Page 4 of Ruin
After all these years…
“Yes, Kolton. We can leave. Make a life together,finally. It’s done.”
Emotion swells in my chest and my eyes burn with tears.
Lucian steps closer, gently cupping my face. “I’m sorry it took so long, but I told you I would do it. Itoldyou.”
“You did it,” I whisper. My eyes fall closed as a thousand pounds release from my shoulders.
He finally did it.
“When can we leave?” I ask, opening my eyes and looking into his bright grey ones.
“Pack your things. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night, eleven pm. We’ll drive to New York and fly out first thing the next morning. I already bought our tickets.”
Just the thought has me over the moon. I throw my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. Lucian chuckles, his arms coming around me as he kisses me back.
Finally, we can be together. Finally, I can get away from this place.
We can be together without having to hide it, without having to sneak around, without having to pretend, and without having to worry about his wife finding out. It won’t matter anymore, because he won’t have a wife.
We kiss for a long time as I try to show him how thrilled I am, since words fail me more than not. When we finally pull apart, we’re breathless. My heart is pounding, and I’m eager for so much more.
“I have to do a few things, but I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?”
I smile, not wanting to let him go, but knowing if we’re going to do this, I have to. Just for a little while longer.
He gives me one more lingering kiss, and then he leaves. His expensive car starts up, then disappears down the road. It takes me a few minutes to clear my head, and it’s only when I walk toward my bike that I realize I’m still holding the papers. I lookdown at them, still in shock. Fuck, he really did it. These papers are him requesting a divorce from his wife.
This is real.
“This is fucking real,” I say to myself. I shove them into my pocket and hop on my bike to head back to the clubhouse. I’m riding on cloud nine for the rest of the day, and when I get home, I pack everything I’ll need, shoving the bag under my bed so it isn’t found by my father or brother.
Tomorrow can’t come fast enough, but somehow I manage to get to sleep. The day goes by in a blur, my anxiety and excitement at an all-time high. Night hits. I wait and wait. Eleven comes and goes. Lucian doesn’t show up.
In fact, I never see him again.
Chapter Two
Kolton
Present day…
I stare at the text until my eyes go blurry. I blink a few times, then read it again. The words repeat in my head, over and over.
Just wanted to let you know I’ll be in town this weekend.
The number isn’t one I have saved in my phone, but I don’t need a name to know who this is. Only one person in the world would warn me of their impending presence.
It’s been nine years since I’ve seen him. As far as I know, he hasn’t been back in town since, and I have no idea why he’ll be here now. He has no ties to this place and is happy living in his penthouse in Boston.
Most importantly, how the fuck did he get my number?
“What’s up, Snapper?”
I look up at Grizz, who’s just walked into the clubhouse. Honestly, I have no idea why I stay here. I guess because there’snothing else to do in this town, and the thought of making a life somewhere else, starting over from nothing, is daunting and overwhelming.
“You need any help with the charity shit or you good?” he adds, digging through the junk drawer that’s by the kitchen sink.
