees that hurt the most.
He steps to the other side of the bed and gets in beside me. I’m lucky the bed is large enough so that we have space between us. As much as I want him, my heart can’t handle being cracked open again.
I roll over onto my side to look at him. “Can you ask if Kane will meet us earlier at the amusement park?”
“What time?”
“About five. Because I haven’t been back in so long, it would be nice to spend some time together with just us. I thought going on the rides and eating the food we used to would be a positive way to spend the afternoon because the vigil will be...”
Something passes between us. He nods, like he understands without me having to explain how hard the vigil will be.
“Kane will like that.” He pauses. “He may joke around and not show it, but he’s very much still in pain.”
A heavy weight engulfs my body. “Since I’ve been gone, have you found out anything else about her case?”
“No.” A bite seeps through his tone.
“Do you think she left or...” I can’t bring myself to say the other option.
He looks away, deep in thought. “I can’t answer that because, when looking at the facts, nothing makes sense.”
I was in denial for a long time. I wasn’t interested in the facts because I was in too much pain, and all I cared about was when and if she was going to return.
“Do you remember what happened to her real birth parents?”
“The police interviewed them. They didn’t know where she was living, and they had a strong alibi. Everyone else was interviewed and cleared.”
