26. Bones
BONES
When I get a text message from Lu, I look over at Haze, frowning.
“What?” he asks, putting his cue down and coming over to me. We’ve been playing pool and looking after the kids while the women are out drinking and partying.
What the fuck has happened to us?
We have almost shown up at the club multiple times now, but the old ladies deserve a night to enjoy themselves, and we know Ghost is there along with the prospects. They are safe. Nothing will happen to them.
“Lu sent me a message,” I say as I open it. He leans over my shoulder as we both read it.
Lu
Bones, get here now. Meredith knows you slept with Isla, and she’s upset.
“Fuck,” I grit out, standing up.
My twin quickly comes over to me. “What’s wrong?”
“Stay with Natalia, I have to go to Meredith,” I say, moving past him, but he grabs my arm.
“Tell me what happened.”
“She knows,” is all I say, and he mutters a curse.
“I told you to tell her.”
“I was going to!” I snap, my chest tightening.
Who told her?
Fuck, why didn’t I tell her? I kept putting it off because things have been so good between us.
And now I might have ruined everything.
Skull turns to Haze and hands him a baby monitor. “Can you look after Natalia?”
Haze takes the monitor and nods. “Yeah, you two go handle your shit.”
We both get on our bikes and ride to Strike, but by the time we arrive, she’s already gone. Pulling up my view of her house on my phone, I watch the footage of Ghost taking her home. The bastard looks right up at the camera and smirks.
“She’s gone home,” I tell Skull, who is now comforting a crying Isla in his arms. “I’ll head there now, you get all the women home.”
“You sure?” Skull asks, kissing the top of Isla’s hair. “You might need the more charming twin to win her over.”
Isla makes a scoffing sound, then turns to face me. “I don’t think he needs a witness to see him groveling on his knees, asking her to forgive him.”
Okay, I guess more than one woman is pissed off at me tonight.
“I’m sorry, Isla. I should have told her. I was going to,” I say to her, but she puts up her hand, stopping me.
“You didn’t see her face, Bones. She was hurt.
Everyone at the table knew something about you, and she didn’t.
I stayed out of it because it wasn’t my business, but really it was.
And now she might hate me! I tried to tell her it was just one time, and that you don’t see me like that, but she didn’t want to hear it. ”
“It’s not your fault, and she won’t hate you,” I assure her. At least I hope she won’t. “And yes, I’m going to go and grovel.”
Skull smirks and shakes his head at me. “Call if you need me.”
Ghost pulls in just as I’m leaving the parking lot, but I’m going to deal with his ass later.
The lights are all off at Doc’s house, but I know she has to have heard my motorcycle pull up.
I knock on the door.
I call her phone
I send her a message.
Nothing.
Eventually, I walk around the house and gently tap on her window. “Doc, let me in, please. Let me explain.”
Suddenly, the curtain is pulled back, and I stare into moonlit, swollen hazel eyes. “Go away, Bones. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
Bones.
Not Nate.
What the fuck have I done?
“Baby, please,” I beg, resting my hand on the window. “Just let me hold you, please. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you.”
She visibly bristles. “Leave, Bones. I’ll contact you when I’m ready to talk,” is all she says, closing the curtains.
“Fuck,” I mutter, my hands clenching at my sides.
I know I should respect her wishes, but the thought of leaving her right now, while she’s so hurt because of me, makes me feel physically ill.
I can’t even remember the last time we slept apart.
Heading back to the front door, I sit down against it, my head in my hands.
How did I fuck this up so badly?
I send her a message saying that I love her and I’m not going anywhere. She doesn’t reply, not that I thought she would.
The worst part is, she doesn’t even know the whole story, and it’s all on me. I should have told her right from the start. Now I have to tell her everything, and she’s going to fucking hate me.
Why didn’t I listen to Skull?
If I weren’t scared of needles, I’d get that tattooed on my fucking forehead.
She’s going to forgive me, right?
This was all before I met her. I haven’t even looked at another woman in that way since I started stalking her.
That has to count for something?
I know how badly I’ve messed up by not being completely honest with her, but what we have is worth it. I’ll fight for us, no matter how long it takes.
It’s just a bump in the road.
Eventually, I doze off, sitting with my back against her front door.
When the sun rises, I wake up and check my phone.
Nothing.
I don’t want to knock on the door so early and wake her up, especially when she’ll probably be hungover. I’d already left a bottle of water and some painkillers next to our bed at the clubhouse, anticipating it.
I wait another hour, then decide to go and bring her a greasy breakfast. There’s nothing better after a night of drinking.
Only when I come back forty minutes later, her car is gone.
And so is she.