Page 160 of Beautifully Reckless

What if they’ve found out she was the one who told Lexi? That she set everything in motion by doing the one brave thing I couldn’t.

I haven’t spoken to her in weeks. One night, back at Leather and Lace, I picked up the phone, lonely and desperate just to hear her voice.

But I never dialled the number. I couldn’t risk it. What if they traced it somehow? What if they were waiting, expecting me to cave and reach out in a moment of weakness?

So instead, I just sat there, staring at the phone as I cried.

“Hey. You wanna go for a walk?” Jols whispers in my ear, bringing me out of my thoughts, the image of Tahli’s sweet face vanishing like a cloud of dust in my mind.

Nodding, I let Jols lead me from the room without glancing back.

The moment we’re outside, I veer towards the small orchard, Jols footsteps crunching over twigs behind me as she follows.

When I reach the Jacaranda tree, I stop before the small headstone, my eyes dropping to the name carved in stone, glowing under the soft light of the moon above.

Hope Angel Musgrove.

“He’ll be a good dad,” Jols says, her shoulder brushing mine. “That monster of a man has so much love to give. And you’re the one he wants to give it to. You know that right?”

I shrug, even though I think I do.

My track record isn’t exactly stellar. Naivety has made me a fool more times than I can count, and sometimes I wonder if the same fool is still inside me, making me want to believe in something that is impossible.

“I don’t understand,whyme?” I murmur, glancing at Jols. “What is it aboutmethat’s got him hooked? Do I look like Hope’s mum or something?”

Jols shakes her head quickly.

“I mean, you both had blonde hair and brown eyes, but she was taller. Less curvy. Unhealthily skinny, the kind that comes from living on amphetamines rather than food.”

Reaching out, Jols tucks my hair behind my ear, much like Ringo enjoys doing.

“You are so much stronger than she ever was. Kylie only kept the pregnancy to hold on to Ringo, but unfortunately she loved getting high more.” Jols takes my hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. “You on the other hand? Despite how you fell pregnant, you’ll doeverythingin your power to protect your child.”

She gives me a look that holds no space for doubt, and for a moment, I wonder if Lexi and Jols really aren’t kindred spirits.

“Ringo didn’t know that about you in the beginning. But hedidknow you were a fighter. Hedidknow he was drawn to you, even though he didn’t understand his feelings.” Her smile is warm as she tilts her head, her blue eyes roaming over my face like she’s seeing whatever it is Ringo sees in me. “And honestly, Abs, even though this marriage isn’t ideal since you are both still so new to each other, I have no doubt this is exactly where you both would’ve ended up.”

I consider her words for a few long moments, liking how they match the way I’ve been feeling. That perhaps I’m not so naive anymore. That perhaps, it’s okay for me to care about a man so much older than me, living a life so opposite to the one I’ve been raised in. That perhaps I’ve found a family in him and his club.

“Sometimes,” I whisper, opening up a little, “the way I feel about him scares me.”

Offering me a sympathetic smile, Jols pulls me in for a hug before whispering in my ear.

“We aren’t alone.”

My eyes widen, and I gasp, pulling back to look behind us, spotting Jared casually leaning against a fence post, eavesdropping.

“So this thing between you and the Sons of Anarchy wannabe is real?”

Jols scoffs, giving my arm a squeeze before slowly walking away.

“If your bodyguard wasn’t hiding in the shadows somewhere, I’d dick punch you.” Jols shoves her shoulder into Jared’s, and a giggle leaps from my lips at her biting words.

Even though I can’t see her face as she moves away to leave me alone with my friend, I can tell she’s grinning ear to ear right now.

“Would you still be laughing if she followed through and did it?” Jared snaps, and I nod, clutching my stomach.

“You deserve it. Why are you so damn grumpy?”

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