Page 75 of Always Mine

“So, are we going to be friends, or do you still hate me?”

He looked past her shoulder toward Daisy, who was still being fussed over by his mother.

“I guess that depends on you.Are you going to be a good friend to her, or are you going to keep being a disappointment?”

“That’s harsh.”

“Tabitha, you and I don’t have this bullshitting relationship.We never have, and I’m not going to start now.You want me to dress things up and play pretend with you, then it’s simple, I’m not going to do it.I tell you what is real, and this time you sucked as a best friend.”

She looked at him and pressed her lips together.“You’re right, I did.”Tabitha took a deep breath.“And I’ll do better.I just ...couldn’t stand the idea of her being in the hospital, you know?”

“Yeah, I do.”

He turned to see Daisy making her way toward them.

“Hey,” Daisy said.“I’m just checking on the two of you and making sure you’re not about to kill one another.”

“We’re not,” Tabitha said.

“I don’t know, you both look ...strange.”

Anthony pulled her in close.“You need to rest.”

“I am fine.”She kissed his cheek.“Tabitha, dance with me.”She reached for her friend, and he looked toward Tabitha.

He wondered if she would punish Daisy for the truth he told her.

Only, she didn’t.She took Daisy’s hand, and they made their way across the yard, to where a small group of kids had decided to dance.

Simon came to stand with him.“Hey, man,” Simon said.

He didn’t say anything.

“You know, Tabitha won’t say this out loud, but she cares what you think of her.”

He turned to look toward Simon.

“She doesn’t like that you think she is a bad friend.”

“If she doesn’t like it, she should do better.”

“Hey, man, come on, it’s her best friend.”

“I don’t give a shit.”Anthony looked toward Simon.“It’s all right for you.You left, for five long years.You were not there when Tabitha was pregnant.My woman put up with your wife’s shit for a long time.She took every bad mood, every insult, and regardless of the shit that came from her mouth, Daisy took it.Sure, there were times it got to Daisy, and she cried and hated it.But she was there every time Tabitha needed her.Daisy was there for every single appointment, to boost her morale.We all knew the risk and the chance that the baby she carried was not yours.”Anthony was not going to tell the truth.

Only a few people knew Nathan was not Simon’s son.He was Ryan’s.Tabitha didn’t know, neither would Simon.He wouldn’t do that to the little boy.

One of the reasons he refused to allow Daisy to pick up the pieces of that shattered truth was, Daisy was the first one to hold Nathan.She was the first one to bring him into the fold, but it took his mother for people to wake the fuck up.He knew that hurt Daisy.She never said anything, nor would she ever admit it.No one would accept Nathan just because Daisy had.It took Angel.

Anthony knew without a shadow of a doubt his woman had security issues.She didn’t believe in her place with the Skulls.Daisy never said anything, but he knew.

“So, do not come to me and tell me I should behave differently toward your woman.Tabitha and Daisy are best friends, and this time she failed to be there for her.I’m not going to sugarcoat it just because she needs to hear it.One day, you’re going to be leader of Chaos Bleeds.There is also a chance, one day, I am going to be leader of the Skulls.If you want this relationship to last, then we don’t pussyfoot around the problem.We face it head on, otherwise, the Skulls and Chaos Bleeds will cease in our endeavors.”He had said enough, and moved away to stand with his father at the grill.

“You look pissed,” Lash said.

“I’m fine.”

“You talking to Simon, and then come and stand with me, you’re pissed, even if you can’t see it on your face.”

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