Betrayed By Beauty - Ashley Lane Page 0,39

I—”

“You want to sit for a while… have a drink?” I interrupt her before she can make a getaway. “I can’t ride yet. I was going to wait until the throbbing in my hand dies down. Plus, I need to thank my nurse for her patch-up job.” Smooth, Casanova.

She tucks a long strand of raven hair behind her ear on the opposite side to her scars, and bites her lip. “Yes. I mean yeah, that would be really nice, thank you.”

Behind the bar we move in synchrony, each grabbing our own beer before we take a seat at one of the high top tables that has already been cleaned. “How’s it feeling now?” she asks, nodding toward my hand.

I move my wrist and extend my fingers. “It’s not bad, thanks for cleaning it up.”

She shrugs. “It’s fine. It wouldn’t do me any good to let my boss bleed out behind the bar,” she says with a giggle.

“Oakley,” I say, meeting her eyes. “I want to apologize for earlier. I was an asshole and I’m not usually like that.”

When she opens her mouth to cut me off, I raise my hand.

“No. I had a shit night and everything was gettin’ to me. My mood wasn’t aimed at you, and you didn’t deserve that shit.”

She leans back in the seat and visibly relaxes. “Sorry you’re having a bad night. At least it’s almost over.”

“Yeah.” I murmur, looking down the opening of my beer as if all of life's answers are waiting for me inside.

“I–um, I’m sorry about your boyfriend. That’s why you’ve been so sad, right? Anyway, I really hope you guys can work it out.”

Guys..? Ahh. So she knows about me and Jax. I roll my eyes. Fuckin’ Tasha and her loud ass mouth, I know that’s where Oakley would have heard about me and Jax. Though she does live with Shelly, she’s a sweet girl who usually prefers to mind her own business. But Tash? If the woman could make a livin’ off yappin’ her trap, she’d be a goddamn millionaire.

I look at Oakley, taking in her beautiful face. Her scars, though extensive and clearly visible only add another layer to her beauty.

“Thanks, Oakley. I hope we work it out too, he’s a good guy. One of the best actually.” I smile at that, because it will always be true. Jax has a heart of gold. “But I’m not holding out hope. I’ve made some mistakes through the years and honestly, I don’t even know how to start to make it right.” Maybe it’s the beers or maybe it’s the low lighting inside the bar, but it’s startling how easy it is to confide in her.

She gives me a sad smile. “I think most people would start with a phone call.” If only it was that easy, sweetheart.

“How are the girls treating you here? Obviously they’ve pulled you into their circle and spilled all the Corrupt secrets.” I ask, changing the conversation.

She scrunches her nose, then grins. “Yeah, I feel like I know a little too much about everyone now.” there’s a twinkle in her eye that makes me wonder what secrets she’s heard about me. “Not that I’d ever repeat anything I heard,” she adds as though she needs to make sure I’m aware of her loyalty. “I’m loving it here, thank you again for giving me a chance.” She tips up her glass and drinks the rest of her beer. “I really should go,” she says.

I stand. “Let me get you an Uber. It’s the least I can do.”

“Sure.” She nods and follows me over to the bar while I schedule a pickup.

I wait with her on the sidewalk. It’s cold and when she shivers, I shrug off my leather jacket and drape it over her shoulders.

“Are you sure?” she asks, pushing her arms into the sleeves.

“Positive.”

I watch from the corner of my eye as she grips the collar with one hand and drops her head, burying her nose into my jacket.

I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face.

When the Uber pulls up, I open the back door and Oakley slips past me and into the car with a finger wave goodbye. I close the door and pull my phone from my pocket and shoot off a quick text to Shelly to let her know that Oakley is on her way home.

As I’m locking up, Oakley’s simple words float through my mind. “I think most people would start with a phone call.”

Maybe you’re right, Oakley.

Maybe you’re