Page 33 of Savage Hate
I take the money and nod once. It’s not enough. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel like it’s enough to repay them. But if helping me makes them feel good…
We saw you.
We see you.
“Thank you,” I say clearly.
He turns and walks away. “See you tonight.”
nineteen
Lennon
On a whim, I text Lola to see if she wants to come to the party, and to my surprise, she was already planning on going. She agrees to pick me up at nine, and I try not to roll my eyes at the lateness of it all. Wright and I were usually in bed by nine, so staying up late like this is a whole new world for me.
I change into a new outfit of faux leather leggings, black stilettos, and an oversized band tee that I’ve had forever. I treated myself to a few new things today from one of the local boutiques, and it feels nice to dress up a bit. I curl my hair in loose waves and add some smokey eyeshadow to my lids, and then a minute before nine, Lola texts me that she’s parked out front. Grabbing my purse, I do a onceover in the mirror, taking a deep breath. Butterflies flit through my stomach, making me feel anxious about tonight. I shake the feelings away as I lock up and head down to Lola’s car.
“Well,” I say, chuckling as I open the passenger door, “I didnotexpect you to drive a Tesla.”
She laughs, and I look over at her. Black boots, baggy, ripped jeans, and a cropped flannel shirt. Her long black hair is pulled back into a low bun, and she’s the only person I know who can pull off black lipstick.
“Yeah, it was my husband’s Christmas present.” She nods to the back. “Don’t be too impressed. I’m still a mom, and the backseat is full of old cheerios and cheese.”
I smile as I buckle up and we drive away. “Thanks for picking me up.”
“Sure. I’m not far. We live in the condos just outside of town,” she explains. “We make do here, but the plan is to move to Boston soon and open a bakery in the Brighton area. I’d love to live in the city, and to possibly afford something bigger for my daughter.”
“How old is she?”
Lola smiles. “Three. She’s adorable but also a bit of a nightmare right now, so I’m glad to be getting out of the house.” She turns to face me. “How has it been at Savage?”
I shrug. “Good. It’s been nice to get out and have some stability.” I don’t mention the bathroom or bubblegum cleanings as I have a feeling Lola wouldnotapprove. “How long have you and your husband been married?”
She snorts with a grin. “Fifteen years.” I raise my eyebrows, trying to determine her age. “Yeah, we were young and stupid. And we werereallystupid until a few years ago, when we both got sober. No drugs or alcohol for nearly five years. And then we popped out a kid, and he became a firefighter…” She trails off, her grin widening. “I love my life, man. I worked hard for it. I’m glad we waited to have kids until we got our shit together. I’m proud of how we parent her.”
I smile. “I’m proud of you and your husband,” I say honestly. “A lot of parents have kids without realizing they need to be present for them.”
Lola glances over at me, but I look down and swallow. She must know not to pry, because she changes the subject.
“Are the guys treating you nicely?”
Again, I don’t go into detail as I answer. “Yeah. They’re moody, but overall, they’re nice.”
If you don’t count how they dragged me into a dark alley and proceeded to tattoo Noah Adelmann’s forehead… or how they branded me.
“They’re good guys. They’re the reason Sam and I got clean.” I open my mouth to ask how, but we stop at a light and she turns to face me fully. “So, Lennon Rose. Whatreallybrings you back to Greythorn?”
I pick at a loose thread on the hem of my shirt as I contemplate how to explain the last ten years of my life, how to sum it up in the next few minutes. But does the beginning even matter? College, various retail jobs, getting engaged to Wright, moving into his penthouse, becoming a stay-at-home girlfriend… none of that mattered, because it didn’t really feel like me anymore. Sure, it was my life, but I’d grown a lot these last two weeks. I’ve discovered what I like and don’t like, and how Idon’twant my life to be. I didn’t realize until just now that I have my mom’s same Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress in a different pattern, hanging in the closet at Wright’s house.
If I stayed in that situation, I would’ve turned into my mom.
“My fiancé cheated on me with his assistant, so I left. Came back home to Greythorn, and now I’m staying above Savage Ink.”
I don’t bring up that my mom owns it–the whole building, actually. It’s embarrassing to admit the amount of wealth I grew up with. Luckily, Lola doesn’t ask about that.
“Damn. How long were you guys together?”
I swallow. “Ten years.”
