Page 129 of Diem

“Why?”

“It was a misunderstanding, I never even agreed…”

Willow raises a brow, and I sigh when Ramsay sets down his iPad. Into the silence, I explain what happened with Skull and when I’m finished, Willow says quietly, “You have to understand. In Diem’s world, loyalty and trust are everything. It’s life or death. If he can’t trust you…”

Through a throat swollen with tears I say, “But he betrayed me…”

“With petty bullshit?” Ramsay snorts. “You went to his sworn enemy. Shit. You are the enemy, now.”

“Indeed,” Diem says from the door and wiping my cheeks, I look up. When his granite gaze moves away from mine, I stand with a huff and say, “You broke me over and over. Still, I gave you, my forgiveness. And yet here we are…”

Diem grinds his jaw but refuses to look at me. Choking back a sob I stop at the door and say, “So much for never letting me go.”

He bows his head but doesn’t answer. In a self-righteous rage, I march to the door, only to be waylaid by Ramsay who says, “We still have shit to discuss.”

∞∞∞

The only bright side to what feels like an interrogation is Willow who smiles when I enter the salon after washing my face in the bathroom before patting the seat beside her.

Since Ollie is leaning against the counter with a cold look and Diem stares him down from the opposite side of the room, I figure sitting beside Willow is my best bet.

“Seems I’ve been missing out on all the fun,” Willow says and Ramsay tsks as he enters the room.

Since Ramsay met Willow, a softer side has emerged. It almost reminds me of when we were kids. Almost.

“Okay, we’re gathered here because little Maeve can’t seem to stay out of trouble, it would seem,” Ramsay says, and I roll my eyes.

“Funny,” I mumble, and Ollie says, “It’s not funny, Maeve.”

Glancing at him sideways I say, “Since when do you care?”

He looks away, his jaw ticking, and I smile sadly. Where did my brother go? Do the rest of these asshats know that he’s the one who sicced Hailey on Penny?

“Why don’t you explain why you think Hailey was in the parking lot at Fight Club,” Ramsay interjects, and I whip around, meeting Oliver’s gaze.

His eyes don’t so much as flicker, but he knows I know it was him. What’s the game? What the fuck is going on?

“Yes, I told them,” he says coolly, and I search his gaze. He wants me to lie. Why?

I don’t know but he’s the one who slept by my bed after the altercation with Dad. In this, I believe he does care. Sort of. Which is why I omit his part when I say, “Because I saw her.”

Diem shifts before saying, without looking at me, I might add, “If so, what’s her game?”

“It is so,” I say acidly, standing and waving my arms. “Don’t you think it’s time I heard what you all have been keeping secret?”

If Oliver wants me to play along, Imight as well mine for my own damn truths. Nothing else has gotten me very far.

I’m met with Oliver’s blank stare and Diem looks away.Huffing, I cross my arms and say, “Let’s start with Dad.”

“Mae—“ Ollie says but I cut him off.

“No! First off, how long have you known about Hailey?”

Ollie looks away, clenching his jaw before he says stiffly, “Since fifth grade.”

I stumble back and grab my chest before wheezing, “Fuck me. Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because you didn’t need to know.”

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