LOGIN~ Mara ~ I don’t notice it at first. It's not obvious. It's one of those moments where everything just clicks and suddenly your life looks different. The kind of change that slips into a room and sits down like it’s always belonged there. I’m standing by the kitchen counter, pretending to scroll through my phone, but I haven’t read a single word in the last five minutes. Because my attention is somewhere else. Across the room. On them. Cole is sitting at the table with Lily, one elbow resting lazily against the wood, his big hand wrapped awkwardly around a pencil that looks too small for him. He’s leaning in slightly, not towering over her, just… there. Lily frowns at her notebook, tapping the eraser against the page. “I don’t get it,” she mutters. Cole doesn’t sigh. Doesn’t snap. Doesn’t take the pencil from her like he knows better. He just tilts his head a little, eyes scanning the page like it actually matters. “Yeah, you do,” he says, calm. “You ju
~ Mara ~ The peace didn’t feel earned. After everything that had happened… the tension, the threats, the constant sense that something was about to go wrong… this felt like a temporary pause instead of a resolution. Like the world had taken a breath but hadn’t decided what came next. Lily was asleep. Actually asleep this time. No music, no whispering to herself, no random questions shouted through the walls. Just steady breathing from behind her door That should’ve made me feel better. It didn’t. I stood in the hallway for a while, just listening. Making sure it stayed quiet. Making sure nothing shifted, nothing creaked wrong, nothing broke the illusion that we were safe for a few hours. Then I moved. Slow steps. Careful. Like if I walked too loudly, I’d wake her up. The bathroom light flicked on, too bright at first. I squinted, reaching for the counter like I needed something to hold onto even though I didn’t. My reflection stared back at me. Same fac
~ Mara ~ I felt lighter when I got back. Like the feeling of dread sitting on my shoulder had finally lessened. Lily was upstairs, humming again, dragging something across the floor that sounded suspiciously like furniture being rearranged without permission. I stood in the kitchen for a second longer than necessary, staring at the counter like it might suddenly give me answers about what the judge and jury's final verdict would be and whether I was about to lose everything I had rebuilt. I wasn’t good at waiting. Waiting felt like me standing still while someone else decided my life. And I hated that. I opened the fridge, closed it, and opened it again like something new might magically appear the second time. Nothing changed. Still groceries. Still normal. Still, a life that didn’t look like it was hanging in the balance, even though it was. Upstairs, Lily shouted, “Mom, if I move my bed, does it make my room bigger or just different?” “Differ
~ Cole ~ The garage smelled like gasoline, metal, and poor life choices. Home. Engines lined the concrete floor. Chrome reflecting the overhead lights. Music low. Guys talking in small clusters. The usual chaos of the clubhouse garage on a Thursday night. Except tonight everyone went quiet when I walked in. Which is never a good sign. Elijah leaned against the tool bench with a beer in his hand. Watching me like a man who already knew the joke before it landed. “You’re late,” he said. “I had court.” “Yeah.” “You already know.” “I know everything.” “That’s creepy,” I say I grabbed a bottle from the cooler. The cold glass felt good in my hand. “Silas made noise again,” Elijah added casually. Of course he did. “Where.” “South warehouse.” “Damage?” “Minor.” “That’s his style.” Across the room, a few of the older members watched me carefully. That kind of attention meant a conversation was coming. I sighed. “Let me guess,” I mu
~ Mara ~ The courthouse steps felt different on the way down. Like the storm had moved slightly further away. Lily skipped two steps ahead of us, humming some chaotic cartoon theme song while swinging her little yellow purse. Cole walked beside me with that calm expression he wore whenever he’d just done something smart and didn’t want credit for it. Which annoyed me. Because he absolutely deserved credit. “You lied,” I said. “I just clarified.” He said “You still lied.” “You told the judge you don’t live with us.” “I don’t officially.” “You have a toothbrush in my bathroom.” “Emergency toothbrush.” “You have three shirts in my closet.” “Temporary shirts.” “You fixed the door hinge last week.” “That’s just helping around” I stopped walking. Cole kept going two steps before realising. He turned back. “What?” “You stepped back for me.” “I stepped sideways.” “For me.” “For Lily.” I crossed my arms. “Still counts.” His jaw shifted
~ Mara ~ Before we knew it a week had passed and it was time for court. The courthouse parking lot smelled like hot asphalt it was as if I could taste people's sorrows in the air. I sat in the car for a full minute after turning the engine off. Just breathing. Just staring at the beige building in front of me like it personally offended me. Courthouses have that vibe. Cold. Judgy. Like the walls are whispering let’s see who ruins your life today. Cole knocked on the passenger window. I jumped. He opened the door and leaned down. “You planning to move in here or…?” “I was thinking about it,” I muttered. “Nice view of despair.” “Exactly.” He crouched slightly so we were eye level. “You ready?” “No.” “Good.” “That’s not comforting.” “Nobody’s ready for court.” “Fantastic.” He offered his hand. I stared at it. Then took it. Because apparently that’s who I am now. The woman who holds a biker president’s hand before custody hearings.
Mara I slammed the bathroom door hard enough to rattle the mirror, palms braced on the sink, breath coming fast like I’d just run up three flights of stairs instead of standing ten feet away from a biker who could ruin my fucking life with a look. Goddamn it. My reflection stared back at me
Cole By the time I shut my door, it was already done. That was the truth I didn’t want to look at. The clubhouse noise faded behind me, but the damage didn’t stay there. It followed. Sat heavy in my chest. Quiet. Certain. I hadn’t needed Jax to say anything. I hadn’t needed Rhea’s look when
Mara I slammed the bathroom door harder than I meant to and gripped the sink like it had personally offended me. My reflection looked wrecked. Not crying wrecked. Worse. Awake. Lit up in places that had been dormant for too long. My pulse was still kicking hard in my throat, my skin buzzing
Mara I knew i felt out of place when i walked in. the room and the noise, made me feel out of place. It pressed in closer, heavier, like I’d stepped into a space that already knew me. Conversations didn’t stop, but they dipped. Glances slid my way and didn’t slide back fast enough. I felt i







