Page 95 of Freeing Souls

Harley

Staring down at the coffee pot in the kitchen, I debate making some, even though I know I shouldn’t. It’s three in the morning; I should not be drinking coffee. I should be sleeping.

But no. Instead, I am up, feeling restless. Even after the guys spent hours wearing me out last night, I still feel this pent up energy that won’t go away. I wish my dad was here so I could talk to him. I feel like he would give me the advice I needed to hear right now, because I feel a little lost.

I still haven’t talked to the guys, and I’m sure that’s what’s keeping me up. I need to get it over with and just word vomit and expect the worst. That’s the best I can do. I think.

“Harls?”

My heart skips a beat as I spin around, shocked to see Atlas standing in the kitchen. “What–”

“We just got in. I saw a light on and wanted to see who was up so early. What are you doing, glaring at the coffee pot at three in the morning?” He smirks at me.

Without thinking about it, I head straight for him and toss my arms around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck as tears well in my eyes.

“Oh,” I hear a soft voice say. “We will go upstairs, give you guys some space.” Brielle touches my back gently before footsteps from multiple people can be heard shuffling away.

“What’s on your mind, kid?” Atlas asks as he wraps his arms around me tightly.

“I miss my dad,” I murmur softly.

Instead of responding, he just holds me tighter before eventually pulling back. “Not that I’m complaining, but why are you guys back? What’s going on?”

He hums softly. “Well, Brielle’s dad decided he doesn’t want anything to do with the club anymore. He actually asked us if we wanted to become members and take over, but we don’t. So I wanted to talk to Sugar about it and see what he says. Brielle is going through some things, so we decided she needs to see what we had been planning.”

“You’re going to tell her about the house? I thought you wanted to wait until you had one?” I ask.

“That was the plan, but things change.” He shrugs. “Besides thinking about your dad, want to tell me why you're up so early?”

“I don’t know. I just feel restless and like things aren’t right, I guess?” I grimace, not even sure how to describe what I am feeling.

He tilts his head. “Sugar has kept us in the loop about everything, so we know about Tammy and Richard. How are you feeling about them being dead?”

“He is dead, but she isn’t yet–”

“Why not?” he interrupts, furrowing his brows.

“I–I don’t really know. At first, keeping them alive made me feel like I was getting real revenge, but now, it just is this headache that won’t go away.”

“I don’t think I have ever said words like this before, but you need to just kill her and let yourself move on. Whatever you're holding onto, let it go.”

Huffing a laugh, I place my hands on my hips. “Right before you came in here, I was thinking about how I really wanted to talk to my dad. I feel like he would have just said the same thing.” I roll my eyes.

“Then maybe you should listen, kid.” He bops me on the nose, making me crinkle it. “I love that you are calling him your dad now.”

“I wish I would have done it sooner.” I tell him.

“We all wish we had done things sooner or changed the way we did them.Instead of wishing for those things we can’t change, do something now so you don’t have another, I wish, tomorrow. Which I am going to go do now.” He grins at me as he starts to walk away.

“How long are you here for?” I ask.

He spins around and walks backward, a grin stretches over his lips. “Forever.” Then he’s gone, taking off upstairs.

“Okay, you can do this, Harley,” I tell myself and then shake my head. “Maybe don’t talk to yourself out loud.” I groan and head back upstairs.

When I walk in, the spot where I was lying in bed in between Cade and Grayson is now taken up by Ryker and Cade has his arm thrown over Ryker, holding him.

Pinching my lips together to hold back my laughter, I grab my phone and snap a picture before walking over to Cade’s side and placing a kiss on his cheek. “Wake up.”

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