Chapter Twenty-Two #2
It’s been ages since I called Alex. I have no idea what’s taking so long.
It’s got to have been at least three or so hours, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe she isn’t coming at all.
T-Dog has been let out. The kid has been taken for a psych evaluation, and I’m here with the stocky guy, Kevlar, who’s a patched member of the Houston Defiance MC, which I’ve found out from talking to him.
He doesn’t affect me much after hanging out with the Satan’s Savages back in Australia.
I’m pretty good with bikers, I think, so Kevlar and I are getting along reasonably well at the moment.
“Levine,” the guard calls out, and I turn to face the bars.
“Yeah?”
“You’re free to go.”
I turn to Kevlar, raising my brows. “Hope it all works out for you, brother, and your old lady can come bail you out quickly.” I turn and shake Kevlar’s hand.
“You too, Matt. I think I’d rather stay in this cell than face the wrath of my Old Lady for getting in a bar fight while bringing her on vacation without the kids.” He scratches his head. “Ever need help, come find me in Houston. You hear me?”
“Yeah, thanks, man. Appreciate that. Good luck,” I say, slapping my hand to his and standing. I glance at the guard, who still appears bored. The gate opens slowly, and I walk off with him through the long hall, this time without the cuffs. I then back out toward the front of the station.
I wonder who’ll be there when I walk out, and as I make my way through, Nate, Ria, Ryan, Tillie, and Oliver—all still in their formal wedding attire—are standing there. I dart my head around further to see Alex talking to a police officer.
She’s wearing a yellow summer dress, which isn’t her usual style. It makes her look more innocent, sweeter, even with the aqua hair, curled and framing her face perfectly. Her makeup is flawless, and I stand still, just staring at her.
Alex is…
… fucking beautiful.
I’m amazed at how Alex can dress up in rocker-chic, then dress sweet and innocent like this, and pull off both looks so perfectly.
It’s like I’m seeing her in a whole new light.
Shaking my head slightly as the guard pushes my back, forcing me to move forward, I clear my throat, and everyone looks up.
“Here he is… the king of all idiots. I thought I wore that crown, but, dude, you’re giving me a run for my money,” Ryan mocks.
I roll my eyes, and Alex looks at me, chewing on her bottom lip.
“Shut up, Ry. Matt, are you okay?” Tillie asks, and I nod with a deep, drawn-out sigh.
“Yeah, just wanna go home and wallow in a vat of ice cream.”
“You sure you don’t wanna go hire a hooker and have some fun?” Ryan chuckles.
Tillie scoffs at him, smacking him upside the head as he moves to my side and bumps my shoulder. “So, I know I had a run-in with a prostitute. She helped me into a cab when I was drunk, but finding one online, Matt? Yeah, that takes it to new heights…” Ryan states.
“It wasn’t like that,” I defend.
Alex steps up and wraps her arm in mine defensively. “He knows, he’s just teasing like the asshole he is.” She looks up at me. “But really, are you okay?” Her eyes sparkle with intensity.
I nod, grabbing her hand and wrapping it in mine. “I am now,” I say and lean my temple to hers.
She cuddles into my side as Tillie signs some paperwork.
Oliver shakes his head. “I swear you guys never do anything by halves, do you?” He grabs a plastic bag from a policeman, and I notice it contains my cell phone and wallet.
“Gotta keep life interesting for you, right?” I state, and he huffs.
“C’mon, let’s get out of here before they change their minds,” Oliver says.
I furrow my brows. Change their minds. What does that mean?
We walk outside toward the waiting car. They were smart enough to bring a limo so we can all fit inside, and that’s when I notice Scott and Dwayne in the front.
“Hey, guys, I wanna thank you all for coming,” I say, and everyone nods while Ryan chuckles.
“That’s what she said,” Ryan calls out, and Tillie glares and then groans. “Oh, c’mon, I had to.”
“I’m so sorry, Matt. My fiancé is a douche,” Tillie defends, and I chuckle as Alex slides in next to me.
“No, it’s fine. I can see the funny side. But I had absolutely no idea. Speaking of no idea, what’s happening? Do I have to go to court, or what?” I ask, and Tillie shakes her head.
“No, thanks to quick thinking from Alex, I persuaded the sergeant to drop all charges.”
My eyes bulge out of my head. “What? How?”
Oliver opens the plastic bag and throws me my cell and wallet.
“We told them to check your cell because there would be the proof that you were talking to Madeline… Maddison… whatever her name is, and you had absolutely no idea she was a prostitute. That you were, in fact, taking her out on a date and not hiring her for her services.”
I scoff. “Why didn’t I think of that? But wait, what about the bribery thing?”
Tillie purses her lips. “That was a little tougher to get rid of, but once they saw that Madeline and Maddison were the same person, and she corroborated the story, they saw that the bribe was merely a desperate attempt, not a cover-up. Just a man trying to get to his best friend’s wedding.
So they were willing to let it slide… this time. ”
“Fuck! So I don’t have any charges against me?” I clarify.
“None. You’re damn lucky.”
“Tillie, you’re brilliant!”
“Wasn’t me, Matt. Sure, I did the talking, but the idea was all Alex.”
I turn to look at her. She’s so beautiful and looking at me like I’m the best thing in her world.
“Ronan? Shit! Where is he?” I ask.
Alex shrugs. “Dunno. I kinda ditched him. He was—”
“Too Irish,” Ryan bursts out.
I chuckle. “How can someone be too Irish?”
“Get this… Irish dancing to rock and roll. The guy’s a total weirdo,” Tillie says, and I raise my brow. Coming from her, that must mean he was really bad because Tillie doesn’t normally speak out like that.
I chuckle as I look at Alex, and she winces. “Yeah, dud-town, and then I was fully crushing on this biker, Techie, but he’s taken, too. Bummer. Looks like it’s a strikeout for us both,” she says.
“Is Danger pissed at me?” I ask, my attention more focused on Ryan.
He sighs. “He was, but when Alex explained what was going on, he was a little more understanding. I’m one hundred percent sure he doesn’t give a fuck right about now if you know what I mean.
Actually, he’s definitely giving a fuck right about now…
if you know what I mean.” He bursts out laughing at his own joke.
And the entire car laughs right along with him, including me, as everyone breaks off to talk amongst themselves.
I lean my mouth against Alex’s ear. “Thank you. Come back to my place with me?” I ask, and she looks up at me and nods.
“Who am I dropping off first?” Scott asks, and Tillie smiles.
“Matt, he’s had a long day, and he needs to go home and recover.”
“Thanks, Till,” I say.
“Anytime, just don’t have any more contact with Madeline, okay?”
I nod, thinking that’s probably for the best too.
As much as I want to yell and scream at her for what she’s done to me—lying and deceiving me—but what good would that do?
The relationship is broken. There’s nothing that could possibly fix it, and there’s no way I would want to be with a prostitute.
I couldn’t hire one, let alone be in a relationship with one.
Yeah, we were doomed from the start.
Sighing, Alex rests her head on my shoulder, and I place mine on top of hers for the rest of the limo ride.
When we arrive, no one seems to say anything when Alex gets out with me.
Nate smiles, and so does Ria, but everyone else keeps to themselves.
I wave them goodbye and thank them all yet again for everything they did for me tonight. I can never thank them enough.
Walking to the door, I let us in. The place still looks picture-perfect from when I left this morning.
I never thought I’d be bringing Alex back here tonight instead of Madeline, but that’s not what tonight is about.
I don’t want to be alone, and Alex is my best friend.
She gets that I need comfort right now, and I want my best friend more than ever.
Alex sighs and moves in next to me as I stand in the living room, just staring into space.
She runs her hands up my chest, in a way that’s not something a friend would do, but it soothes me nonetheless as her hands run up over my shoulders and around my neck, pulling herself to me in an embrace.
“I’m here, Matt. I’m so sorry,” she says, and I wrap my arms around her tightly.
Warmth.