Page 54 of Healing Souls

“How’s the club princess doing?” Noah asks, grinning at me.

I scrunch my nose up at that. “Princess? Definitely not.”

“Oh, but you are,” he chuckles.

“What are you talking about?” Ryker asks, looking at Noah like he’s insane.

“She is the prez’s daughter. That makes her the club princess. It’s a real thing. They are usually precious, off limits, and girly.” He pauses for a second. “At least, the few I’ve met.”

I snort. “Yeah, no thank you. Technically, I grew up without a dad, so I don’t really have one,” I say, raising a brow and crossing my arms. The thought of being a weird princess to this club is gross to me.

Noah laughs harder and winks. “At least I can say I met a sassy one now, too.”

“How many of these princesses did you hook up with, Noah?” Ryker asks with a devious smirk on his face.

Noah sighs and nudges the boys towards the door. “Alright, we don’t need to talk about that. Go to school and fucking behave for once.”

I step outside with them and watch as Cayden heads straight for a truck while Ryker turns and wraps me in his arms. “Text me all day long or else I’ll drive back here.”

I chuckle and hug him back. “Okay. But I need my phone. I think it’s still in my bag at Rage’s house.”

Ryker releases me, and I immediately want to cling to him, begging him to not let me go. It’s a place I am finding I want to always be.

“Your backpack is sitting on the bar island inside,” Grayson says quietly.

“Thank you,” I reply with a smile.

He nods, his cheeks tinting red as he gives a hesitant wave and walks with Ryker to the truck.

A low chuckle sounds from the side of me, and I look over at Noah, who is covering his mouth with his hand. “What’s so funny?”

“You have those boys wrapped around your finger, and you don’t even know it. I honestly don’t know if I am laughing because they are fucked, or I am fucked.”

My brow creases. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means they would do anything for you. That could be bad for them and probably for me seeing as they are my responsibility.”

I open my mouth, but the sound of a bike revving and coming down the road from the gate draws my attention. A guy pulls up to park where all the other bikes are and takes off his helmet. I can’t see his back to read his leather jacket, but when he takes off his helmet, I see it’s Colton.

He glances in our direction and flashes a beaming grin that is barely noticeable around his beard, and waves. I give a tiny wave back, unsure of what I am supposed to do.

Do I say hi and go away? Do I go over to him? Would I even want to go talk to him?

Mom, I could really use your guidance.

“Go talk to him. He isn’t as bad as he seems, I promise.” Noah gives me a wink before making a shooing motion with his hand as he walks towards the door to head back inside. “Off you go, Princess.”

I scowl at his back and mutter, “Not a fucking princess.”

Steeling my spine, I take a deep breath and walk towards Colton.I can do this, right? It’s easy. Say hi. Start with hi. That’s it.

As I get closer to Colton, he looks up from where he was squatting on the other side of his bike, messing with something on the side of it. “Hey, darlin’.”

I swallow. “Hi.”

He keeps staring at me for a second before lightly chuckling. “Ya alright, girly?”

I can’t do this. What am I doing? I don’t just talk to people.“I can’t do this,” I blurt and turn around to start walking back towards the door to go inside, but his voice stops me.

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