Page 101 of Hash

No wonder my eye feels funny, and I can barely smile.

I slowly bring my hand up to my cheek, pressing on the welt ever so slightly.

“Owe,” I whine, backing my hand away fast.

How can Hash look at me and keep a straight face? No wonder his body has been wound so tight. Even when we were taking a nap, it didn’t feel like he was truly relaxed.

He looked like he was barely holding it together when he left to get Doc.

I splash some water on my face, the coolness feeling good against my skin.

“Knock knock.” Evan’s voice sounds in Hash’s room.

I walk out of the bathroom and see her standing in the doorway with a tray of food.

“Hi,” I greet, moving over to the bed as I check on Cormac on my way.

He’s still playing, oblivious of anything going on around him.

“Doc told me he was done, and I figured you would want some food. Your swelling looks like it’s gone down from last night,” Evan says as she comes fully into the room and sets the tray down on the bed.

“It has?” I look at her in disbelief.

What I just saw in the mirror doesn’t look like it’s gotten better.

“Your eye was barely open last night,” Evan says, her face sympathetic. “How are you feeling?”

“Aside from the dull headache I can’t get to go away, just tired. So, all things considered, not too bad,” I say, trying to lighten the mood.

Evan smiles.

“I brought you an ice pack. Doc said it would help with the swelling, but if you need something a little stronger to take the edge off, I brought you this.” Evan sets a few joints on my nightstand. “I’m not saying smoke around the baby, of course. I’ll watch him so you can garden,” she explains as she winks. “If they find who did this, I told Cain I’m first in line to fuck his ass up. Sutton said she would hold my jewelry. She isn’t really one for confrontation.” Evan shrugs, making me laugh.

She’s fucking serious too.

“If they find him, I have a feeling I’m going to have to hold Hash back.”

I don’t want him to do something he will regret because of me.

“Oh, bitch, no. You let that man release all the rage he’s barely keeping a lock on. Once that’s over, you’ll have a nice, good back cracking fueled by the adrenaline that’s pumping through his veins, and then you two will live happily ever after.” Evan waves her hand.

She makes it sound like it’s the most normal thing. I’m beginning to think Hash is right; his life is very different from mine.

“I just don’t want him to go to prison for murder because of me. I just got him back. I don’t want to lose him again.”

“Prison?” Evan exclaims, her eyes wide with amusement. “I know this is all new for you, but Hash isn’t going to prison. And if the day does come when the club finds who did it, they’ll do it smart and make sure there isn’t a trail. Cain is very calculating in his moves. He never acts before he takes a million years to think it over.” Evan rolls her eyes. “It’s honestly so fucking annoying sometimes.”

“I think I just feel guilty I’m bringing all of this on. It’s my mess. It shouldn’t be offloaded onto all of you guys,” I tell her as I take a cracker off the tray.

The girl made a whole-ass cheeseboard for me. I knew I liked her when I met her at the cookout.

“I get that.” Evan nods as she follows suit with eating. “Cain and I met because I said I would help them out and then accidentally brought my shit onto them. I felt guilty about it for a while, but then I slowly realized that’s what family does. They take each other’s backs without asking for a thing in return.”

I look at her thoughtfully as I wait for the cracker to dissolve slightly in my mouth so it’s easier to chew.

I never thought of it like that. Sure, I had two parents who didn’t divorce growing up, but we were never close. When I moved out at eighteen, the distance grew even further. There’s no bad blood, but there also isn’t a relationship.

“How does your family feel about the club?” I ask.