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"I know this is hard, baby, but we need to get you ready."
Her tears fall, but she nods, and I sigh in relief before helping her out of bed and into the bathroom that's full of black and dark green as a fuck you to Leslie. I sit her on the counter before turning the water on, then go back to her, cupping her cheeks and gently wiping away her tears before I kiss her lips again. I help her take the t-shirt off before I strip myself, making sure to hang my cut that I'll be wearing with a black button-up shirt for the service. I help my girl into the shower after I put her hair up to keep it dry, then gently wash her before I help her out. I wrap a towel around my waist before drying her, then wrap a towel around her, guiding her to the bedroom, where we find Clitter standing near the bed. She wipes away her tears, and I tilt my head at her. She shouldn't be in here, but the determination in her eyes shows me she won't leave.
She clears her throat, "I, uh, wanted to help get her dressed while you dressed in the bathroom. I thought it, uh, would be easier for everyone; I, uh, mean, Leah, she's inconsolable." I see the sincerity in her eyes and the pain for my girl, and I nod while she wipes away some more tears.
I kiss Soph's head, who doesn't protest—she hasn't said anything since waking up—before handing her over to the sweet butt and heading to the bathroom, where I quickly change.
Just as I buttoned up my shirt, I heard Clitter whisper,
"I know it's hard. I lost my parents when I was in my late teens. My stories are similar to yours, but it was my dad who couldn't live without my mom. She, uh, was killed in a drive-by, and my dad jumped off the Hudson Bridge.
You feel like you're dying every minute of every day, like you've lost the will to live, like you've lost part of yourself. You feel alone, but know this, Sophie: you're not alone or unwanted. You have a huge family behind you, ready to take your pain for you. When you decide to fall, you fall, and Ink will catch you every single time with his family. With us to help, I promise you, we won't let you go."
I smile, putting my cut on while feeling grateful, before entering the bedroom just as Clitter kisses my girl's forehead. Her tears are staining her cheeks as she looks ahead. I give Clitter a nod, softening my eyes as a thank you, and she nods back, wiping away another tear before squeezing my girl's hand and leaving the room. I knew her parents had died in high school, but I just didn't know how. Her grandmother took her in. Before that, she was actually a nerd; losing her parents turned her into a school slut, a mean girl, not caring about anything or anyone until now, it seems.
Seeing my girl go through the same must have brought it back for her.
Sighing, I walk over to my girl. The dress is on, and her hair is down.
I grab hold of the cut I had ordered on the chair that states the property of Ink on the back with our crest in the middle, and I help her put it on. She doesn't react, but I didn't think she would; she most likely thinks it's just a jacket. Leaning forward, I gently kiss her before helping her sit on the edge of the bed, then place her black heels on before gripping her ankles, looking up into her tear-filled eyes as she finally speaks in a rasp.
"I don't think I can do this."
I swallow hard before leaning on my knees, cupping her cheeks while my thumbs wipe under her eyes, and I nod, then rasp.
"You can, Pixie, because I'm going to be right by your side every step of the way, holding you close with Leah right on the other side." Tears fall again, and I rest my forehead against hers. "Baby, if you don't go, you will regret it, and that regret will consume you."
I feel her nod against me before I stand up, kissing her forehead, and I help her stand, wrapping my arm around her waist as she leans her head against my shoulder.
She's thin—too fucking thin.
I guide her towards the common room, which is empty, before taking her out the front, where all the brothers are astride on their bikes while their old ladies are on the back and the other women are in cars.
I look towards Gunner and see Leah sitting on the back of his bike while Cara stands near the side door with the rest of the staff scowling, and I give him a nod, making him smirk a little. He's finally opening his fucking eyes.
You don't put a woman on the back of your bike unless you're claiming her, though Leah is barely touching him, which makes me furrow my brows a little.
I hear a sob and look down towards my girl as she takes in all of my family, her family taking formation as the hurst turns round in the drive while Uncle David and his deputies line up near the gates. I squeeze my girl tighter as the brothers rev their bikes out of respect before she walks over to the hurst carrying her Momma. The dark oak coffin is covered with all sorts of flowers, while a massive flower arrangement that Daisy built for us says Momma.
Sophie presses her hand against the glass as her tears fall while I stand right behind her.
The brothers bow their heads as she lets out another sob before I wrap my arm around her waist and rasp in her ear, "Come on, Pixie, let's get on my bike."
I feel her nod as she lets me guide her to the bike that Dagger has already placed at the front of the formation for me, with him and Axel behind. Normally our Pres and VP take the front, but they've done this out of respect for my girl, and I feel so fucking grateful to have them at my back. I help her on the back of my bike but don't bother with a helmet so she can focus on her Momma before I climb in front as her arms automatically wrap around me tightly. I can feel the wetness of her tears against my neck. I grip her hand before revving my bike three times, the brothers following suit. At the same time, my Uncle flashes his lights, his deputies following in formation in front of the hurst.
We follow behind it.
As we get to town and start to go through it toward the church, Sophie sobs harder, noticing the streets filled with people who loved her Momma, all paying their respects. I worry she may fall off with how hard her body is shaking, and I grip her leg tightly with one hand, staying like that until we reach the church. My Uncle and his deputies carry the coffin while we follow behind. Before taking a seat, Todd rushes over to us, kisses my girl, and then sits behind her while Leah sits on her left with Gunner, keeping his arm around her. I sit to her right and take a deep breath as the service starts, where the priest talks about what an amazing woman her mother was. I look at her several times and notice her closing off again, and I swallow hard before making eye contact with Dagger on the other side of the seat. He has his arm gripped around Mel, but his eyes are also on my woman with concern. He knows the signs when someone shuts down; he's done it himself.
I look back at the priest when he speaks again. ,
"At this point in the service, we offer families to come up and speak. I understand this is difficult for Sophie, so Ink has volunteered."
I gave the man a nod before kissing Soph on her lips after she looked my way in shock. I rub my nose along hers before I rasp, "I love you." Some more tears fall as she rasps back, "I love you too," making my whole body relax and my world righten. It's the first time she's willingly said it to me, and it feels fucking good. I peck her nose before standing up, feeling all eyes on me as I stand in front.
I clear my throat and look towards my brothers and the town folk before locking eyes with my girl's gorgeous green ones. Leah's arm is tightly around her, while my dad's moved next to her and has his arm around her. Todd and his husband are both gripping her shoulders from behind.
"My girl, Sophie, she's struggling, and I knew she would want someone to say something about her mother, who she loved more than anything in this world, so I decided to do it for her because she couldn't." Sophie lets out a sob, and my dad's arm tightens around her. I swallow hard. "A few days before Ashley decided she could no longer live without the other half of her heart, she asked me—no, she begged me—to take care of her baby. She begged me to always put her first before anyone and anything in this world. I looked into her eyes, eyes that held sorrow, longing, and pain, and I promised her I would. I promised her that my girl would be my entire universe."
