The Salvation Knights MC Jinx's Mistake (by KJ) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Truth

Jinx’s P.O.V.

+25 Ponts

I practically ran all the way the f***k back to my cabin. I paused for a moment when I caught sight

of that little cabin again. I’d bet my fu.cking left nut that she’s staying in that little thing. Of course, she would be. That would be just our fu.cking luck.

I barreled into the cabin door and marched to the kitchen where all the adults were as the kids

played in the living room.

“Oh, you’re back-” Mom started to say as I practically threw the towels at Birdie.

Then I immediately turned around to… to… to go somewhere. Anywhere. Nowhere? Should I

leave? Maybe I should go home and let Waylen stay here…

“Uh, Jinx, you okay?” Dad asked, and I realized that was stopped in the doorway of the kitchen leading to the hallway.

“No, I’m fu.cking not,” I said as I turned around and started pacing the kitchen.

My mind was a mess. I kept picturing the look on Deidra’s face when she saw me. The anger, the annoyance, the small flicker of worry. Mom and Birdie’s words about the universe were playing on repeat in my head. I couldn’t help but wonder if the universe was just messing with me. Maybe it gets a kick out of the things that happen when I get too close to Deidra Hartman.

“Did something happen at the office?” Adam asked.

“You didn’t screw the girl that works here, did you?” Birdie groaned. “She’s married, you know.”

I shook my head, not stopping my pacing. I couldn’t I had to keep moving.

“Thorn was there,” I blurted.

And I was met with silence. I was sure they were all as shocked as I was. I didn’t bother looking up to confirm it from their faces either.

“Sorry… you mean… Deidra?” Birdie asked. “Deidra Hartman? Is here?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I have no idea what she’s doing here.”

“Wow… what are the odds of that?” Adam mumbled.

“I mean, I kind of only knew about this place because of her mom…” Birdie said awkwardly.

I stopped in my tracks, my eyes snapping up to catch my sister’s.

“What the hell do you mean?” I practically spat, making Birdie roll her eyes at me.

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*2% Points

“Remember my senior year when I had that bad fall during cheerleading practice and had to go to the ER?” she asked. “It was a couple of years before they passed, but it was right after Christmas and New Year. She was showing me all the pictures from their vacation here. She told me how

magical this town is during this time of year. That was why I picked here when we talked about taking a Christmas trip somewhere.”

I blinked at her, trying to process her words.

“I didn’t think she’d be here though,” Birdie rushed out. “I mean… I always see her around town

during the holidays, so I assumed she had stopped coming here after her parents passed away.”

That was true. Deidra was always around during the holidays after her parents died. I’d never

noticed it before. Which means… this was her first year here without her parents.

Is Deb with her? Is she all alone? Please, for the love of f***k, tell me she isn’t spending the holiday

alone in the place that her dead parents used to take her right after she caught her fiancé fu.cking

her best friend…

I had a strong urge to go find Deidra and talk to her but… the memory of that scowl on her face

stopped me. She didn’t want me here, wasn’t happy to see me. It wasn’t even shock on her face. It

was more like… like I was some curse she knew she couldn’t escape from.

And a fucking sick, twisted part of me likes that. A lolt of excitement shot through me just over

the thought. Like a fu.cking psychopath.

“Wait, so she’s alone?” Adam asked.

“I mean, she has a guardian still, right?” Birdie asked. “What was her name again? Diana?”

“Deb,” I corrected her. “Her name’s Deb.”

“Yeah, her,” my sister nodded. “Deidra still has her.”

“I don’t know if she’s here though,” I said.

“You didn’t see her with Deldra?” Birdie asked.

I shook my head.

“Nah, she was in the office, helping out, I guess. She gave me the towels,” I told her.

“And you guys didn’t exchange words? There was no shock over running into each other?” Birdie asked expectantly.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I recalled how much of a fu.cking p****y I was. Deidra is never going to let me live it down. She’s going to tell the whole club how she made a big, bad biker run away like a pansy–a.ss.

“Jinx?” Dad asked.

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“I… She yelled at me and I ran away,” I blurted it all out in one breath.

Birdie’s eyebrows shot up as Dad and Adam tried not to laugh. Mom was facing the stove, seeming not interested in our conversation. Which wasn’t like her at all.

“Sorry… you ran away?” Birdie asked me, looking at me like the complete mo.ron that I am.

I rolled my eyes, my frustration growing.

$25 Points

“She was pi.ssed to see me,” I said. “I was just… too shocked. She started going off about how, of course, I was here since I’m such a fu.cking jinx. She looked like I already ruined her whole vacation. What the hell was I supposed to say? So yeah, I fu.cking ran away.”

That made Dad and Adam finally burst out in laughter. Birdie even laughed a little, but she tried to hide it at least. I turned my eyes to Mom, narrowing them when she pretended to ignore us.

“This mean you gonna ask her out?” Birdie asked, drawing my attention back to her. “You promised Mom this morning that you would if the universe gave you a sign. What’s a bigger one than this?”

And then it all clicked into place. The trip. All the talk about Deidra ever since we got here. Mom sending me out to the towels when she could have sent Dad or had them delivered here. Mom making me promise that sh.it this morning. And her silence now.

“Mom,” I said, moving closer to her.

“Hmm?” She hummed without looking up at me.

“Mom,” I repeated a little more sternly. “Did you know that Thorn was going to be here? Did you know she was going to be in the office?”

“How would I know that, honey?” She replied with a voice that was far too sweet.

“You’re lying,” I called her out. “You fu.cking knew! You knew-”

“Okay, okay, yes, I knew,” she gave in quickly, huffing at me. “I didn’t know until you already decided to come though. And I wasn’t planning any kind of meet–up. She’d just mentioned a trip to somewhere her family used to take her and I knew how Birdie knew about this place. I didn’t tell

her that we were also going to be here, so she had no idea. I just thought that… maybe whatever happened during this trip… happened, ya know? Having you make me that promise this morning was as far as I was going to go as meddling. I swear I didn’t plan anything else, or know she was in the office. I just hoped you’d run into each other in town or something.”

I gawked at her, feeling betrayed and… grateful.

this is turning into a disaster. Or, well, it will turn into one. Always does when Deidra and I

get too close. Something always goes wrong.

“Mom, you’re insane,” I said, shaking my head. “Thorn doesn’t like me. Why can’t you just accept

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that?”

“Uh, because it’s just not true sweetheart,” she replied in a matter–of–fact tone.

“She literally called me her personal curse,” I told her.

+25 Points

“That’s… kind of adorable because it’s kinda true,” Birdie mumbled. I shot her a glare. “What?” She asked innocently. “You do seem to always give her back luck. Calling you her personal curse

though… kind of sounds possessive, right?”

“I think so,” Adam chimed in before I could call bullsh.it.

“You’re all insane,” I said, throwing my hands up. “Thorn doesn’t like me. She hates me. She was pi.ssed when she saw me here. I should probably fucking leave so that she can actually enjoy her

holiday. She’d be happier-”

“Dra’s here?”

Sh.it…

We all turned to see Waylen in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. He looked between us all before his eyes settled on me. There was a spark of hope in his eyes and it hurt my heart. Because I know this kid wants Deidra to be his mom more than anything, and I know that will

never happen.

“Yeah, she is, but you need to leave her alone, Waylen,” I said sternly. “I mean it. She was already pi.ssed to see me. I don’t want to stress her out.”

“But Dra loves me,” he replied with a furrowed brow “She’s always angry to see you. Not me

though.”

That got laughs from everyone except me.

“I know Way, but she wasn’t expecting us and this ain’t our town. You can’t be running off to go find

her here,” I told him.

“Does that mean we’re gonna leave?” he asked sadly. “You said you were thinking about it.”

“If I leave, buddy, you’re staying still-”

“You can’t leave me Dad!” He cut me off, shouting as tears filled his little eyes. “I love Dra, but we can’t be apart for Christmas! I’d rather go home with you…”

“Okay, no one’s leaving,” Dad announced. “We’ll just stay out of Deidra’s way. How about that?”

“But Jinx promised to ask her on a-”

“That was before he realized your mother was manipulating him,” Dad cut Birdie off, giving them

both a look.

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“Fine, I’ll stop meddling,” Mom said, not sounding happy at all.

“Then it’s settled,” Dad replied.

+25 Points

And just like, the decision was made. I didn’t have to ask Thorn out. Waylen agreed to stay out of her way. And we were staying. Both of us. As long as we don’t run into Thorn again, it should be

fine.

So why doesn’t that sit right with me?