Chapter Seven
THE MOMENT MY eyes met Kaven’s, I thought fate had finally remembered us. Joy surged through me, so pure and so fierce. But it shattered just as quickly, crumbling under the weight of his gaze, turning from warmth to ice. God, how I ached to cross the space between us, to feel his arms shut out the world. Yet, his coldness wrapped tighter than any embrace, silencing me, freezing the tears before they could betray my pain.
Throughout the ride to their clubhouse, our eyes warred, mine pleading, his steeled with a hurt that seemed to calcify with every glance. The wedding dress must have screamed betrayal to him. Yes, I hadn’t said goodbye, had left him to marry another man, and was never upfront with him about my life. His anger is justified, but couldn’t he see the chains I was breaking just to breathe?
I rested a hand on my stomach, the secret within me heavy. Should I tell him? No, I couldn’t—not yet. I wouldn’t bind him to me with guilt or duty. My child and I were nobody’s obligation. I loved Kaven, truly, but not enough to accept scorn as affection.
By the time the van veered onto a narrow side road, the setting sun mirrored my own exhaustion, both mental and physical. When we stopped in front of a looming warehouse, Kaven’s touch sparked electricity as he guided me out. “Follow me,” he commanded, releasing me as abruptly as he’d held me, and strode toward a side entrance.
His steps seemed to scream with a silent challenge as they pounded the ground; mine was defiance. I followed him through the door he held open, his face a mask of stone. My patience snapped. “If I’m such a burden, maybe you should let your friend take over,” I spat, not willing to deal with this right now. Maybe come morning we could talk once things sink in.
“Drop the attitude, Haddie, and do what you’re told,” he shot back, resuming his march down the hallway.
“I’m not your prisoner, Kaven,” I retorted. “I’m here under this club’s protection, not to endure your bitterness.” Pushing past him, I stormed into the room he’d led me to—a bedroom that would be my home for the next few months.
He grabbed my arm, a harsh retort on his lips, but a voice from the doorway cut him off. “Am I interrupting?” A woman, impossibly beautiful with a warm smile and a dog by her side, stepped in. “Patch sent me to help Hadleigh get settled and order what she needs.” She waved a laptop in her hand. “I’m Ava.”
Kaven’s grip loosened, and he stepped back. “We’ll talk more after,” he muttered, his exit swift, leaving tension thick behind him.
Ava watched Kaven leave with a curious look on her face before moving into the room, her presence like a breath of fresh air after the last several hours. “Let’s see what we can do to make you comfortable, Hadleigh.”
As Ava set up her laptop on the small desk, I exhaled the storm Kaven had stirred. Why did things just keep getting more complicated?
Ava noticed my sigh and glanced at me, her eyes softening. “Is everything okay?” she asked, the tone in her voice indicating that she already knew the answer.
“I...” I paused, looking for the right words to encapsulate the whirlwind of emotions storming inside me. “I’ve been better,” I admitted, sinking down onto the edge of the bed.
Ava nodded sympathetically. “I understand, situations like this can be... difficult,” she acknowledged. “But Midnight and Valley are both great guys and you’re in good hands.”
“I don’t know about that,” I mumbled to myself almost before she finished her sentence.
Ava’s eyebrows furrowed at my words, but she said nothing more on the subject as she pulled another chair up to the desk. “Have a seat and shop away,” she said with a smile, her eyes saying she understood something else was at play here but wouldn’t pry.
Ava was my lifeline. Her warm-hearted banter offered an escape from my thoughts, a beacon amidst swirling uncertainties. She helped me order clothes and essentials while sharing stories that often had me laughing. She was a sweet woman—kind, comforting—as if she, too, had known pain and used it to make herself stronger.
Yet despite her soothing presence, Ava couldn’t erase Kaven’s shadow that hung heavily over me or the bitter taste of our last confrontation. His silent accusation had burrowed deep into my skin, prickling like tiny needles every time I remembered it and it stung.
I SLAMMED OUT the door, my back hitting the brick wall with a thud as I tried to reel in my temper. Mama would’ve knocked me across the room for laying hands on a woman, no matter the provocation. But goddamn, this mess with Haddie was fraying my edges bad, making me do shit I wouldn’t normally do.
I still wanted her, damn me for it. It was driving me nuts.
Valley came up, leaning against the wall beside me, oblivious to the storm inside me. “Hey, man. Patch laid down the rule—one of us has gotta bunk next to her room every night. Make it look personal since the rooms adjoin.”
Without a beat, I shot back, “I’ll take it. Easier than shuffling around.”
Valley raised his eyebrows, nonchalant as ever. “Cool with me. She’s not what I expected, though. Thought she’d be some high-maintenance model type, but she’s... nice. Kinda cute too, with that red hair, freckles, and did you notice that slight overbite when she smiled? You know what they say about redheads in the sheets,” he chuckled, shaking his head, giving a low whistle.
I snapped, my voice a low growl. “Don’t even think about it, Valley.” My warning was clear—back the hell off.
He faced me, probing with those sharp eyes of his. “What’s up with you and her? You know her, don’t you?” When I didn’t respond, realization dawned on him. “It’s her, isn’t it? The chick from South Carolina.”
I nodded, barely. Trust Valley to piece it together. “Yeah, but it’s over now. Keep it zipped.”
Valley pushed, unable to let it be. “You’re pissed she left you to marry Samuel, huh? Maybe she didn’t have a choice, brother.”
I clenched my fists, the anger again bubbling up. “There’s always a choice, Valley. She could’ve been straight with me.” He didn’t get it, couldn’t understand the depth of the connection Haddie and I had—or what I thought we had.
After a tense pause, Valley dropped the subject. “Alright, you handle nights, and we’ll sort the day shift tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I grunted, my energy spent. “It’s been a long day.”
“Don’t I know it? I’m off to find Tracy, blow off some steam,” Valley tossed over his shoulder as he headed inside.
I stayed out a bit longer, staring up at the creeping dusk, feeling the weight of the day press down. Finally, I headed back in to see if Ava and Haddie had finished up. I’m sure she was hungry, so I’d take her to get something to eat. But as I moved, part of me dreaded seeing Haddie again, knowing all the unresolved shit that lay between us like landmines.
“I THINK THAT’S everything,” I said to Ava, a sense of relief washing over me. I had meticulously ordered every item I might need during my stay here—from clothes to toiletries—ensuring that I had chosen garments that would accommodate my growing pregnancy over the next few months.
Ava, her eyes flickering with kindness, closed the laptop with a resounding thud. “It seems we’re around the same size, so I can lend you some clothes to get by,” she offered, her gaze unconsciously drawn to my wedding dress. I appreciated her tactful silence, refraining from prying into matters I knew were best left untouched.
There was an undeniable warmth in her presence, and I couldn’t help but feel at ease around her. Emboldened by this newfound comfort, I ventured to ask, “I’ll go stir-crazy without something to keep my hands busy. What do you suggest?” I ventured, hoping for a distraction.
“What do you like to do? Any hobbies?” she inquired.
“Plants, or something outdoors,” I replied, my thoughts drifting to the feel of soil between my fingers.
“Plants?” she pondered for a moment, her brow furrowing in concentration, before a spark of recollection ignited in her eyes. “Hmm, there’s an old greenhouse near Ashby’s barn. It’s been neglected but, with a bit of love and care, it could be brought back to life. We could get whatever you need to start fixing it up,” she proposed.
A smile stretched across my face, though I restrained myself from embracing her in gratitude. “Ava, that sounds perfect,” I gushed, already envisioning the joy of resurrecting the dilapidated greenhouse and nurturing life within its walls.
Just then, her dog Hobo barked at her feet, breaking the moment. Ava chuckled and bent down to pat him, her laughter echoing softly in the room. “Better take him out now; that’s his subtle hint,” she joked, grabbing the laptop and heading towards the door. “I’ll show you the greenhouse first thing tomorrow.”
“Thank you for everything,” I expressed sincerely as made her way toward the door.
“No problem, happy to do it. I’ll see you in the morning,” she promised before disappearing, just as Kaven reentered the room, his demeanor lifeless as a corpse.
“Let’s grab something to eat,” he suggested, his enthusiasm barely registering on his impassive face.
I approached the dresser, searching through the drawers until I found a dress that would suffice, albeit a tad loose. Holding it up to my frame, I declared, “Let me change out of this wedding gown first,” I said, eager to shed the heavy layers.
“Yeah, good idea,” he retorted sharply, his eyes dark with an emotion that at first was hard to read, but then I detected a flicker of pure jealousy beneath his stern fa?ade—a sign he still cared.
Heading toward the bathroom, I suddenly realized that I would require assistance. Let’s see how he handles this, I thought mischievously. Turning back to face him, a smile played on my lips as I requested, “I need you to unzip me and help me out of this dress. I’m practically sewn into this thing.”
“What?” he whispered, his voice barely audible.
“I’m trapped in this gown like a silk package. I truly need your help,” I insisted, stealing a glance over my shoulder to find him frozen by the doorway. “Come on, Kaven, you’re well acquainted with every inch of my body. It’s not a big deal.”
Anticipation coursed through me as I heard his tentative footsteps approaching. Standing behind me, his hands gingerly settled on my waist, causing my breath to hitch at the proximity of his lips to my skin. Slowly, his fingers grazed the nape of my neck, slipping beneath the neckline of the dress. Then, with an abrupt tearing sound and a muttered curse, he forcefully ripped the fragile fabric down my back.
In that moment, time seemed to halt as our bodies remained tethered together. The air crackled with electricity, and I struggled to catch my breath.
Swallowing a gasp, I whirled around to face him, my eyes wide as he cast away the torn shreds of fabric. His features were contorted in a blend of anger and desire, his chest heaving with each breath. Kaven’s gaze locked onto mine; his eyes filled with an intensity that made my heart pound in my chest.
I stood there, half-naked and frozen under his penetrating gaze. “Kaven,” I breathed out, suddenly aware of the goosebumps prickling on my skin. “Why—”
“Quiet,” he interrupted harshly, his hand reaching out to caress the bare curve of my shoulder where the wedding dress once was. His touch was a burning brand against my flesh, igniting sparks of heat that consumed me wholly.
“I couldn’t stand it anymore,” he confessed in a bitter voice, pulling me closer until we were a hair’s breadth apart. “Seeing you in that dress... knowing... that you...” His broken confession reverberated around the room, amplifying the tension. “That you had someone else all along.”
His hands slid further down my arms, leaving a burning trail in their wake as my skin tingled where he touched. His gaze roved over my face, a storm of emotions dancing in his eyes.
“I need to go,” he muttered suddenly, pulling away abruptly. The sudden loss of contact left me reeling as I reached out to grab the bed for support. His words hung between us like a thick veil, reminding me of how strong our connection was. “I’ll wait by the door.”
“Kaven,” I called out softly, watching as he walked toward the door. His back was stiff with tension, his every move radiating unease. “Can’t we talk about this?” I asked, although I suspected the answers could only complicate things further, since he was so angry.
He paused by the entrance but didn’t turn around to look at me. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the handle, before he flung the door open and slamming it closed behind him, leaving me alone.