Page 15 of Piston

His eyes soften. “Because I’m not the one who made the rule, my great-grandfather did after too many brothers kept swapping women, giving them cuts, then taking them away. You chose to make her your old lady, Piston, which means you still have three years left until you can take it back. Besides, I let you off when you refused to move her into your home on club grounds, leaving her defenseless, and Piston, we both know you're only this hurt over everything, even two years later, because you’re in love with her but don’t want to admit it to yourself.” I flinch at his words. He stands, patting my back. “Speak to your wife, Piston. Open your heart before you lose her.”

That said, he walks away, leaving me with my thoughts. I refuse to believe his words, that I’m in love with her.

She was a bit of college fun, that’s it…for three years straight, but still, that was it, fun.

I don’t do love, I fucking can’t, because I’ll bring her fucking down.

“You fucking trapped me, didn’t you? That was your fucking plan all along!” I scream in her face, the club quiet while tears coat Natalie’s cheeks, but I ignore them.

She wanted this, she fucking planned this….

I squeeze my eyes shut.

She ran out after I called her all the nasty names under the sun in front of the whole club, and we didn’t speak for three months, until Aunt Holly and my Gran demanded she come to dinner.

I messaged her and never got a reply, but shedidshow up for dinner, not once looking my way.

We’ve been in limbo since.

I’ll show up at the apartment I bought her once a month, a date we agreed on, and we’ll fuck, but that’s it. I’ll come, not giving a shit if she does, before leaving again.

I won’t cheat on my wife, but I’ll also not go without my dick getting wet, and that’s the compromise we came up with.

Sighing, I walk out the front door, and head to my bike.

I’m not doing what Steal recommended. Instead, I’m going home for a fucking shower, and then to get some sleep.

I promised to do the books for the diner tomorrow, and I need to update all our passwords like I do once a month, so I need some fucking sleep.

Steal is wrong, I don’t fucking love her, and as soon as our time is up, she’s outta my life for good.

Just keeping telling yourself that, the voice whispers again, and I growl, ignoring the pit that forms in my stomach at my thoughts. I climb on my Harley, starting her up, revving the shit out of her, then skidding away from the clubhouse and down the dirt track to my house.

I put my hand up to Acid as he rides past, but I don’t stop. I’m done listening to people defend her.

She trapped me, plain and fucking simple, and I’m not the man to give her what she wants; I’m incapable of it.

5

Natalie – Twenty-Four Years Old

I wipe my sweaty palms down the side of my dress as I walk through the halls of Meadow Elementary toward the back exit where I’m parked, trying to calm my beating heart.

I got the job; I actually got the flipping job!

I’ve been out of college for two years, working at Cora’s Day Care Center because no one was hiring an art or English teacher. Finally, all my hard work has paid off.

I’ll be teaching 5th-grade English during the first and second periods, and art the rest of the day.

I got the best of both worlds.

Crap, I actually got the job….

A smile starts to form as I open my bag to grab the keys?—

“Ouch,” I mumble as my forehead slams into the glass door. “Dammit.” I rub my head, silently cursing as I open the door, hoping it doesn’t bruise.

“You’re the clumsiest person I know, Diamond….”