CHAPTER 21
FROST
The first thing I notice when I wake up is the cold and empty space beside me. My hand hits the sheet where Hope should be, and my stomach bottoms out.
No. No, God, please no.
I sit up so fast my vision blurs. Hopping out of bed, I make a beeline for the bathroom, praying she’s in there, but when I open the door, it’s empty. I run my hands through my hair roughly as I glance around the room. Her clothes and shoes are gone, along with her phone.
Panic lances through my chest like a blade. Hope left, she fucking left.
Yanking open my dresser drawer, I snatch a pair of jeans and quickly pull them on. I snag a shirt out of my closet, tugging it over my head, and haphazardly shove my feet into boots without tying them. My pulse roars in my ears as I rip the door open and sprint down the hall.
I take the stairs two at a time, no patience for the elevator. As my heart hammers under my rib cage, my lungs grow tighter. Every worst-case scenario slams through my head.
Hope changed her mind. She realized she’s better off without me. She can’t forgive me after all. She’s gone forever.
I burst onto the main floor of the clubhouse, but the room is empty. Faint laughter filters into the room, and I follow the sound until I reach the kitchen. I stop so abruptly that I nearly fall forward.
Hope’s still here.
Standing in the kitchen with her hair tied up, Hope’s laughing with Amy as they flip pancakes like they own the damn place. Hope looks over her shoulder at me with a smile so warm it damn near knocks me to my knees.
Innocence radiates from her as if she didn’t just shred five years off my life.
Amy notices me standing there with my jaw open and lifts her spatula like a weapon. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
Hope gives her a look. “Amy.”
“What?” Amy shrugs. “His face screams abandonment issues.”
I drag a hand over my face, trying to get air back into my lungs. “You were gone.”
Hope blinks at me, confused. “I came downstairs.”
“You didn’t leave a note.”
“I came downstairs,” she repeats slowly, like she’s explaining herself to an idiot.
I’m a fucking moron.
A laugh bursts from Amy. “Oh, he’s got it bad.”
Yeah, I do.
Hope steps toward me, and her hand brushes mine, grounding me. “I’m right here, Frost.”
It’s ridiculous how fast the panic dissolves, replaced by this warm ache in my ribs.
Before I can respond, Dad’s voice booms across the room.
“Everyone, listen up!” I turn as Hawk strides in. “We got a call from Saint’s Outlaws MC. They need help with a run. Frost, you roll out in two hours. Pack for a couple of days.”
My stomach twists instantly. “No.” The word escapes before I can stop it. “I’m not leaving.”
Hope’s brows lift, and Amy smirks into her coffee.
Dad crosses his arms. “It’s not a request, Frost.”
