Page 53 of Five
Apparently, according to the doctor, at the time of her death Maria wasnotpregnant. At first, I thought they meant she’d miscarried as a result of the collision, but I was informed by some unfeeling bitch that the indications were that Maria had recently aborted the child.
Which I guess explains why she was so pissed about the nursery.
But it didn’t end there. Like poking at an infected wound, I decided to find out why she would have done such a thing. Was there a problem with the baby? Was there some kind of medical issue with Maria?
I felt sure there must be some good reason why she’d had my baby sucked out of her body without telling me. Something dreadful she was waiting for the right moment to disclose.
Turns out the something dreadful was that the baby wasn’t mine.
And since the guy who knocked her up, the guy she’d been having an affair with, was Asian, she knew she would never be able to pass his kid off as mine.
After all that, the idea of mixing it up with Neve doesn’t sit too well with me.
“You don’t want to know my problems, sweetheart,” I growl. Christ, I’d like to forget them myself, but they’re never far from the surface.
Neve tries again. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude; I understand I’ve arrived here unexpectedly and disrupted your life, but trust me, I…”
“I don’t trust you,” I snarl, cutting her off the moment that particular word is out of her mouth. “And I don’t buy this sweet, butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth, damsel in distress act that you’ve suckered the rest of the guys with, either.”
Her eyes widen, and she takes a step away from me, like she’s only just realized she’s made a critical mistake by cornering me. “Why, you…you…”
“Just go ahead and say it, sweetheart. I think the word you’re looking for is asshole. Why don’t you just be honest and say what you think. You’ll gain far more respect from me that way.”
“I don’t curse,” Neve says primly, and I can’t help it. I burst out laughing.
“Everybody cusses, Neve. Everyone gets angry and wants to take that out on someone else. Or are you so pitiful that you don’t own your own reactions, and you need some big brave man to make all your decisions for you, right down to how you should respond? Which is pathetic, by the way. Is that why you’re after five guys, so there’s always someone to tell you what to do, what to say, how to think?”
She presses her lips together and her hand fists by her side. For a moment, I think she may actually let loose, but the words that fall from her lush, pouty lips are still hesitant, and lack any real persuasion. “I-I run my own business. I make big decisions every day?” She says it like it’s a question, which just proves my point.
“You run a daycare; decisions about whether to serve orange juice or apple juice don’t count,” I tell her, sarcasm dripping heavily from my voice. “Why did you even start a daycare?”
She looks surprised at the question. “Because I’m good at looking after people. It started when it was left to me to take care of my mother when she fell apart after my brother’s loss, and I learned that I was pretty good at it.”
The words hit a nerve and cause a rush of ice through my veins. Her little brother was another of the Lost Boys— another coincidence that doesn’t sit well with me.
“So not really a decision at all, then. Just a reaction to the situation you found yourself in,” I point out harshly. “What experience do you have with polyamorous relationships?”
Her mouth works and she blinks as she looks at me in clear discomfort. “I…well, they intrigue me.”
“That’s it?” I scoff. “So, you’ve never actually been part of one before?”
She doesn’t have to reply, I can see the answer in her eyes. And this inexperienced slip of a girl thinks she can take on five guys like us? “Why did you decide to go on the app?”
She looks away, and I immediately know I’ve hit a nerve. “Well?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. There’s a story there, and I want to hear it.
“Well, actually, umm…my friend, she kinda…”
“Oh my God!! Your friend uploaded it for you, didn’t she?” I ask, and I know I’m right when she ducks her head and refuses to look me in the eye, but not before I see the chagrin that reddens her face right down her chest to the tops of those voluptuous breasts. “You didn’t even make that decision for yourself! One of the most important choices of your life is who you’re willing to get involved with.”
I shake my head in disgust. “You know what Neve? Anyone interested in starting a relationship like this needs to know what they’re doing. They need to know exactly what they want and have the guts to go for it. You are not that person.”
I push past her to get to my cottage. I’ve had enough of this conversation. I’ve had enough of this entire damn day. But her voice stops me.
“I want to be that person.”
I stop with my hand on the door handle to my cabin as a wicked thought occurs to me, but I don’t turn around. “Is that a fact?”
I hear her intake of breath. “Yes.”
