Chapter 43
Hank
Iknewitwasalongshot that she could forgive me. But I still had to tell her. She had to know she was important, and how fucking sorry I was for how I acted. Telling her about the club girl really gutted me. I felt my insides crumbling when I saw the look on her face.
My mind races with thoughts of what I’m going to do. I love being a Hellion, but I don’t know if I can stay here and see her everywhere I go. Maybe Earl can talk to the NC chapter of the Hell’s Mayhem and I can transfer to their club. We’re on good terms.
I’m halfway down the walkway when I hear the storm door slam open behind me. The sharp crack of the wood hitting the house echoes across the quiet yard, stopping me dead in my tracks. I freeze mid-step, and slowly turn around.
Vee stands on the porch, her chest rising and falling like she was running, hoping to catch me before I left. Her cheeks are flushed, her gaze watery and locked onto me.
“Don’t leave,” she says.
Two words.
It’s all it takes for my heart to feel like it’s going to explode. She stopped me, but I don’t know why. If she thinks she can give the house back, she’s shit out of luck. It’s hers now. Hers, the baby, and theirs.
Luke and Doc step out of the house and move to stand beside her on the porch. My feet start moving without my mind thinking, making their way back over to where she is.
Luke shifts his eyes from Vee to me and back, his lips twitching like he’s trying not to smile. Is he happy? Does he know she’s probably about to ream me a new asshole? Tell me that she’s glad to never see me again and toss the key and deed to the house in my face?
“Well,” Luke says casually, “Doc and I are gonna go grab something to eat. Don’t kill each other before we get back with the food.”
Doc smiles and leans into Vee, giving her a kiss. Not on the cheek, but right on the lips; it’s not passionate, but damn, it does look hotter than I expected, seeing someone else do that to her. “Yeah. We’re going to give the two of you some time alone to talk.” He moves down the steps while Luke kisses Vee and stops beside me. “If you hurt her again, I’ll fucking kill you.” He doesn’t wait for me to protest, just makes his way to his car.
A second later Doc walks up to me, grinning from ear to ear. “We’ll be back in a bit,” he adds, giving me a look that clearly saysdon’t screw this up.
Is Vee going to give me a chance? Does this mean they are okay with it?
I turn my attention back to Vee, both of us staring at each other but not saying a word. A minute later I hear the car engine start and pull away, leaving me and Vee alone for the first time in I don’t know how long.
The quiet that settles between me and Vee feels heavy. Neither of us speaks; we just stand there awkwardly.
I walk back up the steps slowly, stopping a couple of feet in front of her.
“You wanna go inside?” I ask. It seems like the right thing to ask. To do. She shouldn’t be standing out here being pregnant. What should pregnant women be doing? I’ve only ever been around one, and that’s Ash, and I didn’t really pay attention.
“Yeah.” She nods simultaneously while speaking.
I step past her and open the door, holding it for her to step inside before shutting it behind me. For a second, she just stands there in the entryway, looking around as if she’s trying to take everything in.
My hands slide into my pockets, and I rock back and forth on my heels nervously. “You… wanna see the nursery?”
Her head snaps toward me, surprise flashing across her face. Then she nods.
As much as I want to reach out and take her hand in mine as I guide her to the nursery, I don’t. Instead, I lead her down the hallway, my nerves twisting tighter with every step. This house has felt empty for so long, but with her walking behind me, it suddenly feels full again. I’ve only spent a couple of nights here and there, and only when I needed a break from the clubhouse. It just felt so big and lonely for only me.
I stop at the last door, push it open, and move to the side.
“Here it is.”
She steps inside, and I follow her. Vee’s hands fly up to cover her mouth as she moves around the room slowly. The crib against the wall. The soft green paint. The rocking chair in the corner. The shelves with tiny books and stuffed animals.
Yeah. I may have made a second order and gone a little overboard. But I want her to be happy. To be taken care of. Not that I think Doc and Luke wouldn’t. It just felt like something I needed to do.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispers.
“So are you,” I say quietly, hoping, and yet not at the same time, that she hears.
