Page 19 of Outlaw

She sniffles and clears her throat. “I’m about to do something bad and I think I might be losing my mind.”

My eyebrows knit together with concern. “What? You’re not robbing a bank, are you? I know you need adventure, but trust me, that’s the wrong choice.”

She laughs through the tears. “No, but you can’t tell Outlaw.”

“Okay…” I hate this because I tell Outlaw everything, but I feel her needing me right now and I can’t turn her away. “Go ahead. What’s up?”

“I have a thing for Ruin.” Her breathing is staggered.

I gasp audibly and regret it immediately. Ruin is Outlaw’s close friend, and he’s also one of the rougher guys in the MC. He’s been in and out of jail for drug-related issues, and he’s cutthroat when it comes to most things. I’m still surprised he took the deal Outlaw offered him to keep quiet about me being here.

“I can’t hold it in anymore. I have to be with him.” There’s a yearning in her voice that I can’t debate. I’ve been there. I get it.

“Okay,” I say, still in shock. Carmen is a sweet, kind, the sky is always blue… kind of person. Ruin couldn’t be further away from that. He’s big, he’s rough, and he’s… a little crazy. “Whatever you do, I’m here for you,” I finally say.

“Thank you, but do you think I’m crazy?” She exhales heavily. “Shoot, a client is walking in. I gotta clean myself up. Sorry to do this. Thanks for listening. I love you. I’ll call you later.”

“Love you, too.” My tone is chipper, but my heart is confused.

Outlaw glances toward me. “What’s going on?”

“Oh. Umm… girl stuff, you know.”

“I’m probably glad I don’t know.” He groans and grips my thigh tighter. “As long as she’s healthy, I’ll keep myself in the dark.”

Relief washes over me. I hate keeping things from him, but Carmen is an adult. She has to figure this out on her own, and whatever she’s got going on with Ruin is going to happen whether Outlaw likes it or not because that’s how love works. My grandma told me so.

First, the prince meets the princess, and they go on a quest. Maybe they’re slaying a dragon, searching for a magic flower, or maybe they’re working to keep the princess out of prison.

Who knows?

Either way, they start seeing things in ways they never thought possible. Before long, they’re doing things they never thought they’d do. And despite the world pushing against them in every possible way, they find a way to make love work. Because in the end, love is all we have.

My grandma taught me a lot of things in life. How to fry shrimp and okra, how to bake a cake, and how to hide in plain sight. But the best lesson I ever learned from that woman was how to turn a fairytale into something real. And with Outlaw, I have a fairytale for life.

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