Page 28 of Crash and Burn
“They’re pretty comfy, too,” she gushes. “I’m going to buy them.”
“I’m going to buy a pair, too,” Minx says.
“Me, too,” I add. Minx and I find the colors and sizes we need, and the three of us head to the cashier. We check out and start for the exit.
“Do y’all want to look for accessories here,” Minx asks.
“I think I’m going to order some online,” I tell them.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Sienna says.
We walk out of the store toward the guys. A guy walks by, behind them, with a familiar tattoo. I stop dead in my tracks, a tightness in my chest completely taking over. I drop my bag as I find it more difficult to breathe. Rascal shows up in front of me, his lips moving, but I don’t hear what he’s saying.
“Marley, Marley. Focus on my voice,” Rascal says. He grabs my hand, placing it on his chest, directly over his heart, and covers my hand with his. “Breathe, Princess. Take a deep breath in . . . and let it out.”
I focus on his words, doing as he says. After ten minutes or so, I finally start to calm down.
“How are you feeling,” Rascal asks.
“I think I’m okay,” I whisper.
“You’re still shaking. We should get you back to the clubhouse,” he suggests.
I nod my head. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
“Do you think you can handle riding on the back of my bike?”
“We can take your shoes in the car,” Sienna tells me.
“Yeah, it might help to keep my mind occupied,” I tell Rascal. “And thank you, Sienna. I appreciate that.”
“No problem. Get to the clubhouse and take care of yourself,” she tells me. “We’ll see you there later.”
I hug Sienna and Minx, then head out with Rascal. The ride back to the clubhouse helps me calm down even more. It’s so freeing, feeling the air blowing through my hair. When we get to the clubhouse, Rascal walks me inside.
“What can I do for you,” he asks.
“Chamomile tea and lavender in my diffuser,” I say.
“Chains,” Rascal calls out.
“What’s up?”
“Make Marley some Chamomile tea and bring it to her room,” he demands.
“You got it,” Chains replies.
We walk into my room, and I flop down on my bed. Rascal fills my diffuser up with water and drops some lavender into it, then sits on my bed.
“Do you wanna talk about what happened back there?”
“Honestly? No,” I admit. “And you can stop pretending like you care."
Before he can respond, there's a knock at my door. Rascal moves to answer it. Chains is standing there with a giant coffee mug.
"Here's the tea you wanted," he says to Rascal.
"Thanks." Rascal takes the cup, closes the door, and brings me the tea. "Is it really so hard to believe that I really do care?"
"Yes, it is." I take the tea from him, sipping it slowly. "Now, can you please leave?"
He lets out a defeated sigh. "Text me if you need anything."
"I won't need anything." I lay down, turning my back toward him. A minute or so goes by before the door opens and closes again, and he's gone.
