26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Griffin's Beach Felicity
S ixteen. That was the last time Felicity felt out of place in the Deranged Drifters’ clubhouse. She was sixteen, Lex was gone, and she had to tell Ky she was pregnant. But today is a totally different feeling. She doesn't belong here, and she knows it. Not after how she acted, but she had to be here.
Ky was right when he said she'd never forgive herself if she didn't. If Lane is as sick as they've been told, she has to be here. It just feels really strange to know she has more enemies than allies in a room that used to be a second home.
Seeing Summer Bradshaw, Felicity quickly moves to sit in the open seat beside her, knowing the one to her right is reserved for Brock. As far as she knows, the two are still on good terms. She hopes.
"Hey," Summer says, shock on her tanned face. "I didn't think you'd come today."
Her perfectly colored dark hair shines in the sunlight in what Felicity assumes is nothing less than a salon blow out. She looks gorgeous, and she's the perfect picture of old money. She's always put together and poised. Unlike the rest of the moms in the room, she has never looked unkempt or in need of a comb. Which almost makes her hate Summer because she remembers not brushing her teeth for three days after bringing Gavin home.
"Ky told me about Lane. Is it really as bad as he said it is?"
Shrugging, she shakes her head. "I don't know. I haven't seen Lane since that terrible meeting we had a Lily's house. God, I can't believe we did that."
Felicity looks around for Lex but doesn't see her as more people filter out of the clubhouse to the back lot and fill the remaining seats. Pretty much everyone from all three charters, as far as she can tell, have shown up. "I feel like a terrible friend for not checking on her."
"It didn't come across as strange when she retreated, though. I mean, Lane's kind of like me, right? Never really active with the club. At least she hasn't been since I've been here."
"That's true. She almost left when Zane brought her around because she struggled with the club life."
"What made her stay? Her love of Zane?"
A small smirk appears against Felicity's will. "Lex did."
"I feel so bad for her."
"Lane or Lex?"
Chuckling, Summer shakes her head. "Take your pick, I guess. I saw Zane earlier, and he looks the opposite of a happy groom."
As angry as Felicity is with Lex, she knows the blonde will take the abuse from her brother whether it's warranted or not. She always has. He's the one person besides Colt who can bring her to the brink of devastation before she pushes back, and this shitty situation sounds like it's made their relationship—or lack thereof—even worse. She almost feels bad for Lex. Almost.
"He was never really the marrying type. I'd like to say it was because of what he watched his father go through, but I don't think that's quite it."
"Lex is going through it. She's even thinner than she was when things with Colt happened. She's drowning, and it shocked every one of us when she admitted she needs help in front of all three charters. She hit her breaking point, and you could tell she hated admitting it."
Head snapping to face Summer, Felicity gapes. "No, she didn't."
"She did. Compared admitting it to swallowing battery acid. Brock told me that she broke down after a particularly terrible verbal beating from Zane the night before. She went to Jennings's house because he and VP were the only ones who knew what was going on, and she lost it when he wasn't home. The way she broke down scared Tess."
"She broke down?"
The two may not be friends any longer, but she knows how much it takes for Lex to break down. It takes even more for her to admit defeat and say she can't handle something on her own.
"Tess called Colt because it was so bad. She told them she couldn't do it anymore, and she told both of them what's been going on. I still can't figure out why Lane would ask Lex to keep it from Colt, though. That just sounds cruel. She made her do this completely on her own."
Her heart beats so fast it feels more like a vibration in her chest rather than thumping. "It has to be really bad," Felicity says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Lex can handle anything."
"Lane really screwed her over. There's no doubt that Zane's going to hate his sister forever now. Not that it wasn't already his plan. Someone overheard him screaming that she was playing God. No one really understood what that meant until Lex said it's her job to let Lane die the way she wants to. Lane made it so Zane will always see his sister as the person who killed his wife."
Sitting back, she lets the information wash over her. Ky told her that Lex was having a difficult time with things, and he may have mentioned something about her breaking, but he never said she admitted she needs help. That she'd actually said those words. Regardless of where they are in their friendship, Felicity knows how bad the situation has to be for this to happen. Lex would normally rather die than admit it if she had a choice.
She scans the room and sees Gavin sitting with Ky and Hailey. Another teenage boy she doesn't recognize sits with them beside Noah. Calla sits on Hailey's lap, and Colt sits two rows in front of them. Ky and Colt's families appear to be combining rather well, and here Felicity sits without her plus one because Gracie woke up not feeling well.
Two seats sit empty between Colt and Emma, and she knows one is for VP. But where's Lex? If she's part of the wedding party, she wouldn't have a seat, so where is she? Helping Lane get ready?
Jennings sits right behind them with his arm around Tess, and TK sits beside him with his arm around Karmen. Klaire snuggles up with a teenage boy Felicity has never seen before, and it hits her that Klaire brought a date. It shouldn't seem strange that an almost eighteen-year-old would bring a date to a wedding, especially with her own sixteen-year-old at home pregnant, but it does. The kids of the club shouldn't be old enough for this yet.
The rest of the chairs fill up quickly, and the late-comers have to stand as they wait for the wedding to start. Seeing how many people have shown up, it dashes all hope Felicity had that Lane's condition isn't as dire as it sounds. This type of attendance isn't required for anything outside of club business.
Two professional photographers move around the crowd to take pictures, and this is definitely not the typical biker wedding. Most couples are lucky to have a few candid shots outside of the obligatory staged ones taken by someone's mother like it's prom. Except for Summer's wedding. Her wedding was small but professional with all the bells and whistles.
The music starts, and Margaret walks down the aisle wearing a cute pink dress that flairs out at the hips and stops at her knees. It's short-sleeved, and she looks adorable with her dark hair in ringlet curls. She smiles at Zane, who Felicity hadn't noticed standing at the altar, and his scowl momentarily changes to a smile for his daughter. The smile disappears the moment he spots Lex walking out after Margaret.
Lex wears a pink satin strapless dress, and Felicity blinks. Lex has never worn pink. Ever. She hates it. Not even Calla wears pink unless someone else buys it for her.
"This is serious," Felicity whispers to Summer.
Brock leans over Summer, and Felicity wonders how she missed him taking his seat. "Lex would kill to get out of wearing anything pink. She destroyed all childhood pictures of her in pink shit when she was around twelve," he says.
The hatred in Zane's eyes makes Felicity pity Lex. She can't help it. No amount of anger makes this acceptable. When Lex sits down next to Colt rather than stand at the altar with Margaret, Felicity looks at Brock.
"Zane said she could wear the dress because Lane wanted her to, but she can't stand up with them," he whispers. "It’s the one thing Lane couldn't get him to budge on."
"Poor, Lex," Summer says. "God, she's so thin. I can see her collarbone. If the dress were tighter, I bet we would see her rib bones, too."
The wedding march starts, and everyone stands and turns. VP walks Lane down the aisle, and Felicity can't stop herself from grabbing Summer's arm as they see Lane for the first time. She looks so frail, it wouldn't surprise her if Lane fell right over in the lightest of breezes. Her hair is still long and beautiful, but it's thinner and shorter than she normally wears it, cut just above her shoulder blades rather than her waist.
"She went through a few treatments, but I don't know what they were," Summer whispers to answer the unasked question.
The lace dress hugs her beautifully, but she looks like death walking. Every bone sticks out from her shoulders to her knuckles. She always had a lean figure, but Felicity wouldn't be surprised if double zero size jeans hung loosely on her hips.
VP pauses halfway down the aisle, and it's hard not to burst into tears as she realizes it's because Lane's grown tired. The walk to the altar is nearly triple the length it usually is because of all the extra chairs, but she smiles and nods as they continue down to Zane. Lex moves to fix her train, earning her a glare from Zane, before she sits down again next to Colt.
What Gunner says can't be heard in the back, but at one point, Lane starts to falter. Lex hurries and helps steady her, staying beside her until Lane regains her strength before sitting back down in her seat.
"She refused the chair Lex suggested. I heard she gets tired easily, but this was more than I expected," Brock whispers.
The ceremony feels quicker than normal, and Zane walks down the aisle with this new bride. A mixture of frustration and happiness shows on his face, and it both saddens and annoys Felicity. Lex walks with Margaret behind them, and everyone quickly follows suit inside for the party.
"This is the saddest wedding I've ever been to," Summer says, her voice low.
"It really is," Felicity agrees. "Put on your happy face, though. Otherwise, we're getting kicked out."
They both put on fake smiles as they walk into the main room, unsure what to expect now.
T he food and drinks aren't bad, but when Summer abandons Felicity to dance with Brock, she feels out of place in the room. Lane disappeared shortly after the ceremony, returning only for some food and the first dance before retreating again. Likely to Zane's apartment to rest. The poor woman must be exhausted, and Felicity's just glad she was able to hug her and congratulate her. It might be the last time she sees her.
Felicity walks outside to leave, but she stops when she spots Lex standing at the trunk of her car with Zane shouting in her face. Nothing he says can be made out, and it sounds like garbled shrieks from where she stands. The look on Lex's face doesn't get missed by Felicity. She's seen it many times before. She's detaching to get through whatever onslaught of insults Zane hurls her way. It's her default coping mechanism, learned at a far too early age.
"Mom's going to die," Margaret says from beside Felicity, making her jump.
Startled, she looks at the girl. "I'm so sorry, Margaret." What else can be said?
"Dad does that a lot. Yell at Aunt Lex."
"Your dad is going through a very difficult time right now. He doesn't really know how to express himself any other way."
She nods, but the longing in her eyes is obvious. One for her father to comfort her. "Mom says he yells at Lex because he can't yell at her. But it doesn't seem fair because Lex does so much for us. And Dad says such terrible things to her. I don't know why she keeps coming back."
"Because she loves you and your family," she says. "How are you holding up, sweetheart?"
"I'm scared. I don't want my mom to die, but she's in so much pain. She didn't want to take her meds today because they make her sleepy, but I know she hurts. Dad said Lex couldn't stand up with Mom and me, but I'm glad she was there to help when Mom almost fell. She can't stand for long anymore."
Reaching out, she rubs the young girl's back, unsure what else to say. How does she comfort someone about to lose her mom? On top of that, what can she say when the girl's father is being a complete asshole?
Ky walks out and saves her from having to respond. "Hey, kiddo. Your mom's asking for you. She's in the apartment."
Nodding, Margaret walks inside, and Ky takes her place. "That was the most heartbreaking conversation I think I've ever had," Felicity says. "I didn't know what to say. How can I comfort someone about to lose their mom?"
"There's not much anyone can say," he says. "You leaving?"
"Trying to, but they're fighting right behind my car."
He nods and watches. "Lex has taken a lot. I know that so many people feel a certain type of way about her and how many think she believes she's the Princess or whatever, but can you name another woman here who can deal with that half as well as she does?" he asks and points towards the siblings.
"No one's ever had to try. Thankfully."
"She's been checking in with Dani in Summerville almost daily. Dax's wife who was tortured for three years. And Lex took two teenagers in who had a shitty home life. Her brother hates her because she's doing him the biggest favor he'll never admit to. Lacey says she's a godsend for the two in the morning pregnancy panics she's had, and Lex is still here for all of us. Even when she has every right to tell us to go fuck ourselves with everything else she has going on."
Turning, Felicity leans back in shock at the Vice President patch on his kutte. "What the hell is this?"
He looks down where her finger touches the patch, and he chuckles. "Oh, yeah. Jennings, VP, and TK stepped down. Said it was time for some new blood in charge. Jennings passed his seat to Colt, and Colt chose me as his VP. Which won't be confusing or anything with Lex's dad."
"Who replaced TK?"
"Venom."
So much has changed in such a short amount of time, and Felicity feels the tears sting in her eyes. It's all changing, and she's not a part of it. "Congrats, Ky."
"Lex was your friend, and she's certainly not your enemy now. If anything, I'm the enemy, Felicity. Hate me, but don't hate her."
Venom pushes past Ky, and Felicity gasps when she sees Zane's fist raised in the air. "Touch her, and you will be dead on your wedding day, motherfucker!"
"I gotta help with this," Ky says. "I'm glad you came."
The two men push Zane back before he can do too much to react, and Felicity feels like she can't breathe. She doesn’t know what she expected today, but this wasn't it. Everything is different, and it's not for the better. Not all of it. Some of it is really, really bad.