Page 18 of Lost Soul

"Granderville Street, 279," she manages in a sleepy whisper.

"Pssst. Nice area," Hayley says with a laugh that spills straight out of her nose. Granderville Street is in the roughest part of town, and I’m a little shocked myself, I didn't think anyone from around there would have the funds to send their kids to the college Hayley goes to. Fees are high, unless she’d gotten herself a scholarship, which would mean she’s super smart. Looking at Hayley I shake my head sharply, there’s no need for her to say out loud what we both were thinking, even if Maddy has already fallen asleep in the back.

"Lost your cut, rider?” Hayley asks, her eyebrows raise and a sarcastic grin spreads right across her drunken face. Shaking my head, I avoid the question by starting the engine. I don’t have the tolerance to deal with her shit right now, and I’m still debating whether or not to go back and teach the guy who put his hands and mouth on Maddy the lesson he deserves.

"So much for prying it from your cold, hell-ridden body." She laughs, and although I try to ignore them, her words hurt. I've never been ashamed of who I am or my club before. I've worn my cut with pride since the day I got it. My eyes lift from the road up to the rear-view mirror. Maddy is sleeping peacefully, her forehead pressed against the window.

I’d already come to terms with the fact I’m bad news for a girl like Maddy Summers, but tonight’s proved something I hadn’t expected. Turns out, Maddy Summers is real fuckin’ bad for me too.

I wake up to no less than five messages of apology from Maddy. Apparently, she also feels like she’s died, and since I’m playing host to a banging headache myself I struggle to find sympathy for her.

I still play nice though, and when she asks if I want to meet her in town for lunch later, of course, I take her up on her offer. She’s my new best friend after all.

When I finally manage to haul my ass out of bed and into the kitchen, I’m greeted with the smell of bacon and Jessie’s handsome smug face waiting at the breakfast table.

“Mornin’…” His eyes give me a once over. “…Pretty girl.” his cocky smirk alerts me to the fact that I probably look like I’ve just been resurrected. I realize that the annoying black thingy catching the corner of my eye is one of the fake eyelashes I must have been halfway through peeling off when I collapsed on to my bed last night. Tugging it off, I toss it into the trash before attempting to flatten down my unruly bed hair.

“Made you breakfast.” His eyes move to the plate of bacon and eggs laid at my place at the table.

“Thought you might wanna line your stomach,” he says, shoveling a fork full off his own plate and into his mouth.

“I don’t know why you're looking so smug, I didn’t do anything last night that you and your friends don’t do every night in that filthy clubhouse of yours,” I remind him, picking up my fork. Christ, the smell of the food alone was making me wanna vom.

“Difference darlin’, is that I can handle it.” He laughs as he gets up from the table, putting his plate in the sink then moving towards the door.

“Wait where are you going? I was gonna ask if you would take me into town, I’m meeting Maddy…” He stops at the mere mention of her name, then turns around slowly.

“Sorry. No can do, Prez called church. Last night while I was playing babysitter some shit went down with—” Realizing he’s about to divulge too much he stops himself mid-sentence.

“Well I’ve made plans.” I cross my arms over my chest. I’m doing this for him, the least he could do was help me out.

“Then I’ll get Nyx to take you.” He smiles cleverly.

“If Daddy let me have a car I could take myself. I have a license, remember.”

“You’re lucky your daddy lets you take a poopy by yourself, princess.” He laughs again. As he turns to leave I pick up an apple from the fruit bowl and launch it, aiming for his head. He snatches it from the air like he’s something from the matrix, rubbing it against the leather of his cut before crunching his teeth through it on his way out the door.

I wait to hear his bike pull off before I scrape my breakfast into the bin. I didn’t want to be ungrateful, but there’s no chance I could stomach it. What I need is a shower and a magical cure for a hangover, because this afternoon I’m gonna need to be on my game.

Nyx picks me up an hour later. I have no problem with him, other than the fact he isn’t Jessie. He’s around the same age as me, maybe a little older, and undoubtedly handsome with muscles in all the right places and beautifully chiseled features.

Nyx has an edge about him, a darkness that keeps him inside his own head that I imagine would be violent if unleashed.

Our car journey is silent, apart from the mumble he gives me when I get out to say he’ll pick me up at 2pm. That gives me three hours with Maddy. Three hours which hopefully I can use wisely.

I meet her in a cute little coffee shop in town. The exact sort of place you’d expect to find someone with a name like Maddy Summers. It’s bright, clean, and decorated with pastel colors. I order myself a black coffee because I heard that’s what people drink when they’re hungover.

It tastes like piss. Bitter and lukewarm. Not that I’ve ever tasted piss before, but if I ever do I imagine it will taste just like this coffee.

Maddy sits opposite me, her hair loosely tied on top of her head, wearing not a scratch of makeup. She’s clearly put no effort into her appearance, and it annoys me that she can still look so flawless. Just another reason for me to hate her.

She stirs her hot chocolate slowly, watching the creamy froth spin around the giant mug.

“So, on a scale from one to ten, how big a fool did I make out of myself last night?” She looks up and cringes.

“Well, you were sick in Mitchel Renton’s Mom’s shrubbery if that gives you a basic idea.” I fake a giggle that seems to relax her a little.

“I feel like such an idiot. I’ve never drank before, now I know why. I feel like I have a brass band playing in my head. Thanks for getting me home safe. It was a good job your boyfriend showed up when he did.” She smiles perfectly over the rim of her cup before she takes a sip.

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