Yes, I’m nervous, and had it been another man outside of here, I might have clammed up, but I feel safe in their club. I don’t believe any of them would intentionally harm me.
“It was nice meeting you,” I say over my friend’s shoulder, but Tequila blocks his view as she fully puts herself in front of him. Considering her stature and his, a glimpse of amusement crawls over his expression.
“Jules said you’re coming out with us tomorrow night.” A touch of excitement sounds in her voice.
As the line moves, I stop in front of a huge fruit platter and grab an apple. “If I’m not imposing.”
“Of course not!” Her smile drops. “But if you think it’ll be too much. She’ll understand.”
“Honestly…” I juggle the plate in my hand scooping up a spoonful of scrambled eggs. “I’m looking forward to it. I used to go out all the time and I kind of miss it. Miss the dancing. The innocent fun. All that stuff really.”
A huge smile spreads across her face. “That’s good, Dan. That’s really good.”
I pause with a piece of bacon hovering over my plate. Itisgood, isn’t it?
“Pretty girl from the diner!” Chloe comes running over to me.
“Chloe. She has a name and it’s Danika,” Jules says from beside Charger who just pulled her chair out for her. As she sits down, he places a small pillow at her back. “Okay, how the hell am I supposed to go out like this? My ankles are swollen, my back feels like someone ran it over with their car, and I’ve had this annoying as shit nausea all morning.” Jules lets out a heavy sigh, sending a strand of hair in the air.
“Mommy said a bad word!”
“Mommy is tired, kid. You’ll understand when you’re older.” Throttle ruffles her hair and Chloe bats at his hand.
“We can always have it at our house so you can put your feet up, pretty girl.” Charger massages Jules’s shoulders.
“No. That’s not fun. I’m going to the bar, dammit.”
“Another bad word!” Chloe points and small laughter erupts around us. Including mine.
“But I thought you said—”
“I know what I said,Zachary.But it doesn’t mean I don’t want to go,” Jules quips and I’m assuming the use of his real name means she’s dead serious about going. Pregnancy hormones and all.
Charger backs away with surrendering hands and out of sight of his irate fiancé.
“When are you due again, love?” Tank asks, drenching a piece of waffle in syrup.
“Not soon enough.” Jules sighs back into her seat and against her pillow. “We already had to move the wedding up to March just in case this baby decided to pop on out of here.” She rubs her swollen belly. “Not exactly the spring wedding I wanted.”
“It’ll be wonderful, dear. You’ll see.” Maggie pats her arm before sitting down next to Chain who’s already shoveling food inside his mouth.
“She’s right. It’ll be perfect,” I find myself adding to the conversation and everyone looks at me with smiles and grins before going back to their plates.
“Can we go sit now?”
I look down at the cute kid who’s gripping my arm with a mission. “Yes. Let’s go eat.” I throw her a friendly smile.
Chloe drags me to the empty chair, the one I was afraid of sitting in. The leftover embarrassment still stains my cheeks and swirls in the pit of my stomach. Not to mention the extra questions lingering around. My mind starts to wander, taking me back to a place in time where it’d all happened.
The noise from a chair screeching against the floor jolts me back and Hush glances up at me from where my feet are still planted. I avert my attention away from him and quickly find my seat. But since it’s a tight squeeze, I end up brushing my leg against his and my stomach churns.
It's painfully obvious how awkward I am and with Hush only inches from me, it makes his presence incredibly deadly.
The chills finally vacate but with such little space, if I raise my arm, both our elbows will touch and I don’t want to make him uncomfortable, remembering his flinch every time I’d lay my hand on his arm.
“Sorry,” I whisper while keeping my eyes on Bullet who sends a napkin airplane across the table at Chloe. She giggles.
“You have nothing to apologize for.” The grainy, quiet voice sounds in my ear causing goosebumps to rise.
