everything.
Gail about packed her whole room and Gavin didn’t want to pack anything because Grandma June said he didn’t need to. She spoiled the shit out of the kids, and I was thankful. I kissed my son and daughter for what I thought would be the last time until the divorce was final.
Even more alone without my babies, I was stuck with my nagging mother until I found my own place. I wouldn’t live in our old house, which was up for sale. Neil was staying there. Also with Nina moved into mom’s guest room, I found myself sleeping in her living room on a tiny antique couch. I woke up every day with a crick in my neck. All of this made me hate Neil even more if it were possible.
No, problem was, I didn’t hate him enough. Our memories kept creeping up on me, weakening my animosity.
What I needed was to get away.
Drinking my weekends away with Shirley and the girls of the Hell on Heelz MC became my escape. That was until his Kelly started showing back up—Yeah, that Kelly, Neil’s Kelly. She sat at the other end of the bar, drinking—pregnant my ass. The Banshee hadn’t cut her loose. I hated Kelly—I wanted to be Kelly, young and unused. I was all used up. My heart, my belly—my babies didn’t even want me anymore. I’d not thought it my place to tell Shirley or the others to make her leave.
Since I’d found out this was a motorcycle club, I’d been getting used to the new lifestyle and trying to be a good prospect so I could become a member. Shirley wasn’t Shirley here. She was called the Banshee. President of the Hell on Heelz MC, no one messed with her. Even though Kelly was just a hangaround, meaning they weren’t even considering patching her yet, I wasn’t about to tell the President she needed to make the bitch leave, but tonight, I was drunk and to be honest, I was sick and tired of seeing Kelly flaunt herself in front of me. If she wanted Neil so damn bad, why was she here and not with him?
I shook my head, disgusted with myself. Why did I give a damn? Why didn’t I just leave?
Twink leaned over the bar, her jet-black, straight as a stick hair, wiping across it. Bright colorful tattoos of flowers and hummingbirds covered her otherwise pearl skin. She batted her tiny brown eyes. She was Asian but her accent was as southern as all get out. “I wouldn’t miss that ho bagel. She’s loose as a bucket of soot.”
“I’d call her a whore, but who’d pay for that. Miley took one look at her and stopped twerking,” Pepper said, swirling on a barstool beside me. She was a character, having her hair dyed bubblegum pink, wound up in a beehive today. Covered in tattoos too, Pepper didn’t like to wear much clothes herself, but she owned it.
“There’s only one word for that girl—trash,” Shirley said and took a shot of whiskey at my elbow.
If anything, these women had welcomed me with open arms and very few questions. They had my back, but it was clear they weren’t going to fight my battles for me. I was beginning to suspect they were waiting for me to do something about Kelly. I set my glass down hard, letting my anger show on my face for once.
“Isn’t it about time to take out the trash?” I hollered loud enough for Kelly to hear.
The bitch looked right at me, like only a nineteen-year-old girl can, full of piss and vinegar.
Yeah, bitch, I was talking about you, I thought as my eyes narrowed.
“How’s the divorce going, Edie?” She called over the noise.
I chuckled to myself as silence fell. Someone had cut the music. I boomed, “Don’t you know?”
“Word is you’re not going to get the kids or anything.” She wasn’t looking at me anymore but smiling about it.
Yeah, Neil had been threatening that, saying my fit, breaking dishes the night I left him proves I’m the unstable choice. Besides, he knew so many influential people in this town. I stared daggers at her. “Rumors, better than spreading your legs.”
At that, Kelly whipped her head around right quick.