Page 48 of Broken

“I know.”

Myth shrugged and he got to his feet. “I’ve gotwork to do.

Dirty watched him head toward the door, and heknew he should just keep his mouth shut, and he didn’t have a clue why hedecided to start talking.

“Have you ever done or said something and themoment you did, you instantly regretted it but you couldn’t stop?”

Myth turned back to him and didn’t say a word.

“Petal was a job,” Dirty said. “I was asked byColt to distract her. That was my job, and no, he didn’t care if that meantsleeping with her, just so long as it got her away from Rosalie long enough forhim to do whatever he needed to do, so I did my job perfectly, or as perfectlyas I could. I should have left it alone at the cruise. Got home and ignoredher. That was the plan, but Petal is not the kind of woman you ignore. She’sthe kind of woman you cannot even stay away from.” He shook his head. “When shetold me she was pregnant, I panicked and even as I asked the question, I knewit was mine. I messed up. I didn’t take the news like Colt did.”

“What about after? At the party?” Myth asked.

Dirty looked him straight in the eye and shrugged.“I was jealous.”

“You were jealous.”

“It’s not so hard to believe. You got to see hersmiles. You got to see her laugh. You got to see Petal happy, and I didn’t likethat.”

“Man, I’m so sorry,” Myth said.

“Don’t be. All of this is my fault.”

“I can talk to Petal.”

“No,” Dirty said. “If she is willing to forgiveme, then she will let me know, but until then, I’ve got to live with what I’vedone.”

Myth shook his head. “Am I the only one whowouldn’t mind finding a woman and if I loved her, beg her to have me back?”

“Maybe when you find the right woman, you willrealize what it’s like to fuck up, and then know you hurt her. I hurt Petal.She didn’t even get the feeling of having a child for that long. She was stillfiguring everything out because of what I said, and then it was taken. I hurther, and she lost our baby, and then I hurt her again. I don’t expect her toforgive me.”

“Petal’s a hard cookie, but she is notunforgiving, and I have a feeling she is still in love with you.”

****

“What the fuck did you do?” Myth asked, pullingPetal to the side and glaring down at her.

“Okay, look, I know this is bad, or at least itkind of looks bad.”

“You hired Tanya?”

Petal grimaced. “Like I said, it looks bad, but Ipromise you, she asked for the job, and seeing as she was the only onequalified for the job, and wanted it, I don’t see a problem. Harry at the DIYstore is reducing the opening times, and she needs a job. It is no big deal. Ipromise you. No big deal at all. There is nothing to worry about.”

He stared at her, and she tried to smile back athim, or at least get him to smile at her.

“I swear, this had nothing to do with you. Shedoesn’t even know you like her. Everyone else was an epic failure, and look,Tanya is awesome. The people love her, and Colt is all for Rosalie not being onher very pregnant feet.”

Again, he still glared at her.

“Stop glaring at me. Look, if you can’t handle it,convince Kim to eat elsewhere. This is not all about you. I’m helping a womanout, and she has a kid. Stop being an asshole.” This time, she glared rightback at him. She refused to feel guilty for helping a woman.

Myth’s nostrils flared and she smiled at him.

But, he was done arguing with her, which was arelief. Being Myth’s friend was turning into a full-time occupation. Shewondered if she could start charging him by the hour, which sounded so dirty inher head, because she did not want to have sex with him.

With Myth back in his seat, she went to serve someof the orders that had come through. They were busy for lunchtime, and havingTanya working was a welcome relief. She even arrived at the diner super earlyas well, to learn the new till.

Everything was working great. She was sweet to thecustomers, fast, and didn’t have butter fingers. Not once had she caught her onher cell phone scrolling through social media. It was all good. The customerswere happy. Burto was happy.

---