Chapter Sixteen
“WHAT DO YOU mean, ‘no’?” I asked, my confusion giving way to frustration. “We’re having a baby, Haddie,” I reminded her, my voice tinged with exasperation.
She drifted towards the window, her back to me, staring out into the afternoon sunlight. “This is exactly why I didn’t tell you, Kaven,” she murmured, her voice carrying a weight that stopped me in my tracks. “I won’t marry a man who is only marrying me because I’m pregnant.”
“It’s more than that, Haddie,” I argued, my voice rising with my temper. “We have something special, and you know it.”
Her laughter was sharp, a sound that cut deeper than any words could. She turned, her face covered with hurt. “Something special?” Her voice was a mixture of scorn and sadness. “Kaven, our gardener thinks I’m special too, but that doesn’t mean I should marry him. And I certainly won’t marry a man who has half the women in this club thinking they’re his girlfriends and who’s still in love with someone else!” Her accusation was a slap, her words vibrating off the walls as she stormed past me, slamming the door behind her.
“Haddie, wait!” I called out, my plea falling on deaf ears as I hurried after her. “Dammit, Haddie!” My shout was met with the loud bang of the exit door slamming shut.
“Let her go,” Harker’s voice came from behind me, his hand on my shoulder halting me. “She needs a minute, brother. Give it to her.”
“No, Harker,” I snapped, shrugging off his grip, my mind racing. “I need to talk to her.”
He grabbed my arm, holding me back. “What’s gotten into you?” Harker’s tone was a mix of concern and reproof. “This isn’t like you. You’re pushing too hard.”
I leaned against the wall, my frustration ebbing out in a heavy sigh. “She drives me crazy,” I confessed, rubbing a hand over my face. “She’s so damn stubborn.”
“And you’re not?” Harker challenged; his eyebrow raised in disbelief.
“No, I’m only reacting to what she’s done,” I said defensively. “She’s accusing me of not being honest when I’ve been nothing but truthful with her.”
Harker gave me a skeptical look. “Okay, Midnight, listen up,” he said, his expression telling me he wasn’t buying my excuses. “Now, I wasn’t eavesdropping, just passing by, and I heard what she yelled at you. Have you been messing around with the sweet butts? Does she know about Aislynn? Because I guarantee you, she’s heard about that fiasco.”
I froze, the reality of his words hitting me hard. I hadn’t clarified that I wasn’t involved with the sweet butts, and I never thought about her hearing the rumors about Aislynn. “Is she right? Are you still hung up on Aislynn?”
“No, and no,” I insisted, my frustration growing. “I sorted that out before I came back here. Once I met Haddie, everything changed.”
“Then let her cool off, and talk to her,” Harker advised, clapping me on the shoulder. “Then sit her down and explain everything that’s going on inside you. You can’t blame her for not wanting to settle down with a guy who she thinks loves playing around while trying to forget another woman. And that, my brother, is exactly what she’s thinking.”
I nodded slowly, his words sinking in. “I’m just messing this all up, and you’re not the first person to tell me, but when I’m around Haddie...it’s different with her.”
“That’s how it should feel if she’s the right one,” Harker said, a smile flickering across his face as he walked away. “Give her some time.”
I nodded, leaning back against the wall, trying to muster patience—a virtue I was sorely lacking at the moment.
“Midnight?” Aislynn’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to find her standing there, a look of uncertainty clouding her features.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my eyes briefly scanning the hallway for any sign of trouble, meaning Leather.
“It’s okay. Braden is at the garage. He dropped me off to visit Katherine,” she assured me, stepping closer. “I saw Hadleigh when I was coming in. Is everything okay?”
My eyes unintentionally drifted to her rounded stomach, imagining what Haddie might look like in a few months. Meeting Aislynn’s gaze, I caught the unspoken question there. “They will be,” I replied, suddenly aware of how it might look with me staring.
“Midnight, I’m happy to see you find somebody,” Aislynn said, moving closer. “I felt so bad after everything you did for me and you leaving...”
“I’ll admit, at first it was tough. I wanted to be the one to help you, to heal you. While I was away, I realized it was something in my past pushing me toward you, the need to atone for something else dogging me.”
“You helped me when I needed it,” she assured me. “And I’m so grateful.”
“That’s good, and I don’t regret what happened. It led me to Haddie, and I wouldn’t change that for anything,” I said, my voice firm and sincere.
She hugged me, a gentle embrace that spoke volumes. “That makes me so happy, Midnight, and relieves a lot of my guilt.”
I returned the hug and gently pushed her away; the contact affirming what I felt—or didn’t feel—for her. “No guilt, Aislynn. I care about you and only want to see you happy and thriving,” I told her, a smile on my lips. “Now, since I value my life, go find Katherine before Leather shows up and buries me out in the back.”
As she walked away, Aislynn’s laughter followed her down the hallway at the thought of Leather’s reaction. The back door opened, and Valley appeared, his face tense. “I just directed Ry where to drop that lumber you had him pick up for Hadleigh’s greenhouse.”
“Okay, I’ll go—” I started, but Valley cut me off.
“No, you won’t,” he said sharply. “Patch wants us in his office. My fear came true and this shit with you and Hadleigh is blowing back on me.”
I took one last look at the door Haddie had exited through, sighed, and followed Valley, hoping the distraction would give Haddie the space she needed—and me the clarity to fix what I’d broken.
I ROUNDED THE corner, making a wide circle to throw Kaven off my trail, hoping he’d head toward the greenhouse. My chest heaved with each breath, and the adrenaline pumping through my veins was almost too much to handle. A few moments to compose myself was what I needed before facing him again. My pulse pounded in my ears as I paused, straining to hear any sign of pursuit. Kaven’s voice floated down the hallway, clear and resonant. “I wouldn’t change it for anything.” A woman’s soft reply followed, and the voice was unmistakable.
I froze.
My heart thundered in my chest, each beat so loud I feared it would give me away. Peeking around the corner, I saw them—Kaven and Aislynn—in an embrace, their bodies so close it made my stomach churn. A pain like I had never known tore through me, stealing my breath and making me dizzy. Oh god, he loved her still, and this was the proof. It was like a knife twisting in my gut, each twist deeper and more excruciating than the last. I turned and fled, my movements automatic, my mind a whirl of agony. How would I survive this? I could only tell myself to be strong so many times before my heart bled out, leaving me shattered on the ground.
I ran toward the greenhouse, desperate to escape, suffocating under the weight of my realization and the mistakes I had made. My lungs burned, and my legs felt like lead, but I couldn’t stop. The image of them together was seared into my mind, a relentless torment. My feet skidded to a halt when I saw a big black truck parked along the path. The vehicle seemed out of place, standing out in the familiar surroundings. Slowing, I scanned the area and spotted a man unloading lumber. He must be delivering the wood I needed.
As I took in the open door of his truck, a reckless thought took root. A way out—away from the pain and Kaven. My heart raced even faster at the idea of running. I was willing to risk it, to leave everything behind. I had friends from college who might help, at least for a little while, or at least I hoped. The urge to escape, to flee from the unbearable heartache, was overwhelming.
Ensuring I wasn’t being watched, I slipped into the truck’s back seat, pulling a blanket over myself. My body trembled as I settled into the cramped space, my nerves electric. Every sound seemed amplified—the rustle of the blanket, the distant hum of machinery, the approaching footsteps. I heard the man shut the tailgate and climb into the driver’s seat, the seatbelt clicking as the truck roared to life. The vibration of the engine felt like an earthquake beneath me, shaking me to my core.
Oh god, was I really doing this? It was impulsive and insane, but the thought of facing Kaven was far more terrifying than the unknown. The truck stopped at the gate, then moved again. Each jolt of the vehicle made my heart leap into my throat. The man’s phone rang, and he answered, “Yeah.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “I’ll be there in a few and take a look at it.”
Finally, the road smoothed out, and I knew we were on the highway. The steady hum of tires on pavement was almost soothing, a contrast to the turmoil inside me. My heart began to calm, the pounding in my ears subsiding just in time to hear a deep voice chuckle, “You can come out of hiding now. Climb up here and tell me what’s got you running from that clubhouse.”