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I met Ember every Sunday on Broadway. Just being in the honky tonks again lifted my spirits. I didn’t worry about Noah Fond finding me there in the broad daylight. I blended in with the crowd surrounded by music. It’s not like I was taking a job there again. Ember let me take her motorcycle out, too, since she rode. Rome showed up sometimes with his friends, bikers in the club. I wasn’t looking for another man, but they kept their distance anyway. I was still someone’s property.
Connie came to the clubhouse just to see me, so I grudgingly sat at the bar with her one night. Much older than Hallow and I, her and her husband Dawg had become our buddies over at the Eagles’ Nest. Dawg wasn’t at Royal Road often. He ran a successful business off site, but he was still a member all the same. As in, he paid his dues, wore his cut and rode on local runs, mostly for show and for fun. He had all the perks of belonging to this dangerous gang with none of the hassle. I knew because Connie bragged about this constantly. As annoying as that was, I loved her, and Connie genuinely cared for me, as well.
Therefore, when she talked about what Hallow was up to, she wasn’t just trying to hurt me like some of the other women around here. “Can you believe he's back with his ex? Seen Stephanie over at your place.”
“It’s not my place, evidently, although I had been paying more than my share for nearly a year. And no, I can’t believe it. I thought he loved me. I guess I was wrong.” Stirring the sugar into my iced tea, I held in my tears.
“How long can somebody stay mad?” Connie wondered aloud.
“Are you talking about me?” I twisted on the stool to face her.
“No, I ain’t. I’m talking about Hallow.”
I tried to temper my tone. I didn’t want to yell at Connie. “What does he have to be mad at?”
She touched my knee, a sure sign she was about to tell me some hard truths. Leaning in, she said, “Well, honey. Bless your soul. You did leave him on y’all’s wedding day.”
“Believe me, I know. But that's a drop in the bucket compared to what he did to me.”
Connie swirled her straight whiskey. She could drink a man under the table. “What he almost did to you. It never happened.” Being the only person who knew about that night other than Paisley, she spoke of him almost raping me, threatening to.
“But it almost did.”
“Doesn’t count unless it’s horseshoes, girl.”
“Whatever, that’s not even what I’m mad about. I threw myself at Hallow’s feet, and he stepped over me for trash, for her, for Steph.”
“You mean to tell me you don't still love him?” Connie’s eyebrows raised as she waited, knowing the answer.
“Of course, I still love him. But he can't keep his dick in his pants. How am I supposed to take him back, let alone get him back when he can't go one day without his dick in somebody else. You said yourself, Steph is over at my house. He’s moved on.”
It had been going on so long, Hallow with other women, I’d become quite apathetic to it. I loved Hallow. But more than anything, I loved how we used to be. When Hallow was mine, and he wasn't fucking every woman at Royal Road or just one who wasn’t me.
Connie gave me a sidelong glance. “Stephanie ain’t here tonight.”
“You're not suggesting I throw myself at him, again? How many times should I?”
“It's either that or be lonely.” My friend said under her breath before she sipped on her straw.
“I don't have to be lonely. I choose to be lonely,” I said and downed my tea. “I’m pretty happy on my own.”
Connie, of course, knew nothing about my romps with Kingpin. No one could know. Not that it amounted to a hill of beans. No matter the emotions those times moved in me, Kingpin was taken. After getting close to that biker and about ruining his relationship, I wasn't about to go out with anyone else. Not until I was over Hallow and in my right mind.
Connie stayed to watch my show. I sang Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers” just for her. Not for Hallow, because I was okay on my own, finally.
That night when I stepped off stage Hallow stood in front of me, handsome as ever.
“Eve, can we talk?” he asked, standing in my way. Like he wouldn’t let me refuse.
Tapping my foot, I crossed my arms. I gave him a mean glare. Hallow hadn't spoken to me in months. All he'd done was rub women in my face.
“I hear you're still with Steph.”
Hallow swept his hand through his hair. His face was nice and healed. I couldn’t see a single scar in the neon lights. Blinking his green eyes, he hesitated to answer. “Yeah, I guess we are back on for now.”
Hearing it from his lips, my stomach knotted. I felt sick. “For now. What's that supposed to mean?”
“It means I'd give her up for you.”
