Runaway ✔

092 • Dana

Kozik didn't bring her back to TM, but took her out of town, to a hill looking out over Charming. It was a beautiful, quiet place, and from this distance she could see the park where they'd been a while ago. 

"When I was younger I came her a lot, when I needed to clear my head," he told her. 

They sat down in the grass, shoulder to shoulder, and took in the view in silence. The sun was setting, by which the sky bathed in a beautiful glow. 

"That sunset makes this almost romantic," she muttered, not entirely sure what Kozik's intentions were. 

He chuckled. "I was never good with romance. That hasn't changed much, the past years." He bumped his knee against hers. "Don't worry. I won't kiss you again."

Dana looked at him from the side. "Why did you do it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. You've became damn beautiful, Dane. It just... it just happened."

She couldn't help his words made her blush. 

"Juice sounded so enthusiast when he told me I had to surprise you by stepping by tonight. I thought you were friends, that you had told him something about our past and that he thought it would be funny if I suddenly showed up. Sounded just like him.  Maybe I thought you still had feelings for me or somethin'." He chuckled. "But he was so enthusiast because he honestly wanted to surprise you. Not a single moment I thought you two would be together." 

Dana bowed her head. A warm glow filled her body. Juice had indeed wanted to surprise her, and if Kozik hadn't tried to kiss her, it would have been a great surprise. 

"Is he mad at you for not punchin' me in the face?" Kozik asked after a while.

Dana stared into the distance. "I guess." She however knew that wasn't their biggest problem. His violent side had shocked her. She peeked aside. Kozik studied her face, and his piercing look called up memories. There never had been a subject she couldn't discuss with him. When she started to get interest in boys, he'd been the one she'd asked how to kiss. And when she'd just asked him if she could practice with him, it had led to her first kiss. 

"Our relationship was so weird," she realized out loud. 

Kozik raised his eyebrows and she shrugged her shoulders. 

"I thought back to the time I could tell you everything that was on my mind. And how you taught me to kiss."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that. That was really, really wrong."

"Yeah," she admitted. "It was."

"You always looked so much older. And it felt good." He snorted and shook his head. "Shit man, listen to me. I'm still trying to smooth things over. I could have gotten in real trouble –  and with good reason. I'm sorry, Dana. I..."

"I was in love with you. I  never blamed you, I still don't. You never did anything I didn't want."

"Never?" He held her glance. 

She bowed her head, knowing he referred to today. "If I hadn't been in a relationship with someone else, I wouldn't have mind." She sighed. "I don't know what it is, Koz. I never felt so comfortable around anyone but you. Even after our... strange reunion I'm just happy you're back. For I really missed you, especially the first years. You never came back." She looked up to him. "Why didn't you?"

"I promised Hap." His lips curled into a smirk. "You almost killed me, girl. After your brother was done with me, I've been on the brink of death for three days."

Dana's eyes widened. "Did Happy–"

"Yeah, he broke pretty much all of my bones. I really thought I would die. When I left the hospital nevertheless, he made me swear I would never ever go looking for you. And I kept my promise."

"Until now."

"Yeah. Until now. Think he would've been harder on me than your lover, if he'd been around." He grinned. "But before we left the other day, he told me you were at TM – and why. When I asked him if his restraining order was still valid, he just sniffed. So, yeah, I just interpreted it however I wanted."

She chuckled quietly. It wasn't difficult to imagine Happy's cold glance and dismissive sniff. Her smile devoured when she thought about how that night had ended. 

"And now you were flirting with the Reaper for the second time, because of me."

He winked. "Some women are worth the risk. And hey, I'm still alive and I even got bail. Now I have a tall tale to tell and a few more cool scars to show the ladies. They love it."

Dana shook her head, laughing. "You're almost forty. I expected you to have a family by now."

"I have a daughter," he told her. "She's six now. However, I don't see her much. Her mother doesn't think I have a very good influence on her."

He laughed about it, but the look in his eyes told her it did bother him. 

"Then she doesn't know you very well. Unless you've became a whole different person the past ten years. You've always been sweet and caring."

Kozik shrugged his shoulders. "But I'm still a Son. And with that, comes a certain way of life. You're together with a Son too. Would you want to raise your child within the club?"

Dana raised her eyebrows. "We're together for roughly a month. I haven't thought about that yet," she answered skeptically. 

"It can happen anytime. For me, all it took was a week."

A week... Subconsciously she rubbed her belly. The chance something was growing in there was unbelievably small, for they'd always done it safely. "A child is always vulnerable. You know what my father has done. You don't have to hang around with a motorclub to meet mad men like him. And I think ten overprotective uncles can create quite a safe environment."

Kozik smirked. "Well, that's one way to look at it."