“Not yet. I’ll hang out here for a little while before I pick up Everleigh. I need to pick up some things from the store”.
“I’ll pick up Everleigh, you go to the store. I want to see you before I head out tonight”. Taking my hand in his he placed a kiss on my knuckles. “I shouldn’t be too late, it’s only a little job”.
For once I didn’t want to know where he was going or what the job was. Every time he went out, I worried until he returned.
“I’ll try and stay up, but I doubt I will”. I grinned.
“You at the hospital tomorrow?”. He asked.
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t be there all day”.
“How about I take Everleigh to your moms tonight. It means-…”.
“No, I want her with me”. I had hardly spent any time with her over the past few days.
“I get that baby, but you need to rest”.
“I’m pregnant Blaze not dying, and I miss my baby. I’m not used to being away from her this long”.
“Aye darling, whatever you say”. Opening the passenger side door, he took another smoke from his cut lighting it up.
“Really?”. I glared.
I noticed how heavy a smoker he had become. Not that it bothered me but something in the back of my mind told me he was worried or worrying about something.
“You’re the one that’s pregnant darling, not me”. He smirked.
Rolling my eyes I turned on the ignition. “Get out, I need to go to the store”. Placing a kiss on my cheek he rubbed my stomach before getting out.
“One for good luck sweetheart”…
I couldn’t help but feel that someone was following me. Every aisle I went up the hair on the back of my neck stood. My grip on the shopping cart tightened. I hadn’t felt this feeling in a long time. My stomach tightened, my mouth becoming dry. I was in a store full of people, surely to god I was safe.
Biting back my fear I spun around. There he was, Nate. Letting out the breath I didn’t realise I was holding I glared.
“Are you following me?”.
“What, no”. Scratching the back of his head I saw the hint of a smile.
Yes, yes, he was.
“You could have just said hello instead of following me like a big creeper”. Rolling my eyes I started pushing my cart towards him.
“Nice to see you’re still the same”. He grinned. “And I would have said hello I just didn’t know how to approach you”.
Really?
“So, you thought you’d follow me instead?”. Making a face I shook my head. It wasn’t very often I seen Nate anymore. Bumped into him a few times, shared a few words but that was it.
There was a time way back when that we were close. To think I could have been with him instead of Blaze, but the heart wants what it wants.
“I’ll know for next time”. He winked. “So, how’s my brother?”.
Nope! I wasn’t doing this.
“Maybe you should try and reach out to him”. Every time I bumped into Nate it was always the same conversation. I couldn’t see things working out between them ever. Not after what he did. He broke the code of brothers.
“Blaze will never forgive me for what I did Ava. It’s the reason I ask you every time we bump into each other”. He sighed.
“There’s always a way to make it right”. I shrugged. “You just need to find out what that is”. I couldn’t even bring Nate’s name up without it causing an argument. We all know how jealous he gets.
“I worry about him. He’s stepping up soon and I’m not sure he’s ready”.
Blaze was more than ready but I wanted to know how he knew this. I knew he watched out for him but was he tracking the club? Nate had a lot of money; I knew that much.
“Would have been mine y’know. The club would have been mine; it was mine. I would have taken over after your dad”.
“That’s your own fault Nate”. He did the worst thing you could do when it came to the club. He sailed Blaze up the river without a paddle. Left him to rot in jail.
“I fucked up, but I was young and stupid”. He shrugged. “I knew Blaze could handle it”.
“So that makes it okay?”. I frowned.
“I did one bad thing Ava, you’ve no idea the shit my brother has done and yet he still gets the girl”. Shaking his head he laughed. “I could have given you the world and more, brought Everleigh up as my own. One day back here and you fell straight back in love with him. What is it about my fucking brother?”.
How did this end up being about me?
“I didn’t fall back in love with him Nate, I had never fell out of love with him”. I didn’t appreciate his tone and I had already apologised for what happened with us in the past.
I had no doubts that Nate would have been a great partner, but my heart already belonged to Blaze. It had for an exceedingly long time.
“I just don’t get it”. He sighed. “He’s wasted his life with that damn club. He’s no future, can’t support his family and-…”
My hand connected with his cheek, my eyes falling into slits. He could run his mouth all he wanted but I wasn’t going to stand here and let him say Blaze couldn’t support his family.
“How dare you”. I hissed. “He’s not perfect Nate but he sure as hell can look after us”. It was the first time I was hesitant of where this was going to go.
The hatred in his eyes, it was the first time I saw the biker that he used to be. His hands balled into fists; his teeth clenched.
“You would have been mine”. His nostrils flared; the glare clear. It was the first time I had even been afraid of him.
Swallowing the lump that appeared in my throat I watched his eyes soften. He knew I was afraid of him. This man in front of me wasn’t the sweet Nate I met years ago.
“If you hadn’t of let Blaze, take the blame for what you did you would still be a part of the club. Like you said it would have been yours, but I won’t let you stand here and bad mouth him. He may not be successful or have lots of money, but I love him. I always have”. I whispered.
“He’ll never be enough for you Ava but when you’re ready you know where to find me”.
I watched him walk away. I was physically shaking with anger. I was always rooting for them to fix things before it was too late but now, now I hope I never bump into him again.
I thought I knew Nate, but he only let me see what I wanted to see. At least with Blaze I saw every part. He never tried to be something he wasn’t. No matter how horrible he could be I knew he was always being himself.
What you see is what you get with Blaze.
I couldn’t even remember what else I came here for. Heading towards the cashier I quickly paid for what I had and got out of there.
I just wanted to go home.
I was parked down the street, still in view so I could see the clubhouse. I had been having little twinges in my stomach since I left the store but nothing strong enough to make me worry.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Nate and how horrible he was. How do I tell Blaze? There was already bad blood between them and if I told him what happened he would kill him.
Rubbing a hand down my face I chewed my bottom lip. I had to tell him. I didn’t want there to be any secrets between us and if I did keep it from him and he found out from someone else all hell would break loose.
I was currently watching people come and go. Jared was stood smoking a cigarette, his phone to his ear. Once he clocked me, he ended the call and started walking towards my car.
He had a face like thunder.
Makes me wonder if he was talking to Sasha. It wasn’t long until she was due. As he approached my car, I rolled down my window a little.