Chapter 8 Rage Has Demons Too #2
His gaze softens as he holds steady eye contact. “You don’t have to hide your pain with me.”
I nod, grateful for his understanding. I take a sip of the smoothie. It’s sweet, with a rich chocolate flavor and a hint of banana. I take another sip, surprised. “It’s actually pretty good.” Will this man ever stop surprising me?
After breakfast, we head upstairs. “Are you ready to go shopping now?” Rage asks, grabbing a laundry basket full of clothes.
“Yes, sure. I’ll have a shower and change first.”
“Great.” He looks over at my bag. “Do you have any clothes that need to be washed? I’m putting on a load now.”
I pause, stunned. My ex never lifted a finger around the house. I really was a slave in my last relationship. We both worked. He should have pulled his weight.
“Why are you giving me a strange look?” Rage asks, raising a brow.
“I’ve never had a man offer to wash my clothes.”
He snorts. “Of course not. Your ex was a child.”
He really was. I go to my bag and pull out a few of items. I put them as well as his jeans in the clothes basket.
When he leaves, I wonder how I’m going to restrain myself from sleeping with him.
I need restraint because I don’t want to come across as desperate .
. . but who am I kidding? I slept with him the first night I met him.
But I do need to slow it down a bit. I don’t want him to think I’m using him either, and I can’t just focus on him like I did with my ex.
I need to focus on rebuilding myself too.
My phone rings, pulling me from my thoughts. I glance at the screen and see my mom’s name. I answer it.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, I just wanted to check in with you.”
I smile. I love my parents. They’re amazing people.
“I’m all okay, and I’m in a better head space now.
I’m starting to realize that Tyler has done me a favor.
Our relationship was toxic and one-sided.
I’m seeing my value now more than ever.” Thanks to Rage.
“I’m even starting to focus on myself, on my diet and exercise.
I really do want to make some positive changes. ”
I hear a long sigh. “I’m happy for you. We’ve always told you what a great person you are and that anyone would be lucky to have you.
” Her voice softens, sounding emotional.
“You’re perfect the way you are, but if you want to start feeling better about yourself, that’s great.
You know your father and I are proud of how you’ve handled this very challenging situation.
You’re a lot stronger than I am. We love you and want you to be happy. ”
My eyes blur with tears at Mom’s declaration. “Thank you.”
“Now, do you need any extra money? It must be costing you a fortune while you’re away.”
“It’s okay. I found a room to rent in the meantime. The people are really kind here.”
“Is it safe?” she’s quick to ask.
“Yes, very. I feel much safer here than I do being at home with Tyler.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear. But if you need any money, make sure you let us know. Talking about him. He came over to talk to us. Your dad and I gave him a piece of our mind.” She giggles. “I bet afterward he wished he hadn’t come over.”
I narrow my eyes. “What could Tyler possibly have to say to you?”
“Just that it was all a mistake and that he feels ashamed of how he’s treated you, but he misses you and has been trying to get a hold of you.
I made it very clear that I’m disappointed in him and that you deserve better.
He left soon after. I think he wanted our sympathy in order to get us to ask you to contact him.
” Mom huffs. “Over my dead body. My loyalty is to you, and what he did was unforgiveable.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it. I’m annoyed he went to see you two.”
“Don’t worry about it. We told him exactly how we feel. Your dad got quite heated over it.”
I smirk. I could imagine Dad doing that. “Well, I’m off to have a shower.”
“Okay. Love you and be safe.”
“Yes, Mom. Love you too.” I might be in my thirties, but I’ll always be their little girl.
I grab a pair of old jeans and a shirt from my bag, along with the shampoo and conditioner Ava left for me, and head to the shower. The hot water feels like a reset, washing away the weight of the past few days. Afterward, I step out, towel off, and get dressed.
When I return to Rage’s room, he’s sitting on the bed, looking delicious as always. His cologne is fresh, and I smile at the first whiff of it. He looks over and stands and smiles with open arms. He’s a really affectionate guy, and I love that about him. I’m not used to it at all.
I walk into his arms and he gives me a bear hug. He brings my wet hair to his nose, breathes in deeply, and lets out a sigh. “You smell so good. What is that?”
“It’s lavender from the shampoo and conditioner.” I’ll have to thank Ava later.
We go downstairs, and only a few people are around. Two women are sitting on the couch. One has pink hair in pigtails, and the other has dark hair and a sleeve of tattoos. “I haven’t met them yet,” I point out.
He pauses and looks at them, then at me. “They’re the sweet butts.”
My stomach drops. “Are you with any of them?”
He gives a small headshake. “I’ve slept with them. But there was never any relationship. We all just get along as friends. So . . . are you sure you want to meet them?”
My stomach drops further, but at least he’s honest. It’s refreshing even though I don’t really like what he had to say, but I need to get over it. He’s given me the facts and allowed me to make a decision. I’m not rude, and I don’t think I’m better than anyone else. “Yes, I would.”
I follow him over toward them. Surprisingly, when they see us, they give us warm smiles.
The one with pink pigtails gets up and pulls me in for a hug. “My name’s Dolly. It’s great to meet the person who’s made Rage happy.” Her voice is chirpy, but she gives me a sad smile.
I look up at Rage, and he shrugs, so I peer back at them. “My name’s Rose. I wanted to say hi, because it’s been a little crazy here and I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself.”
“Lovely to meet you. I’m Trixie,” the other woman says.
“It was good to meet you two. We’re just off shopping.”
“Enjoy!” says Dolly, and as we walk away, I’m a little surprised how well that went.
“They seem nice,” I mention casually as Rage grabs the keys and we walk out the front door.
“They are. Probably been the best sweet butts we’ve had.”
My face twists, and he chuckles. “Not in that way. There’s been no drama with them. They help out and fit in. They’re looking for a new place now. I doubt they’ll be staying here for long.”
I’m way happier about that than I should be. “Why are they moving?”
“I think they just want more from life than being here. They’ve seen all the other sweet butts leave and seen all the men settle down, so it seems like the right time for them.”
I nod as we approach his bike, but he tilts his head toward the truck instead. “We’re better off going shopping in that.”
It makes sense. The truck beeps as he unlocks it, and I awkwardly climb in.
Once we’re on the road, he glances over at me. “So, what’s happening with this business of yours?” he asks.
I swallow hard. “I’ve notified customers through my newsletter and social media that I’m away, and there’s a note on my store because I was expecting to be away on my honeymoon now.
” I rub my chest, which is feeling a little tight.
“I hope Tyler hasn’t damaged any of the equipment for my business out of anger.
” I shouldn’t think negatively, but I’m powerless to resist, because it would be devastating.
When I turn, Rage’s jaw is clenched. “If he’s done anything to it, he’ll be buying you new stuff. I’ll make sure of it,” he says.
I reach over and put my hand on his leg. “I’m sure he hasn’t, but thank you. My business is my baby. I built it up all on my own, and it’s been a lot of hard work, but enjoyable. I’ve managed to earn enough money to not need a part-time job to support it. I’ve been lucky.”
He puffs out a breath. “There’s no luck in it. You worked hard to get where you are, and it’s one of the things I like about you.”
I lean forward. “Go on,” I tease. I’ll take all the compliments I can get from this man.
His lip curves up in a devilish grin. “Would you like the PG or X-rated version?”
I laugh. “You can start with the PG.”
“To own a business you have to be driven. I haven’t met too many people like that. It’s a nice change. Seeing you that night we met . . .” A thoughtful look crosses his face. “I just knew you were different.”
My eyebrows shoot up.
“In a good way,” he adds immediately. “Women love that I’m in a motorcycle club.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never had problems picking up women, but the club vest just adds to the appeal.
That night it was just cool to have a chat with a woman who had no ulterior motive.
I never get that. I’m not overexaggerating, but when you walked into the room, I couldn’t look anywhere else. My gaze was only on you.”
My heart swells at his honesty.
“You looked beautiful, like some angel.” His voice is soft and sincere.
“I was feeling really shitty that day, but seeing you made me feel better. I had this pull to talk to you, and I waited ten minutes, expecting your husband to show up. When he didn’t, I decided to pull up a chair and see if you’d talk to me. ”
Big, fat tears roll down my cheeks. He glances at me briefly, frowning.
“I’m okay,” I reassure him. “It just feels good to be seen by someone. I’m thankful you pulled up a seat that night.”
His lips curve up. “Me too. But then you ditched me,” he teases. His face is light and he’s smirking.
“I’ve never slept with a random person before. It was a big deal,” I admit.
His jaw drops in mock offense. “Oh, so I’m a random now?”