Chapter 6
6
Heaven
I squeeze the steering wheel as I drive up Main St. toward the diner, the Huntsmen Grub, my phone burning a hole in my pocket.
I try not to come to the diner, mainly because I don’t want my son around the MC, but Cassidy called, a woman I became close to after Steal introduced us after they got together.
Apparently, she’s having some crisis with Steal and begged for me to meet her at the diner. She promised none of the clubwhores or brothers are there, so of course, I said alright, but she has forty minutes to rant about what an ass he’s most likely being before I have to collect Micha from school.
Hopefully, then, I’ll have the courage to open my email and check to see if I passed the bar.
I sigh as I indicate to turn into the parking lot of the large diner, a tree with a sword going through it painted out front, my mind going back to my shit show of a date last night….
“Come back to my place,” Andy whispers as he gently runs his fingers up and down my arm.
I’m really wishing I’d worn sleeves and jeans instead of this dress right about now.
When I met Andy, after he serviced my car, I thought he was sweet, even if he was a little overweight. I mean, he has a beer gut, but still, he was a charmer with a nice smile, and he made me laugh.
Turns out the man is a sleaze.
From the moment we sat down, the man has not stopped trying to touch me; my leg, my arm, my hair, and his eyes have stayed on my breasts.
“I have to get home to my son,” I remind him as I pick up my glass of wine and place the glass to my lips, but I pause when I see a glint in his eyes that has finally moved from my cleavage and is now trained on my glass. Call me paranoid, but Travis’s voice is telling me not to drink the wine, and I listen. I put my drink down, and the scowl on Andy’s face proves my theory that he possibly spiked my drink.
I sigh. Maybe I should stay single and focus on my career and son because, so far, every date I’ve had has sucked.
Maybe you only get one love, and mine destroyed me.
Maybe I’m just supposed to be alone….
I open my mouth to snap at the man, but he grips my hand hard, making me flinch as he states, “You said your son is with his dad. Come on, come back to my place, baby….”
I swallow the bile that wants to come out, and open my mouth to snap again, but his hand quickly retreats when a rough palm lands on my shoulder. Instantly, I relax, knowing exactly who it is. My body is in tune with his, and I know this sleaze has seen the cut Travis is wearing—although, without that, he’d probably still look menacing as hell.
Travis isn’t exactly small….
“Andy? I thought that was you. Have you fucked up any more bikes?” he says, and I stand from my seat, grabbing my bag, before making eye contact with Travis.
He raises a brow at me before his eyes take in my choice of outfit—a little black dress—before we lock eyes again. His expression shows hunger but also anger, but I guess that is what happens when he’s never seen me in something like this.
I roll my eyes and whisper, “Just this once, I’m glad you answered my SOS.”
He grins, happy he’s the one I messaged, and looks over at a shocked Andy, stating, “My son asked me to pick up his mom. I hope you don’t mind.”
I don’t wait to hear his answer, so I quickly leave the restaurant and take a big breath in the cold air.
“SOS, huh?” Travis says as he follows me out, and I sigh and ask, “Where’s our son?”
I feel leather wrapped around my shoulders and I grip it as he states, “With my dad, sister, and Steal…. SOS, Angel?”
I wince and turn to look at him, my eyes racing between his, and I admit, “I accepted a date with Andy because he was everything you weren’t,” he flinches, “but he turned into a creeper, and I think he may have spiked my drink.” Travis’s eyes harden. “When I went to take a sip, his eyes were trained on the glass, taking them off my breasts for the first time since we arrived, and when I didn’t take a drink, he scowled.”
Travis breathes hard, his head twisting toward the restaurant, and I sigh, “I drove myself here; I just needed help.”
He nods and states, “I’ll follow you back to the house.”
I nod back and turn toward my car.
Back to the house….
It stopped being his home the moment he cheated.
I huff as I park in front of the diner.
Micha and Travis's sister had called several times during that meal. This happens during every date, though yesterday was the first time Callie called several times. Most of the time, I’d use the calls from my son as an excuse to leave. Yesterday was the first time I sent an SOS, knowing I wouldn’t have been able to get up and leave like normal.
I’m also aware that Andy ended up in the ER last night.
I wish things could be easy, but they’re not. I don’t want to move on, but I also know I can’t trust that man again—my childhood is proof of that—but I also know I love him, and we have a child together.
I’m so goddamn confused; I have been for ten years.
“Maybe that’s why I can’t move on with someone else, because I still love my husband,” I mumble to myself as I climb out of my car and walk to the door at the diner, hoping I get to see Perrie while I’m here.
Perrie is Acid’s old lady. The woman is a fighter at The Fight, an underground, illegal club owned by the Rebels MC, and she’s badass.
She and Acid have come a long way, and Cassidy has kept me updated about their progress as a couple.
I open the diner door and walk in, but I jump back in shock as “Surprise!” is shouted. My mouth hangs open when I see a banner saying “Congratulations!” I notice Steal and Cassidy with their daughter Moria, Piston, and Natalie with their daughter Holly, my mother, Travis’s father, mother, and sister, and Acid and Perrie all grinning. Front and center are Travis and our son Micha.
Grins spread on their faces, and my eyes blur as I make eye contact with my gorgeous little boy, pride shining in his.
“What is this?” I rasp, looking around, seeing food on the counter and balloons everywhere.
“Your son wanted to celebrate his mom passing the bar exam,” Steal announces, and a few tears fall, which I quickly wipe away.
I wondered how long it would take for Micha to crack. I know I shouldn’t have asked him to lie, but I didn’t want anyone to know until I knew I could do it.
“I, uh, I don’t know if I did pass,” I admit, and Travis raises a brow at me and asks, “When do you find out?”
I clear my throat and look at him sheepishly before admitting, “Last night, but I haven’t opened the email.”
Everyone chuckles as he nods before he kisses our son's head, who looks at his father like he hung the moon. Travis walks over to me, holding out his hand. “Pass me your phone,” he demands softly, keeping eye contact.
I lick my bottom lip before pulling the phone out of my jeans, without hesitation, and pass it to him. He gives me a smirk, but his eyes soon soften when he unlocks the phone with our son’s birth date. The picture of him and Micha on the day he was born is my background image. Travis accesses my emails, his gaze intense.
Everyone holds their breath and my bite down on my bottom lip hard, especially when I realize, I couldn’t have done this without him, and that is a hard pill to swallow.
After a few minutes, Travis looks back at me, our eyes connecting as he states, “You passed; you’re a lawyer. " My mouth drops open in shock, causing him to grin with pride.
I feel arms wrap around me and look down to see our son, and my tears fall as I hold him tightly. Travis cups the back of my head and kisses my forehead, then announced, “She passed,” and everyone cheers as I grip his cut.
Holy crap, I passed….
An hour later, after a lot of hugs and congratulations, food, and cuddle time with Moira and Holly, I sneak away to the bathroom for a breather while Travis is with our son.
My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since walking into the diner and seeing everyone.
It’s things like this that make it hard to stick to my decision from ten years ago. Instead of getting angry because I kept my schooling a secret, he threw a party. He pulled this off for our son, for me, and God it’s just hard because I do love him. I just….
“Yes, yes baby….” Ginger moans.
I swallow hard and look in the mirror. My eyes are sad at the memory that haunts me. Every time I slept with Travis, I also had a sickening thought, wondering if he went back to her.
He’s my only, and he has been since we met, but he can’t say the same, right?
My tears shine yet again, and I blink, trying to hide them before the door opens. I see my mother, and internally, I sigh. Anger shines in her eyes, and I swallow hard, unwilling to hear this again.
“Mom, not now,” I demand, “this is a celebration my son organized.”
She snorts. “For that man to try and win you back and then hurt you again, you mean?” I look down, already tired of this. She snaps, “Don’t you dare take him back, Heaven. He cheated on you, he found pleasure from another woman, enjoyed it more than he ever did you on your wedding anniversary, which he forgot….”
Even though this is the same song and dance every time she’s found out I’ve seen Travis, which is a lot considering I have a child with him, it still hurts.
“I mean it, Heaven. We both know he’s only doing this because he wants full custody of Micha. Do not let it happen.” That said, she turns and leaves, and my tears fall.
When you hear the same thing repeatedly from the woman who raised you and has a negative reaction to men, you begin to believe it, and I know I need to try and distance myself again. I can feel myself wanting to give in, wanting to give him a second chance, to try, but then Mom pops up like she just did, pushing me back down, reminding me of the pain that has consumed me for ten years, which is ridiculous.
I should be over this by now.
And besides, she’s right. He found pleasure with my high school bully, who is still around at the club. To this day, if she sees me, she’ll gloat about their past together.
Travis and I…out relationship ended the moment he left me alone with our son on our anniversary, and it is time we both move on.