Page 41 of Crusher

Jarrold’s face reddens before he snaps, “Your daddy –”

I cut him off and announce, “Is right here, so watch what you fucking say to my son,” and Alexiana snaps, “Language, Hayes!” and I smirk as she skates up to the boards while Kayden looks everywhere but at his mom because the boy wants to laugh.

I swear, her nickname for him is spot on. Even when he doesn’t mean to, the boy has trouble following him everywhere, including dropping half his lunch tray on a nurse in the hospital. I think that one may have been on purpose, she was flirting with me despite me showing her my ring tattoo, and my boy did not look impressed.

Jarrold swallows hard as he takes in my cut before he mumbles, “I need to get to work,” and I snort as I walk over to my son, who is rushing my way.

He throws his arms around my waist, and I kiss his head before mumbling, “Go get your stuff ready, I’m going to convince your mom to let you go on my bike,” and he grins wide before rushing to a table near the back, and I look at my wife, who looks concerned.

“Will he be safe on the bike?” she asks cautiously instead of saying no, and I smile as I lean on the barrier, taking in her freckles that I love so fucking much.

“He will, I’ll protect him with my life,” I swear, and she takes a deep breath as if letting the icy air fill her lungs, to help her decide. To decide if she trusts me enough with our son on my bike, and when she nods, I’m both proud but also disappointed.

She trusts me with Kayden, just not with her heart anymore, and that is one fucking hard pill to swallow.

“You didn’t wait until I’d finished work before leaving town,” I mention because the woman has refused to speak to me. She would put Kayden on the phone for past three days. She stiffens before she clears her throat, hoping I wouldn’t notice how tense she just got.

“I needed to get home,” she lies, and I hum and confirm, “So it wasn’t because your mom had found out you were in town?”

“Damn, Trick,” she mutters, and I tilt my head at her.

“Talk to me, baby,” I whisper, but she shakes her head.

“There’s nothing to talk about, you’re here to spend time with your son,” she replies hastily, and I clench my jaw to stop myself from snapping back.

“I’m here to win my wife back as well,” I say calmly, despite feeling anything but, and she shakes her head again, and I swear my patience is fucking thinning.

“It isn’t going to happen,” she says, and I quickly reply, “Therapy could help…”

“No, it won’t help, and I refuse to do it. I don’t care that the judge is in your pocket, I won’t let him or anyone else, including you, bully me into sitting in some room with a stranger!”

“Why fucking not?” I snap back, finally losing my cool, and she glares at me before seeing Kayden waiting near the door for me.

“Okay, first of all, language, Hayes, or I swear I will start calling you your road name!” she snaps, and I suck my lip ring into my mouth to stop my smile before she states, “Because it's all fake! It'll be someone on your side who will try to make me believe I was in the wrong to run away, who will try to get into my head because they are in with the club!”

Shit, I didn’t think she’d know that.

“I have seen right through your plan, and I’m sorry, but you are not going to get away with gaslighting me because of what you did. You broke me, you broke us…” Wiping away a fallen tear roughly, she chokes, “I’ll go get my shoes,” then skates away from me before I can even open my mouth, and instantly, I fucking hate myself.

I didn’t want to gaslight her, I just wanted to prove to her what happened would never happen again, that I fucking love her, even after all these years, I wanted her to finally open up to me.

Swallowing hard, I shove off the barrier and walk over to my son who is looking at me with anticipation and I force a smile and ask, “Who is ready for their first motorcycle ride?” and he cheers making my smile more authentic and I grab his bag before following him out of the arena knowing my wife will follow in a second. Once she’s composed herself because I’m such a dick and I know she’s going to hate me even more. I only have one more plan left before I go with plan C, formerly known as Cage’s plan – tying her to the bed after I knock her out and take her home.

Chapter 19

Alexiana

I gently lay my head back against the wall as I pull my knees up and do probably the worst thing a mother could do, and eaves drop on my son, confiding in his father.

I don’t want to do it, I really don’t, but I’m at a loss on what to do.

For the past three days, he’s been depressed, not speaking much, barely eating, and the only time I see even a little bit of life in him is when he speaks to his father or when he watches me skate.

I feel like I’ve done something wrong. I feel like coming back to Rose Hill was probably a mistake.

When Hayes asked if he could ride home with Kayden, I’ll admit, I was nervous, scared even, I mean I nearly lost him to a gunshot for Christ sake. I was hoping being on his daddy’s bike may bring a little bit of my old Kayden back. The one we had before he was shot by an adult who is supposed to have everything together. I was hoping the freedom I always felt being on the Harley would help my son, but it didn’t.

He barely spoke during dinner, and even Hayes was frowning at him.