Page 241 of Restless
Meggie laughed. “I haven’t had lifelong practice, child of mine.”
“Nor have I. For a long time, everyone was fucka mudnas.”
“It didn’t matter,” Meggie said with another giggle. “Your daddy was quite proud.”
CJ puffed out his chest and finished the Danish. “I have a question.”
Suspecting what that might be, Meggie nodded. CJ was as fiercely protective of her as Christopher. “What, son?”
“Why are you driving?”
Yep, right on target. “Digger had something to do at the least minute, so Bunny had to stay behind. We were walking out of the club. I didn’t want to cancel—”
“It was more like you didn’t want Dad to know.”
“Digger said it was club business, CJ.”
“Fine, Mom. If it was Uncle Johnnie, I’d suspect duplicity, but I know Uncle Digger adores you so I won’t tell Dad.”
“There’s no need,” Meggie said firmly. “I have a slight headache, although it has nothing to do with driving myself a month after the C-Section.”
“More liketwo weeksafter your release.”
“I’m fine, CJ,” Meggie stressed. “Have you seen Molly?” she asked a few minutes later, once the annoyance cleared from her son’s brow. She wasn’t sure if Molly willingly took drugs or if they’d been forced into her. Either way, it would devastate CJ. She’d only found out last night when Roxy called, so she hadn’t talked to Christopher yet, which she wanted to do so they could tell CJ together. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her today, since Roxy had already picked her up by the time I saw Jo.”
“Molly’s healing physically. Mentally, not so much.”
“Yesterday when I saw her, she said the Easter Bunny had moved to the North Pole to live with Mrs. Claus.”
Pain slid across CJ’s face. “Do you think it’s her way of escaping?”
It was a combination of factors. “Bailey is going to provide therapy for her.”
“Harley gave permission for such benevolence?”
“She doesn’t know, potato.”
“It figures,” CJ grumbled.
“Bailey wasn’t going to do it, but I told her if she didn’t help Molly I’d never talk to her again. She accused me of betraying Harley, a little girl I’ve known since before she was born.” Meggie’s mood plummeted and a throbbing started at the base of her skull, joining the pounding in her temples. “In moments of lucidity, Molly told me, Roxie, and your aunts, that you and she are just friends. She even said she sent the photos to make Harley jealous so Harley would be nicer to you. If Bailey sides with Harley, that’s her prerogative, but she isn’t making an innocent girl suffer because Harley is insecure. And she certainly isn’t maligningyouin the process. I believe my child. She believes hers. But she crossed a line when she called you a liar again.”
Two days after the Davises dinner party, Meggie had been sorry Bailey and Harley showed up with Roxy to see Molly. Harley had been sobbing. Bailey had been screaming. And Meggie had been outraged at Bailey deeming her potato as afucking liar, cheating motherfucker and a scheming asshole.
Bailey blamed CJ’s callousness for the fight Harley had with Ariana and Erin. She’d felt Rebel defended her out of guilt. Meggie hadn’t ever been as angry with Bailey.
Roxy got control of the situation, sent Harley out of the room, and made Bailey apologize. At first, Meggie hadn’t accepted it since it was fake, given under duress at Roxy’s threatened beat down.
Bailey had told both Roxy and Meggie to fuck themselves because they were stupid, miserable, emotional bitches and annoyed everyone.
When Bailey came to five minutes after Roxy’s punch, she’d been in tears. Roxy, though, had been on a warpath.
“You’ve lost me, Bailey. I never thought I’d see the day that you’d turn into such a disrespectful sadity bitch. And don’t come running to me when you lose Mortician. If I was him, I would’ve walked away from your shoddy treatment years ago. Who the fuck do you think you are? You’ve turned your back on him, on me, on your sisters, on your children, and on the club. Well, fuckyou, girl. I hope you live a long, miserable life in your high-class office.” She’d stomped off, pausing at the door to say, “Bye, Meggie. Don’t expend your energy on a bitch who’s not worth it.”
“Momma, wait!” Bailey wailed, although her jaw was swelling.
“Girl, fuck you,” Roxy snarled from the hallway, her voice wobbling.
Bailey ran to the door. “Momma, please. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”
