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“No, that’s not what’s goin’ on here. We all know it,” Hawkeye says as he looks at me. “You don’t want to think about Paige and what she’s doin’ right now. Or that she’s pushin’ you away and what the secret is. You’re completely in love with the girl and are hidin’ it because she isn’t makin’ it easy for you. Like Shawn said. We’re done here and there’s nothin’ more for us to do. Let’s get the lights turned off and head inside for somethin’ to eat and drink.”
With a deep sigh, I turn and make my way to the clubhouse with my brothers. Everyone else went inside hours ago and are doing whatever they want in there. I’ve been staying away from my dad because I know how he is. He’s the one we all go talk to and he just knows when we have something going on in our lives. It’s why all the ol’ ladies go talk to him when they’re trying to figure something out. Our dad has always been the go to guy for everyone in the Wild Kings and even some people who aren’t in the club. I know he’s just waiting for me to be alone so we can talk about things.
Going into the common room, I find a table with my mom but don’t see my dad anywhere.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask my mom, sitting down with her as Kevlar and Hawkeye head for a different table.
“He’s up at your house with Lyric. He wanted to spend some time with her because she’s having such a shitty day,” she tells me, giving me a smile as she looks at me across the table.
I’m brought over a plate of food by Bailey. She smiles at me before turning and heading back to the kitchen. I have no doubt she’s been in there most of the day helping Skylar cook and bake for today and tomorrow. I dig into my food as my mom laughs at me. I eat like a fucking animal when I’m starving. Right now, I realize I haven’t eaten all day long. So, I dig into the food and let my mom laugh at me. She’s so used to us eating this way and it doesn’t even phase her anymore.
After eating my dinner, I make my way to my room. I want to shower and get to bed before my dad finds me. We can talk once the wedding is over with. For now, I just want some space and to think about what the fuck I need to do to win Paige over. So, I lock the door and shut the lights off. I don’t turn on the TV or my music as I climb into bed after the hottest shower known to man. With all the running around I did today, I’m exhausted and it doesn’t take long for sleep to claim me. I don’t fight it for once in my life. I want to be asleep where I can’t think of anything or anyone who tries to invade my every thought both awake and asleep.
Chapter Sixteen
Paige
TODAY’S VERY IMPORTANT for my sister and Kevlar. I want to be so happy for them. Despite everything going on in my head and heart, I do know Lyric deserves only the best and Kevlar is giving her that. He’s the perfect man for her. They’re both perfectly imperfect and balance one another out. She can truly be herself with him and he doesn’t mock her or make her feel as if she’s not good enough. Kevlar accepts my sister's flaws and all. When I look at them, I can see the love they have for one another and they don’t care who sees what they feel and think when it comes to the other one. It’s amazing to witness and something I always wanted for myself. At least until that fateful night when my entire world was ripped from me. Now, I’m nothing more than a shell of myself and I’m hurting everyone in my path of destruction.
Ricochet is a man I’ve been falling in love with for the past several months. Almost a year if I’m being honest. Every single day he shows up and protects me and only me. He wants nothing but to be there for me and bring me into his life. Ricochet is open, honest, loving, and puts my needs and wants before anything else. I could easily say I fell in love with his good looks, but that’s not the case. I fell in love with the man he is. The one he shows me on a daily basis until I pushed him away and wouldn’t let him back in.
Chance, or Ricochet, is well over six feet tall. Like his dad, his head is shaved and he’s got a ton of tattoos. They go from his neck down both arms, his chest is covered, his back, and one of his legs has tattoos. Ricochet has muscles upon muscles from working hard and hitting the gym on a daily basis. Even when he was watching over me, he would find a way to workout. I’ve never seen a man so completely dedicated to his routine like Ricochet. Anyway, his eyes are a deep blue that changes to a dark blue when his moods change. Especially when he’s turned on. Ricochet is sexy as fuck and he knows it.
I gave in, more than once, and had sex with him. The man knows what he’s doing and showed me several times just how it feels for a woman to be worshiped and loved. For the first time in my life, I felt sexy and like the only girl he was seeing. Ricochet taught me the difference between a boy and a man with a few small gestures and the way he treats everyone around him. Even when he’s pissed as fuck, and the man has a temper unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, I never once felt as if he was going to hurt me. In fact, he would try to pull his temper in if he were with me. Unless he thought I was in danger or a man was looking at me for too long. God forbid another man touch me. Once a guy brushed my arm as he passed me by at work. I thought Ricochet was going to rip his arms from his body.
Shaking my head, I clear the thoughts of the man who makes my heart race and butterflies take flight in my stomach. Yeah, I’ve never had a reaction like that to a man either. Today isn’t about me and what I have going on in my life, head, or heart. Despite how deeply I’ve hurt my baby sister, I will be there for her big day. There’s no way in hell I won’t be at Lyric’s side when she gets married. It’s a big day and we all know our mother sure as fuck won’t be there for her daughter. I’ve always been there for Lyric and today will be no different. It’s just going to be so damn hard to see her as her belly continues to swell with the babies she carries. I’m going to be an aunt to triplets and I can’t be happy for my sister and Kevlar. I want to be happy and excited, but it only reminds me of the secret I carry with me. That only Lyric knows about and I refuse to share with anyone else.
Getting in my car, I head to the clubhouse. I haven’t been there in over a month now. Not since Kevlar announced the triplets and I moved out. Lyric tried to get me out of my head and to be happy for her. Instead of accepting her words, I lashed out and told her I wouldn’t be happy for her and that I’d be disappearing for a while because I can’t be around her. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.
The drive through Cedar Bay is short and I take in all the ways the club has changed our small town. For the first time in years, the storefronts are filling up and there are people walking down Main Street. No one’s hiding in their home because of the horrible people who moved their way into our town so long ago. The sun shines bright and the day is already hot as people take advantage. I watch little kids play with their parents on the sidewalk as they walk from one store to the next. There are several families sitting out in front of the ice cream shop, helping their young kids eat the treat. It breaks my heart to see so many happy families living their best lives and enjoying the gift they’ve been given. Something I’ll never get to experience for myself.
Pulling into the clubhouse parking lot, I get out after parking close to the gate and make my way inside. The common room is already filled to capacity and I look around for my sister and Kevlar. After a minute, I find them sitting at a table with Tank, Maddie, Hawkeye, Ricochet, and a girl I haven’t seen around here before. The girl is sitting right next to Ricochet and they’ve got their heads bent close together. He’s laughing at something she’s saying to him as everyone else looks on. The situation is intimate and I really can’t blame him for moving on. I pushed him away for a reason and now I guess I’ll have to get used to seeing him with other women. Or this one woman who appears to have his complete attention.
Maddie is the first one to spot me. I watch on as she lifts her arm to wave me over. With a slight shake of my head, she drops her arm and frowns at me. I don’t want to be called over to the table because then I’ll not only have to see Ricochet with another woman, but I’ll have to listen to him dote on her like he used to do to me. That’s not something I can handle right now. So, I make my way down the hallway where the bedrooms are located and find Ricochet’s. His door is unlocked and I quickly go inside before shutting the door behind me. Walking to his bed, I put the note I wrote him on the stand by his bed and make my way back out of the room. I head back to the common room and wait for Kevlar to get the day started.
When he sees me, Kevlar stands from his seat and pulls something out of his pocket. I watch with a close eye as he drops to one knee and slides my sister’s chair around so she’s facing him. Today she’s not in her wheelchair and it’s so good to see her without the casts on and the wires keeping her jaw locked shut. Just another thing I wasn’t there for because I can’t get out of my own way. The common room goes silent as we all wait to hear what’s about to be said.
“Lyric, my princess, I fall deeper in love with you on a daily basis. Every single day I wake up and the first thing I do is look over at you to start my day. You give me everythin’ a man could ever want, are the air I breathe, and the light when I’m lost in the dark. You have shown me love like I’ve never felt before and are giftin’ me the best gift a woman can give a man. Together, we’re creatin’ a family of our own and I can’t wait to continue makin’ memories with you. Lyric, will you do me the honor of becomin’ my wife?” Kevlar asks my sister as she looks down at him with tears sliding down her face.
I can’t hear if Lyric says anything in response as I pull out my phone and take a few pictures of the couple. She nods her head as Kevlar slides the ring on her finger before standing up and pulling my sister into his arms. They kiss as if no one’s in the room with them while holding one another tight. My eyes slide over to Ricochet to find his deep blue eyes locked on me instead of watching his brother propose to my sister. I can’t even pull my eyes away from his as we get lost in one another. This isn’t the first time I’ve been lost in Ricochet’s stare and I can only hope it’s the last because this hurts. My heart breaks with the thought of all I could have with this man.
“Princess, if I’ve learned anythin’ with what we’ve just been through, it’s that there’s no time like the present and each day is a gift we don’t know if we’ll get another one. So, if you’re up for it, everyone here has helped me put together a day fit for you. I want to get married today. Right here at the clubhouse,” Kevlar says, hope filling his voice as he looks down at my sister.
“Yes!” she practically yells while wrapping her body around his. “I’ll marry you right this second.”
“Okay,” he says laughing as he continues to hold her. “Go get ready. The ol’ ladies have you in our room so you can shower and change. I’ll see you soon, princess.”
I step forward and make my way to Lyric as she turns to face me. The smile on her face falters as she tries to figure out how to feel about seeing me for the first time in a month or more. I paste a smile on my face even though I know it’s fake and rush up to hug my baby sister. When she doesn’t return my affection I try so hard not to let it bother me.
“What are you doing here?” Lyric asks me, emotion filling her voice as her eyes harden toward me.
“I’m here to help you get ready,” I answer her, tears filling my eyes because I’ve caused this rift in our relationship and I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to fix it.
“I’m sorry, Paige. I don’t want your help getting ready. You’re more than welcome to stay for the wedding, but I’m not ready to forgive you or forget what you said to me. The day I wanted you by my side, to be happy for me, you shattered my heart into a million pieces and walked away. I haven’t seen or heard from you since that day. Maybe one day I’ll be able to forgive you and we can start to repair our relationship. That’s not today. Today I’m going to focus on marrying the man I love and I won’t have you at my side to bring me down,” Lyric says, her voice breaking and cracking as she turns away from me and buries her face in Kevlar’s chest.
If looks could kill, I’d be dead and buried right now. Kevlar is glaring at me and I know how pissed he is. He hates me for how I’ve made my sister feel and I can’t blame him at all. He’s protecting my sister and making sure she’s happy and that her heart’s protected. I’ve broken her heart and he’s never going to forgive me for the pain I’ve caused her.
Letting the tears slide down my face, I turn on my heels and leave the common room. I’m not going to ruin my sister’s day by staying where I’m not wanted. Yes, she said I could stay. However, she doesn’t really want me here. So, instead of waiting for the reception to be over with, I leave now. I can hardly see as I push through the door of the clubhouse and make my way across the parking lot toward my car. When I go to open the door, I drop the keys and bend down to pick them up. The tears are falling fast and hard now as I try to get in the car so I can leave. There’s only two things I have left to do before heading out and then no one from Cedar Bay will see me again.
