We stopped at the security checkpoint for Shay’s flight, and I felt the same ache in my chest as when I’d lost her just a few weeks before. I wanted to believe this wasn’t goodbye, but deep down I wasn’t sure, even if she seemed to be.
Shay bit her lip and wiped her tears from her eyes that had taken on a watery green look. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but I can’t help it. Promise me every night, Stefan. Every night we’ll talk, right?”
Pulling her to me, I held her close and kissed the top of her head. “Every night. I promise. I’ll bore you with stories about the club and you can tell me all about your day. It will be just like we’re sitting next to one another.”
Stepping back, she looked up at me. “Promise me one other thing.”
“Anything.”
I saw the worry in her eyes and knew what she wanted to say. “If at any time you decide you can’t wait for me, promise me you’ll at least be honest with me. That’s all I ask. Honesty.”
“I can’t promise that because I don’t want anyone else and I won’t. There’s only you, Shay.”
“A year’s a long time, Stefan. What if…?” She didn’t finish her sentence but I knew what she meant.
“I have hands,” I said with a smile. “And I can always fly over to you if I just can’t wait anymore.”
Wiping her cheek, she smiled through her tears. “Only you would say that. Okay. We can do this, right?”
“Yeah, we can do this,” I said, trying to control my emotions as I felt my last moments with her slipping away. “Go show those science nerds how smart you are, princess. I’ll be here when you get back.”
Shay wrapped her arms around my neck and clung to me. “I love you, Stefan. Part of me doesn’t want to go, but the other part knows I have to. I have to do this.”
I kissed her and wished I’d never have to let her go. “I love you. No more tears. I’ll see you tomorrow night when we talk.”
Watching her walk away into that security line, I wasn’t sure I could take a breath my chest hurt so much. She turned to blow me a kiss and I smiled, and then she disappeared in the crowd of people like her heading to their gates to take off on planes and leave behind the people who loved them. Two hours later, I stood watching through the airport windows as Flight 3279 finally lifted off the ground taking the woman I loved with it.
I just hoped it wasn’t forever.
Sitting in Cash’s office for the weekly meeting I still didn’t see the point to, my brother and I waited for Kane, who’d kept us hanging for the last twenty minutes. He strolled in like we had all the time in the world. Cash and he might, but I had a standing date with the woman I loved to video chat, and Shay would be calling in less than an hour.
Kane sat down in the chair next to mine and shrugged, like his wasting our time meant nothing to him. “Sorry. It couldn’t be avoided.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s get this meeting going. I have to be out of here in a couple.”
Both of them stared at me like I’d said something bizarre. Cash smiled and shook his head. “Anything important, Stef?”
“Yeah, it’s important. I’m going to talk to Shay like I do every day, so let’s get going.”
“I still can’t get used to you as a committed man, little brother,” Kane teased. “And that you got that woman still amazes me.”
I rolled my eyes at the same jabs he always made. “You need some new material, Kane. Maybe if you ever spent any time with women you wouldn’t be fixated on my love life.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s get going with this. Olivia and I have to finalize the plans for the wedding at four today,” Cash said as he typed his password into his laptop. “We’ve got to discuss what we’re going to do now that Shank isn’t going to be around to help us anymore. We’ve been lucky for much longer than I thought we’d be, but luck runs out.”
I looked at both my brothers for any sense that they blamed me. The whole Lola situation hadn’t been my finest hour, and in truth, Shank gunning for us now was my fault. That Cash and Kane had forgiven me made me feel a little better about things, but the truth was that the club was in danger as long as we didn’t have someone to protect us from nightly raids.
“Any progress with that councilman?” Kane asked. “He could help. He’s already a member of the club. I’m sure he wants it open again.”
Cash solemnly shook his head. “Maybe. I have a meeting set up with him in a few days.” I saw the look of worry in my brother’s eyes, but he quickly forced a smile. “He’s got deep pockets and seems to be interested in adding to them, so he might be willing to. I think he might be able to help with the police if we can convince him.”
I hated seeing him so stressed out. More than Kane or me, Cash bore the responsibility for the club’s security and the concern he had about it was written all over his face.
“What if we kept it legal for a while?” I asked, knowing how much of Club X was outside the bounds of what was legal. Virtually everything in Kane’s area could be something we’d get shut down for on any given night.
“That’s going to cut into profits, Stefan. This comes as a bad time for Cash especially.”
I looked at Kane and nodded. “I know, but it’s got to be better than being shut down.” Turning toward Cash, I said, “I’m sorry this is happening just around your big day. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“I know, Stef. Don’t worry. We’ll get through this. We handled things before we found Shank, and we’ll handle it now. It’s nice to hear you say you’re sorry, though.”
Kane elbowed me and I saw him smile. “Who would have thought you’d finally grow up on a bet between the two of us?”
“Does your girlfriend know you made a bet on her?” Cash asked.
“Yes, she does know. I told her. I’m a changed man, gentlemen. Being with Shay has transformed me.”
The two of them sat staring at me as if I’d announced I planned to travel to Mars, but it didn’t matter if they believed me or not. I believed in Shay and me. That’s all that counted.
“Now, if I can please be excused, Mr. March, I have a date with my girlfriend I’d like to get ready for.”
Cash rolled his eyes and smiled. “Go. You’re no use to us when you’re acting like a lovesick puppy. If you need to know anything about the week ahead, Kane or I will tell you.”