I shake my head. "No."
He gives me a wide smile. "That says something."
My brows knit together. "What?"
"That you're not the kid who ran anymore. You're the man who stays."
The words land heavier than they should. "I'm trying," I say.
"I know, and Rush? You're doing good. The way you handled Ciara, the way you showed up for Everly, that's solid."
"Thanks."
He claps my shoulder. "You're one of us. Not because of what you can do for the club. Because of who you are when shit gets hard."
I don't know how to respond to that. My whole life I've believed belonging was conditional, something I had to earn through violence or usefulness, but Pyro's saying it's earned through character instead, through choosing to stay when it would be easier to run.
"We're clearing out the spare room upstairs," Pyro continues. "Figure you and Everly might want it when the baby comes. Safer than being off-property."
The words hit me sideways. Not if, but when, like it's already decided that we have a place here long-term.
"You don't have to do that," I say, knowing that my room is sitting empty. They could have used that. Instead, they’re giving us one of the bigger rooms, a family room.
"We want to. You're family, and family makes space for each other."
He walks back inside and I stand there, unsure what the hell to do. Things have changed. I’ve been stupid. I’ve kept a piece of myself hidden from everyone, my brothers included. Until Everly. She’s shown me a different way of living. I’ve opened up, and now I see that I was never on the outside. I was the one pushing everyone away.
They’ve been waiting for me to give them the opening, and Pyro’s just taken it.
I find Everly later in the small garden behind the clubhouse. She's sitting with Ailbhe and Caoimhe, laughing at something one of them said.
I watch from the doorway and something in my chest loosens. She fits here, always has, because she’s let them in. She’s been open to getting to know everyone and hasn’t shied away from the hard parts.
She sees me watching and smiles, waves me over. I walk over and sit beside her, my hand going to her knee.
"You good?" I ask.
"Yeah. We were just talking about baby names."
"Already?"
"Caoimhe suggested Fergus," Everly says with a laugh.
Horror recoils inside of me. "Absolutely not."
The women laugh and the conversation shifts to something else. I half-listen, more focused on the way Everly's relaxed here, no walls up, no guardedness. She’s happy here, happy in general.
Eventually the women drift inside and it's just us.
"You fit here," I say quietly.
She looks at me. "So do you. You always have."
"I don't know about that."
"Rush, these people chose you two years ago when you showed up wanting to put space between you and your past. You've belonged the whole time. You just didn't believe it."
The words hit something deep. "I've never had a place that felt like home," I admit.