She had been pregnant, like Amber, and just like Amber she gave the child up for adoption. It now seems that the thing that broke me almost to the point of complete and utter destruction, obliterating my trust in anyone outside of my family, in women until Anita, is back to finish the job off.
Why didn’t she tell me when I told her about Amber? Surely that would have been the ideal time to explain her own situation. To make me understand why she did that. She didn’t. I am crushed at the realisation that she didn’t even value me and our relationship enough to tell me to my face. This is how I discover the truth, by accident. There’s a sour taste in my mouth at the realisation that she never intended to tell me.
I hurt everywhere; my heart is broken.
“Cupcake.” One word, my pet name for her, the last time I will say it.
I push the hurt aside and allow anger to rise within me. Somehow Mase and I stand together in the doorway and take in the scene; Anita and Christian, the former looking horrified and the latter looking scared. Then I hear Mase call Liv’s name before I see her struggling to get to her feet from the floor.
Christian chooses now to speak, but to Mase rather than me. “It was an accident.”
He doesn’t have time to utter another sound before Mase has made short work of the distance between them and his fist is colliding with Christian’s jaw sending him to the floor where Liv had been.
“You fucking piece of shit. You do not, ever, speak to her, look at her, or anything else within fifty feet of her, and I swear if you even consider putting a finger on her, I will kill you, do you understand?”
Mase pulls Christian, who is nodding frantically to his feet before hitting him again.
“Mason,” Liv’s voice breaks through my brother’s red mist of fury.
He immediately goes to her, checking her over for any sign of injury.
It’s my turn to look at Christian now. “Get the fuck out. Don’t ever come back or speak to me or anything…and keep away from her, for good.” I point in Anita’s direction.
Christian mutters something about a misunderstanding, his wife, his children, and fuck knows what else. I have stopped listening and I really don’t care what he’s got to say.
“Out!” I roar and he has the good sense to leave.
Turning back, I see Mase holding Liv tightly.
“Did you know?”
Mase shakes his head, so I turn my attention to Liv. She shakes her head too. “Not everything.”
I roughly run my hands over my face and through my hair as I try to order the chaotic thoughts in my mind before having to speak to Anita.
“Dec, do you want us to stay, or go, or whatever?” Mase looks seriously concerned for me. I notice that he hasn’t spoken or looked at Anita either.
“No. I need to do this alone. Thanks.”
Mase nods and begins to lead Liv away. She turns back, a little reluctant to leave.
“Dec, don’t do anything rash, please. Listen to her—”
I neither want nor need her advice so shut her down quickly. “Liv, I don’t want to say nasty shit to you, but I am struggling here. You need to go with Mase. This is fuck all to do with anyone who isn’t me or her.”
She looks as though she is about to come back at me, and I need her not to.
I hold up a halting hand. “No. Go. Now. I don’t even know if I believe that you were oblivious to everything, so, please, leave.”
She is clearly upset, but right now, it’s my own upset concerning me more.
I half expect Mase to take me to task, he doesn’t. Instead, he takes Liv’s arm a little more firmly to direct her through the kitchen door and away from this fucking war zone I feel my life has become.
“Dec,” Anita begins and that’s as far as she gets.
I need answers, not excuses so I ignore her plead of my name.
“He got you pregnant.”
