“Don’t think she’s up for much talking these days,” he says, and I swear he seems sad about it.
“Did you know my brother well?” I ask him.
Doc was one of the new patch overs. I’m not sure how much time he spent with Leon.
“No, not well. He wasn’t around much. But it seems like everyone loved him and is devastated about what happened. I am sorry for your loss, love,” he replies sweetly, looking at myface one more time. “Everything with your scar is looking well. Just give it time and it will barely be there.”
Even if it goes away completely, I will always know it’s there.
Sometimes scars are invisible and this will be one I’ll carry with me forever.
I hold up the card before stuffing it in my pocket. “Thanks again for this, and hopefully Shelby will come around,” I say, hoping that someone will get through to her.
“Aye, I hope she does too,” he responds. “Now send in that towheaded fuck. I’ve hardly even looked at his arm.”
I nod and drag Axel to sit in front of Doc. He doesn’t seem worried about the way his arm is healing and gives him a clean bill of health.
“You happy now?” he grumbles.
“Extremely,” I reply smugly, as I take his hand in mine.
He leads the way and I get nervous as he walks us to my old house. He skirts around the side until we’re at my—our—tree.
I climb up to my perch and he follows me till we’re snuggly on the same branch, his arm over my shoulder as he holds me close.
“How are you doin’?” he asks softly.
“I don’t know,” I reply.
“I’m always here, you know that? You know I cared about him, too. It’s been a lot, and it’s okay for you to be sad. You don’t have to pretend around me.”
I rest my head against his chest, hearing his heartbeat and taking a deep breath.
“Part of me is so pissed at him, you know? I had money. I could have gotten him—both of us—out of here. He should have asked for help a long time ago.”
“We’ll come back to the money part later,” he notes before pushing me to continue.
I grimace.Shit.I guess Axel is the only one who doesn’t have an inkling about what I was doing online. But I was kind ofhoping to just take that snippet of my life to the grave. Marielli’s Mass feels like a lifetime ago in the grand scheme of things.
“I don’t think he felt like he could, not until the patch overs came here. Even then, he didn’t really want to tell Tate. We didn’t know what was goin’ on in our own fuckin’ club. He was doin’ what any man would do to keep the people he loved safe. And he did that, he got you out. Who knows what would have happened if he wasn’t there? All this guilt lies on Kurt, no one else. He didn’t suffer enough for the pain he caused, but we’re here. We get to live.
“I know it’s fucked up to say this in the wake of everything. But I’m so fuckin’ happy, Lily. I never thought I’d have somethin’ like this, someone like you.” He pauses to kiss my forehead before he continues to speak. “I don’t know how to explain the way the club feels right now, but it feels like there’s finally hope. It’s not just existin’ in this life hopin’ I don’t die. I have somethin’ to live for, truly fuckin’ live for, and I wouldn’t trade it for nothin’.”
“It feels wrong to let myself be happy, you know?” I ask.
“Leon would be pissed off to hear you say that shit, you know that? Your mom too,” he reminds.
I swallow thickly.
“Did she look okay when you saw her?”
“She was devastated, and for what it’s worth, I don’t think she wanted to leave but knew she had to,” he promises me while rubbing my arm.
“Tate gave me her number. I think I’m ready to call her.”
“Do you want me to stay, or go?” he asks, and I lean in closer to him.
“Stay, I always want you to stay,” I confess.
