Page 113 of Serpentine

“I love you,” she says when I pull back, and I’m in awe, just looking at her and trying to figure out how this is my life. “And I’m proud of you. If the shoe was on the other foot, I don’t know if I’d have had the strength to do what you did today.”

She’s full of shit. She’s the strongest person I know, and Miles would agree. I’ll never know how she deals with both of us and all that’s going on in her life. But we keep our fingers crossed that she won’t run away when she realizes the gravity of being ours.

“Come on, let’s get back to the clubhouse before Miles freaks out,” I tell her dismissively.

She seems put off by my flippant behavior, but she knows I can’t discuss this yet. I must process everything before letting someone else into what I think and feel.

She relents and gets on the bike with me even if she wants to press. She leans up and kisses my cheek, and a moment of breathlessness overcomes me, but confidence booms in my chest.

I know there’s a lot to come, and I might fail. I might fall. But I also know she’ll be right beside me no matter what, and that in itself is enough to keep me putting one boot in front of the other.

She’ll never know what that means to me.

Because I’ll never be able to express it outwardly.

She’s becoming my safe space.

THIRTY-FIVE

AELLA

Another part passes me, and the woman to my left grumbles in annoyance as she picks it up to inspect it instead because I didn’t do so. It’s been this way almost all shift. All I can do is think about everything that’s preoccupying my brain. There’s too much going on. Even just in the house with Braxton and Miles. Let alone me having to wonder how my father figures into all this shit.

“You’re too preoccupied today. You’re missing too many parts,” the woman to my left says. I don’t know her name. I didn’t take the time to learn everyone’s name because I’m here under false pretenses. Once this is all over, I don’t plan on staying here on this line. Not because he’s my father or because I think I’m entitled to a position higher than this. Only because I need to live my life. One where I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not to get information.

“Sorry,” I mumble, picking up the next part and not giving it a good once over before dropping it back onto the belt.

“Aella Montague?” a male voice shouts through the room, and the woman next to me elbows me when it doesn’t register that he means me.

“Sir?” I call out, looking up.

He’s stout and short. His knuckles are white and bulky as they grip his clipboard. Likely, he thinks having one makes him essential.

His heavily mustached lip curls as he makes eye contact with me. “Boss wants to see you.” He inclines his head towards the door to get me to follow.

I make eye contact with some workers before stepping away from the conveyor. It’s written all over their faces. They know it’s my father who’s summoning me. They know it’s probably got nothing to do with work.

If they only knew.

As we approach Dad’s office door, I swipe my sweaty palms down the sides of my pants.

“Here we are. He’s ready and waiting to see you,” the man says, turning and pointing towards the door.

“Thank you,” I say, eyeing the door momentarily before turning the handle and pushing inside.

The door clicks closed behind me as I take in a woman sitting in front of my father’s desk. She’s dark-featured and pristinely dressed. When she turns to look at me, her eyes seem familiar, but I can’t place them.

“Oh, sorry, he said you were ready for me. I’ll wait outside,” I say, figuring I’ve just awkwardly interrupted what looks to be a meeting between them.

Dad looks at the woman and me as I turn on my heel and grab for the door handle.

“Aella, stop,” Dad says, his chair rolling backward as he stands. “You’re not interrupting a thing. Please, come, sit.”

I turn back and look at the chair next to the woman he’s pointing at, licking my lips as nerves skitter inside my stomach. Something is off. Something in the air has my fucking nervous system on edge.

“Alright, then…” I move tentatively to the chair and sit down.

The woman smirks at me and looks me over but says nothing.