Page 22 of Healing Souls

My heart hurts for him, always thinking he doesn’t deserve good things in life, or that it’s impossible for someone to love him because of the stuff he has done.

“Cayden, you’re an idiot. I know that anything I say to you right now won’t get through that thick skull of yours, but I will say, don’t shut us out. You are wrong about so many things. You observe everyone else and yeah, you see some things, but what you are neglecting to do is communicate.

“You can only see what someone allows you to see. You forget that we have so many thoughts and feelings in our brains that don’t show. So, until you decide to pull your head out of your ass, don’t cut us off. Promise me you will still come around. Be friends with Harley. Be around us. She isn’t going anywhere. Especially not now that she has family here. You are more at risk of losing everyone if you continue to do what you are planning than if you just stop and live like you normally would, adding in Harley, as a friend.”

With that, I turn and leave the gym, texting Ryker that I will wait for him outside as I head upstairs and towards the back door of the clubhouse. I need a few minutes to get myself together.

I don’t enjoy getting onto my brother for things, but Cade needs tough love. And he’s hurting. Trauma is a crazy thing with the way it can mess up your head. Sometimes it affects you in ways you didn’t realize. And if you have no one there to pull you out of the darkness when you can’t see, then what do you do? You drown in it, and you don’t always come back from that. Even if you do manage to break through the waves, it might be too late. And that, in itself, is a form of torture.

About five minutes later, Ry comes outside with a wide-eyed, slightly terrified woman next to him. She’s short with medium-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I can tell he is trying to ease her, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

Ry sees me as I walk over to them. “Grayson, this is Brielle, who Harley has been staying with since she left here. Lincoln brought her, but Sugar all but demanded his attention in the clubhouse asking questions about Harley.” He chuckles. “So, we’re walking her over to Rage’s.”

I nod and smile. “It’s nice to meet you. Sorry it’s under these crazy circumstances.”

“Nice to meet you as well.” She pulls on the sleeves of her sweater, clearly uncomfortable. So we leave it at that and lead her to Rage’s house, which is fine by me because I really want to see Harley with my own eyes again and make sure she’s okay now that she’s fully awake.

Chapter Six

Harley

Mother’sfavoritethingtodo, besides beating me, was to taunt me. That’s what this is, right? She’s taunting me. She found me. She’s here, in this room hugging me.

You’re not weak anymore, Harley.

I take a deep breath and let my walls rise.Show no emotion.

I grab her shoulders, digging my nails in as hard as I can and pushing her away from me. I kick the blanket off of me and bring my foot up between us to land a kick to her gut. I hear a grunt as the person stumbles away.That doesn’t sound like a female.

Then I brush that thought off. This is a game. She is taunting me. But I’m stronger.

I fly out of the bed ready to attack, but someone grabs me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. I try to break free from their hold, but I can’t. I scream. My broken, abused throat has to work hard to get it out, but I let that pain and burn fuel me. I wiggle and try to throw them off balance, but it’s not working.

I hear someone’s voice. “What the fuck is happening?”Gabriel. That motherfucker. This is probably his doing. They’re trying to capture me, give me toher.

“Harley!” someone yells as rough, callused hands grab my face.

That’s not Moth… Tammy.I blink until my eyes focus on the room again. The haze is coming down. My breathing is heavy, and I can feel my heart pounding in my ears, making it hard to hear.

As my eyes come into focus, I find Atlas standing in front of me, holding my face with his hands. My heart slows. Everything I just did comes back to me. I attacked Atlas. That wasn’t Tammy.

It was Atlas. One of the people who saved me after I got away. A true father figure. My body goes limp, and Atlas grabs me out of whoever was holding onto me. He wraps me in his arms and hugs me tight.

The tears start, and they don’t stop, my reality sinking in. I failed. I’m a failure. I couldn’t even avenge my mom. That’s the least she deserved.

I faintly hear someone tell Gabriel I’ll be okay and to give me some space. As I hear a door shut, Atlas lifts me and lays me on the bed before sitting next to me and taking my hand. When I glance up at the other person, I see it’s Lincoln.

They shouldn’t be here. They should leave. I’m a failure.Worthless.

“Harley!” Atlas snaps. “Stop it. You are not a failure. You are not worthless. You need to take some deep breaths and then talk to us, kid.”

I obey, breathing slowly in and out, desperately wishing Ryker was still in here holding my hand. Keeping me grounded.Wow, where did that thought come from?

As my body calms down, pain settles in, and I groan, looking down to see blood seeping through the shirt I’m wearing, which isn’t mine. My eyes widen at that thought. I sit up quickly and gasp at the searing pain that shoots through my abdomen.

Atlas soothes, “Woah there, take it slow. Let me look at where you’re bleeding. You might have ripped your stitches.”

I raise my shirt up, thankful I still have on my pants from the other night, and true to what he suspected, I ripped my stitches. Atlas puts gauze on it, and Lincoln walks out of the room with his hands in his hair.

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