She's a smart woman, my mother.
She reads between the lines.
"Where are you, sweetheart?" she asks finally.
"I'm safe. I'm with people who are taking care of me."
"What people? Ripley, I need to know you're okay?—"
"I am okay. I promise." I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. "I'll come see you soon. I just... I need a little more time. To figure things out."
She's quiet for a long moment. I can hear her struggling with herself, wanting to push, wanting to demand answers.
But she doesn't.
She trusts me. Even after everything, she trusts me.
"I love you," she says. "You know that, right? No matter what. I love you, and I'm here whenever you need me."
"I know, Mom." Fresh tears spill down my cheeks. "I love you too."
We talk for a few more minutes—lighter stuff, her complaints about the neighbors, her excitement about the upcomingSteelers game, normal mother-daughter conversation. By the time I hang up, I feel wrung out but lighter.
Like I've set down a weight I didn't know I was carrying.
I lie back on the bed and stare at the ceiling, letting the tears dry on my face.
That evening, I venture out to the main room again.
The clubhouse has come alive as the sun went down—brothers trickling in, music starting up, the smell of beer and barbecue drifting through the air.
It's not a full party, just a normal night, but after days of isolation, it feels overwhelming.
I find a spot at the end of the bar, nursing a soda and watching the room.
Tawny waves at me from across the space, where she's sitting on some brother's lap.
Paige is playing pool with a guy I don't recognize, laughing at something he said.
Normal. Easy. Like this is just another night.
I'm starting to relax, starting to let myself breathe, when someone slides onto the barstool beside me.
"Hey there."
I turn.
He's a good-looking guy—dark hair, easy smile, tattoos covering his forearms.
His cut says "Stark" on the front, and I remember Cain mentioning him.
One of the full patch members.
"Hi," I say cautiously.
"Ripley, right?" His smile widens. "I've seen you around. Heard you're staying with us for a while."
"That's right."
