“I have to go,” I tell her. “I’ll call you, okay? I’ll be back whenever I can.”
She smiles sadly, looking like she doesn’t believe me. “Go, Xander, your family needs you right now.”
Another quick, almost desperate kiss, and then I walk out the door.
*****
Summer was pregnant. She hadn’t told anyone except her husband, Reid. She was waiting for the three-month mark but has lost the baby at two months. She isn’t taking it very well, as would be expected. After riding back to Perth, I went home for a quick shower then straight to the hospital. Ryan didn’t tell me the exact details; just that Summer had lost a baby and was asking for me. When I walk into the hospital room, my sister sits there staring straight ahead. At nothing. Her face is blank, her normally bright eyes dull.
“Summer?”
She turns her head to me. “Xander, you came.”
Her voice comes out cracked, broken, like she hasn’t used it much.
I walk to her bed, pull a chair from the side, and sit next to her, taking her hand in mine. “Of course I came. You know I’m always here for you.”
She looks down at our hands. “I lost her.”
“I know,” I reply on a whisper. “I know.”
I don’t know what to say. It will be okay? You can always try again, have more children? The comments seem insensitive. Instead, I stand, moving next to her on the bed, and pull her into my arms. She starts to cry, her body shaking with each heart-wrenching sob. I lift my head to see Reid standing in the doorway, his eyes red, and his body stiff. I know that each tear Summer sheds kills him. The man is so in love with her. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before, and I can tell how much this is hurting him. His posture and expression scream defeat. He nods at me, and then leaves the room. I kiss Summer on top of her head.
“We’ll get through this, okay? We always do.” My voice is barely a whisper.
She wipes her wet eyes with my t-shirt. “Thanks for coming back. I know you were on holiday trying to work out your own shit.”
“Don’t you worry about all that, Sum,” I reply.
“How was Channon?”
Trillian’s face flashes before my eyes. “Fuckin’ beautiful.”
She lifts her face and studies me. “What happened over there?”
I rub the back of my neck. “I think we have other things to discuss, don’t you?”
She rolls her eyes. “Are you kidding me? What I need right now is a distraction. I don’t want to think about what I’ve lost and what a failure I am.”
My body stills at that. “You aren’t a failure, Summer, and don’t say that again.”
She sighs. “Fine. Tell me about Channon. I know Dad loved that place.”
“He did love it. I stayed with Zach, which was nice. There was a girl I met…”
I trail off as I see a spark of the Summer I know. She rubs her hands together and narrows her eyes. “This ought to be interesting.”
“Are you going to let me talk or keep interrupting me?”
She smirks. “Keep interrupting you. So who was she? Did you bone?”
My mouth twitches. “Trillian. Her name is Trillian.”
Chapter Eleven
Trillian
One Month Later
I cut a slice of red velvet cake and put it on my plate. At this rate, my ass is going to be the size of a house. I usually don’t eat much of what I bake, besides the odd taste here and there or the casual cupcake, but suddenly, I’m making up for it. I’m eating everything. To be fair, though, I now run in the morning and the evening, so I keep up with my fitness routine.
“The guys at the clubhouse are going to want to marry you after tasting these cakes,” Zach says¸ talking with a giant piece of said cake in his mouth.
I grin. “Are you ever going to take me into the clubhouse?”
I didn’t know why I wanted to go, but I was curious. And I could use a distraction.
He chews thoughtfully and then swallows before answering. “If you really want to go, I’ll take you. But the men will want you and some of the things you see will shock you. Are you ready for that? ’Cause if you look at me differently, I’m gonna be pissed.”
I roll my eyes. “Do you think I’m stupid? I know what happens there. Do you think I don’t hear the women talk?”
He licks cake off his bottom lip. “Fine. You can come with me now to drop off the cakes.”
It’s one of the members’ old lady’s birthday and I’d made three different cakes for everyone at the club.
“Are you going to wear that?” Zach asks, taking in my jean shorts and tank top.
“Are people going to be dressed up?” I ask, frowning. Maybe I’ll put on a dress or something.
Zach chuckles deeply. “It’s casual, it’s just that your ass looks good in those and I really don’t want to have to fight off men today.”
I purse my lips. “Why are your eyes on my ass, Zach?”
His eyes twinkle. “Oh, please, it’s not like anyone can miss it. Everywhere I look, it’s like, bam! In my face.”
I rub my forehead. “Is that so? Whatever. You know, I heard you got your dick pierced.”
He chokes on his cake, and I actually have to hit him on his back, maybe a little harder than necessary.
“Who the fuck told you that?” he asks when he can finally speak.
“Like I said,” I say, “women talk. And women also like ice cream. I hear a lot of shit, most recently about you having an interesting piercing down there. Oh, and apparently you shared this woman with one of your club brothers.”