Chapter Ten
I MIGHT AS well be sitting alone, I thought, pushing my eggs around the plate. Morning sickness and stress had ruined my appetite. Kaven sat silent, not even glancing my way, his eyes glued to his phone. It had been this way since the incident with the wedding dress yesterday. Just as I brought the toast to my lips, a syrupy voice cut through the morning din.
“Morning, sweetie.”
A woman with too much perfume and apparently poor eyesight took a seat next to Kaven, draping her arm around his waist and nestling into his side like she belonged there.
“Morning, Bunny,” Kaven responded, his smile all teeth and a warmth I hadn’t seen since seeing him again. He didn’t bother to move her arms away, letting her lean into him like I wasn’t even there. My grip on the toast tightened until it crumbled in my hand. The clubhouse was alive with the morning hustle of club members, the smell of coffee and bacon, but all I could focus on was the growing knot of anger in my stomach.
He had some nerve treating me this way over things I couldn’t control when he obviously hadn’t been lonely during our separation.
My mother was spot on about men.
I shot a glance around the room, spotting Valley by the door. Standing up, I faced the cozy pair with a forced, sunny smile. “I’ll leave you two to it then,” I said, my voice sharp as shattered glass. “I see Valley, and it’s obvious you could use some free time. Enjoy.”
Kaven stood, but I was quicker. I walked over to Valley. “I need some air. Will you show me around?”
Valley’s eyes darted to Kaven, then back to me, a hint of amusement in his gaze. “Sure,” he agreed, though his voice suggested he knew he was stepping into a minefield.
“I can take you,” Kaven insisted, reaching for my arm.
I jerked away, shaking him off with a fake smile. “No, enjoy your breakfast and your company. I wouldn’t dream of interrupting your morning cuddles, sweetie.” I glanced around him, seeing Bunny watching us curiously, and added, “Valley’s got me on this, so no worries. Now hurry back and finish what you started.”
Hooking my arm through Valley’s, I pulled him toward the door, Kaven’s gaze scorching our backs. Valley chuckled lowly. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”
“He treats me like an inconvenience,” I snapped as we stepped outside. “And I don’t have to stand for it. Besides, you’re stuck babysitting me too, right? Let’s give him a bit of ‘me’ time. Maybe it’ll fix his attitude.”
Valley laughed, a deep rumbling sound. “You’ve got fire, Hadleigh, I like it.”
I shrugged off the compliment. “I’m sick of my life being manipulated by those around me. It’s exhausting.”
Outside, the air was fresh, but did little to soothe my frayed nerves. We sat at the worn picnic table, the wood rough under my hands. “I think I’m just overwhelmed with everything,” I confessed, my voice dropping.
Valley stretched out, relaxed in the early morning sun. “Understandable. This place isn’t much, but it’s home. Guess it’s quite the change from what you’re used to?”
I laughed bitterly. “Big and shiny doesn’t mean it’s not a cage. Money’s worthless if it’s choking you.”
Valley tugged at a loose strand of my hair, smiling. “You’re nothing like I expected.”
A loud bang startled us, and Valley was instantly on his feet. Kaven leaned against the clubhouse wall, his expression thunderous. The door behind him had slammed shut from his entrance.
Ignoring him, I turned to Valley. “I think I need that walk now. Ava mentioned an old greenhouse?”
As if summoned, Ava appeared down the path, her dog trotting beside her and a towering man with a cat in his arms by her side. She waved as they approached. “Morning, Hadleigh! Ashby here was just hearing about your interest in the greenhouse.”
Ashby, his hand petting the cat, eyed me skeptically. “It’s a lot of work. You’ll need extra hands.”
Valley stepped up. “We’ve got it covered, Scotch. Me and Midnight are on it.”
“Then have at it.” Ashby shrugged dismissively and kissed Ava before turning away, heading back to the clubhouse.
Ava gestured towards a narrow path. “Let’s go check it out.”
Kaven’s voice, suddenly close behind me, made me stiffen. “I’ll shadow. Valley, you’re needed inside.”
Valley smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. “Sure thing. Later, Hadleigh... Ava,” he said, heading inside.
With a glare that could cut steel, I turned away from Kaven and walked beside Ava, determined not to let him ruin another moment of my life.
WHY DID I let Bunny cling to me like that? Honestly, I had no clue. Maybe I was just being a petty ass, and I should’ve seen Haddie not taking my shit coming. She wasn’t the type to just let that slide without clapping back.
And man, when I saw Valley touching her hair outside, it nearly drove me insane. I wanted to march over there and snap his fingers off. But I had to play it cool. If I caused a scene or pushed Haddie too far, Patch would boot me from my duty. She made it clear she wasn’t a prisoner, and with Samuel shelling out big bucks for her safety, Patch wasn’t about to let my petty grudges mess that up.
Despite the rollercoaster we were on, staying away from Haddie wasn’t an option for me. Her presence was like a drug—intoxicating and impossible to quit. And now, here I was, following her and Ava to a greenhouse? I didn’t even know we had one here. Guess that’s because I hardly ever came to this part of the grounds. It was Scotch’s domain, and he liked his solitude.
“It’s over here,” Ava said, leading us through the undergrowth to where the old greenhouse stood, all swallowed by nature. The glass panes were clouded with age, and vines wrapped around the frame like nature’s chains. “You can see it’s a bit wild and going to need some serious TLC.”
“It just needs a little love,” Haddie chimed in, her face lighting up as she waded through the brush. That’s one thing I learned in our short time together—she’s got a thing for all things green and growing.
“Watch yourself, Haddie,” I warned her. “You’re not exactly dressed for bushwhacking. Don’t wanna end up with a snake bite, do you?”
I braced for a snappish comeback, but instead, she turned to Ava. “He’s right, I need to change. Got any clothes I can have that you won’t mind getting destroyed? I’m eager to dive into this.”
“Of course, I’ll find you something,” Ava offered. “I’ll head back and gather some stuff while you explore.”
“Thanks a ton, Ava,” Haddie replied, stepping out of the thicket. “I’ll just make a mental list of what I’ll need and find you after.”
Once Ava was gone, there we were—just me and Haddie. I watched her survey the ramshackle structure, her mind racing. The way she looked at that decrepit greenhouse, you’d think it was a palace. “You sure you want to tackle this?” I asked, peering over her shoulder.
She whirled on me, snapping, “Don’t worry about it. I don’t expect any help from you. Go find something—or someone—else to occupy your time. Let Valley handle it.”
“Jealous, are we?” I retorted, a little sharper than I intended. “Last time I checked, you were almost married.”
She spun around, her eyes blazing with a fire that could melt steel. “What’s it to you?” she snapped. “You and Bunny have been... well, let’s just say it’s obvious. So don’t act like you’re the injured party, Kaven. You chose to be with someone else. My marriage was being forced on me, and I sure as hell didn’t sleep with anyone else while we were apart.”
She brushed past me, heading back to the path, her movements as fierce and determined as a storm.
“Haddie, you don’t get it...” I started.
She stopped and glared back at me. “Just save it, Kaven. It’s clear you don’t know what you want or how you feel. And I can’t fix that for you. Go see if Bunny can, because I’ve got enough on my plate!”
I stood there, dumbfounded, as she walked away. Damn it, Haddie was wrong. I knew exactly what I wanted and how I felt. And that was the real problem.
I watched her disappear into the trees, her silhouette becoming a ghost among the leaves. My heart pounded in my chest, a rhythm of regret and frustration. I had to figure out a way to break this cycle, to get past the anger at her.
But how?
She deceived me, or at least that’s how I saw it, and if Samuel hadn’t stopped the wedding, Haddie would have married him. I couldn’t get past that no matter how hard I tried, but I couldn’t move on either.
“Fuck and fuck again,” I muttered under my breath as I kicked at the ground in frustration.
As I turned back to the greenhouse, a thought struck me. The place was a mess, much like my relationship with Haddie. Maybe, just maybe, if I could help her restore this forgotten place, it could be a start to fixing all this shit between us.
I ignored the voice inside my head that screamed, “You’re gonna fuck this up!”