Loneliness and I had grown quite close over the years. We shared a bond that I had never shared with anyone else. When everything in life was spiraling out of control, loneliness was the one thing I could always count on.
Loneliness was my best fri...
I didn't need to see Emerson in her dress tonight to know that she would be absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. It pained me to know that I wasn't the one holding her close to my side all night, but I knew it was for the club. I knew she needed to be with Gideon tonight, and I knew that it was definitely for the best for the two of us to remain as friends so that nothing happened between us.
It was easy to fall for Emerson. The way her laughter filled a room, and her melodic voice always seemed to lure men in like a fucking siren song. She was the first person who made me feel anything since Kara's death, and that was a big accomplishment. I had been a walking shell of a human since then, only showing emotion when needed, but the first night I saw Emerson making drinks behind the bar in that cute little outfit of hers, I knew I was doomed. Doomed to love a woman who would be second best to anyone in this town--but not me.
The night that Emerson had told me we needed to remain friends had broken my heart in a way I didn't think she was capable of doing so early on, but it broke my heart nonetheless. Deep down, I knew I was living out another mans life, being able to spend time with her the way were. Being able to dip down and kiss her full lips any time I felt like I needed to, whether we were in public or not... it was a dream that I didn't want to wake up from. It hurt to know that she wanted to be just friends, but I agreed because that was the mentality I needed to have anyways, I knew she was off-limits. Hell, we all did.
Then, there was the night where Gideon came across the bar and punched me straight in the face. I had been doing my best to avoid Emerson since Sunday, and I had succeeded. I had even given her the cold shoulder when I first got to the bar, no matter how pained it made me feel to see the look of confusion on her face. It was better this way.
Gideon had made a spectacle out of us, fighting in the middle of a bar over a girl, like we hadn't been brothers our whole lives. But we weren't just fighting over any girl, no, we were fighting over Emerson-- the girl who seemed to have stolen both of our hearts. I had no shame in standing up for her, fighting for her honor. She didn't deserve Gideon, he would never be able to be the man she needed. He would always put his club first, and she would constantly be shoved aside for something 'more important' than her. I resented him for that, so of course I fought back. And who other than Emerson would break us apart? She wasn't stupid, she knew exactly what we were fighting over.
Somehow, I had managed to find my way on the roof of the clubhouse, a bottle of bourbon resting carefully by my side. It seemed childish of me to be pouting on the roof over a girl, like some teenager, but I just needed a little bit of time to myself to gather my thoughts. I need to process the fact that this club had taken another woman from my life, and not only had I grown to resent Gideon, I was growing to resent the club. This tiny little woman from Louisiana had gotten off the bus in the middle of town and turned our worlds upside down, and a smile fell on my face because it was just like her to do something like that without realizing it.
After a few hours, I decided it was time to stop my moping and go back inside, surely there was something more exciting taking place elsewhere. I stood up and stretched my limbs when I saw a black SUV creeping down our road slowly, which seemed unusual. I watched as the windows were rolled down and men with masks over their faces hung out of the window and opened fire-- their AK 47's were loud enough to be heard over anything. Before I had the chance to turn around and warn my brothers, I felt a burning sensation in my torso. I fell backwards, numb to the pain but not deaf to the shower of bullets that were raining own on my brothers and our friends.
I could hear glass shattering, screaming, and bullets ricocheting off of the walls. I could hear my blood 'whooshing' in my ears.
And then I heard nothing.
I saw nothing.
I felt nothing.
Nothing but her, the feel of her lips on my skin, and the sound of her laughter.
Then, there was the darkness.
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