Morning Light
965 Words
LEXIE
Morning came too soon. I woke up with a heavy head and the memory of last night’s midnight meeting still sitting in my chest like a stone. I lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at the ceiling, replaying the low voices and the serious look on Chaos’s face.
“Club business,” I whispered to myself. “None of your concern, Lexie. Just stay out of it.”
I took a quick bath, letting the hot water wake me up properly. I put on fresh clothes, one of the new cheap shirts and jeans, and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes still looked tired, but I forced a small smile.
“Fake it till you make it,” I told my reflection. “Today you’re just Sara. Normal girl, no secrets, no midnight eavesdropping.”
I headed downstairs, the bar was quiet in the early light. Mia was already behind the counter, wiping glasses. She gave me a warm smile when she saw me. “Morning, Sara. You look like you didn’t sleep much.”
I slid onto a stool and shrugged. “Bad dreams, the usual. Coffee strong enough to kill those dreams would be great.”
Mia chuckled and poured me a cup. “Rough night?”
“Something like that.” I wrapped my hands around the warm mug. “But I’ll survive. I always do.”
Chaos walked in from the back a few minutes later. He looked fresh, like he had been up for hours already. His storm-gray eyes found me immediately and he gave a small nod.
“Morning,” he said, voice low and steady.
“Morning,” I replied, trying to sound normal. “You look like you slept great, must be nice being the big boss who doesn’t get haunted by random noises at two in the morning.”
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. He leaned against the bar a few feet away from me. “Long night. Club stuff.”
I took a sip of coffee and raised an eyebrow. “Club stuff, sounds mysterious. Do you guys have secret handshakes and everything?”
Chaos’s smirk grew a little. “No handshakes, just tired men talking too late.”
Mia laughed from behind the counter. “He’s being modest. They were probably arguing about bike parts again.”
I smiled, but my mind was still on what I had overheard. I kept my face light. “Well, as long as no one was planning world domination, I’m good.”
Chaos watched me for a moment, his big body relaxed but his eyes sharp. He could tell something was off, but he didn’t push. He never did. Instead he just said, “You heading to the drug store soon?”
“Yeah. In a bit.” I finished my coffee and stood up. “Thanks for the ride yesterday, and… for everything else.”
He nodded once. “Anytime.”
The day at the drug store passed in a normal blur. I helped customers, stocked shelves, and joked with Mr. Harlan. But my mind kept drifting back.
When I walked back to the bar in the late afternoon, Raven was sitting at a table near the front with two other club members. She looked up as I entered and gave me that sweet-but-sharp smile.
“Sara! Back from saving lives with cough syrup?” she called.
I forced a polite smile. “Something like that. How’s your day been? Still practicing your aim with coffee cups?”
Raven laughed lightly, but her eyes stayed cool. “Accidents happen. You know how it is.”
I nodded and kept walking toward the stairs. “Sure. Accidents.”
Mia caught me before I went up. “You okay? You seem distracted today.”
“I’m fine,” I said, keeping my voice easy. “Just thinking too much, it's nothing new.”
Mia studied me for a second but didn’t push. “If you need to talk, I’m here.”
“Thanks,” I said genuinely. “I appreciate it.”
Later that evening, after the bar started filling up, I stayed upstairs for a while, but hunger won again. I went down to grab something to eat and found Chaos sitting alone at the end of the bar with a glass of water.
I hesitated, then walked over and sat a couple stools away. “Mind if I join the serious corner?”
Chaos looked at me, his expression calm. “Never.”
I ordered a simple sandwich from Mia and turned back to him. “You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind tonight.”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Always do. Comes with the patch.”
I took a bite of my sandwich and studied him. “You know, for someone who carries the whole town on his back, you hide it pretty well. Most people wouldn’t even notice.”
Chaos turned his head toward me, his eyes were steady. “You notice a lot.”
I shrugged. “I pay attention. It’s a survival skill.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. The bar noise faded into the background and for once, it didn’t feel awkward. It felt… nice.
“You don’t have to carry everything alone, you know,” I said quietly. “Even big tough presidents need a break sometimes.”
Chaos’s lips curved into a small, rare smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I finished my food and stood up. “I should head up. Early shift again tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Get some rest, Sara.”
As I walked up the stairs, I felt his eyes on my back but I didn’t turn around.
- Writer
