13. Savage
SAVAGE
There wasn’t enough booze in the world to distract me from the little show Londyn and her new boyfriend were putting on.
I couldn’t seem to stop watching them as they drank and hung out with our old friends from high school.
It was even harder watching them dance. Every twirl was like a twist of the knife, reminding me of what was no longer mine.
I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms and rekindle what we once had, and the fact that some asshole was standing in my way consumed me with frustration. I was considering putting my foot in his ass when my father nudged me and said, “Looks like Londyn is having a good time.”
“Looks that way.”
“Who’s the new guy?”
“Fuck if I know,” I grumbled as I watched him twirl her around the dance floor. “She said his name was Jackson.”
“Looks nice enough.”
“He looks like a fucking douchebag.” I shook my head and muttered, “Doesn’t matter. I don’t wanna talk about it.”
He nodded, then gave me a fatherly pat and turned his attention back to my mother.
I took another swig of my whiskey, hoping it would help ease the burning jealousy in my gut.
It was crazy, especially since I was the one who’d broken it off with her, but in my mind, Londyn had always been mine.
Seeing her wrapped up in the arms of another man had my blood boiling.
I wanted nothing more than to go over there and punch the guy’s lights out.
Unfortunately, I knew that wouldn't solve anything. If anything, it’d just make matters worse.
So, I decided I would just drown my sorrows.
I would drink until I forgot all about her and her little lap dog.
As the night wore on, the crowd started to thin out, and I couldn’t help but notice that Londyn and her buddy were no longer dancing.
I quickly scanned the room and spotted Londyn talking to Skylar and Lucas, but Jackson wasn’t with her.
He was busy chatting it up with the bartender, and it looked like they were having quite the conversation.
Jackson was smiling and leaning towards him, and the more they talked, the closer he got.
If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was hitting on the guy.
I was so focused on watching them that I hadn’t noticed that Danny had come up behind me.
He leaned down and snickered in my ear, “Guess you didn’t need to worry about me after all.
Looks like Londyn’s already got herself a new fella. ”
“Fuck off, Danny.”
“Hey, there’s no reason to get pissed at me. It’s not my fault that you fucked it up with your girl.”
“I’m only going to say it one more time,” I warned. “Fuck off.”
He lingered a moment longer, and I was about to jump up and punch the asshole in the throat when he finally walked off.
I turned my focus back to Jackson and the bartender, and again, they were still chatting it up.
I just didn’t get it. Most guys would’ve gotten their drinks and headed straight back to their date.
And then, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Londyn wasn’t the cheating kind. It just wasn’t in her, and nothing could change that—not even the bullshit I put her through. There was no fucking way she’d be in Puckett’s chatting it up with Danny if she had a guy waiting for her back at home, much less go outside with him.
It was all a ruse.
Jackson wasn’t her boyfriend. He was just playing the part, making everyone, including me, think she’d moved on.
I was about to go over and call Londyn on her bullshit when she walked over to Jackson and slipped her arm around his.
She whispered something in his ear. He nodded, then gave a quick wave to the crew before they both headed for the back door.
They were just about to walk out when Londyn glanced over her shoulder, and her eyes locked on mine.
It was for only a second, but it was long enough for me to know that what we had wasn’t over—far from it.
I stood to go after them but stopped dead in my tracks when I spotted Bruton. I had no idea how long he’d been there. He was hard to recognize without his khakis and sweater vest. I gave my father a nudge with my elbow and asked, “What the fuck is he doing here?”
“Who?”
“Bruton?”
I motioned my hand over to the back corner where he was talking with a small group of older ladies, and from the looks of it, he was schmoozing it up pretty good with them. “If I had to guess, I’d say he’s still working on that damn petition.”
“What petition?”
“He wants another caution light downtown, and the council is bucking him on it.”
“He kills me with this whole council man by day gunslinger by night bullshit.”
“Yeah, but he does it, and he does it well.”
“Maybe, but I don’t like it.” My eyes were fixed on Bruton as I added, “He seems a little too chummy with the ladies.”
“What can I say?” Dad scoffed, “The man’s a player.”
“Damn. I just threw up in my mouth.”
“Oh, it’s not that bad. He’s just making his rounds.” His smile faded as he asked, “So, what’s your plan?”
“Plan for...?”
“Getting this thing with Londyn sorted.”
“Don’t really have a plan, but I’m going to go over to her folks' place and talk to her.”
He glanced down at my empty glass as he asked, “You sure that’s a good idea?”
“Got no choice... I don’t know when she’s planning to head back.”
“Then call Rooster or Torch and have them drive you over.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I can do that.”
“And don’t lose your cool. You gotta play this...”
“I’ve got it, Dad.”
“I know you do.” He gave me another pat, then said, “Go get your girl.”
“Gonna do my best.”
I sent Rooster a text, then headed outside to wait for him.
I felt like a bottle of nerves as I paced up and down the sidewalk.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Londyn and the way she looked at me before she walked out.
Something was there. I knew it in my gut.
This was my one and only chance to make things right, to make her understand why I’d done the things I’d done.
I was thinking about what I would say to her when the sound of Rooster's pickup pulled me from my thoughts. A smirk crossed his face as he said, “Your carriage awaits.”
“Appreciate you coming, brother.”
“Anytime.”
I climbed inside and closed the door, then Rooster hammered down on the accelerator, squealing tires as we took off towards Londyn's parents' house.
He had the windows down, letting the wind whip around us both as he drove.
Sadly, I couldn't enjoy it. I was too focused on the conversation I needed to have with Londyn.
When we pulled up, I spotted two cars in the drive and hoped one of them was Londyn’s. I took a deep breath, then opened the door. Before I got out, Rooster gave me a chin lift and said, “You got this, brother.”
“Let’s hope so.”
I closed the door and made my way to the front porch. I knocked and immediately heard footsteps as they approached the door. It flew open, and Dalton greeted me with a big smile. “I know you.”
“Hey, Dalton. How’s it going?”
“Okay.” His smile faltered as he told me, “Cici had to go home.”
“Oh?” I had no idea what he was talking about, but I just went with it. “Well, maybe she’ll come back soon.”
He shook his head. “We ‘weave tomorrow.”
“Dalton!” Londyn called out. “Who’s at the door?”
Before he could answer, she stumbled into the room with one heel still on her foot and the other in her hand. Her jaw dropped when she saw me standing in the doorway. “Malcomb... what are you doing here?”
“We have a conversation to finish.”
“I’m sorry, but now isn’t a good time.” She stepped over to Dalton and ran her hand over the top of his head as she said, “Why don’t you go up to your room and finish packing?”
“But I don’t wanna go.”
“I know, sweetie, but we need to leave early in the morning. I’ve got work on Monday.”
It was clear Dalton was her kid. Maybe it was the familiar whitish-blond hair or the lopsided grin, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “Hey, Dalton. How old are you?”
“Fw-ore.”
“Go, Dalton,” she pushed. “I’ll be up in a minute to help.”
“Ugh,” he grumbled as he turned and started walking away. “See ya la-er, Mal-come.”
Once I was certain he was gone, I crossed my arms and asked, “So, he’s four, huh?”
“He is.”
“And he’s yours?”
“I know what you’re getting at, but this isn’t the time or the place.”
“Hold up.” I could feel the anger rising in my gut as I pushed, “Are you saying he’s mine?”
I felt like my world was shattering at my feet. I loved Londyn. I couldn’t believe that she would keep my son from me. The thought had me feeling a tumultuous mix of anger, sadness, and confusion, leaving me questioning not only Londyn's actions but the trust I’d placed in our relationship.
Sensing that I was about to lose it, she stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. Her cheeks were flushed as she explained, “I tried to tell you so many times.”
“And when was that?” I roared.
“I was going to tell you that day, but I didn’t want to interrupt your good time with Candace.” She crossed her arms as she sassed, “And all those times I came to the clubhouse but got turned away because you didn’t want to see me. Or how about the letters? Did you even bother to read them?”
The knowledge that we had a four-year-old son, a piece of our shared existence that had been hidden from me, was like a dagger to the heart.
The fact that I’d had a part to play in this information being kept from me made it hurt that much more, but I wasn’t about to let her know that.
I wasn’t a fool. There were other ways she could’ve gotten the news to me.
My tone was angrier than I intended as I spat, “So, this is all my fault. I’m the reason you didn’t tell me that we had a son!”
“Well?”
“That’s bullshit, Londyn!”
The words had barely left my mouth when the front door opened, and Jackson peeked his head out. “Is everything okay out here?”
“It’s fine, Jackson.”
“Are you sure? Cause there are some pretty big ears in here, and they’re getting a little worried.”
“I won’t be much longer.”
“Okay. Holler if you need me.”
Once he’d closed the door, Londyn turned her attention back to me. “Look, I know you’re angry, and you have every right to be. But you have to understand my situation. I was in a really bad spot. I didn’t want to ruin your life or make things harder on myself. I had to do what I had to do.”
I just stared at her, still trying to process what she was saying, then muttered, “You did what you had to do, huh?”
“You know how I felt about you, Malcomb. I told you over and over that I loved you, and I wanted to be with you. But you didn’t feel the same.”
I clenched my fists, trying to control my anger. “You don’t get to blame me for the decisions you made. This isn’t all on me. You’re the one who chose to keep our son a secret from me. You could’ve told me at any point in the last five years.”
“I did tell you. Did you even read my letters?” When I didn’t immediately answer, she grumbled, “Of course, you didn’t!”
“Would it have really mattered?”
“I don’t know.” Rage filled her eyes as she snapped, “Why don’t you read them and find out.”
She turned and started up the steps, and when she reached for the doorknob, I shouted, “Londyn, wait! This conversation isn’t over.”
“Oh, it’s over. Just like we’re over! It just took me until now to see it.” She opened the door, and as she stepped inside, she said, “Goodbye, Malcomb.”
With that, she closed the door and disappeared into the house, leaving me completely dumbfounded.
Fuck.
There was no way around it.
I was absolutely, positively screwed, and I’d done it to myself.
Now, I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do about it.