Page 4 of The Boy I Loved
“Clay?” I repeated, furrowing my eyebrows.
Katrina nodded. “He went to pick up Dom. I’m sure he’ll be so excited to see you after so long.” She beamed. I knew she was referring to her son because I’d only met Clay once, despite him living in town all these years, and being my best friend’s uncle. From what Dominic had told me about him, Jason, his father, and Clay weren’t very close anymore before his passing, but he didn’t understand why.
I hoped Katrina was right. I’d imagined this moment probably a thousand different times, hoping that when we were finally reunited, we could actually be together like we’d talked about. Kat gave my arm a motherly squeeze before nodding at her daughter in acknowledgment.
“I’m going to finish making my rounds. Dominic’s friends are here if you want to say hi.” She didn’t wait for me to process that before sauntering off toward the kitchen.
Dominic’sfriends.
The assholes who roped him into doing bad shit and got him in trouble. Resentment pooled in my stomach, the foreign feeling leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
I glanced around the room until my gaze landed on those so-called friends of his. They were all huddled against the furthest wall. Mason, Nicholas, and Vincent. They stuck out, clearly not belonging here. Their dark leather attire was a stark contrast to the way everyone else dressed, and it just made me dislike them even more. Because that’s the way Dom started dressing shortly before he’d gotten in trouble with the law.
Shoplifting and paraphernalia.
The boy who never had to want for anything was caught stealing. What sense did that make?
Mason caught my eye, his lips curling into a malicious smirk that sent chills careening down my spine. It wasn’t the kind of smirk that had my heart rate increasing and my palms growing clammy.No. It was pure, fucking evil.
Tearing my attention from him out of fear of doing something stupid, I directed it toward the door, as soon as it creaked open. A startled gasp slipped past my lips as I watched the doorknob turn and the door open wider.
Clay was the first to walk in, his dark, graying hair kept short and slicked back. He was attractive for an older man. Hell, all the people in this family were gorgeous. Clay was dressed in a leather jacket of his own, an emblem of a rose with a snake wrapped around it on his chest, and a bigger image of it on his back. The same one that Dom’s friends had on theirs. The same one he had started wearing himself.
What did it mean?
The breath rushed from my lungs whenhewalked in wearing a tight, white shirt that hugged the curves of his muscular frame and apair of black jeans. His gray eyes drifted around the room, but he was quickly cut off from my sight when people started crowding around him. The noise in the room grew, everyone quick to welcome him home while I was rooted to the spot.
He looked so different.
“Are you going to go see him?” Alice asked from beside me, her head tilted in curiosity.
Even my own parents were amongst the people surrounding him. Through a gap between people as they moved, I saw my dad pull him into a bear hug and pat his back affectionately while my mom kissed him on the cheek.
“Maybe later.” I decided. It didn’t feel right to approach him when his family hadn’t seen him either and needed time with him. I’d catch him after everyone else had their chance.
A look of confusion settled over Alice’s face, but she nodded in acceptance rather than questioning my reasons. Alice made her way across the room, shoving between people until she reached her brother.
I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the interaction. He seemed to ignore everyone else around them upon seeing her, his arms extending and tugging her tightly against his chest. As he hugged her, his shirt tightened around his biceps, revealing part of a red and black tattoo.
They allowed tattoos at the correctional camp? That seemed counterproductive to me.
Someone reached out, ruffling my long curly hair and messing it up. I swatted at the offending hand and glared at my amused father. A grin stretched across his weathered face, revealing just how funny he thought he was.
“Dad,” I groaned, smoothing out my chestnut-colored hair. It took a lot of work getting it to lay evenly around my shoulders like this.
I was extremely close with both of my parents. They didn’t think they could have kids, so when my mom wound up pregnant with me, they viewed it as a miracle of sorts. Because of that, they went above and beyond for me, making sure I had everything I wanted and needed and more. I was grateful to have them.
“There’s food ready if you’re hungry,” he replied, ignoring my recent protest.
I wasn’t sure I could eat even if I wanted to. My stomach was coiled tight with tension. It also didn’t go unnoticed that Dominic’sfriendshad made no move to go see him either. They were still in the same spot near the wall, looking around the room as if they were hunting for something.
“I’m okay. Thanks, though.”
A crease formed between my father’s eyebrows as he looked down at me. “You okay, kiddo? You seem uneasy.”
No.
It felt like my heart was seconds away from combusting within my chest. The air around me seemed to be getting thinner by the second, and the boy I’d beendyingto see was on the other side of the room and I didn’t know how the hell to approach him.
