Separately Together

Chapter Nineteen: Introductions 1/2

Harley's P.O.V

Everything doesn't make any sense anymore. Everything I've ever done doesn't make sense anymore. Why did I leave at eighteen? Why did I try to run from something that I ended up taking anyways? Why didn't I just stay with Finnic, Liz, Maddie, and Dixon before she left.

I took the brand for Maddie, but Finnic doesn't think it's my place to look after her, it's his.

I left for me, the only selfish thing I've ever done but now I doubt that decision. If I would have stayed, Finnic wouldn't resent me, Dixon might still be here, Maddie would have got her justice, through Ben. Instead of having to sit around like a waiting duck.

I left to prevent myself from losing everything, but Finnic made me feel like I had done lost it.

I walk through the door to the clubhouse and am greeted with the signature cigarette smoke cloud. The building was fairly empty all but Jared and Killian playing a game of pool. When they see me, they stand up a little taller and stone their expressions, seeing as how mine is steely, emotionless.

"What's wrong?" Jared asks looking around for any clues about what my attitude is for.

"Nothing." I say simply walking up the steps to Bens's office.

"He's not here." Killian says as he positions himself to take the next shot going after the eight ball. Jared only had one ball left and I know from my fair share of games with him that if Killian missed this shot Jared would run the table on him.

"Where's he at?" I ask curiosity clear in my voice. the old man doesn't leave for just anything anymore.

"He went to handle something for Haily." Haily was his woman; one he had been with for the longest time. They were together when he first took me and made me get the tattoo. She had a kind heart, which was shocking considering the man she was with.

"Anything wrong?" I ask as Killian misses his shot and Jared smirks knowing that he won the game.

"No, she just wanted him to come with her to some event at the bakery in town." Jared says as he crouches down to line up his next shot with little to no focus, he sinks his last ball.

"Which bakery?" I ask skeptically.

"The one Maddie works at. Um ... What is it? ... Queens Bakery." Jared rattles off but I'm already out the door before he makes his next shot. This wasn't a coincident, Haily mentioned wanting to meet Maddie and I shut the idea down quickly. Sure, Ben would agree to leave for that because he always took fun in metaling with my personal life. Damn it. When it rains it fucking pours.

~.~.~.~.~

Apparently, they were holding some kind of fundraiser, bidding off cakes to raise money for improvements of the bakery. Maddie was nowhere to be seen, I did however spot Gale walking around like a lost puppy. I grab his forearm and pull him to me. "Where is Maddie?"

"Ben and Haley wanted to eat lunch with her. They are in there." He says sadly, clearly destressed by having to abandon his posy by her side, I've noticed that gale has got really protective of her, he was by her side for the whole week I was gone and the two of them bonded.

He didn't have a choice in the matter of leaving her alone when it came to Ben, because he was the leader, if you disobeyed you would be punished and anything that that man comes up with isn't going to be pretty.

I take off into the bakery and bust through the doors to see Maddie sitting in the opposite booth from Haily and Ben. She is intense and looks so awkward that it makes me wince for her, she wasn't good with new people and Ben can be very intimidating. Maybe Haily has offered at least a little comfort to her.