“Okay, but only if you want to tell me.”
“I haven’t felt close to anyone since high school. I was kind of a loner and I had attachment issues. The only person I had in my life was Draven. He was the school misfit, the one that got into all the trouble and broke all the rules. He somehow lifted me out of my comfort zone and became my own personal security blanket. We went from friends to more within weeks of meeting each other, staying together throughout high school. When we graduated, he decided to join the military, and we did the long-distance thing for a few months while he was in boot camp. Then he came home for about two months, and we spent every damn day together right up until he was shipped out on a deployment. He was only there for a few weeks when he went on some kind of secret mission and never returned. They said he was killed during combat, but they wouldn’t explain how or why. I’ve spent the last year and a half dealing with the pain of losing him…” Tears spilled down her face, and my thumb wiped them away so easily. “He was my person, Dillon. I relied on him so much—for my happiness and my sense of self. I thought he and I would be together forever, so when I found out I was pregnant right after he left for his deployment, I was gloriously happy. I thought everything was working out perfectly for our future…”
She was so choked up with emotion that I could feel it seeping into my bones. Her pain was internalized deep in her core, and I felt that because that’s exactly where I kept mine. Harboring that much pain keeps people from opening up and letting people in, which is why I was surprised Sienna was opening up at all.
“Then his mother got the visit every parent dreads when they go off to war. And just like that, Draven was gone. The emotions I felt that day not only affected me, but the little life I was carrying inside me as well. I ended up having a miscarriage, and I just couldn’t deal with the pain I felt living in Bangs anymore. So, I jumped in a car and started to drive away, ended up here, and now I’m trying to make a life for myself outside of the one I had with Draven. It hasn’t been easy, and hearing about Brooklyn’s death today just triggered something inside. All that pain I felt after losing Draven came flooding back, and that emptiness a mother feels after losing their baby returned. And for some reason, all that pain led me here. It led me to you.”
I held her in my arms, letting her silent sobs work through all the pain she was trying to keep hidden.
“I’m glad you came. Though I’m not a very good shoulder to cry on.”
She lightly punched me in the arm. “I happen to like your shoulders. They’re comfy.”
We sat like that for what seemed like hours, getting closer to each other without really saying a word. Before I knew it, we were lying on the bed, her cuddled up in my arms, and me just enjoying the feel of her.
“Dillon?” she murmured, as my fingers gently grazed the skin of her bare arms.
“Yeah, Sienna?”
“You can’t tell anyone that I was here, okay?”
My fingers stilled, unsure of why she was telling me this. “Um… okay?”
She sat up, staring at me strangely. “We’re not supposed to mess around with club members.”
“Well, I’m not a club member.”
Her hand cupped my face, and she smiled. “But you will be. You were meant to be a Celestial Son, Dillon. You may not realize it yet, but the universe placed you in their path for a reason. The guys here like you, and it will only be a matter of time before you become a prospect. Right now, you’re what they call a hang around. They’re basically sizing you up so you can be a part of their club.”
“I don’t know if I want that.”
“You will,” she replied, patting my face. “You will. You’ll realize these men are the family you never had. Then a girl like me will be the last thing on your mind.”
I turned to face her and frowned.
“Sienna, I don’t think there’s a woman in this world that will be able to turn my head like you do.”
She smiled shyly, and I took that as my cue, leaning forward to taste her sweet lips.
The second I felt her sigh against my mouth, everything exploded inside of me, so I pushed her back against the mattress, ready to taste more. There was a bit of hesitation on her part, but then she opened herself up to me, allowing me to fit my leg between hers, and my hands to roam over her sweet curves.
It was the first time I ever held a woman in my arms. It felt right, like Sienna was made for me.
I didn’t know how to tell her about my past. But I wanted to. I wanted her to know everything about me, even the shit I didn’t like to talk about—like how I was a virgin in my heart, but not a virgin in reality. It wasn’t easy to explain that to people. Most people connected rape to women. They didn’t want to hear about the boys or men that were silently violated without consent. The ones who have to internalize everything and pretend it never happened. I was a minor statistic. It didn’t happen often, but it did happen, whether people wanted to hear the ugly truth or not.
“Dillon,” she said breathlessly as my hand traced the hills of her breasts.
“Hmm?” I was desperate to feel more—to make Sienna mine.
“Dillon, stop.”
My hands kept moving. My lips possessed hers with a fire that lit my bones.
“Dillon! I said stop!” Her hands violently pushed against me, forcing me off of her.
The way her eyes flashed with both hurt and fear struck me in a way I didn’t expect.
“I’m sorry… I thought… I thought you liked me.”
