Page 9 of The Secrets We Keep (Sovereign Sons MC: North Carolina #1)

GRAYSON

I adjust my hard cock as I walk out of my suite and down the hallway. I almost kissed Sophie. I came so close to doing it and the desire was evident on her face. She wanted me to. I couldn’t do it, though. She chose to leave. She chose this.

I walk down the hallway and descend the stairs, ignoring the main room and walking outside for some fresh air.

I find Axel and Asher there. We put in a swing set for Cane’s daughter a few years back, his ex left and he needed us all to rally behind him.

We wanted him to know that there would always be a safe place for his kid at the club.

Now, Sophie’s kid is enjoying the space too.

Axel looks up at my approach. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I grunt. “You can go in, I’ve got him.”

Axel shoots me a questioning look like he’s not sure if I’m serious and I give him a nod that I am. He turns around and goes inside, leaving me with Sophie’s son.

“You like the swings?” I ask, unsure of what to say to him.

“Yeah,” he says with a grin. “I like going high up.”

I smile. “Me too.”

I take a seat on the empty swing next to him, and we sit in silence for a while, just enjoying the swings. When Asher stops, I do too. He looks over at me with the same blue eyes his mother has, and it makes my heart stop for a minute.

He catches sight of something behind me, and I turn around to see what he’s looking at. “You like football?” I ask as my eyes land on the discarded ball.

“Yeah,” he says. “I love to watch football. Mama lets me watch it every Sunday when it’s on.”

I chuckle. “Your mama always did like football.”

“How do you know her?” He asks.

I face him. “I’ve known your mama my entire life. We grew up in this club together. Our dads were both members. Sophie wasn’t just my friend; she was friends with my siblings as well. She was more like family, really.”

Ashers face falls. “I wish I had that,” he admits softly.

“Is it just you and your mama?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. But now that you’re here, I think you’re going to make a lot of friends,” I tell him .

“You think so?” He asks hopefully.

I nod and give him a smile. “I know so. Do you want to throw the ball around?” I ask him, gesturing toward the football.

“Yeah!” He cheers, jumping from his seat and running over to the ball.

I spend the next few minutes showing him how to hold the ball and how to throw it properly. He’s a quick study and has a pretty good spiral going.

“How did you get so good at football?” He asks me when I throw the ball to him.

“I used to play in high school. I actually had a scholarship offer to play in Alabama, but I didn’t take it.”

“Why not?” He asks, but I don’t miss the snick of the door closing or the way his gaze lands on someone behind me. I know it’s Sophie without even turning around.

“Well, sometimes in life there are things bigger than your dreams. I loved football but there were other things that I loved more. I couldn’t see myself moving a few states away.

I couldn’t choose football. Football could have only led me to a career that lasted a decade if I was lucky enough not to be injured.

My future was here. My future was supposed to be a lifetime,” I say as I lock eyes with Sophie.

“What happened to your future?” Asher asks softly.

“It left me in the dust.”