Page 21 of Lily's Eagle

“Wanna come over for breakfast?” he asks quickly.

I don’t really, but at the same time, the distraction of seeing old friends might be just what I need. Plus I’m not in the habit of turning down free food. “Your place?”

“Yeah,” he says and I hang up, mount my bike and let it roar to life. The noise wakes up a couple of my sleeping brothers, but not all, and I laugh as they curse me out. Who the fuck parties hard on a Tuesday, anyway?

Ash’s house is on a quiet suburban street, well off Main Street. When we were growing up, this part of town was seedy as hell, but as most areas of the growing town of Pleasantville, it’s received a makeover and become unrecognizable in its poshness. Now only Ash’s father’s house looks like a pile of shit. Not that I’m gonna say that to him. He just lost his dad, fell in love, and has joined Devil’s Nightmare MC to avenge his death and I doubt home renovations are anywhere near the top of his priorities lists.

The two steps leading onto the wooden wraparound porch creak like they’re gonna give way under my weight, and the hinges of the unlocked front door don’t sound a lot better.

“I’m here,” I announce myself, although I’m pretty sure the squealing hinges already did that.

“We’re in the kitchen,” Ash yells and I follow the smell of fried eggs and toast to them.

Bea flips her long, curly dark red hair off her face as I enter. “Eagle, hi,” she says. “I didn’t think she was going to go through with it, did you?”

She turns back to give the eggs a final stir before taking them off the stove. I have no idea what she just said and am just standing in the doorway with my mouth slightly open, wondering if I’m going crazy and misheard her, or if she is.

“Who?” I finally say and enter the kitchen all the way.

Bea and Ash exchange a shocked look. She recovers first.

“Lily. She sent me a text earlier,” Bea says. “She left for the reservation late last night. I figured you knew.”

I didn’t know and I’m finding it hard to keep standing. My legs aren’t quite as firm as they should be as I walk to the closest chair, pull it towards me and sit down way too hard.

Why the hell am I acting this way?

What the fuck is it to me that she left? She’s been saying she’s gonna for years. And why would she tell me? Her reaction to me kissing her last night told me all I needed to know. I understand that now. Maybe that’s why I’m so shocked.

“Sorry,” Bea says kind of sheepishly, glancing at Ash as though seeking guidance. He’s looking at me like he’s concerned for my well-being too. “I just thought you knew more and could tell me why she left so suddenly.”

I nod and gather up all the scattered pieces of my pride and self-esteem. Somehow both are always getting shattered when Lily’s involved. But it’s always been that way. Nothing new there.

It’s not like I don’t know why she left so suddenly. It’s because of the police chief and what he did. As for why she didn’t just straight out tell me she’s going, that’s a harder question to answer. Or more like, a harder answer to take.

“She’s been talking about going since forever,” I say and pull a plate full of eggs towards me, grabbing a couple of the pieces of toast while I’m at it. “I guess she finally worked up the nerve to do it last night. Probably wanted to get out fast before she changed her mind again.”

I’m not hungry at all, but I need something to do with my mouth to prevent saying something stupid, or pussy-ish. Both Bea and Ash are already looking at me with way too much pity in their eyes.

They start eating too but keep glancing at each other. I’ve been told, mostly by Lily, that I can really project my moods, especially the bad ones. That’s probably what I’m doing now. Because I feel all sorts of bad. The kinds I can’t even tell apart, one from another let alone name.

“Do you think Cross just let her go on her own?” Ash asks in between bites of his eggs.

I shrug. “That’s probably what she wanted him to do, I can tell you that much. As for the rest… who knows with Cross? Or Lily, for that matter.”

Like just a couple of hours ago I thought it was a good idea to kiss her.

I keep stuffing eggs into my mouth after that, to avoid having to talk any more, then stand up as soon as I’m done.

“I’m gonna head out,” I say. “Thanks for breakfast.”

They both nod in unison and neither asks where I’m going or why I need to leave so soon.

I have no idea where I’m going. For a ride in the fresh morning air. Far enough to get lost, preferably. As for the why? Yeah, that. I never thought Lily would just leave without saying goodbye. I know that much for certain. For all her talk over the years about doing just that, of just packing up and driving off into the night, I never believed her.

And I never thought she’d go without me.

* * *

---