Chapter 12 Faith
FAITH
The sound of a revving engine wakes me and I roll over in bed, tangling my legs in the covers. A delicious ache between my thighs reminds me of last night, but Hayden’s not here.
I push the duvet from my legs and force myself out of bed. The laminate floor is cool on my tiptoes as I pad over to the window, twitching the curtain aside.
Down in the yard, Hayden’s shirtless, sweat glistening on his back as he leans over the bike with a screwdriver in hand.
Muscles flex with every movement, tattoos shifting across his skin like art coming to life.
His jeans ride low on his hips, oil smudged across his torso.
He’s never looked as hot as he does right now.
My clit tingles just watching him—remembering the way he kissed me last night like I was the most precious thing he’d ever handled.
Everything feels different this morning.
I feel different.
My gaze shifts to the bed. The crumpled sheets are still tangled at the foot, the faintest pink stain near the centre catching the light.
Proof I’m not a girl anymore.
It wasn’t just sex. He didn’t just take something from me.
He gave himself to me, too.
He worshipped me like a goddess and a woman all in one breathless night. Breaking me, but making me into something new. His.
I move to the bed, smoothing out the sheets with care, then strip them completely and gather them in my arms, a smile pulling at my lips.
I feel taller this morning. Stronger. More me than I’ve ever been.
I dress in one of his clean t-shirts and a pair of leggings. In the mirror, I pause.
I still look like me—same soft belly, same stretch marks, same curves—but my eyes burn bright and my lips hold a secret.
Oak tried to keep me away from the club, tried to shield me from all of it, but it’s too late for that now.
No matter what my brother says, I want Hayden Maddox. His rough hands, his soft heart, his demons and devotion.
I want all of him and if that means being part of his world, then so be it.
And no patch, no past, and no prison sentence is going to keep me from him.
I hum to myself as I make his sandwich—bacon, egg, and loads of ketchup—stacking it with a grin on my face. My hips sway to the beat in my head as I move around the small kitchenette, still floating on that post-first-time high.
I pour a coffee, grab a couple of napkins, and balance everything on a plate.
“Delivery for one smokin’ hot biker,” I murmur, heading out the door.
The sun’s higher now, the garage yard buzzing with life. I catch sight of Hayden still shirtless, laughing at something one of the club guys says.
I slow, not wanting to interrupt.
“You tappin’ that now?” one of them snorts. “I saw the way she looked at you last night.”
My chest tightens, but I stop just inside the corner of the wall, hidden, listening. Butterflies dance in my stomach.
Hayden scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous. What do you think I am, stupid?”
“Mate, you have her eatin’ out of your palm. She’ll do anything you say.”
Another guy says, “I know how quiet it gets here at night.”
“And lonely.”
“You keep her as your dirty little secret. I won’t say anything.”
Hayden fists the guys cut. “I told you I’m not fucking her. You think I’m desperate?” He lets him go with a shove. “Now drop it.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest.
Desperate. Stupid
The plate trembles in my hands, the mug clinking against the edge. Sickness rises in my throat, coating my tongue with acid.
I back away slowly, careful not to let them hear me, heart racing with embarrassment, confusion… shame.
How could he?
He held me like I mattered. Kissed me like I was the centre of his fucking world. Told me I was his.
But now I’m just some joke in the yard. Just a rumour he couldn’t shut down fast enough.
I make it back to the flat on autopilot, shutting the door behind me with trembling fingers. The sandwich plate lands on the side, untouched.
I pack a bag with shaking hands, every movement robotic as I hold back the dam.
I pause only once—looking at the bed, the crumpled sheets now gone, but the memory raw as ever
Tears prick at my eyes, but I blink them back and pull off his t-shirt.
I thought he made me a woman last night.
But maybe I’m just a stupid little girl, after all. Mum was right about bikers. She’s known all along.