Romantic Stories 07

I'll never understand why I ever stuck my di.k in her. Glory had wanted me since middle school. I fvcked her on and off throughout the years. We never dated. I never dated anyone. I'm part of a motorcycle club. It's hard to tie a brother down, and I definitely wasn't going to be tied down as a teenager. Glory was just a patch chaser anyway. She wanted me for the clout, my money, my brand. Never me. She just wanted a comfortable life. Honestly, I shouldn't have let Glory do whatever she wanted. I was young and dumb. I didn't care. I thought that Glory would figure out one day that she was only a quick fu.ck for me and that was it. The only time I ever got in her sh.it over a girl was when she slapped Deidra across the face when we were in the 8th grade. She did it in front of everyone and told Deidra it was for looking at her man. I knew she was talking about me. I wasn't her man though, and Deidra definitely wasn't looking at me. No, Deidra never looked at me. Definitely not with heart-eyes either. I was the one looking at her, and that always pi.ssed Glory off. Pretty sure that's why she even started taking Waylen to the diner in the first place. Just to rub it in Deidra's face. Not that Thorn ever gave a f.ck about me or who I f.cked. Not sure what Glory was even thinking. I'm pi.ssed, yeah. My son didn't come home from school again, and I had the whole club out looking for him. "I just like being with Dra," he mumbled with a sad look on his face. Dra. That damn nickname he has for her. She once told me that she hated nicknames. Of course, it was because I was calling her Thorn and Lily-pad every day, but still. I sound f.cking pathetic being jealous over my own damn son. This little man wanted a mother. "A mom?" Waylen asked, giving me a curious look. "You mean like Dra?" Waylen asked, and I choked on air at the question. Of course, every interaction I've ever had with the woman was mostly her yelling at me in some way. Even if it was just with those stupidly bright hazel eyes of hers. The woman barely ever lets me finish a damn sentence. That's partly why I call her Thorn. 'Cause she's a thorn in my damn side. And Waylen only ever sees her when she's at work. Which is all the time, but still. "I think she is," Waylen said softly, sulking now. "She's nice to me. She ruffles my hair. She feeds me, and she even used to cut up my food at the diner, Dad. And you remember how she used to yell at Mom about being nicer to me?" "Honey!" My friend called out, getting my attention. "Come, tell you something about Deidra." "What?" "Caught her man and bestie f.cking in her bed and chased them out with a shotgun like a total bada.ss." She said, laughing loudly. "When you gonna put a cut on that girl, Jinx?" I blinked, unable to even reply to that. Deidra is not my girl. I refuse to claim any woman. Especially after the sh.it Glory pulled. I could never trust anyone. But I've known Thorn pretty much my whole life, and she doesn't want me for my patch. Or at all. And fu.ck, I knew Sophie was sh.it! And that Theo guy! He should have just stayed away from her when I told him to. None of that came out of my mouth though. Nothing did. Because even though I knew that nothing would ever come of it, all I could think was... Deidra's single? ***** Deidra's P.O.V. ******************************* The rest of the day went by slowly. We were busy on and off. I had a bride-to-be come in to talk about using us for her wedding. The bakery across the street came in to buy a pastry and make a huge thing in the middle of the place to try to drive my customers away. If it weren't for my little knight in shining armor, I think I might have been arrested today. June, owner of Tasty Treats, comes in at least once every two weeks. She buys something, stands in the middle of the lobby, and loudly complains about it. She's dropped cups of coffee, spilled potted plants, literally smashed muffins onto the floor... It's kind of insane behavior for a woman in her late 30s, but hey girl, crashout if that makes you feel better. However, I can also crashout. And I will. I maintain a pretty level head most of the time, but June and I have gotten into it a few times in front of customers. Deb has had to break us up. Deb even went as far as to call and speak to not only June's husband — who doesn't give a flying sh.it about what his wife does, but also called her mother. Nothing has helped. Except my knight in shining armor that is. "Waylen, where is your mother?" I asked the seven-year-old boy who spent his entire day in my shop. Well, after school let out that is. "Told you, she's gone," he replied without looking up from his coloring book. "It's just me and dad now." I tried not to show how happy I was that his sh.it a.ss mother was gone. Not sure if the bi.tch packed up and left or if she was finally forced out of town. I hadn't seen her in over a year, but I thought that was because she was avoiding me. You see, Erica — or Glory, whatever she goes by now — have never gotten along. We went to school together our entire lives. She was the popular cheerleader, and I was the loner type. I never cared, but she did for some reason. She always bullied me, but I was never one to just take sh.it either. I talked sh.it back, but it never went further than that. Okay, there was one time, but it was stupy. After we graduated from high school. Erica shacked up at the Salvation Knights clubhouse on the edge of town. I'd heard she became a club bunny and that she was a patch chaser. I had no idea what either of those things were, but I sure do now. Kind of hard not to when you're surrounded by it. The fu.cking bi.tch used to bring Waylen to the diner when I worked there, drop him off in a booth, and fu.cking leave. Leave! Like it was a daycare. The owner, Big Ricky, was going to kick the kid onto the street when he was like three-years-old. I threatened to set the diner on fire if he did that. Which resulted in me pretty much babysitting for free. Until I'd finally had enough one day. After Waylen sat in a booth for two hours, sick as sh.it and running a high fever, I lost my sh.it. That was about two years ago now. I took my apron off, told Big Ricky I'd be back, and drove me and Waylon to the gates of the Salvation Knights MC. I stormed in after being let through the gates with Waylen in tow and cussed out a room full of bikers. I even refused to let go of Waylen until his id.iot father swore to me that he'd take him right to the hospital. I even followed them to make sure. That day was the last time I ever saw Erica. However, Waylen still showed up at the diner every day. Much to his father's dismay. Not that the man hated me, but Waylon just never told anyone where he was going. How an entire clubhouse full of adults lost sight of one child every single day is beyond me. "Waylen, if it's just you and your dad, why aren't you at the clubhouse?" I asked. The little cutie winced. I sighed, half groaning when I realized what that meant. He might be here every day, but usually someone from the club is with him. Sometimes he shows up alone, but that usually means... "Waylen!!" I jumped a foot in the air at that shout. I whirled around, my body moving to shield the boy. It's not like I think his dad would ever hurt him. It's just a reaction. Probably because I really don't condone yelling at children. Jinx Roth stormed into my shop looking like delicious sin. Which instantly made me glare at him. It's completely unfair how unreasonably se.xy this face is and always has been. When's his awkward stage going to hit? I've only been waiting over 20 years to see it! Jinx is a couple of years older than me, but we graduated the same year. We were never friends, never hung out in the same circles, but we knew each other due to school. He's always been attractive, but the older he gets, the more ridiculous it is. The man has got to be at least 6 feet, 4 inches, and all pure muscle. He wears his cut with the club's logo with pride. It's an outline of a knight in purple, holding a sward. It's drawn in a goth-style, making it look freaking awesome. Not that I'd ever tell Jinx that. My eyes always linger on the stitched name on the right side of his cut. Jinx. The name everyone's called him since we were in middle school. His long golden blonde hair is pulled back into a manbun, but looks frazzled. Probably due to his missing kid. Those bright blue and green eyes were angry, and it only made him look better. He had stubble growing across his sharp jaw. His nose was crooked from fighting one too many times. He looked like a model. Why does he have to be Waylen's dad? "Don't fu.cking give me that look Thorn," Jinx bit out when he saw the scowl on my face. "Stop shouting in my store before I throw you out," I stated before quietly adding. "It's Christmas time. Be jolly for once in your miserable life, Jinx." Jinx let out a harsh laugh, rolled his shoulders, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, but my fu.cking son didn't come home from school and the entire club's been out looking for him-" "Jesus, just stop," I cut him off, waving my hand in the air as I rolled my eyes. "Why you didn't come here first, I'll never know." "He promised me he'd stop bothering you," Jinx ground out. "He never bothered me in the first place," I said as I walked behind the counter. "It was his dipsh.it mother that annoyed me. Waylen is always welcome." Jinx sighed and rested his fists on the counter. I set a black coffee in front of him, and he thanked me before taking a drink. "I'll talk with him," Jinx promised. "Start with the dangers of walking somewhere all alone," I muttered. Thankfully, Jinx left it at that. Which was surprising. Usually he always has something to say back. Instead, he gathered his son's belongings and left my little shop. I knew that no talk would stop Waylen from coming here. He said that he likes being around me because I'm calm and I care. I don't doubt that Jinx and the rest of the club care about him. I've seen it with my own eyes. But his mom never did, and I'm sure living at a motorcycle clubhouse is never calm. I tried not to let my thoughts wander for the rest of the day. Once I closed up and sent Alexis home, I took an inventory count. I prepared everything for the next morning, looked over the day's sales, and checked on the plants before leaving. Just when I got in my car, I got a text from Deb. She let me know that she wasn't feeling that well and was going to have some soup and go to bed. I offered to go check on her, but she refused. Which was like her. So, I went home. The first thing that tipped me off that something was off were the two sets of shoes by my door that weren't mine. I recognized them both as Theo's and Sophie's. I knew that Theo was going to come over after work, but I thought he was working late. We haven't moved in together yet because Theo said neither of our places were big enough. I thought his was, but we did put a deposit down on a place and get to move in after the wedding. At first, I thought that maybe the two of them were planning some surprise for me. I guess I was sort of right. The apartment was silent. All the lights were on. My Christmas tree was in the corner, lit up with a handful of gifts under it. There was a set-up at the table on top of my decorative cloth, for two with wine glasses and candles. Cute, right? Would be if the plates didn't have scraps of food left, and the wine glasses weren't half empty. This wasn't something they were setting up for me. This was something they set up and enjoyed behind my back. And at my apartment of all places? What the fu.ck! I tip-toed through my apartment, taking in the line of clothes that lead to my room. My bedroom door was shut, which wasn't how I left it. Ever. For a moment, I just stood there. I knew what I'd find behind that door. I knew that something was off with them. I knew... deep down, I knew. But the betrayal still hurt deeply. A loud, fake moan knocked a bit of sense into me. I carefully opened the door just as the headboard started banging on the wall. And there they were. My best friend and my fiancé, barely wear nothing, entangled with each other. Theo was on top with Sophie's body wrapped around him. He was balls deep in her, both their faces full of pleasure. Again, why my apartment? The first thought that crossed my mind was: I just changed those sheets too. Then it was: I wonder how many times I slept there without changing the sheets and no fu.cking knowledge at all that I was sleeping in my best friends "wet spot". Oh, I bet she got a kick out of us singing that Megan Thee Stallion song. I shouldn't even be surprised. Sophie was always like this. She had to be the center of attention. She always stole my things. She never let me have other friends. Theo was the very first boyfriend I'd ever had. I should have seen it coming, should have known she'd do something like this. But I thought she loved me. I thought she just liked the spotlight, but that she still cared about me. I mean, she and I had been friends since preschool. We've gone through everything together. She was there for my parents' funeral. She knew that Theo had taken my virginity and that he was my first everything. Sophie has done a lot of questionable things throughout our friendship, but this... this is devastating. She was my person. The only person left in my life aside from Deb. I lost everyone else. And apparently, our life-long friendship meant nothing to her. "You like that baby?" Theo asked her again. "You like it when I fu.ck you, don't you?" "Yes! Yes Theo!" Sophie moaned loudly and dramatically. "You're so naughty, suggesting we have our date here tonight," Theo said, further shattering my world. "I love it when we sneak around." This was Sophie's idea? "Show me how naughty I really am," Sophie said with a giggle. I couldn't hear it anymore. These two should have known me better. Known that, no matter how upset I get... I am not the type to go out without a fight. !!!! **** WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATERIALS THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING! SUCH AS GUNS AND VIOLENCE! READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED! **** !!!! ************************************ Deidra's P.O.V. ******************************* The two of them were going at it so vigorously that they still hadn't noticed I'd come home. I moved to my closet where I kept my shotgun. I wasn't technically allowed to have it, but Deb insisted I take it if I wanted to live alone. I told her a bat would have been fine, but now I'm glad she made me take the gun. I loaded the barrel with two shells, and then co.cked that motherfu.cker. The noise of the gun co.cking finally broke through their love-haze. Theo made a confused face and turned his head. His eyes went wide and jumped so fast from the bed that he fell on the floor. Sophie looked around confused, and screamed when she saw me. "Deidra," she breathed out. "Both of you, get the fu.ck out," I stated, sounding much calmer than I felt. "Deidra baby, calm down, this isn't what it looks like," Theo said as he scrambled to his feet. My eyes glanced down to see that he wasn't even wearing a thing. Now I have to schedule an STI test. A full panel checkup. Because my slu.tty best friend has been fu.cking my fiancé. For all I know, they're both sleeping with other people too. Each other, other people, and me... "Save it," I spat. "No, baby, please, I love you. I do. I really do," Theo pleaded, eyes full of guilt. "Love me enough to fu.ck the girl I used to consider a sister," I said sarcastically. Sophie scoffed from my bed. She was sitting up, leaning against the headboard. She made no move to cover herself up. She didn't even look guilty or ashamed. If anything, she looked annoyed. "Oh come on," she said, rolling her eyes at me. "He's just a man. You'd never let our friendship crumble over a guy. You're too sweet. You love me too much." Then she looked at Theo. "And stop lying to her. You love me." I raised a brow as I pointed the gun at her. "You really think this wouldn't matter to me?" I asked incredulously. "Theo and I are supposed to get married next month!" I shouted. "You were supposed to be my maid of honor! Christmas is next week! We had plans to... And you've been fu.cking him! You betrayed me in the worst way possible, and you act like it's fu.cking nothing?" "It is nothing, because the two of you never loved each other," Sophie snapped, finally getting up from my bed. "I knew it from the beginning. Poor Theo really thought you loved him. But I know you, Deidra. I know you were faking it." I stared at her with my mouth open for a minute. Partly because of her sheer audacity. Partly because... I think she might be right and don't want to admit it. Theo and I didn't have a lot of passion between us. I tried, really. I faked it so well that even I believed it. But I thought Theo was a good man. I thought that, at least, I was settling down with a man I could trust. A man who had a good head on his shoulders. How'd I never realize how truly weak Theo is? Sophie walked closer, and I held the gun up higher. She stopped with her hands up, looking at me like I was the irrational one here. It made me want to pull the trigger just out of spite. "Look, I love you Deidra," Sophie said. "So much. You're my sister. I didn't mean for this to happen with Theo, but..." Then she looked at him. He looked at her. And they fu.cking smiled. Smiled like they weren't standing n.ked in my room after betraying me in the worst possible way. "We fell in love," Theo blurted, both of them looking at me again. Sorry, did he just say love? They fell in love? Sophie fell in love? This Sophie? The same Sophie I've known my whole life? I couldn't help the snort that came out of me. "Sophie? In love? Yeah, okay," I said. "It's true," Sophie said. "We were going to tell you after Christmas." "You mean, mere days before my wedding?" I asked. "Why not just tell me right away and get your money back for all the wedding bullsh.it?" The guilt that flickered across Theo's face had my heart sinking. I really thought I loved the guy. At the very least, I cared for him and trusted him. I was going to pledge the rest of my life to him. And he chose my best friend. "The wedding is still going to happen," Sophie stated, her voice soft but stern. Still going to happen... just not with me. I think I made that clear. , I think they're making it pretty clear. So that must mean... "You two... are going to get married?" I choked up, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "Yes..." Theo replied apprehensively. Every single decision I made about this wedding, Sophie was a part of. It was my dream wedding. Not too big, but I don't have family anyway. I had to reserve the venue two years in advance. It was the only reason we were waiting so long. Because I have had my heart set on the Greenhouse since I was little. And now my best friend is getting married there. To my fiancé. I'll never be able to get married there. I'll probably never trust another man ever again to even be able to get married. It felt like the walls were closing in. It was too much, too overwhelming. My entire world just imploded. Love or not. I trusted both of them. And Sophie... I can't believe she'd do something like this to me. "Was this the plan all along?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at my ex-best friend. "The whole time I was planning the wedding... you were really getting me to plan yours?" "It didn't start until after you got the Greenhouse," she told me. "I never meant for it to turn out like this, Deidra. I just-" "Never meant for this?" I scoffed, cutting her off. "You apparently told Theo I didn't really love him. You inserted yourself into our relationship. YOU did ALL of this, Sophie! Knowingly! With an agenda! You seduced him into sleeping with you in the hopes that he'd break up with me, didn't you!? You just didn't expect to fall in love. Or that I would cut you out of my life." "You wouldn't," she whispered. "Oh, I would, and I am," I stated, holding the gun at them again. "Get your clothes and get out. You have two minutes. I never want to see either of you again." "You don't mean that-" "Get the fu.ck out!" I screamed, cutting Sophie off. "Before I fu.cking shoot!" Sophie rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you don't have the balls to do that," she said. Something in me snapped. Maybe it was finding them in my bed together. Maybe it was knowing that my best friend had orchestrated this entire mess. Maybe it was Theo's pansy a.ss remaining silent. Maybe it was the way Sophie brushed me off, like I was the crazy one, like I had no right to feel this way after finding her with my fiancé. Whatever the reason... I pulled the trigger. The gunshot went off, echoing harshly in the room. Sophie and Theo both screamed, which was great, because it was a huge turn-off on Theo's part. They both looked at the hole in the wall. I co.cked the gun again and this time, they actually looked scared. However, I was done playing. I pulled the trigger again, this time at their feet. They both screamed again, but started to scurry off. I reloaded the gun and followed them into the hall. I may, or may not have followed them all the way to the front door, shooting off five rounds in total. I chased them out while they were still covered nothing. "You're insane!" Theo screamed as he pulled the driver's door open of his car. I shot again, shattering his back windshield. "Deidra! This is too far!" Sophie screamed. "Nah," I said as I reloaded. "Too far would be shooting him in the nuts, so you two could never have kids." Then I aimed the gun right for his precious junk. Before I could actually do it, he got in the car though. "This isn't over, Deidra!" Sophie shouted. "You will forgive me! I'll see you at the wedding!" Then she got in the car, and Theo tore out of the parking lot like a bat. I stood there for a moment, thinking how insane those two are. They called me crazy, but they expected me to just be fine with his betrayal. To accept it and be part of it. It's disgusting. Unfortunately for me, I am a little insane. Because I'd completely forgotten about the fact that I lived in an apartment complex. And I just shot off my illegal gun a fu.ck ton of times. The only thing that alerted me to my mistake were the red and blue lights accompanied by the wailing sirens that were heading my way. "Awh, sh.it," I muttered under my breath. Deb is so not going to be happy with me. Deidra's P.O.V. ******************************* "Jesus Christ Deid, you really got yourself in it this time," Officer Melvin said as he stopped in front of the cell bars. I sighed heavily. He's literally the fifth cop to come back here and tell me that. Small towns. Gotta love 'em. Half these police officers grew up with me. The other half knew my parents. My parents might not have had any family, but they made a family here. My dad was a firefighter and Mom was a nurse. They were caretakers. Everyone loved them. And everyone felt it hard when they suddenly died. Despite my parents being pillars of the community, I was not as sociable as them. I liked plants. I liked to garden or go for nature walks. I was content with being on my own. People made an effort to talk to me when they saw me and my parents raised me to be polite, but that didn't mean I was as loved as they were. I miss them. However, Officer Dylan Melvin was someone I was a bit closer to, you could say. He and I were part of the garden club in high school. Dylan was nice, and we had conversations here and there, but I'm not sure that I would call him a friend. His parents knew mine, so I always assumed he just felt bad for me like everyone else. I understood their pity, but it was annoying. "You gonna tell anyone what happened?" he asked me. "Deb said she gave you that gun for protection when Captain Russo called her. She can't figure out why you'd be shooting off if you weren't attacked though." I leaned my head back against the nasty wall as I looked around the nasty cell. Christmas music was playing low in the background. The whole station was decked out for the holiday. Even the cells are lined with Christmas lights. It's super adorable and not at all what I pictured for a police station. Again, small towns and all. There was one other girl in here with me. She looked like a prostitute, and I felt bad thinking it because I recognized her. She's one of the Salvation Knights' club bunnies. One of the nicer ones. I asked her why she was here, and she said one of the cops arrested her because he thought she was trying to sell herself on the street. Apparently, she's waiting for someone from the club to come get her and raise for the farce of an arrest. We actually talked for a while. I found out her name is Honey. I thought it was fitting for her; she's sweet and has pretty brown skin. She asked me what I was doing here. I told her, but I did it quietly. It wasn't like I was embarrassed by what happened. I just... the longer I stay here means the longer I can prolong going home. Once I get there, I have to face reality. I have to burn my bed, pack up everything that reminds me of those two, and tell my handful of friends that my wedding is actually being taken over by my ex-best friend. Honestly, it all wouldn't be that bad if I had my best friend. If I had someone to go through this with me. I have Deb, and she's like a second mother to me, but she's also taken care of me for the last nine years. I've always hated having to dump my problems on her. She uprooted her whole life to move here and take care of me. I don't want to lean on her for every little thing for the rest of my life. God, why'd it have to be Sophie? "Deb's worried about you, Deid," Dylan said gently. "Just tell us what happened. Cap's willing to maybe let you go if you just tell us." I sighed again, wondering if I should just give it up. I'm getting tired. I know Deb is probably freaking out. She's probably tried to call Sophie a million times. Surprised the little wh.ore didn't answer just to tell her how she stole my fiancé. "For what it's worth," Honey spoke up. "Pretty sure he'd let ya go once you tell him. If you ask me, it was deserved." I smiled at her. "Hey, how's Waylen doing, by the way?" I asked. "Jinx's kid?" She asked with a confused expression. "Yeah, the little cutie patootie with a dipsh.it for a father and a complete ska.nk for a mother," I replied, making Honey burst out in laughter. "Oh, you must be the one he talks about all the time," she said. "That's me," I mumbled. "Had no idea," she said. "He calls you Thorn, so I didn't realize." I scrunched my face up at her. Waylen doesn't call me that name, his dad does. Maybe she's all confused or something. Maybe Jinx goes back to the clubhouse and complains about me. Good. I hope he does. I hope I consume all his thoughts every day that he sees me and goes and cries to his little club brothers about it. Little freaking baby. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm so mean to Jinx. Something about him just... makes me irritated as. Every time I see his fu.cking smug, se.xy face, I just want to punch him. He's annoying and the hotter he gets, the more annoyed I get. Who even told him he could start getting tatted? God, the man is infuriating, and it's always been like that between us. It's a shame he had such an adorable son. A son who looks exactly like him. At least the kid doesn't look like his mother. Not that she's ugly or anything. "What's that mean?" Dylan asked, looking from Honey to me and back again. I sighed for the millionth time. "I went home and found Theo in my bed with another woman," I told him. Dylan's eyes widened. "Theo? Your fiancé?" he asked, shaking his head. "Yup," I replied, popping the p. "But... that doesn't make sense," he said. "He loves you. Everyone can see it." "Well, I guess we're all fu.cking dumb then," I stated, making Honey snort. "Okay, so who was the woman, and what happened?" he asked. I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It was Sophie," I mumbled. Dylan's eyes went even wider. His lips parted, but no words came out. I stared at him as he stared at me. I wasn't sure if he expected me to tell him it was a joke or something, but that wasn't going to happen. This was real. And it was really happening to me. "But... that..." Dylan trailed off. "Sophie... I could see her doing this to you." He can? "But Theo?" he continued. "I just ran into him at the store last week. He was telling me about the wedding and how excited he was..." "Oh, I'm sure," I replied. "Because there's still going to be a wedding." "Oh sh.it," Honey breathed out, knowing exactly where I was headed. Dylan, bless his heart, was not as quick to catch on. "You're still going to marry him after he fu.cked your best friend?" he asked incredulously. I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms. "Yes Dylan," I said, my voice hard and sarcastic. "I found him in my bed with my best friend, chased the two of them out of the entire apartment complex by shooting at them, and I'm still going to marry him." "You don't mean..." he trailed off, again, looking at me like he was waiting for me to say it was all a joke. "She told me they fell in love," I told him. "Then said that I'd get over it because I cared about her too much to let a man come between us." I scoffed as tears filled my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. "She fu.cked me over in the worst possible way, right before my favorite holiday and treated me like I was overreacting, or like she did me some fu.cking favor." Then I looked Dylan in the eyes. "So I chased them out with that shotgun. They're fu.cking lucky I didn't shoot either of them. I could have. I should have shot Theo in the nuts and taken out just one of Sophie's fake b...bs." Honey cackled at that. "Girl, I like you, you're fun," she said, laughing. Dylan blew out a breath and shook his head. "I'll go tell Captain Russo, but he'll probably want to speak to you and have you write a statement," he told me. "Hey, tell him to take his time," I replied. "I'll try to make it quick, Deid—" "No seriously," I cut him off. "The longer this takes, the longer I can put off reality, so please, take your time." Dylan gave me a nod of understanding before leaving to go speak to his boss. Captain Russo has been on the force since my parents were alive. He and my dad were friends. His wife and my mom were friends. Everyone was their friend though. "Can't believe that bit.ch had the balls to steal your whole wedding," Honey commented after a moment. I let out a hollow laugh. "Sophie's always been... charismatic," I replied, staring at the wall. "She had to be the center of attention all the time. I never minded it since I liked to fade into the background. She stole toys, spotlight, friends, projects, clothes, and all kinds of sh.it from me over the years. I always let it go because I thought she needed it more than me. I never thought she'd betray me like this though. But the more I think about it, the more I should have seen it coming. I already suspected it, but I kept telling myself that she wouldn't do that to me. That no matter how sh.it Sophie's been in the past, she'd never hurt me like that. But she did. And she made it a million times worse by stealing my wedding. But she was right. I don't think I loved Theo. Maybe she really does love him. Maybe it was my fault for being so... unemotional. Maybe it was better it turned out this way." God, listen to me totally unloading on this poor woman. "Still, that don't make it hurt less," Honey said gently. "She was supposed to be your friend. This was plain conniving betrayal. You deserve better than both of 'em." I gave her a small smile. "You're right, it doesn't make it hurt less, and I do deserve better," I agreed. "A huge part of me still can't understand how she could do this to me. She purposely set out for it. And the worst part, she stole the venue I'd been dreaming about getting married at my whole life. As sh.itty as it sounds, I think that hurts the most. It was the same place my parents got married. I had to reserve it two years in advance. And now she's going to ruin it. Even if I ever met someone else, I'd never be able to get married there and not think about it, ya know?" "Want to go find her and beat her up when we get out of here?" Honey asked, making me laugh softly. "I might hold you to that," I replied. "Just you wait, sweetheart," she said. "Karma will get those two." "Thanks Honey," I mumbled. I hope she's right, and I hope I get to see it. Deidra's P.O.V. ******************************* By the time I was released, it was nearly the next day. Captain Russo wasn't too happy that I made him wait so long. It didn't help that the president of the Salvation Knights showed up in the middle of it all to get Honey either. The man was pi.ssed. I'd seen War around town, served him at the diner and Garden Sip. He's a beast of a man and fu.cking scary-looking. He's a few years older than me, but he's always looked so intimidating. Not that I've ever gone out of my way to befriend any of the MC guys. Or anyone at all, for that matter. Apparently War and Captain Russo have a bit of history or something. The captain was actually apologizing to the MC president when I walked into his office. I was shocked and didn't even try to hide it. War looked at me for a moment, probably wondering why I was there, and then left without a word. Captain Russo made me tell him all the details about what happened. Then I had to write a statement. After that, he let me go. It was made clear that I was only being given a slap on the wrist because of his relationship he had with my parents. Not sure if the captain expected some sort of gratitude for that, but all he got was a "thanks" as I walked out. They could have treated me just like everyone else. I would have deserved it. I'm not going to be overly thankful because someone decided I should get special treatment. Deb was waiting for me just outside the police station. She looked worried and frazzled. I felt bad for keeping her waiting for so long. Especially since she already wasn't feeling good. I'm not only pathetic, but also selfish, apparently. "Thank god, Deidra," she said as she pulled me into her arms. "You had me so worried. What happened?" I sighed and pushed out of her arms. "Give me the keys," I said. "I'll drive us home and tell you all about it. " **************** "I never liked Sophie," Deb grumbled as I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home. It was hard to live here without my parents. Of course, I had to get over that if I wanted to keep the house. Deb and I managed to push through all the misery and find warmth in the house though. It took a while for it to feel like home again, but we eventually got there. Right now, the two-story house is decorated with colorful Christmas lights. There's a huge blow-up polar bear on one side of the yard, and a huge blow-up snow globe on the other side. We put out a few of the light-up deer that move too. My parents used to do way more decorating for Christmas than just this. They really always went all out. Mom would tell me stories about her Christmases as a kid. She lost her family in a fire when she was away during her first year of college. Lost her parents, siblings, all her childhood memories, everything. Dad never had good stories to tell about the holidays. He always said that his good memories didn't start until he met Mom. Then he would tell me about their very first Christmas together and how it was a disaster. He was in foster care all his life, so I could see why he probably didn't have anything good to say. "I know," I replied to Deb before getting out of the car. "I'm going to walk home. I'll see you later." "Excuse me young lady? You will do no such thing," Deb stated, making me gulp. "It's only two miles-" "I don't care," she cut me off. "You can stay here for now. I'll take you home after you've gotten some sleep." "Deb, I have to open the shop soon, and-" "I will handle everything, you just-" "No, I can't let you do th-" "Yes you can! I'm there to help-" "It's my baby!" "I don't care!" "But you're sick!" "It's just a little cold! I'm fine!" "Ugh!" I screamed in frustration, knowing I wasn't going to win. "Taking one day off isn't going to kill you, Deidra," Deb said as we walked to the front porch. "You deserve one after the night you had." I know she's right, but... the more work I do, the better I'll be. I need something to throw my energy into. But Deb has a point. I had a long night and I have a long day ahead of me. I'm sure I'm in for a lot of long days ahead. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this, and while you're sick too," I said as I closed and locked the front door. "Nonsense, it's just a cold," she brushed me off before inspecting me with her eyes. "Are you sure you're alright, honey?" She asked. "You seem... angry, understandably so. But you haven't cried or anything. I know that you thought you and Theo loved each other. I know that despite what a cr.ap person Sophie is, you loved her dearly. Honey, talk to me." I blew out a breath as I plopped on the couch. I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling. After a moment, Deb sat next to me. She didn't push me. She knew I'd start talking when I was ready. I just wasn't sure what to say, because I wasn't sure about anything to begin with. I was still processing the fact that I caught my best friend and fiancé in my bed together. They ruined my future, my Christmas, my perfect wedding venue. "I don't know what to do now," I admitted. "Sophie literally planned the entire thing. She knew what she was doing. The fact that they were planning a date in my apartment behind my back because they thought it was extra spicy makes me sick. Part of me thinks that I would have understood if it was something that just happened, but this... this was deliberate. I was a joke to them. So much so that they expected me to not only be okay with their relationship, but support them too. It makes me wonder what a doormat I've been all this time. All the times I just let Sophie have her way because I didn't really care. She mistook that for me being a pushover. And Theo... well, he's just a weak man. I thought he loved me though. I thought what we had was special, at least. That it meant something. And they were... they were my future. The one I'd been picturing in my head and planning for. And within seconds, like I didn't matter at all, it all came crumbling down, and now... Now, I don't know what to do." "You don't have to make any decisions right away," Deb said, grabbing my hand and squeezing. "Let him handle all the canceling of the wedding and-" "Oh god, how'd I forget to tell you that part?" I grumbled, interrupting her. "What part? Did he already cancel the wedding? That jack.bo..om!" She ranted. I shook my head and scoffed. "No, the wedding's still happening," I muttered. When Deb didn't reply, I looked up at her. All she did was blink at me. "Are you absolutely fu.cking kidding me?" She blurted, making me snort. Deb rarely ever curses and when she does, I always find it hilarious. She has this deadpan way of saying things. It's hilarious to me. "I don't know what to do, Deb," I said. "I mean, I even booked up this Christmas trip. A weekend in Colorado. I was going to surprise him with it. A little mini vacation before our wedding. A cabin in the woods. He'd never had a white Christmas before, and we used to go there with my parents... I feel like such a fool." "You shouldn't," she replied, tucking a strand of my curly hair behind my ear. "I think you should go. In fact, I think you should extend it. Leave Monday, stay until the New Year." "What?" I asked with wide eyes. "That's... like, like two full weeks. Are you insane??" "Deidra, you've worked nonstop since you were old enough to have a job," Deb said gently. "You've never taken a day off. I can manage the shop for that long. It's the holidays anyway. The shop will be closed most of the time. You and I never really do much other than dinner and exchanging gifts. We can do that when you get back. I think you deserve a little getaway. Somewhere that you won't have to be constantly reminded of your family and now this betrayal." "I don't know Deb," I mumbled. "I'd have to call and see if they can even do that for me." "Call first thing when you wake up," she told me. "I don't know about this," I said unsure. "Deidra, you've never done anything for yourself," she replied. "Please, do this for me. Do this in spite of those two. Go off, have the vacation of your life, flirt with every hot guy you see, take a breather, and when you come back... rub in their faces how much you don't care." "That's easier said than done Deb," I mumbled. "They'll think I ran away." "Let them," she replied with a shrug. "Deidra, this is your life, but it's never felt like you've been living it. Not to me anyway. You never got in trouble, never wanted to go out with your friends, never had a boyfriend. You've always stuck to yourself and worked your butt off. It's time for you to have some fun. Go experience life outside this town and your parents' shadows." "They'd probably want me to go too, huh?" I muttered. Deb beamed at me. "They most certainly would," she said. "And who knows? Maybe you'll get a Christmas miracle." "Okay, let's not push our luck," I replied. "Just go for it, Deid," she said gently. "Take a risk for once. Know that I have your back." I blew out a long breath. "Okay, fine, I'll do it," I declared, making Deb squeal. Maybe this is exactly what I need. A break from the town I love. Just a little breather. And maybe Deb is right. Maybe there will be some sort of Christmas miracle. Jinx's P.O.V. ******************************* "You gonna tell me why you decided to walk from school to town?" I asked Waylen once we were back at the clubhouse. We were still in my truck and I just parked in the lot. Waylen's only seven, and too young to ride my bike. And I doubted he'd even want to when he knew he was in trouble. I looked at my son in the rearview mirror. He was looking out the window, scowling at nothing. His blonde hair that's a shade lighter than mine is pulled back in a matching manbun. His blue/green eyes are pinned on the ground outside. Sometimes I still can't get over how much he looks like me. It pi.ssed Glory off to no end when she was around. Which just made the rest of us laugh. Until we truly realized how much of a piece of sh.it the wh.ore was. I'll never understand why I ever stuck my di.ck in her. Glory had wanted me since middle school. I fu.cked her on and off throughout the years. We never dated. I never dated anyone. I'm part of a fu.cking motorcycle club. It's hard to tie a brother down, and I definitely wasn't going to be tied down as a teenager. Glory was just a patch chaser anyway. She wanted me for the clout, my money, my brand. Never me. She just wanted a comfortable life. All throughout school, Glory made it her life's mission to steer any girl away from me. Of course, it never worked. Most of the time it backfired on her. Girls want what other girls tell them they can't have, I guess. Plus, I lived on club property with my parents. I might have been a teenager, but I was still allowed to party with the club sometimes. Which meant my pick of club bunnies on a nightly basis. Honestly, I shouldn't have let Glory do whatever she wanted. I was young and dumb. I didn't care. I thought that Glory would figure out one day that she was only a quick fu.ck for me and that was it. The only time I ever got in her sh.it over a girl was when she slapped Deidra across the face when we were in the 8th grade. She did it in front of everyone and told Deidra it was for looking at her man. I knew she was talking about me. I wasn't her man though, and Deidra definitely wasn't looking at me. No, Deidra never looked at me. Definitely not with heart-eyes either. I was the one looking at her, and that always pi.ssed Glory off. Pretty sure that's why she even started taking Waylen to the diner in the first place. Just to rub it in Deidra's face. Not that Thorn ever gave a fu.ck about me or who I fu.cked. Not sure what Glory was even thinking. Fu.cking women are batsh.it. I definitely never want an ol' lady. The old timers talk about how we'll change our tune when we meet "the one". How we'll know who the one is when we see her, but I don't know about that. I'm not worried about it though. No girl has ever interested me longer than a night. Except the one that also interests your son. I shook the thought from my head. I'm not going there. The fu.cking plant lady hates my guts and always has. I've just always admired her ability to not give a fu.ck, her need to be a loner, and now the way she cares about my son. That's it. Just a friendly... admiration. "I just wanted somewhere quiet to do my homework," Waylen mumbled in reply, still scowling out the window. I sighed as I looked around the outside of the clubhouse. Everything is decorated for Christmas. My mom and the other ol' ladies put the guys to work the moment Thanksgiving was over. The gate that lines our property has colorful lights hanging all down the front, the actual clubhouse is lined with the same colorful lights too. There's a Santa in a sleigh being pulled by all his reindeer on the roof. There are even light-up deer, trees, and a Christmas dinosaur in the yard. All for us, 'cause no one can see that sh.it through the gate. The things the old timers do for their women. "I know it's loud in the clubhouse, but we have our own house on the property, Way," I told him, trying to keep my tone even. I'm pi.ssed, yeah. My son didn't come home from school again, and I had the whole club out looking for him. Not only that, but I also got another call from his teacher today. Waylen shuts down if you yell at him though. He totally closes off. Because of his cu.nt of a mother. Something I didn't realize was going on until over a year ago. I don't want my son to shut down with me. I want him to know that I always have his back and that he can talk to me whenever he needs to. "I just like being with Dra," he mumbled with a sad look on his face. Dra. That nickname he has for her. She once told me that she hated nicknames. Of course, it was because I was calling her Thorn and Lily-pad every day, but still. I sound fu.cking pathetic being jealous over my own son. "Is this because you miss your mom?" I asked him. Waylen scoffed, giving me a look that screamed, "Are you serious right now?" "Okay, okay," I said before he could pop off about his mother. "Is it because of what you did at school today?" Waylen's eyes widened for a moment before he hung his head, frowning at the floor of my truck. "Miss Greene called you," he mumbled. "You want to tell me why you put a stink bomb in her purse? Or where you even got it from?" I asked. Waylen sighed, and fu.ck it was adorable. He makes it so hard to be upset. The kid has always acted older than he is, and it's always been adorable. He doesn't really have any friends either. He doesn't get along with the other kids at school for some reason. He's the only kid here too. The only other minors at the club are in high school. I feel bad that Waylen's such a loner. Even Deidra has that one friend, even if Sophie is fu.cking terrible. "I put it there because she dressed up today thinking you were picking me up from school," he replied. "She didn't know you told me to ride the bus." "And that means you had to put a stink bomb in her purse?" I asked, turning in my seat to give him a look. "She was dressing up for you!" he said, crossing his arms and frowning out the window. "Like how Mom used to. Because she wants your patch." Then his eyes snapped to me. "I heard her Dad. She wants your patch and to become an ol' lady. She was talking to other teachers about it and how she'd be able to quit that teaching job after she landed you. Whatever that means!" he said, his voice getting louder as he threw his arms up. "I don't like her, Dad. She's fake. Just like Mom was." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I have no idea how to even handle this. Did my dad go through this sh.it too? Were women constantly trying to paw at him despite my mom always being around? "I know you don't like her, Way, but... having a mom-figure in your life wouldn't be so bad, right?" I said, trying to figure out what it is my son really wants. Does he want a mom? Does he just want everyone to leave him alone? Miss Green is just one of many women like her. They see us in the grocery store and immediately try to hit on me. And Waylen always does some crazy sh.it to run them off. He even lit Chrissy Atkins hair on fire once. There was another time he threw a steaming cup of hot chocolate at some random woman who was trying to flirt with me through him. Maybe he really does just want to be left alone. Fu.ck, am I a bad father? "A mom-figure?" Waylen asked, giving me a curious look. "Yeah, someone who's like a mom, but not like your mom," I told him. "Someone more like Granny or even Aunt Birdie." Birdie is my older sister. She and her husband Adam live a couple of hours away. They often visit with their three kids, but not often enough if you ask Waylen. He loves his aunt and uncle, and even his cousins. Chance and Andrew are their oldest. Andrew and Waylen are the same age, and Chance is a year older. Rosie is their baby, she's only two. Pretty sure my kid's only friends are his cousins too. "You mean like Dra?" Waylen asked, and I sh.it you not, I choked on air at the question. "W-what?" I choked out, still coughing as I gave him a wide-eyed look. "Why would you say Thorn? She's not exactly... mother.ly." Of course, every interaction I've ever had with the woman was mostly her yelling at me in some way. Even if it was just with those stupidly bright hazel eyes of hers. The woman barely ever lets me finish a sentence. That's partly why I call her Thorn. 'Cause she's a thorn in my side. And Waylen only ever sees her when she's at work. Which is all the time, but still. "I think she is," Waylen said softly, sulking now. "She's nice to me. She ruffles my hair. She feeds me, and she even used to cut up my food at the diner, Dad. And you remember how she used to yell at Mom about being nicer to me? One time, she told Mom that she should be at home reading me a bedtime story and tucking me in." He said as he picked at a loose string on his jeans. "I bet Dra tells really good stories." My heart hurt for my kid. I haven't been doing good by him. None of us knew how fu.cking awful Glory really was until Deidra came storming into the clubhouse one night over a year ago. She had Waylen in her arms and refused to give him up until I promised I'd take him to the hospital for his fever. It wasn't until then, when I watched a woman who was practically a stranger, act all momma-bear with my cub, spouting off at the top of her lungs about how sh.it my baby momma was to an entire club full of bikers, that I actually did something about Glory. I should have kicked her out of the picture sooner. I thought she still loved Waylen despite the fact that she couldn't have me. At least some part of her. But I was wrong, and my son paid the price for it. She wasn't physically abusive, but she was abusive in every other way. Except for when she was around me or my brothers. But don't worry. I made that bit.ch pay. "Okay, look," I said to my son. "I don't know if we'll ever find you a mom, but maybe I can talk to Deidra about letting you hang out at Garden Sip for a little while every day, okay? She said you're always welcome, but I need to know where you are at all times. But you need to work with me, Way. You gotta stop with the pranks and running off on me, okay?" "Fine," he grumbled, drawling out the word. I sighed again before throwing my door open. "Come on, Granny's making cookies inside," I said as I opened his door. "Thanks Dad," he said as he hopped out of my truck. "For what? You're still in trouble," I asked. "For not yelling at me," he replied before heading towards the front door of the clubhouse. Fu.ck, what am I going to do with this kid? Jinx's P.O.V. ******************************* I followed behind my son as he made his way to the kitchen. The whole place was decorated with fake snow and other things on the walls like Santa, Christmas trees, candy canes, snowmen, and reindeer. There were colorful lights and garland lining the doorways and ceilings all throughout the clubhouse. Even the entire bartop in the bar was lined with lights. It's like this every year, but it seems they went even bigger this year. Mom was in the enormous kitchen with all the other ol' ladies. They were all around the same age as Mom and were like aunts to me. None of the younger generation had any ol' ladies. Not that many didn't try. All the ol' ladies do this same baking sh.it every year. They bake a ton of cookies and give them out around town. Waylen always gets to help decorate the sugar cookies and help hand them out, which he loves. "There's my WayWay!" Mom called out the moment she saw Waylen. He ran to her, throwing himself in her arms. "I see you found him," she said to me with her arms still wrapped around Waylen. "Can I help with the cookies Granny?" Waylen asked her. "We got a whole bunch set up for you over here, Way," Sara said, showing him to the table off to the side. The moment Waylen was seated and distracted thanks to Sara and cookies, Mom went right back to work. And by that, I mean with the cookies and harassing me. "So, where'd you find him?" she asked me. I blew out a breath as I sat on a stool across the kitchen island from her. "You'll never guess," I grumbled sarcastically. "The plant place again?" Lisa, another ol' lady asked. "It's called Garden Sip," Mom told her. "Wonderful place, no wonder the boy loves it there." I shook my head as I looked at my mom. I've got her eyes and smile, but I look more like my dad. Mom's hair is starting to gray more now. Her normally brown hair has been getting lighter, and now I can see silver streaked through it. Sometimes I wonder if it's me or Waylen that gives her those gray hairs. "How often have you even been there?" I asked her. "I buy flowers from Deidra at least every other week," she replied, frowning at me. "Where do you think the flowers in the common room come from?" "There are flowers in the common room?" I blurted, earning a flat look from my mother while the others cackled. Just then, Void and Villain walked in, plopping down on the stools next to me. Those two are my age, but a couple of fu.cking id.iots I tell you. Granted, they don't have responsibilities like I do. They're twins and work at the tattoo shop in town that Wraith, another brother, owns. We went to school together and have been best friends for as long as I can remember. But they fu.cking get on my nerves. "What y'all talking about?" Villain asked as he snatched a cookie off the counter. "Oh, just how Jinx found Waylen at Garden Sip earlier," Lisa told them. "Wow, you and your kid both got the hots for Deidra Hartman," Void teased, snorting as I gave him a flat look. "Oh please," Mom waved them off. "Waylen is too young to have the hots for anyone." That earned snickers all around as Mom gave me a cheeky smile. "I don't have the hots for her," I stated. "You have a nickname for her," Mom replied factually. "Yeah, you call her Thorn," Lisa added. "Because she's a thorn in my side," I grumbled. "Not because I like her." "Lies," Villain said as he took a bite of his cookie and kept talking while chewing. "One time when Jinx got really drunk, he told us that he calls her that because she's as beautiful as a rose, and prickly like one too." Mom and Lisa looked at me, trying not to laugh as I smacked Villain against the back of his head. "Does bro.therhood mean nothing to you?" I complained. "Just admit that you think Deidra's hot," he replied. "You like that attitude she gives you." "And only you if you haven't noticed," Void added. "Yeah, she sure loves to give you sh.it, brother," Villain teased me. "Whatever, Deidra's like that with everyone," I said. "Is she?" Void asked sarcastically. I shook my head, refusing to even give it any thought. "That sh.it don't matter anyway," I told them. "Waylen keeps going there because he's comfortable with Deidra, thanks to Glory always taking him to the diner and leaving him there." "Poor baby," Mom muttered sadly. "She was more of a mother to that boy than his actual mother ever was." "Ugh, don't say that," I complained. "I mean... you can't really deny that after she stormed in here ready to fight the entire club over your boy," Void said. "I'm not denying it, it's just... fu.cking weird," I admitted. "I appreciate what Thorn has done regarding my kid, but... her and I are practically strangers." "Practically," Mom muttered, rolling her eyes. "Well, Waylen loves being with her," Lisa said. "Doesn't that count for something to her?" "Yeah. Thorn loves him. Says he's always welcome there. Think I might talk to her about letting him go there every day after school. I don't think she'd mind," I said. "He promised me he'd behave if I did." "He promises a lot of things," Lisa commented lightly. "He's only seven," I replied. "Saw Miss Green today," Mom said, changing the subject. Fu.ck. "She showed up here while you were out, smelling to high heaven too," she continued as she rolled out some dough. "Told me about the stink bomb." I sighed heavily. "Stick bomb?" Villain asked with a laugh. "I'm trying, Mom," I said. "Waylen overheard her saying something about wanting my patch a while ago... I think he doesn't want another Glory coming into the picture." "Bet he said Deidra would make a good mommy," Villain mumbled with a wink. "Shut up," I complained, pushing him hard enough to knock him out of his chair and onto his a.ss on the floor. "He's mad 'cause I'm right," Villain grumbled as he got back on the stool. "Anyway, I don't know what to do other than pull him from school," I said. "What about getting him a different teacher?" Lisa asked. "Already tried," I replied. "School said they were taking her word over Waylen's because he was a kid and sometimes kids misunderstand things or lie, and that if I can't control my son, maybe I shouldn't have him in school at all." Lisa gasped and looked at my mom. "Oh, I went down there too," she said. "Fu.cking jacka.ss of a principal." "I just don't know what to do," I said again. "Waylen is just... bored here. There are no other kids to hang with. I'm not exactly nurturing like a mom would be." "Deidra Hartman's nurturing?" Void blurted with a raised brow, looking genuine. "Can we stop fu.cking bringing that woman into the conversation?" I snapped. "Fu.ck! With the way y'all act, you'd think she was the one I knocked up."