Chapter 13
Danica
S itting down beneath a patch of trees near the school, I waited for Keely.
School had gotten out a half hour before and I’d done my bus patrol duty, making sure the kids got where they needed to be.
My stomach had been pitching and dipping for most of the day, making it hard to focus, but I’d managed.
“Hi, Mrs. Carmine!”
I cringed at the sound of my married name, knowing I needed to change that as soon as I could.
I didn’t want any further connection to Eli.
I looked up and smiled at Sean as he walked up.
Patting the grass next to me, I invited him to sit.
“When we’re not in class and none of the other kids are around, you can call me Dani. ”
He grinned at me as he settled on the ground. “Thanks!” He acted like knowing his teacher personally was a huge flex. Maybe for a kid, it was. At least until he realized I was the same as everyone else.
“Your mom isn’t here yet?” I asked, scanning the parking lot.
He shook his head, a lock of his hair shifting onto his forehead.
My fingers itched to brush it back. I’d connected with Sean almost as soon as he stepped foot into my classroom.
The other kids probably hadn’t realized how scared he was, because he’d put on a brave face, but I’d seen it.
Watching him dissolve that hard outer shell and make friends with the other kids in his class had been the highlight of my year.
Now he had a small band of kids he was friends with and I’d been happy to see who had befriended him.
They were all good kids, kind and caring.
This was a small school and I’d get to see all these kids grow until they ended up in middle school and with a different group of teachers.
They’d still be in the same building, however, until they went down the road to the high school.
“She’s running late.”
“You can wait here with me,” I told him with a smile. A small spark of worry flickered to life inside my mind. “Did your mom call you to tell you she was late?”
He frowned down at the ground. “No. She doesn’t want me to have a cell phone yet.” He gave me a grim look. “The other kids have cell phones.”
My lips twitched, and though I agreed with Gwen on the no cell phone policy, I didn’t mention that to Sean.
Pulling out my own phone, I hit the contact number to give Gwen a call.
All the women had given me their phone numbers, and taken mine, the other day when they’d brought their families down to the main section of the clubhouse so I could meet everyone all at the same time.
Seeing the entirety of the group made me realize that unless it was a planned thing, I wouldn’t likely see everyone together often. There were so many people.
I waited as the phone rang in my ear. “Hey,” I said when she picked up, “I just wanted to check in. I’m waiting with Sean and he said you were late picking him up.”
Gwen sighed in relief hearing that he was with me. “I’m so sorry! There was an emergency surgery that went over at work. I called the office to let them know.”
“That’s okay. It’s no problem. They probably didn’t catch him before he came outside. He can either hang out with me until you get here, or if you want, I can take him home?”
The long pause of silence had me pulling my phone from my ear to make sure it hadn’t disconnected. When I brought it back, I heard Gwen starting to speak.
“Would you really be willing to do that? I was just getting into my car, but it’ll take me about forty-five minutes to get out there and I don’t want him to have to wait in the office that long.
” She gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of our new friendship, though. ”
I laughed, happiness bubbling up inside my chest. Just being counted as a friend to Gwen and the other women made me feel like crying.
It was stupid to feel that way over something so simple, but Eli had managed to alienate me from everyone but my sister.
She was the only one stubborn enough not to let me go when my husband did everything in his power to cut ties.
It was nice to have friends again. “That’s what we’re here for, right?
” I asked, parroting what the other women, and even the men of The Vikings MC had been telling me over the last week I’d been with them.
“Right,” she said, letting out her own laugh. “Well, if you’re sure, then I’m more than happy to take you up on the offer.”
“Absolutely. I have to wait until all the kids are gone, and my sister is meeting me here just to talk for a bit, but once everyone is cleared out, Sean and I will head home to the club.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?”
“What?” I asked.
“Calling the clubhouse home.”
“Very,” I agreed. “But I’m sort of used to it by now.”
“What do you mean?” I heard her car door slam shut.
“Once I left Eli, I was living at my sister’s house. Now I’m living at Smoke’s. I’m sort of adrift,” I admitted, glancing over at Sean. He was busy making a wreath of daisies.
“I understand completely,” Gwen said. “After what happened with Trent, I was scared to go home. The MC took me in and I’m so grateful for it.”
No one had told me exactly what happened with Trent, but I remembered back to the morning Gwen and Jordan found me sneaking out of the compound.
Both women had bruises and cuts on their faces, though Gwen had looked much worse.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to connect that with Trent.
Between my anxiety of being caught by them and not wanting them to have to explain what had happened, I hadn’t commented on their appearance.
“I’ll tell you about it sometime,” Gwen said softly, realizing I wasn’t in the loop.
“Whenever you’re ready. There’s no rush.” A movement caught my eye and I watched as Keely hurried over. “My sister’s here.”
“Then I’ll see you at home. Thanks again, Dani. You’re a lifesaver.”
We hung up and I jumped to my feet, ignoring my queasy stomach, and met Keely halfway. We locked into a long hug and Keely sighed. “Is it stupid to say I’ve missed you?” She pulled back and gave me a watery smile.
My own eyes were filling up with tears. “If it is, then I’m stupid, too.”
“I got used to having you around all the time. Even if it was only for a couple months. It’s almost like when we were kids,” she admitted as I led her back over to where Sean was sitting. I nodded in agreement and reached out to squeeze her hand.
“Sean, this is my sister, Keely. Keels, this is one of my students. His mom is…connected to the same club as Smokehouse.”
“Hi,” Sean said, shyly taking Keely’s hand as she bent and offered it. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Sean.”
“Your mom had to work late,” I told him. “You okay with riding home with me?”
His eyes brightened and he smiled. “Yeah!” He looked over his shoulder. “Can I go swing?”
“Sure. It won’t be too much longer,” I told him. The playground was near the trees we’d been sitting under. I watched as he dashed off to go play. “I might want a boy.”
Keely grinned as we sank down into the grass.
I was positioned so I could keep an eye on Sean and the crowds of kids that had been waiting around to be picked up.
There were more teachers near them. When you had bus duty, you didn’t have to wait around for the other kids to get picked up by their parents.
That was a different assignment, but most of us teachers waited until they were all gone.
“I think you’re going to love whatever you get,” Keely pointed out.
“True.” I turned my head and looked at her. “How are you?” The light dimmed in her eyes and my belly knotted. “Eli’s been bothering you.” It wasn’t a question. I could tell by the look on her face.
“Just once,” she admitted. “This morning.”
I nodded. “He either thought I was coming back on my own-”
“Arrogant asshole,” my sister muttered.
“Or, he finally realized he needed to do something.” It had always taken him about four to five days to come to me when I’d finally given up on trying to spend time with him.
It was as though he woke up one day realizing I wasn’t talking to him, or catering to him.
As though he was just remembering he had a wife.
Now I knew why that was. He had so many women to keep track of, I was just in the rotation. How had I never realized that?
Because I was an inherently loyal person and I always gave others the benefit of the doubt that they were, too.
It killed me to know that he’d been playing me for a fool for so long.
That I’d stayed, even during those first tumultuous years, for nothing.
Eventually, I’d given up on receiving the love and affection that I’d always wanted from a marriage, chalking it up to Eli not being very demonstrative.
I’d settled into a mostly loveless marriage even though while we’d dated he’d given me all the attention and affection I could have wanted.
That’s why reality hit me so hard after we got married.
He’d been loving and caring before. Why couldn’t he continue that?
Again, now I knew, it’s because it had all been an act to ensnare me. And it had worked like a charm.
“Don’t worry about him,” Keely said, putting a hand on my arm and yanking me from my thoughts. “He doesn’t know where you are.”
I frowned. “I’m worried about you.” Our gazes locked. “If he can’t find me and control me, I’m not sure what he’ll do.”
Her eyes flashed. “Just let him try something.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I won’t be able to live with myself if he comes after you to get to me.”
“Well, I’m not letting him near you,” she snapped back.
“Maybe you could come stay at the clubhouse?”
“That’s a lot to ask, Dani.” She gave me a soft smile. “I’m not connected to them in any way.”
“You’re connected to me.” I fiddled with the jacket I’d tossed on over my blouse this morning. “I’ll talk to Smokehouse about it.”
“I can’t just come live with you guys for who knows how long. It’s not practical.”
“That’s what I’m doing,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but this is allowing you and your baby daddy to get to know each other.”
I cringed and gave her an unamused look. “Don’t call him that.”
She laughed. “Alright.”
We watched Sean swing for a few minutes in silence.
“If I ask and they say yes, will you come stay with us?”
“I guess,” she finally conceded.
“Thank you.” Muscles I hadn’t realized had tensed, relaxed at her acceptance.
“I don’t want to get in the middle of you and your guy, though.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’ll be too easy, with me there, for you to come to me with things that you need.”
“I won’t,” I promised. “It’s been really great getting to know everyone. You’ll like them.”
“I’m sure I will,” she said with a grin.
Watching as the last kid standing in front of the school climbed into his parents’ car, I sighed. “Guess it’s time to go.”
We stood and she wrapped me up in a hug.
I could tell she wasn’t comfortable with the idea of coming to stay with us, but she’d promised me she would and that was all that mattered.
I wasn’t sure what I’d do if Eli hurt her in order to get to me.
Only being a few years apart in age, we’d grown up as best friends.
She’d always been there for me and I always wanted to do the same.
We said our goodbyes and I called out for Sean. It didn’t take long to load him up and head back into the city to the new place that I was calling home.