Page 11 of Broken

Petal stayed for as long as she could, then went hometo get changed for the party. She had every intention of losing herself toalcohol, but that was an idea that never freaking happened. Dirty had a way ofzapping all the fun out of everything.

“Kim, what are you doing here?” Petal asked.“Rosalie is at the diner. Does she need my help?”

Kim held her hands up, and the bangles she had onher wrist dangled together. “I’m here to see you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, do you mind if I come in?”

“Oh, yes, of course, come in. Please.” She steppedback. Although this was her home, sometimes she didn’t always feel like it was.This was Rosalie and Gabrielle’s house. She lived here all the time. Rosaliecame from time to time.

Closing the door behind Kim, she tucked some ofher wayward hair behind her ear. “Is there anything I can get you?”

“A coffee would be good.”

“Coffee. Yes, yes, a coffee. I can go and makethat for you.”

Kim was a sweet woman, kind, thoughtful. Sheseemed to be there when she needed her most. Apart from today, Petal didn’tunderstand the reason for her visit, but she wasn’t going to turn her away.Stepping into the kitchen, she turned the stove button on and watched the flameignite. Kim had followed her into the kitchen.

“Cream and sugar?” Petal asked.

“Yes to both, please.”

Petal got two mugs, began to place sugar in one,and waited for the cream. Instead, she placed a heaping spoon into each mug,and then waited. “How is Rosalie?” Petal asked.

Kim let out a laugh. “Come on, my dear. We do notneed to talk about Rosalie, and she is not why I’m here.”

She turned toward the other woman and folded herarms across her chest. “Why are you here?”

“I’m here to talk with you,” Kim said. “I’m hereto see how you’re dealing with everything.”

“There is nothing for me to deal with. I’m allgood, I promise.” The lie was easy. Well, was it a lie? Petal couldn’t beentirely sure if she did feel good or not.

Her emotions were always all over the placenowadays. They kind of blended into one another, with no way out.

There was silence for several seconds and then Kimfinally said it.

“I know.”

The sound of the kettle whistling broke thesilence. Petal turned off the stove and grabbed the kettle, pouring it into themugs. She knew some people expressed horror at putting hot water on top ofcoffee granules. There was a rumor it burnt the granules or did something tothem. For her, it was the best way to make coffee, always had been.

Ever since she was a kid, needing that shot ofcaffeine in the morning, she’d always done her coffee this way. To her, ittasted a lot better, and all she had to do was add a shot of milk or cream,which she did. The sound of the spoon stirring in the mug echoed around theroom.

“You don’t have to be afraid.”

Petal finished making the coffee and turned towardKim. “How did you find out?”

“I paid the bill, and I asked for access to what Ipaid for, and one of the descriptions was clear. You had lost the baby, whichis why you were also struggling from the blood loss.”

She pressed her lips together in the hope of notcrying. Today had been a good day. Considering what happened last night,encountering Dirty, it had started out good. She hadn’t even woken up feelingthe need to cry. She’d simply woken up and gotten busy. It was how she liked tostart her day. Right now, it didn’t feel good.

“Honey, I am here.”

She shook her head, and then her next words cameout as a whisper. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry. I promised myself.”

There was no way she would let those tears fall.She refused to cry or get upset. But hearing those words come from anotherwoman, it was almost impossible not to fall, bleeding her heart out.

She lost a baby. It hadn’t even been inside herthat long, just long enough for her to confirm a pregnancy test. Then panic,when she realized she was doing this alone.

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