Page 9 of Where We Promise

I nodded, touching my stomach. Jameson’s gaze dropped with my movement, his face quickly twisting into concern.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing. I just feel a lot of kicking sensations lately. Just messes with me a bit.”

He took my hand in his, and I tried to ignore how warm it was, and how good it felt to have him anchor me in a time when everything felt like it was shifting. I thanked Laura for the tour and swiftly followed Jameson through the back.

A sigh of relief was caught in my lungs, and it remained trapped there as we descended the steps to the back of the clubhouse, only to come face to face with a few of the remaining Chaos Kings.

“Hey Prez, you already eat?” Bones, one of the members who had an unkept beard and a dangerous obsession with knives, called out to Jameson.

I didn’t miss the way his eyes dropped to where my hand was joined with their leader’s, or the way the members glared in disapproval.

I knew what this looked like.

They likely thought Jamie and I were fucking, and that I was just member hopping, as if I hadn’t been loyal to Luke.

I wasn’t the one screwing other people in front of him after he’d rejected me and the baby. I wasn’t the one out there getting drunk and hitting up strip clubs. That was never me, and yet the club acted as though I were nothing but a Sweetbutt, looking for club cock to suck.

I tried to let Jamie’s hand go, but his grip only tightened around mine, which meant he’d also noticed the way his men were watching me.

“They’re about to finish up, but head on in and see what might be left. Going forward, we need to start cooking out at the spot they gave us. Don’t want them thinking we’re just taking their spots, and all their food.”

Bones glanced over to another member, Kizer, and the two seemed to share a knowing look.

“The two of you are welcome to go in though, right?” Kizer asked, lifting his chin in my direction.

“Yep,” Jamie replied, pushing past them.

I walked with him, although having the Chaos Kings at my back wasn’t the best feeling in the world. But these ones were loyal to Jameson. Not me…but that didn’t matter.

Not when this was just temporary, and me being a burden to Jameson King was a phase.

One I’d pass through quickly.

TWO

PENELOPE

AGE FOURTEEN

Jameson was reading a book in the middle of the cafeteria.

He seemed completely oblivious to the chaos around him, in some ways the fact that he was so unbothered was creating even more disorder.

Two girls sat on either side of him, both desperately trying to keep his attention. He’d been polite, dropping his book a few times to answer their questions, but it seemed he’d lost his patience. Stacey Porter and Gemma Hines were two of the most popular girls in school, so the chaos was being stirred because of the attention the other boys were giving the three of them.

I poked at my pizza, idly wondering what it would be like to finally get Jameson King’s attention. I’d been living with the Chaos Kings for nearly three months and the only time he gave me any attention at all was if I pushed for it. Reluctant and resigned, as if I were a fly buzzing by his head, one that he’d finally accepted wasn’t leaving.

It drove me mad.

It pushed me to do things I wouldn’t normally do to gain the attention of someone. Tripping in front of him, seeing if he’d help me up. Which he always did. Getting my hair stuck in the back zipper of my dress. Food items I couldn’t open on my own.

Ridiculous, but it seemed to work. Those caramel eyes would land on me and for just a few seconds, I’d feel like a hole had been pierced in my heart, allowing in the first glimpse of sunlight. He was warm and safe. He was what I imagined having a steady home must feel like.

An addiction quickly started, and if he noticed, he hadn’t said anything.

Luke hadn’t either, although he did his own form of flirting and acting desperate…it was just he’d act that way for me. He’d come up and ask me the most basic questions about homework; he’d ask for pencils, paper. He’d even hurt himself to see if I’d help bandage him up. Luke and I were friends, so I always did, but it was odd…those interactions with Luke seemed to be the only time Jameson’s gaze would find its way to me unbidden.

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