Page 57 of All Our Ghosts

That seems to pique her interest. Layla rolls her tongue over her bottom lip with a raised brow. “What do you want with Nash?”

“Why is that any of your business?” I fire back, again attempting to move past her just as Layla steps in front of me, “are you going to move?”

“I know where Nash is, but I don’t think you’ll like it very much.” A wicked grin spreads across her lips as her eyes flit to the door. I follow her gaze, and a wave of nausea rolls over me. “What? You think you’re special?” Layla spits with venom, “Nash is a man who hasneedsthat–” she tilts her head, her eyes trailing down my body and back up to my gaze, “-clearly you can’t meet.”

“He’s in there?” I ask, ignoring the jab. I have to know, it isn’t something I want to believe is true but staring at Layla makes me second guess that.

Layla smirks. “Why don’t you take that tiny little ass and march on outta here before you get hurt.” Her arms cross over her chest, eyes raking over me again, “or you end up on the pole like the rest of us. Actually,” she laughs as the music comes to a brief close, “if you want him then there’s your ticket. Jane’s set just ended. Hop on up, babydoll.”

Anger begins to bubble in my chest the longer I stand outside the door and in front of a woman who is as vile as the words she’s spewing. I know I should open the door and not trust a single word that Layla’s saying. But a part of me can’t. I can’t face the fact that if Holden is on the other side of it, my heart will shatter. I should have never made those promises this morning.

She leans in, forcing me back slightly away from the smell of stale cigarettes and dick on Layla’s breath, “He’s not into scared littlegood girls. Go find someone else.”

“Shut the fuck up Layla,” Dex’s voice booms from behind me, startling me out of my racing thoughts. He’srightbehind me, his face twisting in the anger that lurks beneath my own chest. Between the two of them the hallway feels crowded and slowly it closes in on me. I spin on my heel, pushing past the mass that isDex, and bolt towards the door, hearing Layla’s cackle echo after me.

“Kade!”

I ignore his call, pushing out of the front door into the hot sun that does nothing to soothe the tightening in my chest. This is it; I don’t need confirmation or for him to come back now. I suck in the sweltering mid-day air, trying to force any amount of oxygen I can into my lungs.

The familiar sound of boots crunching behind me forces me to spin around again, kicking up dust as I do. Dex halts in front of me and I can only imagine how I look right now. Panicked, horrified, and disappointed, all rolled up into one furled look.

“Hey,” his voice is softer than I’ve heard it before. “You can’t believe anything that comes out of her mouth, okay?” Dex shakes his head. “Did you see Marlowe?”

I can only muster a quick shake of my head, the heat becoming unbearable with the crushing weight on my chest. He nods. “Holden’s bike isn’t here Kade, he’s not here.”

I toss him a pointed look. “You think he wouldn’t hide his bike if he didn’t want to be found?” I ask, the anger forcing itself out of me now. “Nothing is apparently a fucking secret in this town Dex, he’s smarter than that.”

He takes a step towards me, holding his hands in front of him as if he’s trying to calm a rabid animal. Rightfully so, I feel like crawling out of my own skin at this point.

“All I’m sayin’ is don’t believe a bitch like Layla.” His head tilts to catch my gaze. “She’s got nothing better to do than suck dick and smoke.”

A hollow laugh bubbles out of me, “that’s exactly what I was worried about.” I rake my fingers through my hair, gripping it at the root, and turn away from him to collect myself.

“If he wanted to hurt you, Kade, he’d make a show about being here.”

I spin back around. “You can’t be serious.”

Dex shifts, pinning back his shoulders. “Deadly.” He moves past me towards his own bike. “Let’s check his house, if he’s not there then you can go all thermonuclear on me, but for now, keep it under the surface.”

I scoff as I follow him, ripping the helmet off the seat and shoving it over my hair. “Just take me back to the shop.”

“No,” Dex says firmly.

I turn to him, “No?” I ask with a raised brow. “What do you meanno?”

“You aren’t giving up on him,” he says, swinging his leg over his bike.

“Dex, just–”

He shakes his head. “Get your ass on the back of this bike. You aren’t giving up on him yet, I won’t let you.” He raises a brow back at me when I refuse to move. “Get on the bike, Kadence, or I’ll put you on it.”

I roll my eyes. I’m a grown woman. There is no way– Dex starts to move off his bike, forcing me to take a step back. “Fine, Jesus,” I mutter, climbing on behind him.

I hear him chuckle as I settle behind him again. “I’m glad you think this is funny.”

“Oh,mama,you and Holden are more alike than you think.”

I wonder what he means, but before I can ask, Dex starts his bike and peels out of the parking lot.

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