Page 72 of Fletch

“Look, don’t fucking pretend I’m the bad guy here. You were trying to set me up too. You thought I’d be an easy way in.” She rolls her eyes and drinks some more. “You wouldn’t have continued seeing me if you weren’t so obsessed with the club.”

“You recorded me having sex,” she cries, slamming the glass down and spilling some of the wine onto the table. “You are the bad guy, Fletch.”

“I did what I had to do to protect the club.”

“Of course, you did, because that means more to you than anything, right?”

“Yes,” I snap. “Yes, it does.”

“So, what about Ruby?” she screams. “Where will she come into it all, because you’ve already proved you’ll put that gang first.”

It’s blind rage that has me moving fast until I have her against the wall. “She’s different,” I growl, pushing my forehead to hers. “And I’m not in a gang.” She’s not scared. She hardly even bats an eyelid as I cup her jaw and stare her down. “You’re standing here like you’re the injured party, yet I’m the one who’s been lied to for all these years.”

“I’m taking Ruby away from here,” she says firmly.

“Not a chance,” I spit, pushing away from her and turning my back so I can gain control of the anger swirling inside me. “I’ve only just found her. You’re not taking her anywhere.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Like fuck I can’t. What your parents did was illegal,” I tell her, “but I’m sure you already know that. You try to take her away and I’ll call the police and the social and tell them how your father lied.”

“Do you think I care what happens to them?” she asks, laughing. It’s cold and empty. “I can’t stay here. I can’t be around you.”

“It’s not about you, Gemma. Ruby wants to get to know me. And I . . . I want to get to know her too.”

“Did you all laugh?” she asks, her voice low as she stares down at the floor. “Did you watch that footage and laugh?”

“No.”

When her eyes reach mine, I see the hurt all over again. “Did you watch it?”

I shake my head. “No. Nobody did.”

“I don’t believe you,” she whispers. “I thought it hurt the first time when you left me, but this . . . this is so much worse. I feel betrayed, Fletch.”

“And you don’t think I feel exactly the same, Gemma?” I snap. “I have a fucking daughter. She’s practically grown, and I knew nothing about her. I didn’t watch her grow or hear her first words. You betrayed me, so I ain’t gonna feel bad for protecting my club from you. Stop playing the victim when you’re just as bad.”

She goes to grab the glass, but I swipe it away, sending it across the room. It smashes and she stares at the wine now running down the wall. “You need to fucking eat something,” I spit, storming out the room.

Gemma

I sit at the kitchen table staring into space. I’m hurt but Fletch is too. Somehow that pisses me off more. He’s done so much to me, yet he still throws everything back on me. I lied. It was huge, I get that, but I’ve tried to explain why I couldn’t tell him about Ruby. Fuck, I’ve spent most of my adult life regretting that decision to let my father take her from me.

I push my chair back and head upstairs, ignoring the way the two of them are together again, watching a film.

I go into my bedroom and notice the mattress is now dry. I drop to my knees and feel around under my bed until my hands land on the box. I slide it out and tuck it under my arm before heading back downstairs. I stand in front of the television until I have their attention, and Ruby uses the remote to pause it.

“I lied to you both,” I say, “and I wish I hadn’t. God, I wish I could change so much. But I want you both to know I didn’t mean to hurt you. So . . .” I drop to my knees and place the box on the floor. I haven’t looked in here for so long, I’m nervous. “I wanted to share this with you.”

I lift the lid and both lean forward slightly. “I kept everything I could,” I explain, pulling out a small white envelope and delving inside to retrieve the small lock of blonde hair tied neatly with a small pink ribbon. “Your first haircut,” I tell Ruby, passing it over. “You were two and you hated it. You screamed the place down.” I pull out the picture showing Ruby’s red, tear-stained face. “The hairdresser couldn’t get the fringe straight because you wouldn’t sit still,” I add with a laugh. They both stare at the picture. Ruby smiles, but Fletch looks sad, so I move on quickly, pulling out a scan picture. “I had to sneak these because Sarah took them. She never noticed when I stole them back.”

Ruby joins me on the floor, taking everything I pass her way and studying it with a huge smile. “I made a scrapbook,” I add, passing that to Fletch. He takes it, staring at the cover which has pictures of Ruby all over the front. “Of all her firsts. There’re some pictures of the ones I witnessed. I even wrote her first word,” I say proudly.

He dumps the scrapbook on the side and stands. “I need air,” he mutters, heading out.

Ruby places her hand over mine. “He’s struggling,” she whispers.

“I’m trying,” I mutter. “I can’t change it now, but I’m trying to make it right.”

---