“Please don’t talk about her like that,” I said softly, trying to hide the anger building up in me. “Please, Patsy.”
“You don’t even know her!” Her voice rose. “How can you feel this way about her already? I’ve been here for years.”
“Patsy.” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“She’s going to bring it all back up, you know. That girl Nancy? She came to me, but I don’t know where she went. She’s Maria’s sister, you know.”
“I know.” I nodded. “I know a lot of things, Patsy.”
“Oh?” She looked at me then and her face stilled.
“I know about you and David.”
“What?” Her eyes popped open. “I never told him anything, I swear.”
“I know, Patsy. I trust you.” I walked over to her and hugged her. “I trust you and I love you like a sister, Patsy. But I don’t love you as anything more. I will never love you like that.”
She didn’t answer then, but I could feel wet tears on my shoulder as she sobbed. I held her tight, sad that I had broken her in this way. I felt sick to my stomach. It seemed that all I did was bring pain to women.
I allowed her to get it out. But as I stood there, all I could think about was Meg. My beautifu,l wonderful Meg. I knew that she had questions about the club. She had questions and she had theories. I was scared to tell her the truth while she still had some hope about me. I knew that once she knew the truth she would be gone and I’d never see her again. And I wasn’t ready for that to happen just yet.
I wasn’t ready for the heart I hadn’t even known existed until a few days ago to break already.
Chapter 9
Present Day
Meg
I walked through the corridors aimlessly. I felt empty inside. The phone call had changed something in me. It had made me completely raw inside. As soon as Greyson had received another call from Patsy, he’d had to leave. He had asked me to wait so we could talk, but I’d slipped out of the bedroom as soon as he’d left. As far as I was concerned, I needed to get out of the club.
I didn’t want to see Ryan again and I didn’t want to be around Greyson any longer. I could no longer play the ignorance game. He was evil—pure evil. Maybe there was some good in him that was aching to break out, but I couldn’t be that woman to wait and see if it was going to happen.
I rounded the corner where the nursery was and stopped suddenly. The door was slightly ajar, and I walked up to it carefully to peek in. I saw that there was a baby in one of the cribs and the room was filled with some people. I recognized Patsy and Greyson but there was a man and a girl I didn’t recognize.
“She said she won’t go without the baby.” Patsy sounded annoyed.
“Jessica, you have to go.” Brandon stroked her shoulder.
“I don’t want to go without my baby.” The girl shook her head and started crying.
“I will make sure they take care of you.” The other man spoke up. “This is for the best of you and your baby.”
“But I don’t want to go.”
“You have to go.” Patsy stood in front of her. “They are waiting for you, Jessica. They’ve been waiting for a week.”
“But my baby!” the girl cried and then the baby started wailing.
“We will take care of your baby.” Greyson rubbed his forehead. “You have my word.”
“But what about me?”
“You’ll be taken good care of.”
“That’s what you tell all the girls.”
“Well, it’s true.” Greyson looked annoyed. “I have to go.”
“But, Greyson.” Patsy reached out to stop him and he pushed her away.
“Take care of this, Patsy.” He strode towards the door and I backed away fast so that he didn’t see me.
I ran quickly to the his office as I knew that that was the way out. My heart was beating so quickly that I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I reached the hallway where I had sat outside on that first day and stumbled and fell to the ground in tears. I could barely see where I was going. I jumped back up, dried my eyes, and took a deep breath. I had to get out of this place and I had to leave now.
I ran through the entrance to the gates and was just about to leave when I froze. I knew that he was behind me, even though he hadn’t said a word.
I turned around slowly and stared at him. He looked at me wordlessly and stayed still. He didn’t move towards me and I didn’t move towards him. We just stared at each other in silence. His face looked remote and closed off, and I knew he could tell that I’d been crying.