Page 20

Chapter Twenty

Three days.

It’s been three days since I’ve heard from Jimmy. I can’t help but think he’s played me for a fool. I drove past their house, but his truck wasn’t there. I snuck a look at mom’s schedule for the daycare and didn’t see Sabrina’s name on it. Did she quit? Did they move back home?

My texts are being delivered, but go unread.

I’m losing my mind. My graduation is tonight. I thought I’d be celebrating with him, but I thought wrong.

I don’t understand it. I don’t understand men. They get what they want, then never want it again. My stomach lurches and I rush to the bathroom, losing my lunch. I sit on the cool tile floor, lean against the wall, willing him to call. To give me an explanation that makes sense.

Was he using me? Was it all lies?

He promised me and he lied.

A knock at the door startles me.

“Kiesha?” It’s my mother’s voice, laced with concern. “Are you alright? It sounded like you got sick?”

I don’t want to answer. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now, but if I don’t say something, she’ll worry. “Just nervous about graduation.”

“Well, get cleaned up and come outside. I want to snap some pics. Nini’s here.”

“Okay,” I croak, sounding like there’s a frog stuck in my throat. Nini was once married to my grandpa and kind of adopted us as her family after their divorce. She’s over the top and fabulous. She also drives my mom crazy with how pushy and intrusive she can get.

I push off the floor, wash my face, and brush my teeth. I’m in no mood to go full glam, so I stick with mascara and lip gloss. Graduation isn’t until later, but I go ahead and put on my dress for the pictures.

“There’s my darling girl.” Nini holds her arms open, expecting a hug when I step outside.

I embrace her, noticing the red Mustang sitting in the driveway. “Did you get a new car?”

“Something like that. Let me get a good look at you. Your mom says you’re not feeling well.” She twists my face, looking me over. “A little pale. Hmm.”

“I’m fine.” I plaster a smile on for her even though my heart is breaking further with every second that ticks by without a response from Jimmy.

“Good. I’d hate for you not to enjoy your graduation present.” She dangles a set of keys in front of me and I look over at my mom and Prodigy.

Mom smiles big. “It’s from all of us. Your sister and Nav kicked in on it, too.”

“Are you guys for real?” Momentarily, my heartache is forgotten.

“It’s all yours, but you’ve gotta promise to come visit me more often.”

“Will do.” I snatch the keys and dart across the lawn to the car.

I open the door, breathing in the rich scent of leather. It feels so strange to sit in a car that is mine. Really and truly my own. Instead of sharing a ride with my mom when she isn’t using it.

“Thank you!” I shout across the lawn, laughing as Nini performs an exaggerated curtsey.

“Don’t thank me yet,” she calls back, grinning mischievously. “Wait till you see the insurance bill.”

We all laugh, but inside, my heart surges with gratitude. Despite the hurt that Jimmy brought into my life, I’m not alone. I have people around me who care about me, even if he doesn’t.

I fight back the bittersweet tears of regret. I don’t want to regret him, but I’m so confused and worried about him. Maybe something happened with the club. I’m jumping to conclusions, but his behavior is out of the norm. Even if he doesn’t reply to me straight away, he always reads my messages.

“Don’t worry,” Prodigy tells me. “I’ve got you covered until you get a job.”

“One step at a time,” I tease. My heart clenches in my chest. My first instinct is to text Jimmy and see if I can swing by the clubhouse to show him my car. As quickly as my sadness left me, it’s returned tenfold.

“Go ahead and take a drive. I know you’re dying to,” Nini tells me, and my mom nods her head in agreement.

“Be back by three. You don’t want to miss your graduation ceremony.”

“I’ll be back.”

“Famous last words,” Prodigy jokes and Mom elbows him in the ribs.

I drive all over the city looking for Jimmy’s truck. He’s not at the clubhouse. Or at any of the businesses that the club owns, I am aware of. I feel like I’m going crazy. It’s as if he’s simply vanished. Did my uncle find out about us and do something to punish him for disobeying an order?

I decide to drive by his house under the guise of showing my car off to my Aunt Pam.

“Hey girl.” She waves from her seat by the porch as her kids play in their sandbox. “Sweet ride.”

“Thanks. It’s my graduation present.”

“Shit. I knew I was forgetting something. Watch the kids. I’ve got your card in the house. Do you want something to drink?”

“No. Thank you. I just wanted to show you my car.”

“All right.” She meanders inside and comes back quickly, the ice cubes in the glass clinking as she struts across the yard. “Here you are, sweetheart. Now do you want to tell your Auntie why you’re really here?”

“Um.” I roll my lips inward and pick at the corner of the envelope.

“Out with it. You know you can trust me. Whatever it is.”

“What can you tell me about Jimmy?”

She takes a sip of her tea, studying my face. “The prospect?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Do you know his girlfriend?”

“Sabrina. Mouthy and bitchy and not in the good way.”

“There’s a good way?”

She smirks. “Oh yeah. I’ll clue you in on that later. I don’t know her well, but she works for your mom and me at the daycare. Did you try asking her?”

“I can’t talk to Mom about this. She’s got enough going on with Kieleigh and Prodigy. And being pregnant.”

“Is there something going on with you and the prospect? Tell the truth. I won’t go to Link or your mom. I give you my word. You know I love you like my own and there’s nothing you can’t tell me.”

It’s not like no one knows about Jimmy and me. Trenton and Smoke know and I’m sure my sister has told Nav. It’s only a matter of time before we tell everyone that we’re together. “We’ve been dating in secret.”

“Honey.” She squeezes my hand, trying to hide the disappointment and judgment in her tone, but I hear it. “That’s a lot and at your age.” She trails off.

“I love him.”

“Of course you do. Being a biker babe is in your blood. I’d be lying if I said I don’t want different for you than what I chose, but it’s your life. Your choice who you love.” She squeezes my hand tighter and releases her grip. “The club’s about to ride out to a rally in California. I don’t know if Jimmy is coming with us, but I’ll find out what I can.”

“You swear you won’t tell anyone.”

“Hell no. The last thing me and my babies need is your uncle going off and catching a murder charge.” She laughs, but there’s no humor behind it. Pam is nuttier than squirrel shit, but my uncle has one hell of a temper. “I know it’s hard to sit and wait. But be patient. I’ll call you as soon as I know something. It may be a few days or later in the week before I have something. Just trust me and be patient. I don’t know what kind of situation or deal you’ve got with Jimmy, but I promise it’s going to work out.”

After leaving Pam, I swing by and pick Bethany up. I can’t do anything about Jimmy right now, but I can graduate and take Bethany to project graduation with me. If anything, at least she will distract me with her goofy antics and trying to push me into dating Jonesy. That’s never going to happen. He’s got his own problems, and he’s off to Alabama in a month to train for his college football career. We would never work. Everyone has all these plans. When I told Sam that I wanted to stick around here to go to school instead of moving into the apartment her father is renting near his house, they got mad at me.

Maybe that was a mistake.

I know they were looking for a new roommate, but maybe they’ve not found someone. I’ve been so caught up in Jimmy that I’ve been an awful friend. I wouldn’t blame them for dropping me completely. I can’t count the number of times I’ve blown them off or stood them up to sneak off and Jimmy instead.

Look where that got me. Being played for a fool. But I promised Pam I’d be patient.

So I’ll at least try.