Page 25 of Puck (The Lost Boys MC)
My eyes danced between hers. “The kind of maniac that knew he couldn’t stay without risking your safety, but wanted to get back in contact with you.”
She swallowed hard. “Oh.”
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t ditch you. You can be angry all you want; you have every right to be. But I didn’t duck out on you. I only did what I knew I could to keep you safe. That’s it.”
For a split second, I thought her face softened. But as quickly as it happened, her face hardened again as she shrugged off my touch. I wanted so badly to hear her side of things. I wanted to yell, scream, and curse at each other until we were both so worn out that we had no other choice except to talk.
But as she pulled away from me and started toward the entrance of the rehab facility, I wondered if I’d ever be able to repair things.
I wondered if I’d ever get a chance to prove my intentions to the most beautiful woman to ever exist.
Sixteen
Brigid
Keep your head high and sway those hips.
I had no desire to talk to that useless dickweed about what happened the night before. I wasn’t someone’s plaything, and I sure as hell wasn’t about to fuck up my chance to prove to Daddy that I was useful for the family business. So, as I walked up the massive concrete steps to the front door of the facility, I didn’t even peer over my shoulder to see where Puck was.
I simply ushered myself inside and put on my best smile.
“Brigid! We were wondering when we’d see you next,” Maria said from behind the counter.
I walked up to her and leaned against it. “Girl, these past few days have been absolutely insane. Sorry I haven’t been in.”
She stood and placed her hand on my forearm. “You’re totally okay. All of us need a break from this place every once in a while, no questions asked.”
I patted the top of her hand. “Any chance Lori hasn’t been seen yet? I was hoping to tend to my favorite patient today.”
She giggled as she typed on her keyboard. “You know she always holds out until the last minute to see if you’re going to show up. I’ll schedule you for her today and let her know you’re coming.”
I rapped my knuckles against the desk. “Just sign me in, but don’t tell her. I want it to be a surprise.”
Maria giggled with delight. “Surprises are wonderful, so count me in.”
I winked. “I really appreciate it.”
I peered over my shoulder just as Maria was done signing me in, smiling at the fact that Puck hadn’t followed me inside. Good. Maybe he wouldn’t be a useless muscle head after all.
“All right! You’re set!” she chimed in. “She’s back in her room. She just finished with breakfast.”
I smiled. “Perfect, then she’s in a good place to take her medicine. I’ll see to it that she does.”
I walked down the all-too-familiar hallway and took the second left. I walked all the way down that hallway as well before taking a sharp right and then another immediate left. And as I stood in the open doorway of Lori’s bedroom, I noticed that she had upgraded.
After three long, arduous months, she had passed enough of her rehab milestones to warrant a bedroom all to herself.
I leaned against the doorway frame. “Seems like congratulations are in order.”
Her eyes bulged as she whipped her head up. “Brigid!”
I held my arms out. “Hey there, Lori.”
We hugged one another tightly before I linked her arm with my own, deciding at the last minute that a walk through the back gardens was in order. I led her toward the back door before we stepped out into the sunlight, peering over my shoulder one last time to make sure Puck hadn’t slipped inside in an attempt to be stealthy.
And when I saw he still wasn’t following us, I turned my attention to Lori.
“I love these back gardens. I don’t get out here nearly as much as I’d like,” she said.
I patted her forearm. “Maybe you will now with all of these extra privileges.”
She puffed her cheeks out with a sigh. “I hope so. It took a hell of a lot of work to earn my own bedroom.”
I smiled brightly. “I know it did, and I’m so damn proud of you.”
She sighed. “But I’ve still been having some bad days.”
I nodded. “You're always going to have those, which is why your next step here will be to build yourself a network of supportive people outside of the rehab center. Have you started on that yet?”
She shook her head. “I just got my room yesterday, so I’m taking a couple of days to enjoy it before I start another leg of the journey.”
“Sounds like a wonderful plan to me. I like it.”
