Page 42 of Iron Hearts

I sighed and was about to switch it off and head on into my bedroom when my phone buzzed twice, walking itself in two short steps across the coffee table in front of me.

I picked it up, an unknown number, but Florida area code for the region, and I knew it was her just by the contents of the text…I could use a friend.

I hesitated, a bunch of shit tumbling through my head on what would be a good response when I felt my shoulders drop as I told myself to stop fucking overthinking it.

Talk to me.I’m right here,I shot back.

She texted a novel, pouring out her heart and soul about her worries. For her mother, for her brother’s future, about how she felt like she was letting them all down, and if her dad were here, how she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t be disappointed in her. She said her mom had told her she was proud of her – but she just didn’t understand or believe because of how her mom ragged on just about every choice she made and how confusing it all was.

I didn’t think she’d had anyone she felt like she could talk to in a while, and for some reason, she’d decided that she could be frank with me. I glowed from the unspoken praise.

I wasn’t used to being trusted. Not outside the club and even inside the club… sometimes trust was a rare commodity.

I did my best to shore her up and assure her that she was doing great. That yeah, it sucked, for sure – she was overworked, and she’d been through some shit that would leave a lesser woman crumbling, but not only was she holding it together and still showing up, but she was also doing it in a way that to the rest of us made her look like she was Supergirl.

Thanks…she texted finally after what felt like minutes of radio silence.Bars closed this week, and I only have two days at my other job. Looks like I’m free for a few days after the middle of the week.

I hesitated, then started to thumb out a response. Deleted that and tried again. Deletedthatand thought to myself,you’re fuckin’ crazy…

I held my breath and thumbed it out anyway.You should take some time for yourself. Come up to St. Augustine for a day. I’ll show you around.

I swallowed hard, staring at the text, then went to delete the fucker but fat-fingered it, and it sent.

Fuck. Me.

I felt my face flame with embarrassment and thought to myself,you old fucker – she’ll never go for it.

Bet.

Do what now?

Bet?I asked, just to make sure I wasn’t completely delusional.

I’d like that,she came back with and I was floored.

Okay. You just name the day…I wrote.

We concluded our conversation shortly after that, and I polished off my beer, feeling as giddy as a schoolboy.

For real. I hadn’t felt excitement or butterflies like this since I was young, dumb, and full of cum before I enlisted.

I got up, tossed my empty in the kitchen trash on the way by, and returned to my bedroom.

I stripped and flopped down in bed and read and re-read our chat.

I had no fucking idea what I was doing. I couldn’t even say I was being wholly altruistic and not a selfish fuck by wanting to see her again.

Hell… I tried to live as uncomplicated a life as I could for being a Royal Bastard – which always had its complications… butfuck… I couldn’t tell, to be honest, but this felt a whole lot like I balanced on some sort of brink that could either be really good or really bad. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted, but I was amanbefore she’d even shot out of her mother’s womb.

I pulled on my neck to try and relieve some of the tension in it and sighed.

It took her a bit to get back to me, but get back to me with that ideal date and time she did.

Now, all that was left was to figure out what to do…

* * *

The week had draggedon for what felt like forever. I dealt with some shit on some purchase orders we’d made not being fulfilled on time at the shop, but other than that one hiccup, everything else had run as smoothly as I could have asked for.

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