I felt foolish about it. My brothers would crack up if they heard me playing and singing like that. It wasn’t what my reputation was all about, and it felt foreign that this side of me slipped out. With Waverley, I’d always been different. When it was just the two of us, more of my inner self came out. She was the only person who ever saw that side of me.
And now we were just sitting here, staring across a gulf that spanned five years, both unsure. Even though I’d been sure what I wanted yesterday, that I’d take it no matter what, looking at her now, I didn’t knowhowto take it.
She wasn’t drunk, despite the soft smile on her lips. It was more wistful, melancholic, remembering a happier time in our joint past. With the lights behind her, part of her face was in shadow, but I knew the lines of it by heart could trace her every curve and plane in my memory. I wanted to ask what brought her up here. Had she seen me come up and followed, or just come across me?
“Things have gotten a little…crazy?” she posed it as a question but wasn’t expecting an answer. It was more like she was trying to think of the right thing to say, having no idea what she wanted to talk about. I would not help her. I’d made it as plain as day what I wanted when I put my face on her pussy yesterday. You couldn’t get clearer than that.
“Yesterday was…”
“Was what?” I arched a brow when she trailed off.
“Unexpected,” she said, squaring her shoulders a bit more.
“Not unwanted though,” I said with a smirk, couldn’t help it, even when a little scowl appeared on her face. She rolled her eyes, which I took as a good sign.
“I have so much going on,” she protested. “With being brought home, the stuff with Andrew… Declan,” she glanced away from me.
In the grand scheme of things, Declan meant nothing to me. He must have fucked things up. His loss was my gain as far as I was concerned. One less asshole to worry about. As for Reinhart, despite their plan, at some point I’d be able to get my hands on him. No one could stop me. But it was the word ‘home’ that hit me in the chest. Was she considering this her home again?
“So what do you want to say, Wave? You regret it?”
“No…I…”
“Come on, you know. Or you wouldn’t have followed me up here.”
“I didn’t follow you up here,” she said indignantly. “I came up for air. It’s just… A lot down there.”
“You were the one always trying to get into the clubhouse,” Ireminded her.
“To be with my friends, not to see all that. These guys are feral. It’s a goddamn funeral.”
“Best way to honor a fallen brother.”
“By fucking with an audience?”
I chuckled at that, but she gave me her stern look. “It’s not your average wake. I’ll give you that. But you’re aware of how things work around here.”
“His family is there,” she widened her eyes.
“His mom was an old lady. She’s used to it. But she left,” I told her. I’d seen Handlebar taking her and Itchy’s sister’s home before I came upstairs.
“Oh well, at least they waited for the debauchery and disrespect till after his mother left, small miracles,” she shook her head.
“What do you want me to say, Wave? This place is never gonna change. The odd couple of guys screwing around when they’re drunk out of their skullsisnormal. We don’t all do it,” I reminded her. In fact, it was the same handful of culprits and normally with a club whore who was hoping to make the leap to old lady. That would never change either.
She arched that brow at me again, giving me a side eye. Referring to my display the night she arrived, I was sure. In my defense, I waited till we got to my room to do the deed, but I wasn’t stupid enough to bring that up now. Funny how I kept screwing other women around her and regretting it almost immediately.
Waverley got to her feet and walked beyond my couch to the roof edge, looking out over the compound. She hugged herself as she surveyed it all. I didn’t move though, just watched her over my shoulder, the wind blowing her hair around her shoulders. Wave swept a hand up to brush it behind her neck.
“I forgot how well you can see the stars here. I used to love staring up at them.”
“I remember,” I breathed, but it was enough for her to hear, for her to turn and look at me.
We watched each other. The connection between us was undeniable. The unfinished business so cruelly forced between us five years ago. The stupid mistakes we both made. It was difficult to deny the pull I felt to her. Denying it was pointless.
I hadn’t wanted to be the one to travel down to get her. I was lying to myself if I said it didn’t feel exhilarating, mixed in with apprehension and curiosity at the thought of seeing her. I hadn’t argued too hard when King told me to go with War.
Staring at her now, I knew why. I wasn’t over this woman and everything I had done in the last five years, the number of times I’d told myself she was gone, and I’d never see her again. She was always in the back of my mind.
