Page 60 of Piston

My body vibrates with fury and fear as memory after memory of us together over the years hits me: her smiles, her giggles, the way she looks at me like I’m her world, the way she’s willing to fight for me despite her traumatic past….

I can’t lose her, I fucking can’t, I need her….

Fuck!

21

Natalie

I squeeze the steering wheel as I pull up at the clubhouse gates.

It’s early, like only seven in the morning kind of early, but I need to see him.

Since we decided to give our marriage a real shot, I’ve been on edge, like my skin is always itching, and I need to move and keep busy, especially if I don’t see him.

I’m scared, so goddamn scared that this will fail, that we were doomed from the start and should have stuck to a fling, but I also know I love him.

These past two days without him, I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and I’ve been clumsier than normal. I'm not able to concentrate, and honestly, I don’t know how I managed after college and the distance he put between us. Him being gone on club business has given my mind time to run crazy with questions.

Are we doing the right thing?

Should we just call it quits while we’re ahead?

Can I live without him?

Can I handle him being with someone else?

Would I have to move out of state just to keep my heartbreak at bay?

I give Webster a tight smile as he opens the gate, and I drive through, heading to the spot Elijah told me to park, and line up next to a pink Ford, my heart in my throat.

Is he going to be mad I’m here early?

Swallowing hard, I think, “screw it,” my body tingling, wanting to be in his arms. I climb out of my car and walk to the entrance, trying not to second guess myself.

I walk into the common room and pause, looking around the full room.

“Natalie,” Steal announces, and I look his way.

He winces, seeing the bruise on my face, but I wave and say, “It looks worse than it is.”

He raises a disbelieving brow while Acid walks over to me, his arm instantly going over my shoulders, side hugging me before he kisses my head.

“It looks fucking sore, sis.”

I smile and lean into him before searching for Elijah.

Did he change his mind?

Is he having second thoughts?

Steal gives me a slight smile then stammers, “He’s still in bed, he…uh, um, well, you see….”

I raise a brow, trying to hide my panic.

Oh God, hedidchange his mind!

Acid squeezes me to him, picking up on my distress, and I look at him. He gives me a tight smile and admits, “Well, there was a slight problem on the run, and he kind of got hurt….”