As Tallis spoke, Jeremy slowly sat down next her. He already knew everything she was telling him. Hell, he was living it with her. Once she finished, he reached out a hand and grabbed hers. "We'll end this, darlin', I promise." He rubbed her hand softly. "I'm sorry I can't make you feel better." He flicked his cigarette and adjusted himself to be on one knee. He reached into his breast pocket and took out a black diamond ring. This wasn't what he had planned, but the timing seemed right. Plus, he knew if he had tried to wait for the "perfect" moment, he'd never end up going through with it. Their lives were one big shit show, but she made it all bearable. His heart was racing as he presented it to her and asked in a quiet voice "will you marry me, Tallis?"

No one had ever made him feel close to what Tallis did. He knew from the bottom of his heart that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, no matter how short it might be. He wanted her to know how much he truly and deeply loved her.

The cemetery lights were the only thing illuminating the view as it was later in the evening. There was a cool breeze making its way between the tombstones and trees, creating a slight rustling noise throughout the lot. Jeremy imagined that they may have been the only people fucked up enough to have a proposal in a place like this, but he couldn't imagine it any other way. With his girl and his best friend.


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Solomon had picked up extra shifts at the shop in order to bring in more income for his growing family. Things between him and Kaci remained good, as long as his attention was never taken away too long from the club. Often he’d come home late, and Kaci would still be attentive and caring, even though she was the pregnant one. He hated being away from her for so long, but he knew in the long run that having some money to sit on would help them out tremendously. 

In order to expand their income, Solomon was also doing more club work. He’d often go on runs, escorting cargo up and down the coast, often going 2-3 days with no sleep. If any business men needed security for some of their meetings or parties, he would be the first to volunteer. Between this and the shop, he could feel himself wearing thin, but it was all worth it to him. His bank account was growing significantly to the point where he found it tempting just to take some time off, but he’d shake away those thoughts the moment they entered his mind.

It was around 10:30pm when Solomon closed up the shop, finishing all the cars that were due for pick up tomorrow. Everything hurt; he had started around 8:00 am that morning. He could only think of getting home to Kaci, which helped power him through the day. 

He slowly climbed the stairs to their third story apartment, unlocked the door, and quietly made his entrance into the house. He slid off his cut and hung it on a chair in the dining room, and quietly cracked the door to the bedroom to see Kaci lying in bed. “Hey, baby,” he said softly and smiling, as he began to take off his shirt. “I’m gonna hop in the shower real quick. You relax.”