Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
“Yeah, but I still have a long way to go.”
“I don’t know about that.” My voice trembled a little as I added, “It won’t be long before you won’t need me anymore.”
“Oh, that eager to get away from me, huh?”
“No, not at all. I’ve actually enjoyed being here.” I motioned my head towards the window. “At least, up until now.”
“Come on. It’s not that bad.” He slipped his arm around me, pulling me close, and I immediately nestled into him. I had no business doing it, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I didn’t care about right or wrong. All I could think about was how good it felt to be so close to him. “We have a candle and everything.”
“I know. I just thought it would have let up by now,” I whispered, as if speaking louder might summon the storm to rage even harder.
“Oh, no. We’ve got a while before it will roll out, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
I nodded before turning to look out the window. I was thankful it was dark, and he couldn’t see me very well, otherwise he might’ve noticed the flush in my cheeks when he said he wasn’t going anywhere.
It was strange how one man could evoke such a wide spread of emotions. One minute he had me wanting to paw all over him, and then next, he was making me feel like all was well in the world. It was enough to make my head spin. But at the same time, sitting there next to him made me feel safe, and I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.
Weston started talking. His voice was low and soothing as he told me stories about his brothers at the club, and his eyes would light up when he told me about something funny one of them had done. It was clear that these men meant a great deal to him, and he meant equally as much to them.
I envied that.
I didn’t have many friends—at least, not like his. Not the kind that would be there for you even when it was hard. Those kinds of friends were hard to come by, and hearing about them had the tension in my shoulders starting to fade. I wanted to know more, so I asked, “So, which of the brothers are you closest to?”
“Probably have to say Ghost. We’re pretty thick, but Shep and I are pretty tight, too.”
“So, how do you get a nickname like Ghost or Shep?”
“We call them road names, not nicknames. But you just have to know Ghost. The guy has a way of sneaking up on you, and that’s not always a good thing.” He chuckled. “Shephard is a good guy. He looks out for all of us and makes sure things run smooth at the club.”
“Like a shepherd over his flock?”
“Exactly.”
We sat like that for a while, just talking and laughing, and it wasn’t long before the storm started to pass. I feared that would be the end of our moment on the sofa, but it wasn’t. Instead, Wes turned the tables on me and asked, “You never told me why you became a civil litigator.”
“I don’t know. I was one of those kids who wanted to make a difference in the world. I wanted to be able to advocate for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. I was a bit naïve, but I’ve had a few moments where I felt I was making some ground. Hopefully, I’ll have a few more.”
“I have no doubt that you will.”
“Have you ever thought about doing anything other than working with the club?”
One question ran into the next, and we continued talking even after the lights came on. I made us a cup of noodles, and we watched a movie and talked some more. What could’ve been an awful night turned into one of the best nights I’d had in a very long time.
There was no denying it.
Weston was getting to me.
And it was time for me to decide what I was going to do about it.
Memphis
It had been almost a week since the night of the storm, and unlike the other times when Antonia and I had gotten close, she hadn’t distanced herself from me. Instead, she’d been more open and acted like she actually wanted to be around me. It was nice—really nice, and it made me want to get back on my feet even more.
For the past couple of days, I’d done double-time with Jess at rehab, and then, I’d pushed myself to the limit for hours afterwards at home. I thought I’d get where I wanted to be faster, but then, I tweaked my shoulder and back during therapy, and felt like I was back to square one.
It hurt, but I could still manage to get around on my own.