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He absently runs his knuckles above his pecs, drawing my eyes there. His body is perfection, packed with muscles but not too overdone. The Serpents’ tattoo stares at me from his bicep, and his abs deserve to be on the cover of a romance novel. I narrow my eyes, trying to distract myself by looking toward the door. The last thing he needs to see is me checking him out while I’m trying to cement some sort of truce between us.

“Don’t apologize,” he rasps, my eyes going back to his as he crosses his arms over his wide chest. “When I saw you, it took me back. You were drunk… I shouldn’t have… fuck. I messed up, okay? I’m sorry for how I acted that night. I never thought I’d see you again, and then you just walked into my clubhouse. I didn’t know if…” he trails off.

He didn’t know if what?

I want to ask him why. I want an explanation, but when he doesn’t offer me one, I let it be.

“Can we start over?” I ask, stepping forward and offering him my hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Haze. How long has it been?”

“Too long,” he rumbles, taking my hand and pulling me against his hard, warm chest. His big arms come around me, but his hold is gentle. He takes a deep exhale, his thumb stroking my back in soothing circles. “Too fucking long.”

I lift my head and look at him, his perfectly chiseled jaw, beautiful amber eyes framed in dark lashes, and high cheekbones. I always thought he would make it. He had the looks and the talent for the music industry. So when Ora told me that he’d signed with a record label, I wasn’t surprised, just happy for him.

I always thought I’d be right there with him, along for the ride, but it seems life had other plans for us.

“Friends?” I ask, my voice gentle.

His throat bobs as he swallows. “Luella?—”

The moment is broken when Daisy steps inside, her tight red dress leaving nothing to the imagination. Her blue eyes narrow, her lips thinning. “Haze, we have that doctor’s appointment.”

My stomach knots, and suddenly, I feel sick.

His fingers tighten around me, and he takes a shaky breath. “I’ll be back,” he says to me, kissing the top of my head.

And then he walks away with her.

She turns around and smiles victoriously before they disappear.

HAZE

I’ve never been a man that good things just happen to. I’m not lucky. Nothing falls into my lap, but this takes the fucking cake.

Luella has come back into my life—Luella, the girl I fell in love with, then fucked it all up with.

My childhood best friend.

And she’s trying to friend zone me. I have to admit, that’s not a place I’ve ever been in before.

Luella is now a beautiful woman. When I saw her at the clubhouse, I couldn’t believe my eyes. And when she didn’t recognize me…

She was drunk and hitting on me like I was any musician playing on stage, and it made me wonder how often she did that.

And why was she at the clubhouse?

Was she here just to fuck a biker?

Or did one of my brothers bring her here?

Was she a new club girl?

All the questions rushed through my mind at once.

I was pissed.

How could she not recognize me?

Had she forgotten me so quickly? The boy next door who shared his food with her so she ate enough, who took her to school and the gym and back so she didn’t have to walk or get on the bus, and who played her song after song, night after night?