Hollow (Heaven Hill Generations #4) - Laramie Briscoe Page 0,19

your life.”

Irritated, I hook a finger in the side and tear it along the edge, unfolding the paper with a gusto that almost rips it.

I miss you.

I need you.

I love you.

What? I have to read those words again, let them sink into my brain and grow roots, take hold and then make myself take a breath. She misses me? She loves me? She needs me?

This is so different from the woman who left here a few weeks ago, but I’m hopeful, for the first time in a long time, I’m hopeful. There’s a burning at the back of my throat as I read her words.

My strong woman, never wanting anyone to see her as less, is laying herself bare for me, and my chest tightens with an intensity it hasn’t had in ages. This is the Mandy I fell in love with, the one who would freely accept love, and give it the same way.

I want nothing more to than to hug her right now, to whisper in her ear, tell her I love her, that if she allows me to, I will always be the one to keep her open and accepting of the love I so want to give.

Finishing the letter, I put it back in the envelope slowly, as not to ruin or tear any of it. Getting up, I stick it back in my jacket pocket, but this time in the one closest to my heart.

I’ll keep it here until she can be with me again and I can tell her in person just how much she means to me.

“You look different today.” Layne eyes me with a look on his face.

“Your arthritis is affecting your eyesight.” I point to his hand with the brace on it. Dropping an engine and catching it with your hand is enough to give anyone arthritis.

“Fuck you.”

“You know you love to milk it for all that it’s worth.”

His smile tilts slightly into a grin. “I wear the brace when I ask Jess for a handy.” He winks.

“Oh my God!” I laugh, full-belly chuckle, throwing my head back.

When I’m done, I glance around, noticing everyone is looking at me.

“What? Never seen a guy laugh before?”

“Not you.” Remy wipes his hands off with a towel.

“Not in a long time.” Wild stands next to him.

“It’s good to hear, brother.” Drew comes over to where I’m standing. “We’ve missed you.”

In the matter of a few minutes, they’ve said so much about how life has been. Were they walking around on eggshells because of me? I had always hoped I kept my bad mood to myself, but I’m beginning to wonder if I was as good at hiding it as I thought I’d been.

“Was I that bad to deal with?” I question Drew quietly.

“You were in a bad mood, which was understandable, and sometimes you lashed out. You did the same I expect I would do if I were in your shoes. Don’t be sorry, we understood, but at the same time, it does us all good to hear you laugh and to see you not looking like the walking dead.”

I wonder if Walker’s felt the same way.

“Do you think I’ve been that way around the clubhouse too?”

“Oh yeah, and Walker’s been so quiet, I thought he lost his voice when he had strep throat.”

Motherfucker. That’s who I was with my own dad when I was a kid. Scared to death to do anything, to say anything. I barely made a move because I never wanted to anger him. I knew if I did so, I’d meet the end of his closed fist.

“Dalton, you’re not your dad.” Drew’s voice is hard and stern.

“I’m not much better than he is. I need to make it up to him.”

“He understands.”

“But he shouldn’t have to. I understood why my dad beat the shit out of me. However, it didn’t make it right, now did it?”

Drew holds his hands up, the motion letting me know he’s not going to argue with me anymore. That’s one of the best things about being friends for decades; we know when to stop pushing.

“I’m gonna take him out for dinner tonight.” I decide right here, right now. “He deserves some quality time with me, and I’d like some with him.”

“What’s changed for you?” Drew crosses his arms over his chest. “You look like an entirely different person today.”

“I got a letter from Mandy.” I pat the breast pocket of my jacket. “She said a lot of things I needed to hear, and I