Lash said.
“I know.”
“And there won’t be any sex in my clubhouse, do you understand?”
“Everyone is always assuming we’re having sex.”
“Understood?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t want any kids getting pregnant in my school.” He shook his head. “My clubhouse. Fucking kids.”
She smiled and couldn’t believe what she was hearing from Lash. There was a time this guy was supposed to be fun. His brother and a few others still talked about the time he snapped a guy’s neck with his bare hands. She couldn’t see it herself, but according to everyone here, she was just a kid.
Tabitha was pulled out of her thoughts by the roar of a bike. She watched Tiny, along with Adam, Nash, and Alex, as they escorted Simon into the clubhouse parking lot.
He got off his bike. He hadn’t been wearing a helmet.
“Tabby,” he said, rushing toward her.
Lash put a hand out and stopped him. Simon glared at him and she tensed up seeing the anger in his eyes. The rage simmering beneath the surface threatening to come out. “I don’t give a fuck who your father is. This is my club, you will abide by my rules. For the next two weeks, you’re going to study in this clubhouse, and if you’re still here, you will enroll in the high school. Got it?”
There was a short silence. Tabitha wondered if Simon was going to start something. She waited, hoping he’d just accept Lash’s rules. There was no other way he’d be allowed to stay.
“Got it.”
No one moved.
Tabitha smiled at Simon.
“Go,” Lash said.
Simon pulled her into his arms, pressing his face against her neck.
“You two aren’t allowed alone together. You can talk out here.” Lash clicked his fingers and one of the newer prospects she didn’t know the name of stepped forward.
“Come on.” She took Simon’s hands and they walked over to the swings. With all the kids being born, the small park that had been installed in the clubhouse had never gotten old. As she sat on one of the swings, Simon lowered himself down on the other.
“Do you know what’s going on?”
“I know what happened. You can tell me.”
She listened as he told her what he’d heard and what he knew.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“Do you know what is worse?” he asked.
“No.”
“I feel guilty because my mom…” He stopped, shaking his head and rubbing at his eyes. “No, Lexie. I’m angry because Lexie was given the all-clear and I can’t be there to celebrate it. Everything I know is one big, giant, fat lie.”
She rested her head against the chains. “It’s not a complete and total lie.”
“It is.” He pressed his lips together. “My mom was another woman. Lexie’s sister.”
“Simon, it doesn’t stop the fact that Lexie is your mom.”
“You’re going to take her side?”
“I’m going to make sure you don’t jumble this mess up inside your head. I know you’re hurting right now and I get it. I really, really do, but she’s not the bad guy.” She took Simon’s hand. She expected him to pull back, but he didn’t.
“I’m so fucking angry.”
“I can tell.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me.”
“I just, I can’t stand the fact I’ve been lied to all these years. I thought she was my mom.”
“She is. Please, Simon, no matter what, you’ve got to give her credit there. She loves you so much. She even sacrificed a great deal to be with you. Your dad, he does love her.”
“I don’t know who I am anymore.”
She got to her feet and stepped toward him. “You’re Simon. My very crazy boyfriend.” She tucked some of his hair behind his ear. It had grown out since the last time she saw him. “What’s your plan, anyway? You ride all the way here and what?”
“I had to see you. You’re the only person I have.”
“That’s not true. You’ve got all of your brothers and sisters, Dean, Eddie, the Chaos crew. Your parents.”
He snorted.
She gripped his chin, forcing him to look at her. “Hey, don’t ever do that. Look at Daisy. Her real parents never wanted her and there is no way she would ever think less of Lacey and Whizz. They are her real parents and she loves them. Don’t ever act like that.”
“Wow, you really are bossy.”
“I learned from the best.”
He put his hands on her hips. The prospect cleared his throat.
Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Seriously, get a life. You see what I’m having to put up with here?”
“Lash broke your phone?”
“Yep. Stepped on it, crushed it. He did the same to Anthony’s and Daisy’s, and the