Chapter 20
HOPE
Two Weeks Later . . .
“What are you doing, Styxx?” I huff out the demand for the third time, annoyance flowing through me at his refusal to answer me the first two times. All he would say is you’ll see.
In the past weeks, since the day my uncle tried to kill me, I’ve done nothing but spend time at the clubhouse. Harvester refused to let me come back to work. Claimed I needed time to heal first.
I was fine now, and yet he still didn’t let me get back to it. I did get to spend time with my friends there. They would come into the clubhouse to see me and get to know the other women around.
What they didn’t do was talk to me about how things at Keeper’s Temptation were going.
I wanted to get back there as soon as possible, but there was a big part of me that was enjoying not having to work there.
As much as I loved it, I was happy being able to spend more time with my sister, Eabha, and my man.
It’s been nice, and I was going to miss it when I went back.
“Just be patient, we’re almost there.”
There being downtown for God knows what.
Styxx turns into a parking lot, and I spot Harvester sitting on his bike in front of a building.
“What’s going on, Styxx?” I ask, twisting in my seat to watch him closely while he parks.
Styxx turns the truck off and twists to face me. “You know how much I love you?”
“Yes.” I had a good idea. The man killed for me. He didn’t outright say it, but I knew. He protected me. Protected my sister. He wouldn’t have done that unless he loved me.
“You know I would do and give you everything in this world.”
“What are you doing, Styxx?” I barely get the question out.
“I want you to have everything your heart desires, Hope. I don’t want you waiting to be able to have the world.
You should have it now. So that’s what’s happening.
” He jerks his chin to the building in front of us.
“Welcome to your dance studio. It’s ready to roll when you are.
And you already have a team ready and waiting to work with you. ”
“I do?” I don’t know what to say.
“Yeah, your girls from the club, they’re joining you.”
“What about Keeper’s Temptation?” I blurt out. I don’t want Harvester mad at me.
“They’re going to stay on until the new girls are trained to their standards, but they’ll be here with you.”
“I love you,” I blurt.
Styxx’s face breaks into a wide grin. “I love you too, mo chathú.” He leans across the console and captures my lips with his. The kiss is soft, gentle, and full of promise.
When he pulls away, I’m breathless. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“Believe it. Let’s go check it out.”
I practically leap from the truck, my heart hammering in my chest. Harvester nods at us as we approach, his usual stoic expression softened slightly at the edges.
“About time you got out of the truck,” he says, flicking his cigarette to the ground and crushing it beneath his boot. “Thought I was gonna have to watch y’all go at it right in public.”
I feel my face going pink at his words. Only one time did we do something similar, and that was in Styxx’s truck two days ago, but no one had been around. Or I didn’t think anyone was outside.
“Shut up, Harvester,” Styxx says with a shit-eating grin in place, his hand finding the small of my back.
Harvester reaches into his pocket and pulls out a set of keys, handing them to me. “Your studio, your keys.”
My fingers tremble as I take them.
“You’re not mad at me?” The question is out before I can call it back.
“Darlin’, you were meant to teach students. Can’t be mad at you for that.” Harvester shrugs.
I try not to let the tears well up, but they come anyway, blurring my vision. “Thank you, Harvester. That means a lot coming from you.”
“Don’t go gettin’ all emotional on me now.” He clears his throat and looks away, uncomfortable with my display of feelings. “Go on and check it out.”
Styxx’s hand stays firm on my back as he guides me toward the entrance. The building is larger than I expected, with large windows facing the street. A simple sign above the door reads “Hope’s Dance Studio” in elegant script.
“You already named it?” I ask, my voice catching.
“Had to call it something,” Styxx says with a shrug, but I can hear the pride in his voice.
My hands shake as I insert the key into the lock. When the door swings open, I gasp.
The space is incredible.
The floors were a polished hardwood, slick enough for a dancer to twirl around without worry.
Mirrors line one wall from floor to ceiling, and ballet barres run along another.
In the corner sits a small office with a desk and computer already set up.
The lighting is perfect. Not too harsh, not too dim.
“It’s . . .” I’m at a loss for words. My dream sits before me, fully realized. “Styxx, this is perfect.”
“Look around, mo chathú. This is all yours.”
I take hesitant steps into the space, my footfalls echoing in the empty studio. The sound system is state-of-the-art, with mounted speakers positioned strategically around the room. There’s even a small waiting area with comfortable chairs for parents or early arrivals.
“How did you do all this so quickly?” I spin around, taking it all in.
Styxx leans against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with those intense eyes that see everything. “I have my ways. I wanted you to have it and didn’t bullshit around.”
“This is . . . this is . . .” Words can’t describe what this means to me.
Styxx prowls toward me, wraps me in his arms, and kisses the daylights out of me. “It’s your turn to have the world. Just as you’ve given to me, Hope. As I said, no more waiting. It’s time to follow your dreams, but I do have one request.”
“What’s that?”
“You do it with me by your side and my ring on your finger,” he says, lowering himself down to kneel. “Marry me, Hope, start this life with me.”
“Yes,” I whisper, tears I’d been holding back slip free, and I couldn’t stop them if I wanted to.
I never dreamed I could have something like this, but now I do, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Styxx meant everything to me. He was the other half of me. If it weren’t for my sister stubbornly pushing herself into his life, I wouldn’t have any of this.