Bailey’s eyes flash with amusement. “I know how it works. Love one, love them all.”
I definitely don’t love Rhett, but I don’t bring that up.
“I thought you weren’t coming tonight, but I’m glad that you’re here,” Bailey says to her daughter.
Cara shrugs. “I wasn’t going to, but then I ran into Clover, and you know how it goes.”
Bailey nods. “Did you wish Tracker a happy birthday?”
“Yes, I did,” Cara replies, turning to me and pointing to a large man with long blond hair. “That’s my uncle Tracker over there, and it’s his birthday.” Uncle Tracker looks like he could be an actor, or a model or something, even though he must be in his fifties.
“You two have a good night,” her mom says, kissing Cara on the temple and then heading back to Cara’s dad.
“She’s nice.”
“Yes, she’s the best,” Cara agrees, clinking her drink with mine. She smiles right at me, brown eyes sparkling—and for a moment, just looking at her, I suddenly feel sober. “I think she likes you. We don’t get new people coming around here much, besides the prospects and random women.”
“I seem to have that effect on women,” I tease.
Cara rolls her eyes, and we join Clover and Felix. I notice myself getting a few looks, but Felix quickly explains that I’m his friend, and that’s all there is to it.
We drink, we laugh, and we chat.
I can’t even remember the last time that I had so much fun.
The spontaneous nights are always the best ones.
Chapter Six
Cara
I know how inappropriate it is for me to be checking out a man in Rhett’s MC clubhouse, but here I am. It’s even more inappropriate because I legit just found my boyfriend in a bar with another woman sitting on his lap and kissing him. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get that vision out of my head. Part of me wonders if he wanted to get caught. He knew I was going to stop by Rift with Clover tonight.
He says he’s too busy to make time for me, but he can find time for other women? I saw red when I saw him, and in that moment I knew that everything Clo said was right.
Rhett and I are the past, and I need to let go so I told him that we were done. I don’t think I could ever look at him the same after seeing him with another woman. And if he was there with this one, who’s to say he hasn’t been cheating on me with other women?
Maybe I’ve had too much to drink. Maybe I mentally checked out a long time ago with Rhett and now that sparks are flying with Decker, I can’t help myself. I’ve heard that women do that. They mentally check out long before a relationship is officially over, and by that time, they’ve accepted that they are ready to move on. Is that what I have been doing?
All I know is that I can’t seem to look away from Decker’s clear green eyes and his sexy smile.
And considering everything that has happened tonight, it’s completely messed up.
Fuck.
I need to get my ass home before I do something that I regret, especially with the whole MC watching me. They know it’s unusual for me to be here. It’s a school night, and I rarely drink anymore unless I’m on a rare night out with Clover. I hardly come to the wilder events the MC hosts.
But here I am.
Even if tomorrow is the last day of school, which is traditionally more about signing yearbooks than teaching.
I hope Rhett stays all night at Rift and never shows his face here.
Decker and Felix start having a deep chat, so I head to the kitchen to get myself some water. No more alcohol for me—I need to sober up so I can go to work tomorrow without a headache.
“Who’s the guy?” Dad asks me, sitting down on one of the kitchen stools. He’s dressed in all black, and even though he’s in his fifties, he still doesn’t look a day over thirty.
“Felix and Clover’s friend. Why?” I ask, frowning.
“Rhett isn’t going to like you talking with some guy all night, Cara. What’s going on?”
My jaw goes tight. “And what if Rhett and I aren’t a thing anymore?”
My father’s eyes widen. “You’ve always been a thing.”
“I just saw him at Rift with another woman. And Decker and I are just friends,” I explain, sighing.
“What?” Dad grits out, cutting me off. “I’ll cut off Rhett’s dick and shove it down his throat. I don’t care if they want him to be president one day—no one disrespects my daughter like that.”
“Dad,” I groan. “You need to let me handle this, all right? I’m always going to care about Rhett, and him being dickless isn’t going to help anyone.”
Especially if he is going to become president one day, which is something I wasn’t aware of. No wonder he’s always busy on club business—he’d have a lot of pressure on him if he’s going to be leading these men one day. Not that it changes anything between him and me, but at least I understand more. It just proves that ending things with him was the right thing to do—he doesn’t tell me anything.
I sit down next to Dad and lean my cheek on his shoulder. “I’m not happy, Dad. And something has to change. Just because everyone thinks you are meant to be with someone doesn’t mean that you have to be. And Rhett’s actions tonight prove he’s feeling the same. He wants his freedom? Well, he’s got it.”
Dad is silent for a few seconds, and then lifts my face up to look at his. “You do what makes you happy, you hear me? And I’ll always have your back, no matter what. You come first.”
Something I always knew but Rhett could never say to me. “I know.”
“Do you think Rhett is going to let you go that easily?” he asks, sounding confused. “He’d be a fucking idiot if he does.”
“It’s my choice. We’re not good together. It’s probably going to be a relief for him. I know it feels that way for me.”
Uncle Arrow comes over and kisses the top of my head. “Bailey just told me not to threaten the new guy. Who the fuck is he?”
I grin. Some things never change, and the Wind Dragons men being protective is one of them.
“He’s a friend, and he hasn’t done anything wrong,” I tell him.
“She keeps defending him, which makes me think otherwise,” Dad adds, sharing a look with Arrow. “We should go over and officially introduce ourselves.”
“Let’s,” Arrow says jovially in his deep voice, and the two of them head out to terrorize a man for doing nothing other than speak to me.