Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92067 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 460(@200wpm)___ 368(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
She’s talking so fast I have to really listen to take it all in. I smile despite my misgivings. “Show me the rest of the place, Sunshine. Once we get that done, we’ll go get your car and I’ll pick us up a pizza.”
Her smile quickly turns down. “Seriously, King. Stop calling me that.”
“Why would I do that? That silly song you love and declared was the best ever talked about his woman being sunshine constantly. If a man ever gets lucky enough to claim you, you’ll give him sunshine. It’s a name that fits you.”
“No, it doesn’t. It’s a name that T calls Lyla. They already don’t like you and I being friends. They’re afraid I hold some kind of secret power to rob you of all your brain cells and make you fall into my bed or something. The last thing I need to do is have T lose his mind because you slip up and call me that sometime. He’ll hunt me down in order to give me hell, and honestly, I’d rather not see him and Lyla again.”
“I thought you said that you apologized?”
“I did.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Well, they accepted, but made it clear all would never be forgiven. Mostly, they wanted me to grow from this and learn from my mistakes. Which, I fully admit, I need to do. They didn’t need to forgive me. It was just awkward, and I did it for closure. Closure will never happen if you ever talk about me as if we’re friends. It especially won’t happen if you refer to me as Sunshine. It will be just more proof to them that they are right about me.”
“What the fuck does it matter what they think? Are you friends with me because T is my brother?”
“Please, if anything, the fact you are Dragon West’s son is a reason for me to stay far, far away from you.”
“Now, that’s bullshit.”
“Huh?”
“Gabby, they’re happy and married! They have kids. I get what went on was twisted and not good, but you apologized. Life went on. You’ve recognized your mistakes and apologized. I didn’t hear you say anywhere in there that Dom apologized to you.”
“I think if we’re giving a grade on who did the most wrong, King, that would land solely at my feet. It’s over. I just want it done—which it is. I just don’t need more reasons for them to be upset. I’d rather just cease to exist for them. That’s for the best.”
“Bullshit, and that’s never going to be sustainable.”
“Of course it is. It’s one of the reasons I’m moving to Denver.”
“Which is more bullshit. You will have a new baby. The last thing you should do is move away from people who care about you.”
For a minute, her face looks lost, and slowly she brings her gaze up to mine and I see the tears shining in her eyes. “King, no one cares about me.”
“That’s even more bullshit and damn it, Gabby, I don’t want to hear any more of that crap.”
“It’s true.”
“What the hell do you think Nicole is doing, carting all that baby crap down here?”
She stares at me. “Nicole is nice. She enjoys helping. That’s all.”
“What about that Lottie chick? Or Dani?”
“Lottie wants me to join her club that her and Aspen are creating together behind her dad’s back—mostly to piss Ryan off and say a fuck-you to the whole of Savage Brothers in general because they don’t allow women in as patched members.”
I stare at her like she’s lost her mind. I pinch the bridge of my nose and hold my head down. “The longer I live, the more I think all women are nuts.”
“I’d argue with you, but I kind of did go nuts for a while, so I can’t. For the record, there’s nothing wrong with women having their own club.”
“I didn’t say there was, but you’re not joining her club.”
She frowns at me. “I’m not, but if I wanted to, I would. I just happen to be pregnant and have no desire to join.”
“Thank fuck for that. Still, all this shit proves my point. Lottie and this Aspen chick must like you, or they wouldn’t ask you.”
“Not necessarily. They just want a lot of members to add more credibility to what they’re building.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
“I wish,” she chuckles quietly.
“How about the fact that I like you, Gabby? Don’t I count at all?”
She looks up at me with sadness. Seriously, her face is so sad that it makes my damn heart clench in my chest. “King, honest to God, you’re probably the only true friend I’ve ever had, but you and I can’t truly exist as friends.”
“Why the fuck not? Especially since we’re already friends.”
“Because of your family. They would never accept me in your life, King.
“Gabby—”
“Even as just your friend. They won’t allow it. I couldn’t handle the looks from them if we were hanging out and ran upon them. I’d be miserable, and you’d get upset on my behalf, maybe even resent me one day. That’s not the life I want.”