Page 35 of Broken

“How dare you?”

“Petal, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry. You’re sorry. I don’t know what I did toyou but you know what, we are done. I want nothing to do with you. I don’t wantyou near me. Stay the hell away from me, Dirty. You and I were never meant tohappen, and are never going to happen.”

She turned on her heel and slammed the doorclosed. Dirty had known he fucked up with her. Saying the shit he said when shetold him she was pregnant, he fucked up. But, he hoped he could come back fromit.

There was no coming back from it. He had fuckedup.

Petal was never going to forgive him, and he knewhe had to live with what he had done.

Chapter Eight

The days passed, turning into weeks. Those weeksturned into months. George returned home, and Petal had her first full familydinner, and it was what she had always imagined as a kid. She got to talk toGeorge, and even he said it was time for them both to forgive and to forget.

Her parents were trying. They paid her another check,and she was now looking at taking some college classes. Working as many hoursas she did and helping her parents out, paying for food, helping with the rent,there really hadn’t been enough for her to even consider going to college. Butnow, all of that had changed, and she’d been looking into courses. Working atthe diner, she couldn’t help but pull toward business as she felt it would helpher understand how to run any business. She hadn’t committed to a class yet,though the money was put aside. She didn’t want to make the wrong choices.

After the whole fiasco with Dirty telling the clubeverything, she was tempted to take the money and just leave. She and Rosaliehad always had the dream of getting away from town, living their liveselsewhere, away from all the bullshit. Gabrielle stopped Rosalie from leaving,and seeing as it was their dream, Petal didn’t want to do it without herfriend.

Now Rosalie was showing with her pregnancy, andshe looked so gorgeous. Pregnancy suited her.

Leaving Rosalie behind was not an option. Shedidn’t want to leave town without her bestie. Also, there was no way she wouldmiss her best friend giving birth. Colt didn’t seem to mind her hanging around.He probably felt a little guilt seeing as he pushed Dirty in her direction.Either way, she didn’t hold it against him—only because Rosalie said she lovedhim. If her best friend hated him, then he would be on the enemy list, simpleas that.

Speaking of friends, she and Myth were gettingclose. He still hadn’t revealed the woman he had feelings for. She was startingto believe he had feelings for Kim, which was just disaster waiting to happen.Warden would not allow him to breathe if he even suspected it. It kind of madeher worried for her friend. She didn’t want him to die.

Winter turned into spring, and now they weregetting close to summer. The days were getting warmer. They had to change themenu, and Burto was loving the experiments he was serving the customers.

She and Rosalie had done a spring clean of theplace, to show the customers that changes would be made, and so far everythingwas going well.

They had also started to offer the diner space to holdbirthday parties. It was just a small corner, for a few kids, a couple ofparents, food, and of course a birthday cake, which were Burto’s specialty. Heliked to book the kids in advance, find out what they liked, and then he bakedan elaborate cake. She and Rosalie had to make him reign in the cost, becauseit all had to come into the final price, and so far it had worked.

Now, she was at the counter, filling up the saltjars, while a birthday party was happening in the corner. There was othercustomers, and they had the choice to stay or leave. Most of them stayed, asseeing kids have fun was fun in itself. She glanced over to see the kidsgiggling as they were coloring, eating cake, and having fun.

Myth had arrived twenty minutes ago, and he was sittingat the counter. Something was different about him. He had his usual lunchtimeorder—a large mug of coffee and a cheeseburger. She saw that his cheeseburgerwas left, and he was busy looking across the room at the kids party.

Tanya Evans, the woman who organized the party,held her child on her hip and was dancing around with the little girl. Petalalways thought there was something strange about Tanya’s pregnancy, mainlybecause she didn’t recall the other woman being pregnant. She was a couple ofyears older than her, twenty-five, she didn’t have any family, and worked atthe local DIY store. She did believe the woman was also a qualified electricianor mechanic, or something. No one really knew. She was her own woman.

Petal looked at Myth, then over toward the group.His gaze hadn’t wandered from the woman, and his burger wasn’t eaten and shegasped. She couldn’t help it. It wasn’t a loud sound, but it was loud enoughfor Myth to hear it.

“Oh my God, it’s Tanya, isn’t it?”

Myth glared at her. “Stop.”

“Oh, wow, it is, isn’t it?”

He shook his head.

Petal couldn’t believe it. The woman Myth had acrush on was none other than Tanya Evans, single mother, and someone who Petaldidn’t have a single clue about. She knew she was a good mother and doted onher little girl.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t know you knew her.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t really know her, butcome on, I mean, you could have told me. Other than this party, I think I’vesaid a couple of sentences to her my whole life.”

Myth shook his head.

“Why don’t you go and speak to her?”

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