Page 65 of Devil's Queen
“Do you remember the first time we met?” Rex’s voice breaks through the silence.
“Yeah,” I answer back. “My dad sent you to collect me from a party at another clubhouse. Pretty sure I hurled all over your back on the ride home.”
“That you did.” He laughs. “But that’s not where I am going with that particular question, Rem. What else do you remember about that night?”
“Not a whole lot,” I answer, rolling over onto my left side to face him. “Drinking, dancing, and you showing up to take me home against my will. Huh, it was kind of like a kidnapping, now that I think about it.” I smile up at him.
“Leave it to you to make it a criminal offense.” Rex’s lips curve into a small smile as he listens to my response. “Well, there was one thing that stood out to me that night,” he says, his voice soft and nostalgic. “It was the moment I saw you across the room, dancing like nobody was watching. You were so carefree, so full of life. I’d seen you around the clubhouse plenty of times before that, but I’d never seen you smile. You were beautiful under those neon lights, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
I feel a warmth spreading through my chest at his words.
“I was happy with the Zulu Kings.” Even I can taste the lie as it spills from my lips. I wanted it to be my home, so I made the best of it for my parents’ sake. Being treated like a second-class citizen or a piece of ass isn’t what I wanted out of life, but I would have done it to keep my family together.
“You and I both know that’s a lie, Rem. You were your happiest away from the clubhouse. Away from all the expectations that your dad had for you. Away from the men in that club who were itching for you to turn eighteen so they could take a shot at you. I just happened to get in line first.”
“The other guys I had dated until you saw me for what they could gain from the relationship… recognition from my father or a better seat at the table. You always knew how to make me feel seen,” I admit, my voice barely a whisper.
He reaches out and gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his touch sending shivers down my spine. “You were always worth seeing,” he replies, his voice filled with sincerity. “That night at the party, I never wanted it to end. I wanted to see you smile like that all the time. I wanted you to be as happy as you were that night.”
My heart skips a beat at his words, memories flooding back from that night. The way he had looked at me with such intensity as if I were the only person in the room. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced since then, and it both frightened and exhilarated me.
“But then everything changed,” I say softly, my gaze dropping to my fingers tracing invisible patterns on the bedsheet.
“It did, and I will regret the time we lost for the rest of my life.”
“We’ve both done things we regret.”
“We have, Rem. As much as I want to forgive you for keeping Beaux away from me, the anger I feel about your decision isn’t going to go away overnight.” Rex’s hand comes to rest on mine, his touch warm and comforting. “On the flip side, I also kept secrets from you.”
“I don’t want to make the same mistake again,” I confess, a lump forming in my throat. “I can’t go back to how things were before.”
His hand envelops mine in a gentle squeeze, the warmth of his touch bringing back a rush of memories and emotions. “I can’t either, Rem,” he says softly, his voice laced with longing and regret.
A weight settles in my chest as I remember all the pain we have caused each other. “How do we move past it all?”
“We do it together, Rem… you, me, Beaux, and Birdie. We’re a family now. I’m not going to let you push me away again. I will be a part of your and Beaux’s life just as much as I want the two of you to be a part of Birdie’s.”
His words warm my heart and ease the ache in my soul. “I think I’d like that.”
Rex’s smile widens, his eyes glowing with hope. “I’m glad to hear that, Rem, because I have every intention of fighting for us. For our family.”
“Even after everything I’ve done?”
“Love hurts, Rem. It’s messy. Crazy. Unexpected. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be worth having. We can’t change the past. We can only learn from it and build a better future.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I’m sorry, Rex. For everything.”
“I’m sorry, too, Rem.” Rex releases my hand as his thumb brushes away a stray tear that escapes the corner of my eye.
Embracing the vulnerability between us, I lean in and press my lips softly against his, feeling the electricity surge through me at the familiar touch. It’s a bittersweet taste of what we once had and a promise of what could be.
As our kiss deepens, the tension and pain slowly melt away, replaced by a sense of renewed connection and love. It’s as if time stands still, and in that moment, all the hurt and misunderstandings that have plagued us fade into insignificance. The only thing that matters now is the undeniable bond that exists between us.
Rex breaks us apart. Our eyes lock, and in that gaze, I can see the reflection of my desires mirrored back at me.
“Why did you pull away?” I ask Rex.
“Because as much as I would like to see where that kiss will lead us tonight, we have an audience.” I peer over my shoulder and see Birdie clutching Jellybean in my now-open doorway. Tears streak down her cherub-shaped face.