Luckily, I was able to walk out of the hospital for some fresh air. I didn’t break down in front of Collins. I held strong for her. I didn’t break when I kissed her on her forehead before they rolled her back to surgery.
On top of having leukemia, my daughter also had to have her appendix taken out.
Nor did I break when I got in my car.
I broke when a certain song came on that was Collins’s favorite, and I let the tears cascade down my cheeks. Was this safe for me to do while driving? Hell no.
Did I know where I was headed? Again, hell no.
My brain had shut off and my body just took the fucking wheel and drove.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been driving. Not until I felt myself come to a stop.
Bleary-eyed, I looked up to where I stopped the car. Not realizing how I managed to come here, of all places. I’ve never even been here, but everyone knows what this place is.
What does that white brick and garage signify? That would be the Wrath MC clubhouse.
I had driven by it countless times, not realizing what it was, well that was until I had met my next-door neighbor Gage.
It was then that I jumped when knuckles knocked on my window.
Hitting the button to lower the window, I looked up at the man that was standing there, “Can I help you Darlin’?”
Taking the man in through bleary eyes, he was someone that I hadn’t seen before in the strip club. His dark hair had salt and pepper in it, but that didn’t distract from his masculine beauty at all. The man was a stunner, for sure.
“Umm, yes… Is Gage here?”
He looked at me now with narrowed eyes. “What’s your name, Darlin’?”
“Conleigh. What’s yours?”
He smiled then, a little corner of his mouth tipped up, “Name’s Powers, honey. You go on right ahead. I’ll let Gage know you’re here.”
With that, he stepped back, climbed back on his bike that I hadn’t even noticed, pulled out his phone, and placed a call.
Driving through the gate the moment it opened, I parked my car in front of the clubhouse.
The moment I had the car in park, I saw the double doors open and there he stood.
What caused me to throw open my door, not even turning the car off and running full tilt towards him, I didn’t know.
I hadn’t even used his number.
But the moment I got within arm’s reach of him, ignoring the panicked, worried look on his face, I launched my body in his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist, and I held on, burying my face in his neck, and I fucking broke yet again, letting the tears fall.
“Baby girl, you're tearing my heart out. What the fuck happened?” That voice. That voice caused the tears to fall even harder.
Hiccupping through the tears, I said in a wail, “She’s having surgery.”
I felt his body tense as he squeezed his arms around me tighter. “Fuck.”
He stood there, running a hand along my back while his other supported my ass. Comforting me. He didn’t bother moving. He just stood there with his arms around me.
Sniffling against his neck, I pulled my face away and said, “Her appendix. Was the leukemia not enough for her to have to deal with?”
Sadness crept into his eyes. “Your girl’s a fighter, Baby girl. She’s got this.”
It was then that I felt the stares.