A Wild Ride (Hell's Tribe MC Series) [Book 7]

Chapter 25: Guilt

If you ever doubted that I love you guys, know that I do. I've just come back from a 4 day trip to Nashville (IYKYK) and am in bed seriously ill. Thank you Broadway for this amazing plaugue. ANYWAY, even in the midst of serious illness, I've brought you guys another update. 

Please vote and comment cos your girl is in bed and I need something to keep me entertained. 

~Blaze~

The chophouse was only a ten-minute drive away, fifteen if I drove the speed limit or twenty if I hit any sort of traffic. But I left thirty minutes early, mostly because I couldn't stay away any longer. The anticipation bubbled inside of me from the moment Maggie agreed to dinner. I did have to stipulate that it didn't have to be a date if she didn't want it to, but she never outright denied it, so in my head, I was counting it as one. Although Maggie and I were way past first date territory at this point, I couldn't help the weird way I felt something fluttering around in my stomach at the thought. It was almost like indigestion or gas, but way fucking worse. It was uncomfortable in the most strange way and it only started the moment I dropped Maggie off at the chophouse and continued while she was on shift. I tried just about everything to distract myself, but nothing killed this feeling. Going on a run had failed, taking a cold shower had done nothing but make me wish she was in the shower with me, taking Murph for a walk only reminded me of the walks we'd take together, and trying to clean up my place only made me think of her more. There were bits of Maggie scattered all over my house, and it concerned me how much I enjoyed it. I was usually agitated by even the slightest thing being out of place, but when I noticed Maggie's sweater thrown lazily over the couch, all I did was smile. Her toiletries cluttered my bathroom sink and I only chuckled at how messy she was.

This was not normal—at least not for me.

I had failed so miserably at distracting myself all damn day that when I noticed the time on my phone as 4:28 I decided I would head out.

I drove slowly, at least for me, figuring it might freak Maggie out if I showed up for our "date" so early. I knew it was a long shot when I suggested the idea and I figured she might say no, but she surprised me. That woman always fucking surprised me. Granted, she only agreed once I assured her it didn't have to be a date, but hell, I would take it. I just wanted to actually do something normal with Maggie where we could get to know each other beyond all the serious shit. We both had enough of that to last a lifetime, but I knew there was more to Maggie than her past. There was more to me too, that was half the reason I had been trying to escape it these last couple of years.

I ended up pulling up to the chophouse about fifteen minutes before five. I pulled up to a parking spot up front, one with a perfect view of the front doors. I knew Maggie would be able to spot me as soon as she walked out, but more importantly, I'd be able to see her. I had taken a strange pleasure in just looking at Maggie, especially when she wasn't aware of it. I'd come to notice so many new details about her in the last couple of weeks, ones I never would have if I hadn't paid such close attention. Like the fact that she had a beauty mark on her left shoulder blade that if you looked at it in just the right way was loosely shaped like a heart. It was a tiny speck on her skin, but I couldn't help but notice it the other morning while she was still sleeping and the sun shining through my bedroom window framed her body just right.

I knew that would sound creepy if I admitted it out loud to anyone else, but that little beauty mark had quickly become one of my favourite things about her and I was probably the only person in the world who knew it was there.

I felt myself smiling like a fucking idiot as I thought about it and even felt my heart skip a beat when I noticed the time that had passed while I creepily thought about her cute shoulder beauty mark.