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  Daisy’s mouth was open.

  Reaching out, Tabitha placed a finger beneath her chin. “You might want to close that. It’s catching flies.”

  “But what does that mean?”

  “It means you have a date tomorrow night. What are you going to wear?” They headed inside the clubhouse.

  Tabitha breathed in the familiar scents of leather, beer, food, and The Skulls. Home.

  “But I’ve never been on a date.” Daisy grabbed both of her arms. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Lucky for you, I’ve been on at least one. I also know how much Anthony has been crushing on you. If you turn up looking like a sack of potatoes, you won’t have to worry. He’d dig you.”

  “Tabitha, this isn’t funny,” Daisy said.

  They entered the kitchen and like most times, Angel was there.

  “Hey, girls.” Angel came over to Tabitha and within seconds, she was being pulled into a hug. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

  Tabitha laughed, stepping back. “Of course, you are. What are you doing?”

  “Ah, the guys have another mission to go on. It’s going to be a tough one. I’ve got the hotel rooms ready, and some medics on standby. Lash told me it was going to be intense. I’m getting lunches ready for them to take. What’s fun?” She turned her smile toward them.

  Considering all the crap that had happened to Angel, she’d remained this sweet, nice person throughout it all.

  “Anthony and Daisy are going on a date tomorrow night.”

  “Oh,” Angel said, her lips going into a perfect O before returning to a smile. “Are you excited?”

  “I … am, I think. I’ve never been on a date.”

  “What does Anthony like?” Tabitha asked.

  “You know Anthony, he likes what he likes.” Angel laughed. “I better get back to lunches. Help yourself to some sandwiches.”

  Anthony was such an anomaly, his own mother didn’t understand him at times. Tabitha had to wonder if the hospital got it all wrong and accidentally swapped the wrong child at birth. That there was some sweet kid with weird parents.

  After grabbing a couple of cheese and pickle sandwiches, she and Daisy headed out of the clubhouse again.

  “Your house or mine?” Daisy asked.

  “Let’s go to yours. Mom keeps asking me constant questions. It’s freaking me out.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she wants so many answers. I think she’s worried Simon and I had sex.”

  “Did you?” Daisy asked.

  “Not you too.”

  “What? You think I don’t know for a fact you keep things from me as well? I do.”

  “Daisy, you’re my best friend.”

  “I know, but even BFFs have secrets. Don’t worry, I’m not mad or sad, or anything. I accepted it long ago.” Daisy finished her sandwich, brushing her hands. “I think my mom’s working at the salon, and Dad is doing something. We’ve got the house to ourselves.”

  “No, we didn’t have sex. In case you were wondering.”

  “I wasn’t exactly thinking about it, you know,” Daisy said. “It wasn’t on my need-to-know basis.”

  “Shut up, nerd,” Tabitha said, hitting her arm.

  “What? You think it’s impossible for me to go a day when I wasn’t thinking about you or sex, or Simon?”

  “That’s a lot of someones,” Tabitha said.

  “Don’t get me wrong, I love you and I missed you, but not enough to want to hear about all the nasty stuff you’ve got going on.”

  “Of course you want to hear about all my nasty stuff.” She nudged Daisy’s shoulder. “Let’s stop talking about me and my love life. We’ve got to get you ready for your date tomorrow night.”

  Daisy groaned. “No, we don’t.”

  “Yes, we do. You’ve got to look sexy and cute, and I can’t wait to dress you up.”

  “No dresses.”

  “I wore a dress.”

  Daisy wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I should have asked Anthony out on a date.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because, I mean, we’re best friends. Isn’t that going to be odd for the group?”

  “You’re asking me. The girl who is dating one of our own.”

  “But he’s not one of our own, is he?”

  Tabitha stopped.

  “I’m sorry,” Daisy said.

  “No, you’re right. Maybe I have been going about this all the wrong way. I didn’t mean to, but think about it. I’ve been treating him as if he is a Skull. He’s not. We’re completely different.”

  “And that’s a good thing,” Daisy said.

  “Is it? I mean, really?” Tabitha ran her fingers through her hair. They were outside Daisy’s house.

  Her best friend grabbed her hands. “Stop.”

  “But—”

  Daisy covered her mouth with her hand. “No, stop. You are going to listen to me. Yes, you’re going to have to make a decision. The club or Simon. I get it. It’s going to be tough. You don’t have to make that choice today, or tomorrow, or next week. Not even next year. If Simon loves you like you say he does, then he’ll be happy to wait until you make that decision for yourself. Not a moment before. Got it?” Daisy asked. Her hand was still over Tabitha’s mouth. “Got it?” she repeated more firmly.

  She nodded her head. “When did you get all bossy?” she asked when her hand was gone.

  “Since you were gone and I realized if I didn’t, Miles was going to treat me like crap.”

  “My brother?”

  “Yep. He seemed to think with you gone, it instantly put me and him on bestie terms. It didn’t. I put him in his place. You would have been so proud of me.”

  “I am proud of you.” Tabitha hugged her friend close. “Come on, let’s go inside. We’ve got to prepare for your date and I’m going to have to give you some pointers in case he kisses you.”

  ****

  The following night

  “I’m nervous. Is this normal?”

  “Totally normal.” Tabitha ran the brush down Daisy’s hair as Lacey came in with some mascara.

  Daisy wrinkled her nose. “No, Mom.”

  “They’ll make your eyes pop.”

  “I think I’ll be happy with them staying firmly in my head.”

  They all paused as the doorbell rang. “Holy crap, that’s him. What do I do?”

  “Don’t worry, your dad will open the door,” Lacey said.

  “No, he’ll give him the talk, won’t he? The one he used when Sally started dating.”

  “And she’s now happily married and has a couple of kids.” Lacey cupped her cheek, smiling. “Your father’s a matchmaker. You should be so happy.”

  “Why?”

  “You and Anthony could be walking down the aisle in next to no time.” Lacey kissed her cheek and left the room while Daisy turned wide eyes toward her.

  “How the hell does one date become married? I don’t know if I want to marry him.”

  “Don’t worry about it. You think Lacey doesn’t have a job to do? Her daughter is going out on a date and she’s nervous.”

  “We’re not going to do anything.”

  “I know that.” She didn’t. She knew a lot about Anthony but not necessarily all the good parts.

  “Daisy, your date is here,” Whizz said.

  “I can’t do this.”

  “You can.”

  “Why did I ask him out on a date?”

  “I don’t know. You wanted to?”

  Daisy pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

  “Breathe. It’s a date. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

  “You’re going to be here when I get back?”

  “Count on it.”

  “Good. Okay. Good.” Daisy looked toward the door and whimpered. “I guess we better get this show on the road.”

  Tabitha giggled and followed her friend downstairs to where Anthony stood by the door, waiting.
Whizz was there, arms folded, all of his ink on display. She tried to contain her amusement.

  “Before midnight, clear?” Whizz said.

  “Clear.”

  “Good. No funny business.”

  “Dad, you know him. Stop.”

  “And if you so much as touch her, I will break every single bone in your body.”

  “Dad, please stop.”

  “Have fun,” Tabitha said.

  Anthony actually smiled at Daisy. A real, lips lifted, showing teeth and not in a crazy serial killer way, smile.

  She watched her friend tense up and then slowly relax.

  They left after Daisy kissed her dad’s cheek.

  “She’s all grown up. Why do they have to be so grown up?” Lacey hugged tight to Whizz’s side. “I remember when I was enough of a date for Daisy and she’d just color and we’d eat meatballs and spaghetti.”

  “Do you mean you ordered them in?”

  “Stop it,” Lacey said.

  “You want to come down?” Whizz asked, looking up at her.

  “Nah, I’m going to go and study. Is that okay?”

  “It’s not a problem at all. We’re down here if you need us.”

  Tabitha nodded and turned on her heel, heading back up into the bedroom. She didn’t close the door. Pulling out her cell phone, she used the video app on her phone to call Simon.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Are you outside?” Tabitha asked, hearing the wind.

  “Yep. I decided I needed to freeze my butt off. What about you?”

  “I’m in Daisy’s room. They went on their first official date today and get this, Anthony smiled.”

  “Get the fuck out. You’re lying.”

  “Am not. It was an honest-to-god smile.”

  “Creepy?”

  “No. I did wonder if he’d been practicing in the mirror.”

  “We’re mean, aren’t we?”

  “The worst. So how are you?”

  “You know, the same. Missing you.”

  “Your mom was getting some tests, right?

  “They’re going to do some more tests. She needs more chemo as well, just to be on the safe side. It sucks. It’s draining her a lot more now.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “How are things back there for you?” he asked.

  “Odd. It’s strange but good. I like being home.” She nibbled on her lip.

  “I get it,” he said.

  “You do?”

  “Yeah.”

  Silence.

  Tabitha licked her lips. “I do miss you as well.”

  “I know. Look, I’ve got to go. Dad’s calling me.” She heard his name being shouted in the distance.

  “Okay, well, I’ll be here if you need me. Don’t forget that.”

  “I won’t. Love you.”

  He’d already hung up by the time she went to say bye. Pressing her lips together, she turned the app off and leaned back against the bed. This was hard. Guilt filled her as she did love being home, but there was a giant hole.

  Simon would never come to live here, not for any reason.

  She reached for the necklace she always wore. This has been a gift from Simon so long ago. It meant a great deal to her.

  “I got you something,” Simon said.

  She giggled at the same time she squeezed out her hair. “You don’t have to get me anything, Simon. I’m fine.” She pulled out the band keeping her other bunch of hair up, and then gave that a squeeze. The kids had totally lost this time with the water fight, but that was fine. They’d win one soon. No one beat The Skulls’ kids. That was what they were. She glanced across the play area and saw Anthony brushing out Daisy’s hair. Her best friend was trying to reach for the brush, but Anthony kept it out of reach.

  “I wanted to give you something so that every time you saw it, you’d remember me.”

  “I’m not going to forget you. We talk all the time.” She rested her damp head on his shoulder.

  “Please, take it.” He held out a box that she saw had been hand-created with a card. Taking it, she opened the lid as she knew he wanted her to do this. She saw a silver chain, and there in the center was the insignia of Chaos Bleeds. “I know you’re part of The Skulls, but you’re always going to be my girl.”

  She stared at the necklace. It was delicate, and as she lifted it over her head to rest on her chest, she looked at it. He was right. It did remind her of him. “It’s really pretty.”

  “Do you think you could wear that for me all the time?”

  “Yeah. My dad will pitch a fit, but I love it.” The Skulls was the only club she was ever going to be part of, and she knew there was going to come a time when she’d have to make a choice. The Skulls were her family. Simon took the box and then her hand.

  “We’re only here for a couple of days.”

  She rested her chin on his shoulder.

  “It’s hard leaving,” he said.

  They were nearly twelve years old now, and she knew that he loved her without a doubt. Whenever he did come to visit, he’d always get moody because he’d have to leave her again.

  “We’ll write all the time like always. I love reading what you’re doing, and I do think it’s great that you kick ass with bullies.” She stared down at their hands and snuggled against him. “You’re going to be my big bear.”

  He turned and stroked a curl behind her ear. This time, he lingered, caressing her cheek.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I just like being with you.”

  She laughed. “I’d drive you crazy in school. Daisy’s always having to remind me to keep my head down and focus. I’m always looking out the window, thinking of other things. School is so boring. Now they’re talking about what you want to be when you grow up. I don’t know. Older, I guess.”

  “I’m going to take my dad’s place. Chaos Bleeds is going to need a hero someday.” Simon pushed his chest out. “That’s going to be me. Total badass.”

  She couldn’t stop laughing. Pulling out of his hold, she stared at him, popping the gum she’d been chewing. “You’re not a badass.”

  He stood up, and she took a step back. “I am.”

  Tabitha shook her head. He was finally smiling again, and she liked that. She hated it when he was sad.

  “What are you two doing?” her father, Tiny, asked.

  “Nothing,” Tabitha said. “But The Skulls rule, Chaos Bleeds … drool.” She winked at Simon, letting him know she was doing this on purpose.

  “That’s my girl!” Eva, her mother, called out.

  While Simon looked toward where their parents were, Tabitha took a step toward him and placed a hand on his chest. She didn’t know if he felt that spark or whatever it was when she touched him, but she felt it all the time. It was like a constant hum between them. Moving toward his ear, she whispered the words. “Tag, you’re it.”

  Reluctantly, she pulled away and began running away from Simon. He gave her a couple of seconds, and she ran around the swings, watching as several of The Skulls were now facing off with the Chaos Bleeds. Simon wasn’t interested in anyone else though. He was on the other side of the swings, and she smiled at him. “You’re not going to chase anyone else?”

  “No one else I want to chase.” This just made her smile at him. She couldn’t help it. Simon made her feel even more alive. As she rushed one way, Simon followed, and she quickly changed direction, running across the park and heading toward the small garden that Angel liked to maintain while she was there. She didn’t get far as Simon grabbed her and spun her around. They both collapsed on the ground, and she was laughing as he landed beside her.

  “Tag.”

  “You caught me.”

  Simon stared into her eyes, and it almost made her forget to breathe. “I’ll always catch you, Tabby. You’ll never have to fall again, and if you ever do, I’ll be there with you.”

  Silence fell between them, and she was breathing hard as she stared at him. Si
mon always offered her the world, and her mother had told her to be careful. There was only so much that she could do. She was a Skull, and Simon a Chaos Bleeds, but she loved him. She didn’t care what her parents said. She knew she was in love with Simon, and no matter what, she belonged to him.

  “Food!” The spell was broken. Simon stood and held his hand out. She took it, knowing she always would, no matter what.

  Pulling out of the memory, she felt an equal measure of happiness and sadness. Even then, she’d known a choice needed to be made and it would have to be her to make it. Running a hand down her face, she decided to take Daisy’s advice and not think about it. Instead, she opened up the books Daisy had left for her and got some studying in. After an hour of looking through all of Daisy’s notes, she headed downstairs to get a drink. Lacey was in the kitchen, attempting to make a sandwich.

  “You want one?”

  Seeing the amount of mustard on one slice of bread, she shook her head.

  “I know I can’t cook, but I can order takeout. I think that is what Whizz and John are getting.”

  “It’s fine.” John was Daisy’s adoptive brother. Whizz and Lacey had taken him in a couple of years ago. Where Sally and Daisy had been older and knew they weren’t their real parents, John didn’t know the truth. There were a few times she’d babysat with Daisy, but Lacey liked to do everything herself, or at least as much of it as possible. Tabitha took a sip and watched as lettuce was placed on the bread, along with large slices of tomato.

  “I know it’s tough, this thing you have going with Simon. It’s a hard decision to make.”

  Lacey was once part of a different MC that was completely wiped out, burned to the ground. Their name ceased to exist.

  “I know.”

  “I picked Whizz,” she said.

  “You’re telling me to pick Simon?” Tabitha asked. “Over the club?”

  “I know it was easy for me. I didn’t have any family and the club died, and I’m not going to delve into that. What I’m trying to say is even before all of that, I did pick Whizz. I know you’re supposed to be loyal to the club, but what is loyalty if after a time you become so resentful of them?”

  Lacey stopped making a sandwich. “We’re your family and I get that there will possibly be a chance that trouble will fall between all of us at some point. You’ve got two hard-assed Presidents. It’s going to happen, but that doesn’t mean between Chaos Bleeds and The Skulls, they can’t work it out at some point. Don’t give up on him just yet.”