Page 98 of Rebellious

She was even congratulated on her first period. Not because Momma said anything. It was the cramps that Rebel herself complained about.

The first time she’d drawn a different type of attention, the kind that showed her as a rival to the club girls who were little more than jealous vipers, was Valentine’s Day when she’d gotten dressed up for her date with Kaia. She’d felt awkward, watched, and judged, as much as she’d felt gorgeous and empowered, reinforcing her belief in the beauty she’d been gifted with and the jealousy of the younger club girls.

But she’d never been subjected to the cheers, whistles, and catcalls the moment Daddy guided her into the club and everyone spotted her. She wanted to go home and crawl into bed because she was still in pain. Her stomach had been particularly abused by those motherfuckers. Without the sedatives, she felt each limp she made.

Yet, the attention uplifted her. She hadn’t tried to save Jana because she expected accolades. She’d just reacted to a dire situation. Yeah, in hindsight, she should’ve minded her own business and let that ungrateful bitch drown. Or get beaten to death. Except…she was proud of herself for standing up for Jana because it was the right thing to do.

“Speech,” Torrin called when the noise died down, flanking Diesel. He clapped again and whistled. “We’re so happy you’re home.”

“Yeah, Little Reb,” Narci said from Diesel’s other side. “How do you feel?”

Momma stepped beside Rebel and grabbed her hand. “Do you need to sit, love?”

Rebel started to speak, to nod, but then she saw Jana sidle to Diesel and give him puppy dog eyes. He bent and whispered to her. Jana nodded.

Oh, that bitch wanted to play, did she?

Rebel snatched her hand from her mother’s and hobbled forward, not missing Momma’s huff. “I feel grateful that I was in the right place at the right time,” she said, needing nothing to make her voice sound so weak. Smiling at the crowd and ignoring her pain, she met Diesel’s inscrutable gaze. “Who knows what would’ve happened to poor Jana if I hadn’t been there? I’m so happy I could help her with minimal damage to me.”

Diesel glanced at Jana, and his lips thinned before he broke away from her and came to Rebel. He hugged her and she didn’t hesitate to return the gesture. Stepping back, he kissed her cheek.

“Welcome home, sweetheart. I owe you a great debt for saving Jana’s life.”

Those cheers went up again.

“Come on, love,” Momma said, reclaiming Rebel’s hand. A big banner with the words, ‘get well soon, Rebel’, surrounded by stars, mini suns, and rainbows hung behind the bar, above a smaller banner that read ‘welcome home, Reb’, the letters and decorations also hand drawn. Balloons hung throughout the club, awing her. She couldn’t believe this was all for her.

Daddy led them through the crowd to his table. Instead of her uncles occupying the chairs, CJ, Grant, Bishop, Ryan, Mattie, Harley, JJ, Rory, Devon, Mark JB, Lou, Axel, Ransom, and Ryder were there, along with Kayce and Kaia. Daddy seemed to have temporarily taken CJ’s table where Aunt Zoann, Aunt Bunny, Uncle Val, Uncle Stretch, and Uncle Digger were. It disappointed Rebel not to see Uncle Mort, Lolly, and Aunt Kendall, while she could’ve done a happy dance that Uncle Cash, Uncle Johnnie and Aunt Bailey skipped out. She hoped Aunt Ophelia was okay but was glad she wasn’t there since Winnie would’ve demanded Rebel’s attention.

Food and paper plates sat in the middle of both tables. Fried fish and shrimp, French fries, toasted bread, salad, and chocolate cake made Rebel’s mouth water and her stomach growl.

Before she reached the table with her brothers and cousins, she went through a gauntlet of hugs and kisses from her aunts and uncles.

When she finally sat down in Daddy’s chair, she breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, Kaia finagled Momma’s spot. Rebel wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She didn’t see Fia or any of the newer club girls, though she wondered if they’d show their miserable faces and pretend they didn’t wish she’d sank to the bottom of that fucking creek.

Momma kneeled next to Rebel. “If you need anything, love, I am right next to you.” She pointed to CJ’s table, at a ninety-degree angle from Daddy’s. It placed Momma’s back to Rebel’s. “Call me and I’ll come running.”

“Okay, Momma,” Rebel said, compelled to hug her mother, grateful to be alive and with her family. “Thank you for everything,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too, Reb.” Momma kissed her cheek and then got to her feet, joining in the renewed clapping.

“I’m starving,” Rebel started when everyone turned the attention to food and found places to sit. Each table had a similar set up with food and plates, though the smaller tables were incredibly crowded.

“May I fix you a plate?” Kaia asked quietly, so only she could hear.

She started to decline, but she was tired and hungry, so she nodded. “I want a little of everything.”

He smiled at her. “Coming right up, my lady.”

“Lolly and me cooked, Reb,” Harley announced. “I-I hope it’s good.”

“You cook as good as Roxy, Harls,” Grant said. “I’m sure the food is delicious.”

“Yeah, bae,” CJ said, nodding. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Rebel wasn’t sure if the food was a collective effort or if Lolly prepared some dishes and Harley others, but CJ was right. It was all delicious, from the summer green and citrus salad right down to the chocolate cake.

After scraping his plate clean of every bit of icing he could manage, Daddy got to his feet and whistled, ushering in almost immediate silence.