Page 33 of Wait For Me

Shortly after he left me there to contemplate everything, I got a call from Uncle Mack.

“Yeah?”

“I hate to cut your visit short, honey, but Viv could use someone by her side right now that isn’t me.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

I walked outside to find my father and ended up running into Bagger on the way. “What did you say to my girlfriend, Star?”

“You’re asking the wrong questions, asshole. Go find out why your girlfriend sought me out and what she had to say. Actually, fuck it, go find your stalker buddy, Trench and ask him what went down so you get the version that doesn’t involve my side or your girlfriend’s. I’m pretty sure he heard everything.”

I stepped around Bagger and moved to my father.

“I have to go, Viv needs me.”

He nodded and then turned to pull me into a hug. “Love you kid. Thanks for coming home for her.”

“Don’t ever thank me for coming home to family.”

12

Bagger

I watched Star leave the cookout and wondered if it would be the last time that I saw her. She didn’t realize that I heard every word of what was said. Honestly, I don’t know why I asked her since I’d followed Missy into the clubhouse and overheard every word from where I was spying just outside of the kitchen. Yeah, I fucking spied on my girlfriend as she confronted the woman I’d been hung up on for years. I knew that’s what she was going to do the minute she said she had to use the bathroom.

“Did you hear everything you needed to?” Trench asked when he finally caught up to me outside.

“You knew I was there?”

“Saw you when I got there, man. Your girl went on the attack and Star had no clue why. Guess no one ever filled her in on you playing monk to get her back.”

“Guess not,” I muttered around the lip of my beer bottle. “While we’re talking, you need to keep your lips off my girl.”

“She ain’t your girl though,” Trench managed to spit out with a straight face. “Your girl was the other one, remember? You can’t have them both.”

“I’ve never claimed Missy.”

“Tell that to her then. Until you do, Star ain’t yours.” He tipped his head in the direction of the clubhouse back door and when I turned to look, it was to see that Misty hadn’t left like I thought. She was just coming out of the clubhouse with a giant smile on her face and her makeup freshened up. Trench left and made his way around the side of the clubhouse toward the parking lot as Missy approached me.

I stared at her, face void of emotion as she curled her body into mine and pouted. “Let me guess, the club princess came and told you I was mean to her.”

“Were you?” I questioned. Okay, so I was going to play this out and see who lied to me. Missy hadn’t noticed me standing there in the dark corner when she left the kitchen, so she had no way of knowing that I already knew exactly what she said. Star hadn’t even offered commentary on what took place, instead she told me where I could get an unbiased version of what happened. I respected her a whole hell of a lot for that.

“Of course not,” came Missy’s too quick answer. “I said hello and introduced myself so that she would know you were off limits. That’s all. I swear.”

“I see. So, you’re a liar now? Or were you always one?”

“What?” Her face pulled back and scrunched up in an unattractive way. Normally, I wouldn’t hold that look against her, but since she was still trying to play it off like she wasn’t lying to my face, it made me wonder if I’d seen more to her than had actually been there this whole time. My mom had tried to warn me about her, but I hadn’t listened because I thought I knew what I was getting.

“I was standing just outside the kitchen, listening to every word you said to her.”

“I didn’t see you there.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that I heard exactly what you said to Star.”

In true Missy form, she broke down and started dripping crocodile tears on cue, as if she really felt remorse for what she’d done. She didn’t. It was all an act, one I’d watched her use with her own parents from time to time when it suited.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I know all about her. Everyone teased you about all the women you were with, but they gave you even more shit about the one that got away and how you couldn’t even nail down a chick who had a crush on you for most of her life. What was I supposed to do? Wait until she batted her lashes and watch as your dick led the way back to her?”

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