Page 12 of Eagle

Tears were already falling when he was trying to talk to me, but once I ran off, the flood gates opened. It was midday so most of the clubhouse was quiet but I didn’t want any of the bunnies who were hanging around to notice. Not that I could be jealous. They had all been really cool about not flirting with Eagle since I was staying with him. Once they found out I wasn’t, he was probably fair game.

He had been a bit of a player according to what I gathered. Lots of girls had a go with him but I didn’t know who. Nobody would tell me to my face but it was insinuated that he got around. I didn’t blame any of them. He was hot and sweet. Why did he have to be hot and sweet?

No. He may be sweet but he had the emotional availability of a feral kitten. Not even a cat, because sometimes a cat wouldlet you love them. Kittens were still wild and only gave attention when they wanted, biting and clawing at you when they didn’t want to be loved and expecting you to care for their basic needs. Only coming around when they wanted something, but never there when you wanted.

Admittedly, he took care of my basic needs and that was more than anyone owed me, which was absolutely nothing. That only made this harder. But I wasn’t cut out to be a bunny. At least not with him. Maybe if it was someone whowasan asshole, I wouldn’t have fallen. But he was almost perfect. Except he didn’t feel for me what I felt for him. And I couldn’t do that to myself any longer. Maybe after getting some distance we could be friends.

I made it to the hall that led up to the rooms when Daisy finally caught up to me. “Hey, did you not hear me?”

“Why are you chasing me? You should be letting your husband ravage you.” I kept walking, hoping the light chatter would ease my tears before I got to the door.

“Lacy, what happened?”

Her smaller, more delicate hand than Eagle’s, grabbed my arm exactly where he had grabbed me. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat, hoping to rid myself of the lump that had threatened its way up again. “I’m not going to stay with Eagle anymore.”

I patted her hand and started walking again but she just followed me. “That piece of shit kicked you out? Wow!” she said loudly and it echoed through the hall.

Turning to her finally, I smiled. “He didn’t kick me out. I told him I was leaving.”

Her scowl melted into confusion, her brows pinching together. “But why? You’re going to go bunk with bunnies in theshared rooms?”

I turned to keep walking until I finally made it to his door and walked inside, Daisy on my heels. “I don’t know. Maybe. But things have been weird for weeks. I kept hoping it would change, but he’s not where I am and it’s not fair to stick around. For either of us.”

Pulling the wedges off, I found a bag in the closet and tossed it on the bed then started pulling my things from the shelves in the closet where I had found a little space for my stuff.

“Is this because of me?” she asked.

Stopping what I was doing, I walked to her and grabbed her hands. “My relationship, or lack thereof, with Eagle has nothing to do with you. This isn’t your fault. But it made me realize I deserve love, too, ya know?”

She squeezed my hands. “You do deserve love. I’m sorry Eagle’s a fucking dumbass and can’t see what he had.”

A belly laugh escaped me. “As much as I’d like to agree with you, he’s not dumb. He’s just not that guy. Not for me anyway. Maybe one day some lucky girl will have him head over heels. But I know I won’t ever find that if I stick around to be his plaything.” I had started to let her go, but then I squeezed her hands and was right in front of her again. “That was a low blow. He’s never treated me badly and he never made any promises to be anything other than what he was. I just mean, as long as I stay, neither of us will really be happy.”

She pulled me in for a hug and while I didn’t sob again, another tear rolled down my cheek. She pulled back and wiped it away. “Can I help with your stuff?”

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her playfully. “No, you can go find Falcon and fuck his brains out. I don’t have much to pack.”

She tilted her head and her worried eyes looked me over. “I feel bad. And I fucked him this morning. It’s not like we haven’t done that a billion times.”

“Well, you haven’t done it as man and wife. As he said, he needs toconsummate.”

She rolled her eyes. Her dark hair was still not frizzy, but the loose curls she added to the ends were starting to fall. The humidity in Georgia was no joke. My hair was probably getting flat, too. I was scared to look in the mirror. Daisy had minimal makeup; she’d been wearing less and less but she was gorgeous anyway. I didn’t look awful without it, but I loved makeup. Although, I was pretty sure my perfect wings were now more reminiscent of a rabid racoon.

I turned her and pushed her toward the door. We opened it and she jumped. “Christ, Falcon!”

He was standing on the other side of the door with his arms crossed. He wasn’t leaning against the door, just standing there. “You done?”

“Ugh. She’s having a bad day.” She turned back and my face got hot but I didn’t start crying. It was just embarrassing for her to bring it up to his brother. “I’ll see you downstairs in a while, right?”

I nodded and Falcon uncrossed his arms as she walked out. “Sorry about your day.”

Waving after them, I closed the door as they walked away. Looking around, I sighed then got back to work pulling things from the closet, then the bathroom. My face was a mess so I pulled out a makeup removing wipe and cleaned up what I could.

I left a pair of jeans and a tank top out to change into and tossed the dress into the small pile of laundry in the hamper. Itonly took a few minutes to gather my belongings. I slipped some flip flops on and took a look around. Lifting my chin, I went to grab my bag from the bed.

My hands dragged over the black comforter and grabbed his pillow of their own volition. Lifting it to my face, I breathed in deeply, inhaling the smell of him. Leather, hints of ink, and the faint smell of sandalwood. As fresh tears blurred my vision, I pressed my face into the pillow and let it muffle the sound of my soft crying.

“Place looks great, Mama Hen,” I said as I stood with my hands on my hips. We’d blown up a few hundred white and silver balloons, made an arch, put short vases with white roses on the tables and the bar, and prepped a ton of food.

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