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to demand an explanation of what would happen next. What did there being here mean?
    “Let’s order,” I suggested instead, handing Mad a plastic spoon to chew on while we waited.
    “How is it that you’re so thin having a six-month-old?” Scarlet accused with a smile as she scooped out some baby food for Gracie.
    “I can feed her, babe,” Cole offered, taking the jar from her and delivering a swift kiss on his wife’s cheek.
    “She’s probably too busy to eat,” Connie put in, throwing me a wink.
    I shrugged and offered her a shy smile, trying to ignore the tension I noticed in Axel’s posture at Connie’s flippant remark.
    Cole shot me an appraising look, his expression guarded and I knew I was far from being out of hot water with him. I didn’t know Cole well, but as Vice President of the Knights’ MC, I knew he was not a man you messed with. He was also kind and the most devoted husband and father I’d ever seen. My gaze swung to Sal, sitting at the other end of the table, the anger rolling off him as Kat spoke in his ear. I knew she was trying to calm him down. He hadn’t said a word to me or to Axel since we’d left the apartment.
    My stomach ached knowing I’d caused all this hurt, all this anger. I couldn’t eat a bite of my delicious-looking meal when it came. I was so overcome with worry that I felt sick. “Would you mind feeding Maddox for a few minutes?” I asked Axel who sat to my right.
    “Yeah, you all right?” he asked, his tone concerned but distant.
    I nodded and scooted my chair back, beelining for the bathroom as the tears escaped their prison and fell in an unrelenting onslaught.
    I sobbed as quietly as possible in the bathroom, trying unsuccessfully to pull myself together, wiping my face and taking breath after breath, each as shaky as the last.
    When a swift knock sounded followed by the door swinging open, I looked up in surprise as Sal strode in.
    “You hate me,” I rasped in despair and he surprised me by pulling me into a hug, holding the back of my head as I sobbed into his chest.
    “I don’t hate you, Soph. I’m just pissed you kept all this from me. Why?” he demanded, his chin resting on my head.
    I hiccupped and wiped my eyes. “I didn’t tell you about Axel because you were so adverse to him spending time with me at all. I wanted to figure out what was between us, if anything, before I told you about him or the baby,” I explained. It was a weak excuse but it was the truth. “I always intended to tell you. I thought I had time. It was never my intention to leave Hawthorne. Regardless of what happened with Axel, I was planning to stay if you’d have me.” I saw his expression soften some and knew he believed me. “Please don’t be mad at Axel. He never wronged me. He just didn’t want me.” I shook my head.
    He sighed in resignation. “I don’t think that’s true, Soph. I’ve known for a long time there was something between you two. It was obvious to everyone. I just had no idea you had any type of history.”
    “I wouldn’t call it history,” I muttered. “More like one night he regretted.”
    Sal pulled me away from him. “That’s between you and him. But based on how he’s been since you left, I don’t think that’s true either. He and I will work our shit out,” he replied tensely. “Don’t worry about that. As long as he does right by you and my nephew, we’ll be straight. What I want to know is why you left and I want to know right now.”
    Sal never did beat around the bush.
    “I’m afraid of what you’ll do,” I admitted, looking off to the side.
    “You should be,” he replied without hesitation.
    “Not helping,” I muttered.
    The bathroom door swung open followed by a girl who gasped in surprise at seeing us in there. “Sorry,” I apologized hurriedly. “We were just leaving. It’s all yours,” I told her, pushing through the door with Sal at my heels.
    “Soph, you’re not getting out of this,” he warned.
    I