Since I've Been Lovin' You | Happy Lowman/OC (Book 2)

thirteen | Admissions

The next morning , Victoria woke up to the sound of cabinets closing and pots and pans on the stove. She laid in bed for a long time, not wanting to face the day after the night before. The hope and optimism she'd had around Happy adjusting easily was gone, and she knew now that they had a long road ahead of them. And that stress didn't even touch what came when she thought about all of their other problems.

Victoria got out of bed and made her way down the hall where she found Happy cooking breakfast. They had the house to themselves this morning since Kozik and Jacquelyn crashed at the clubhouse. He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, his cut resting on the counter. The coffee maker beeped softly, letting him know it was finished brewing, and she watched him for a quiet moment before making her presence known with a soft knock on the counter. The last thing she wanted was to sneak up on him again.

When he turned his head at the sound, there was still heavy guilt in his eyes, but she smiled as if nothing had happened. "Where are you today?" she asked, slipping past him to grab two mugs.

"Clay called church, so I'll be at the clubhouse for a while. Not sure after that. What about you?"

"Well, unfortunately I have to go into work for a few hours."

It was a short shift, but there was no way out of it no matter how hard she begged. They'd allowed her two days off for Happy's homecoming, but not three, and she'd used up what little vacation time she'd accrued for Lyla's bachelorette trip.

"What time are you done?"

She poured the coffee and passed him a mug as he flipped the bacon. "Two."

"I'll pick you up. I wanna head over to Bakersfield this afternoon, check on my mom."

Victoria smiled at the thought of a trip to visit Marianna. It'd been a while, and she'd never been with Happy before. "That'd be fun." She settled onto a barstool and admired his frame from behind. Happy continued cooking, oblivious to her eyes. "Can I ask you something?" He glanced at her over his shoulder, nodding. "What happened to your father?"

Happy turned back to the food and went silent. "Your mother, she showed me a picture of him once, said he passed away, but she never mentioned him again, and I just wondered—"

"He's where he belongs," Happy said, cutting her off. When he turned back around fully, there was so much anger in his eyes. "Rotting in the ground."

Victoria's mouth snapped closed, her eyes widening. "Oh."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Is that what you want to talk about this morning?" His tone was defensive, and she was thrown off by the shift.

"Your mother is so kind. I imagined her with someone the same. I just wondered what happened is all."

"He wasn't kind. He was a bastard piece of shit who got what he deserved."

Victoria raised her hands in front of her in defense. "Okay, I'm sorry for asking."

Happy let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his hand over his head. "Me too. I'm, um, I'm all fucked after last night and—" He abandoned the stove and came around to stand at her side. 

Victoria felt her heart sink at the way his head dropped and the fact that he didn't even try to reach for her. She took his hands in hers. "It was an accident, and I'm not mad or upset."