Always (Next Generation The Skulls 1)

She pressed her lips together, wishing the world could open up and allow her to sink right inside. “Of course.”

“But I believe that you and he have stuck to your promises. I’m going to trust in that.”

“Good. We didn’t break any other rules.”

“But I also know that with you guys getting closer to eighteen, you’re going to have to make a choice. Staying here will make that choice easier for you.”

“And you don’t want me to have it easy?”

Devil shrugged. “I don’t think you should cut off one part of your life just to make it easier for you. The Skulls is your family. Tiny and Eva are your parents. You have a life back in Fort Wills. The longer you stay here, you’ll have to enroll in school. This wasn’t supposed to be permanent. I’ve talked with Tiny. We’re in agreement. We know you and Simon are together, but there’s a path you both have to choose. We can’t make that decision for you.”

“So you’re separating us, again?” Tabitha asked.

He sighed. “It doesn’t matter what I say right now to you. I’ll come across as the bad guy.”

Tabitha ran her hands down the arms of the chair. “Is Lexie all clear?”

“We’re waiting for the results but we know we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Lexie had needed a mastectomy of both breasts. The cancer had spread.

“I came to help,” she said. “I want you to understand that. I didn’t come here to make my life easier.”

“I know. You’ve helped me with the kids and with Simon. He’s … grown so much in the last couple of weeks. Thank you,” he said.

Tears filled her eyes. “I … I love my club,” she said. “I know that Simon wants all of this. I can see why. I know you guys are amazing.”

There was a sad smile on Devil’s face. “But we’re not The Skulls.”

“You’re not.”

“And you miss them.”

She nodded her head. “So much.” She swiped at her eyes.

“Tabitha, if you stay here and you force this, one day, you’re going to wake up, and I don’t know, you’re going to miss Daisy giving birth, or an event that they didn’t think to invite you too because you’re Chaos now. That will awaken a resentment so big you won’t even begin to understand where it came from.”

She sniffled. “So what you’re saying is to get it out of my system?”

“We both know this choice isn’t going to be easy for you or for Simon. It could tear you apart. I’m not going to deny that. You’re not a Chaos girl. You never will be, not while you remain a Skull.”

Tabitha got to her feet. “Does Simon know?”

“He’s outside with Tiny.”

“Oh,” Tabitha said.

“We decided that it would be best if he comes and picks you up.”

“It must be good to dictate how a person should live,” Tabitha said.

Devil opened his hands before drawing the tips of his fingers together. He looked so calm. She knew the monster just beneath the surface. Why wouldn’t he come out so she could scream and shout at him?

“Tiny and I knew this road you and Simon were determined to make together would become fraught.”

“There is no reason for it to be. You guys work together all the time.”

“Working together is different, Tabitha. Don’t be an idiot or a fool. We’re different clubs. You know that. There will never be any joining of our clubs. No matrimony or sharing of leadership. It’s simple. The Skulls or Chaos Bleeds. One or the other. Never both. We’re not mixing. We’re not joining.”

Tabitha nodded. She’d heard enough.

After leaving Devil’s office, she grabbed her bags and headed out to the car. Sure enough, Tiny was there waiting for her. He held his arms open. She wanted to punish him for making this even harder for her, but the truth was, she had been missing The Skulls. Piston County and Chaos Bleeds were fun. It was nice, but it wasn’t home. There was no Quad, no gang. She missed them so much.

Simon went to her. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” She glanced over his shoulder at her dad who held up one finger letting her know she only had a short amount of time. “It seems we’re always doing this.”

“One day we won’t have to.”

“One day. This is happening so fast. I thought…”

“Tabby, I want you to stay. You know that, but I think for your sanity, you’ve got to go. You’ve got to go and do what you need to.”

“You’re being very understanding about this.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” Simon said.

“You never will.”

Tiny beeped the car. She rolled her eyes. “This is what I’m going home to.”

“I’m going to miss all of those eye rolls.”

Tabitha laughed. “They’re not going to be directed at you.”

“We’ll talk every single night.”

“You can count on it.” She went up onto her toes, kissed his lips, and pulled away.