* * *
Two hours later, I was pulling up in front of Molly’s trailer. It actually took four cups of coffee and a big breakfast before I was ready to face her. I wasn’t sure what I’d be walking into, but I was pretty confident that we could figure it all out.
I still wasn’t positive that we could make it work, but I’d been stupid to break shit off. I’d made it all worse in my head than it actually was. I could keep Molly and the club separate. She just had to know that the club came first. That sometimes, I’d be out of town and she’d have to wait. That’s just the way it was. She didn’t have to go to club events and shit, but I did. So she’d also have to get on board with that.
I climbed off my bike and strode toward the door confidently. Before I could knock, it swung open, revealing Molly in a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder.
“Hey, sugar,” I said, leaning down to kiss her.
My stomach rolled when she jerked her head away and took a step backward.
“What’s up, Will?” she asked. The words weren’t unfriendly. In fact, they were almost pleasant.
“Just came to see you and Reb,” I said, walking into the house, even though she sure as shit hadn’t invited me in. There were open rubber tubs full of Christmas decorations covering the floor of the living room, and I glanced around to see that she’d moved the furniture so she had room for a Christmas tree. I wondered who was going to help her get one, and almost offered.
“Rebel’s playing in her room,” she said, reluctantly closing the door behind me. She couldn’t stand there with it open because it was so cold outside, but I could tell that she also didn’t want to give the impression that she was letting me stay.
“Look,” I said, smiling at her. “I know I fucked up, alright?”
“It’s fine, Will.”
“Nah, I can tell you’re pissed.”
“I was pissed. I’m not anymore.” She reached up and absently scratched her shoulder before relaxing against the wall.
“Thank fuck,” I murmured, stepping toward her.
“Uh, no,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she held up one hand to stop me.
“No, what?”
Molly laughed in disbelief and stood up straight. “No, I don’t want you anywhere near me.”
“You just said you weren’t pissed anymore,” I said roughly, ignoring her outstretched hand as I moved closer.
“I’m not,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not mad at you. I just don’t want anything to do with you.”
My head jerked back in surprise. “What?”
“Will, you disappeared for almost a week.”
“I was out of town!”
“Oh, my God, shut up!” she yelled, her eyes widening in disbelief. “I don’t care if you were trapped in a lifeboat in the middle of the goddamn ocean, because here’s the thing—Rebel had surgery on Thursday, so you shouldn’t have even been in the goddamn ocean!”
“I’m supposed to plan my life around your kid?” I asked. The minute the words were out of my mouth, I knew how bad they were. I knew, but I still almost staggered at the change that came over Molly’s face.
“Mama!” Rebel’s voice called, rising as she came down the hallway. “Mama! Mama!”
She got to the end of the hallway and caught sight of me, and I thought my legs were going to give out when her eyes widened behind her glasses and her lips pulled up in a huge grin. “Wiya!” she said happily. “Wiya!”
Holy shit. She could say my name.
Rebel started toward me, but Molly scooped her up before she could get anywhere close.
“I think you need to leave,” Molly said quietly as she tried to keep Rebel from squirming away. “Right now, Will.”
“Molly—”
“Go.”
I held her eyes, hoping that she’d change her mind, but after a moment, I knew she wouldn’t. I turned and let myself out the door as Rebel said my name again.
I ignored her. I needed to get the fuck out of there before I lost it.
I’d gotten what I thought I wanted. We were done. It was over.
Chapter 13
Molly
18 months later
“I can’t believe you’re still seeing him,” I said to Mel, throwing my hair into a ponytail. “I did not see that coming.”
“What’re you talking about?” Mel asked, throwing some sodas and juice boxes into my cheap little foam cooler. “You love Rocky.”
“He’s a good guy,” I replied with a nod. “But he was married when you got together.”
“Yeah, what a shit show,” she mumbled, snorting. “But he’s not anymore!”
Her tone had me whipping my head toward her and staring intently. She was grinning, her hands resting on the cooler with one hip cocked out to the side. When my eyes went to her ring finger, she scoffed.
“He didn’t ask me to marry him, doofus.”