Chapter 21
Brittany – A Week Later
I smile as I watch Caleb run around the club's yard with his dad, laughing and giggling as Bailey snoozes in her stroller beside me. Chatter echoes around us, brothers laughing and drinking, the women giggling while the smell of a BBQ lingers in the air. Trigger’s dad, Scar, is at the helm, ensuring nothing gets burnt, while his grandson Caleb tries to help him, but Trigger stays well away, a scowl permanently on his face.
There was some tension between them and Trigger. I did hear something about Ashley refusing to open up about why she stopped being intimate with him and his dad said something about him being to blame for it.
It looked like it was getting heated, so I grabbed my burger and walked away like a sensible person.
Bailey murmurs and I gently rock her stroller, watching everyone around me, feeling happy, at home.
And even though Asher is at work, I still came to the family day the club hosts once a month at the insistence of Debbie.
The same Debbie with her light blue eyes zoned in on Bailey from across the grass where she stands with her husband, who looks to be holding her back from stealing my daughter with a grin.
I chuckle to myself and check on Bailey again, still snoring away with the clouds.
This past week, it’s felt like a dream. Everyone has welcomed me with open arms, despite the fact that I’m keeping two of their brothers at arm’s length, and Asher… The man has stolen my heart.
I mean, I already knew I gravitated towards him, even not knowing him, but I, damn, I’ve fallen in love with him. That tells me it didn’t take long for me for fall the first time.
The way he looks at me, holds me, the way he is with our daughter, always putting us first…
He’s becoming the reason why I breathe, and somehow, I think that is also how I felt before I lost my memories.
Every night, I’m in his arms, every night he makes love to me, kissing me all over, giving me pleasure like no tomorrow, making up for lost time – his words, not mine – telling me continuously how much he loves me, how much he regrets not telling me before.
I’m in love with him.
I look towards all the brothers again, feeling content when a shadow falls over me, and I look up, locking eyes with Thunder, my brother, his hazel ones showing determination as he holds a bat.
Oh god, what is he up to now?
All week, he’s tried to speak to me, playing pranks on me to get me to talk to him, trying to piss me off and unfortunately, despite his efforts and the fact that I wouldn’t talk, no memories came back.
“Okay, sis, time to play,” he states sternly, and I mutter, “Huh,” play what?
Thunder looks me dead in the eyes and the ass says slowly, “Me Thunder,” and points to his chest, then points at me and says, “You Brittany, my sister.”
Okay yeah, we definitely grew up together, I want to hit him.
I roll my eyes and say, “I meant huh to what game, idiot.”
“Oh,” he says, and a few brothers around chuckle. He shakes his head and holds out the bat and states, “baseball.”
He has got to be kidding.
I eye the bat, then him, and then the bat again before I shake my head, say, “No,” and he growls before gently grabbing my arm and helping me up, and I blink in shock as he says, “Yes!” firmly.
“Thunder,” Trigger says as he walks over, “you know this isn’t a good idea. She’s had head trauma, playing baseball will not help.”
“We have to try something. I miss my sister and all her annoying traits,” he says and is cowl.
What annoying traits?
He looks at me and smirks seeing my scowl before confirming, “Ready?”
Annoying traits, the ass. Has he looked in the mirror?
I open my mouth to ask him what he's ready for, but suddenly, a baseball bat is coming towards my head. My eyes widen, and my reflexes are too goddamn slow as the bat hits the side of my head before I could duck and everything goes black as Thunder roars, “Shit!”
“How in the fuck did you hit your sister in the fucking head?!” I hear Dad snap, and I squeeze my eyes tight as Thunder panics, “She was supposed to duck, she always fucking ducks!”
“She has amnesia, idiot, how is she supposed to know to duck?!” Debbie growls before a pair of gentle fingers run through my hair, and I hear her ask, “Stone, where’s Rose?”
“At the hospital,” he replies as my brother shouts, “I was hoping it would bring them back!” causing my head to throb, and he panics, “Fuck, Doc is going to kill me! She’s my sister, but she’s the love of his life… I’m dead, I’m fucking dead.”
“Calm down, Thunder!” I hear Stone snap, and I choke, “Jesus, Bradley, stop shouting.”
I swear I feel like my head is going to explode…
“How can I stop shouting, Brit? Doc is going to…” His voice pauses, and I open my eyes to see his wide, and he stutters, “W-what did you just call me?”
“Bradley,” I say, confused, as Stone helps me sit up and I flinch at the dizziness before I pause and lock eyes with my brother, my childhood best friend, who…
That little…
I point at him and accuse, “You only ever tried that once with a baseball bat before Mama chased you with it!”
“Fuck, does she have her memories back?” I hear someone gasp, and I grip Stone's hand as he helps me stand, and I sway a little.
Crap, my head is throbbing.
“I think we may need to take you to see Doc, sweetheart,” Stone mumbles, and I hum in agreement as I grip his hand tightly, the dizzy spells making me feel sick.
“Wait, no, she can’t,” Thunder panics and Dad snaps, “She’s probably got a concussion, idiot!”
“Dad, please lower your voice,” I ask with a wince, and he looks at me with teary eyes, asking, “Dad…you have all your memories back?”
All my childhood memories flash behind my eyes and squeeze them tightly before ones from school and work hit me then the memories with Asher. All our dates, him basically moving in, the secret looks he’d give me when he thought I wasn’t looking but I didn’t want to read into…
I swallow the bile and choke, “Yeah, I think so, and Mama forcing me to stay home for as long as she did was not okay.”
Every time she’d guilt-tripped me into staying longer with her, stopping me from going out or making friends, not allowing me near the MC when she married a brother…
I thought it was all normal and fine, but I was wrong.
“Shit,” he whispers before Bailey makes a noise, and I look at her sharply, my head instantly thumping at the action, and the struggle to breathe is hard as my last memory hits me so hard, my stomach drops.
“Oh god,” I choke as I stumble back causing Stone to grip me tighter and my body trembles as memories of sitting in that doctor's office, walking out with pills, consuming me, and my tears fall.
I was going to…
“Come on, let’s get you to Doc,” Stone says, and my dad quickly grabs my other arm, but I don’t move my eyes off my daughter in Debbie’s arms, nothing but guilt consuming me.
I was right, I wasn’t going to like who I was before I lost my memories, I officially hate myself.