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“Just make sure you don’t hang around longer than that,” the man threatens.
“And if I do extend my stay?” I ask, not being able to resist the threat.
“You’ll find you’re not welcome here. Cedar Bay is a small town and I’ve already heard you’ve been asking questions you don’t need to. In fact, I think you’ll be moving along before the week is up. I give you two days tops before you leave here,” he tells me.
Yeah, I haven’t worn my cut here. It’s on my bike in my saddle bags. I don’t want to bring attention to the entire club, so I’m acting as if I’m just riding my bike around the states. It’s not something I want to do—I feel naked without my cut on—but when I got to the gas station, I took it off before the attendant could see it and haven’t put it back on since. No one’s seen me wearing it in Cedar Bay and I don’t plan on it happening until I come back here to lay claim to the small town.
“We’ll see. Darlin’, can I get my order to go, please?” I ask the waitress, raising my voice so more than just her hears me. “I want to keep my appetite and I won’t if I stay here.”
The man retakes his seat and the two men begin talking again. They’re both involved with the mafia if their suits and the way they handle themselves are anything to go by. I can tell they aren’t high ranking members of the family. They’re trying to prove something to their boss and are taking advantage of this town and the people in it to accomplish that. I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen more than it already has.
Grabbing my takeout container, I head out to my bike and stash it in the saddle bag before heading back to the motel. Once I’m in my room, I pull out my phone and debate calling Slim now. I’m not sure if I should call him or go home and talk to him in person, but I think this needs to be handled sooner rather than later. So, maybe a call is in order for now. Then, I can go home to get my things and talk to Slim and the guys further about the situation. Plus, it gives me time to find out more information.
Chapter Ten
Annabell
I’VE HEARD VAULT is on his way home. I’m not sure if he’s leaving again, but I do know I’m not ready to see him. He’s been gone almost two weeks now and I haven’t stopped missing him or crying when I’m home. I put on a façade when I’m at school, practice, a game, or when Slim’s home. And I still haven’t stepped foot in the clubhouse since the day he left. Like him, I’m avoiding memories of the times I spent inside with him. I haven’t sat out on the porch swing because that was always our spot here at the house when everyone else was gone. I’m fucking miserable and everyone can see it. So, my plan is to continue avoiding the clubhouse so I don’t have to see Vault just to learn he’s only here to gather his things so he can head back to wherever he's decided to move. Plus, I don’t want to see him with the girl who left with him. My heart has shattered enough and I’m not going to let it break anymore.
Shy is worried about me. I can see it written in her eyes as she looks at me. She’s been trying to keep me company, but I usually tell her I’m studying or that I have a headache. Shy isn’t buying my excuses and I know it’s just a matter of time before she calls me out on my shit. But I miss Vault and there’s nothing I can do about the way I feel. I want to have him here and wrap my arms around him longer. Kiss him and plead with him not to leave me. I can’t do it though. It’s not fair to either one of us. Especially him when he’s doing what he needs to in order to find the new version of himself so he can move forward and try to get past losing his dad to the point it doesn’t rip him to shreds on a daily basis. I would never hold him back from doing something that important.
Hunter has been trying to take me out. I know I said I’d go to dinner with him, but after talking to Slim, I know it’s not fair to him. And I refuse to lead him on this way, so I’ve been avoiding him as much as possible. Instead, I need to talk to him and be completely honest with the man. Maybe I should do that now. I know he’s sitting outside because Slim and Shy are gone for the day with the girls. They don’t leave me alone at the house in case something happens. I personally think it’s because Shy’s so worried about what I’ll do if I’m left completely alone. I’m not going to take my life. I made a promise to Vault a long time ago that I’d never do that again and I won’t break that.
Getting out of bed, I make my way downstairs and out to the porch. Hunter is sitting in his usual seat on the steps as he looks up at me. I offer him a sad smile and I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. Nothing does anymore because nothing can take away the sadness and pain of knowing Vault is out there alone. At first I head straight for the swing where I’m so used to sitting. Quickly, I stop and instead turn toward one of the chairs Shy keeps on the porch for Slim when he wants to drink his morning coffee outside or her when she needs a few minutes on her own after a long, rough day.
“Hey,” I say, trying to get comfortable in the chair as I look at Hunter.
“Hey, Annabell. How have you been?” he asks, turning to face me, his face a blank mask and I know he already knows what I’ve been doing.
“I’ve been better for sure, but I think we need to talk,” I tell him, sadness filling me because I don’t want to hurt him.
“Yeah, I think we do.”
“I like you, Hunter. A lot. But you know I love Vault. I’ve loved him for months now and I can’t give up on him. I won’t lead you on and pretend to feel something for you that I don’t. You deserve someone who can give you her heart,” I tell him, wishing I could be the girl he wants because Hunter is a really great guy.
“I don’t know about all that,” he tells me, a sad smile on his face. “I appreciate you bein’ honest with me though. And I do know you love Vault just like he loves you. It killed him to tell me he was leavin’ and to watch over you. That I could take a shot with you because you deserve more than the man he’s become.”
“I wish I didn’t love him the way I do, but Vault took my entire heart with him and I don’t know when I’m going to get it back. I want to like you more than what I do and give you the chance you want from me. Slim told me you said you were willing to leave the club for me and I’ve never had that before. Not even from Vault. You’re gonna make some woman so lucky and you don’t know the kind of life you’ll give her once she shows you you’re it for her,” I tell him. “I want us to remain friends at the very least, Hunter. I can’t take you not wanting to spend time with me anymore either.”
“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he says, the promise of his words filling his voice.
I nod my head and let the sun warm me from the inside out. I’ve been so cold since Vault left. Nothing has been able to warm me up like knowing if I wanted to see Vault all I had to do was walk to the clubhouse and I’d find him there at one point or another. Or knowing he wants to see me and spend time with me. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt any of that from him and I miss it more than I thought possible. Now, I’m just filled with a cold numbness I’ve never experienced before. Not even when I lost my parents that fateful night that brought Vault and the club into my life.
“Well, I’m gonna go back inside and lay down. I really do have a headache now and I want to get rid of it before it gets too bad,” I tell Hunter, a deep ache filling my chest as I stand from the chair.
“Okay. Go rest and we’ll talk later on,” he says, turning back to watch over in front of the house as his shoulders slump in defeat. A feeling I caused in him.
Heading inside, I climb back in bed and pull the covers over my head after I close my blinds and curtains to keep the sunshine out. The sooner I get rid of this headache, the sooner I can get to studying or reading my book. I’ve gotten into a new to me author named Keira. I’m not sure of her last name right now, but I’ll look it up. She writes MC and I love seeing how it compares to the life I see lived here. The life I’m a part of even if it’s from the sidelines at most.
Waking up, I sit up in bed and instantly feel relief from my headache being gone. It’s all the stress I’ve been putting on myself since Vault left. And the crying. I hate crying and I’ve done more of it in the last two weeks than maybe my entire life combined. It sucks and I’m ready to be over this part of missing him. I want to be able to wake up in the morning and not have my first thought be of Vault and wondering if he’s okay or what he’s doing with his new life and the girl he left with. The need to get through each day without thinking about us laughing together over something that happened in school or practice overwhelms me as I try to force those thoughts aside and bury them deep. When I go to bed each night, Vault is the last person I think of before he infiltrates my dreams and I imagine the life we could’ve led if he hadn’t pushed me aside because of his grief. I want the ache in my chest to go away and the tears not to fall from my eyes because it hurts so bad.
Grabbing my phone, I head back outside to the chair on the porch. I’m settled in my seat when I hear someone walking up close to the house. Since we’re behind closed gates at the front of the clubhouse, I’m not nervous or scared about it being anyone else but a club member. Or one of the ol’ ladies wanting to come over and check on me. If they know Shy isn’t home, one of them usually stops by to see me these days. Savannah has been stopping over more often as well. She’s got so much going on in her life and doesn’t need me to add anything to it.
Looking up, I see Valor walking up to the house. He comes up and sits next to me in the other chair. For a few minutes, we just sit in silence together. I lean my head on his shoulder the best I can and wait for him to say what’s on his mind. It’s not the first time in the last two weeks he’s come to see me, but it’s the first time he’s sat so close to me and let me take comfort from him. He doesn’t ever ask me why I don’t sit on the swing anymore. Valor knows my spot with his brother was the swing and that I haven’t been sitting there since he left. We were always sitting on the swing together, talking and sharing secrets with one another.
“How you doin’?” he finally asks, not moving my head from his shoulder.
“Still missing him like crazy,” I tell him honestly, trying to keep the tears from forming and falling from my eyes.
