Page 28 of Cruel Charming Psychos (Necessary Evils 2)

“I was worried that I was going to lose you. A part of me thought that you’d get back to North Carolina and never leave. I know that being in New York can be hard for you. I figured you’d take the easy way out.”

“I still have things to do, and it’s not like I can leave at this point anyways.”

“You have a point there,” he says with a sly grin, but it’s not funny.

He turns to go to the bar, and I follow him, taking a seat on a cushioned stool. The bartender greets him with a cold, “Good morning.”

“Can I get a whiskey and coke, and make it a double.” Nick takes a seat beside me, resting his feet on the top bar of the stool. He turns to me with a half-smile. “Do you want one?”

Yes,but I can’t say that. “Have you suffered brain damage? You know I can’t drink.”

“Sorry,” he says flatly. “That first drink was really strong.”

“And that makes you somehow forget that I’m carrying your child?”

“I’m pretty sure doctors say that you can indulge in a little bit of alcohol. You just can’t get drunk. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.”

“I believe what they actually say is that a glass of wine won’t hurt the baby, but you’re not drinking wine. You’re drinking whiskey.”

“You love whiskey, though. Don’t tell me that you don’t envy the fact that I’m drinking one right now and that you supposedly can’t do the same.”

“Enjoy your drink.” I scowl at him as I excuse myself from the stool and bolt towards the waiting area of the terminal.

I take a quick glance at him and realize instantly that the feelings I’ve been having for him were wrong. He’s the same asshole that he’s always been. I should have known it was too good to be true. He could only play the part for so long though, and I suppose that after spending two days away from home, he’s no longer able to keep pretending.

Fool me once. Shame on you. Fool me twice. Shame on me. Fool me again? Well, that’s just in my fucking nature. I never fucking learn. To be fair, it’s not like I have the moral high ground here, though. I’m not naïve to that fact. I’m just a hypocrite. A hypocrite that’s lying about something awful, and now because of Nick’s big mouth, I’m no longer just lying to him. I’m lying to the whole town of the Hamptons. When I’m done there, when Nick’s father is behind bars for what he did to Asher, I will have to leave for good. And If I don’t leave, it’ll only be because my journey of revenge leads me to an early death.

Always remember, revenge requires two graves. Whether that’s literal or philosophical remains to be seen. The second grave is either for a second body, or if it’s for the soul one has to surrender in order to succeed.

* * *

It’s only my second time flying first class with the other time being two nights ago when Nick and I flew down. While sitting in the oversized seat, it’s easy to understand why people with wealth are so hellbent on maintaining their lifestyle. There’s plenty of room to stretch out. It’s a short flight though, so even if I had the money and was the one responsible for paying, there’s no way I would shell out the cash for it.

Nick doesn’t have to worry about money though. Even if I’m able to take down his father, it shouldn’t affect his finances too much. There’s enough money in trust funds to last him for the rest of his life.

I consider the idea of attempting to take a nap, but as soon as I close my eyes, I hear Nick trying to get a flight attendant’s attention. I look over to him as he watches the short, petite woman make her way to our seats. His eyes linger a little too long on the woman’s breasts, seemingly ogling them like a horny teenager. I slap my hand against his chest to remind him that I’m sitting right beside him.

“What?” he questions with a laugh. “Do you want me to get you a drink too?”

“You don’t need another drink.”

“I have a mother that loves telling me what to do, so I don’t need another one. Thanks for your concern, though.”

“What has gotten into you?”

“I’m just trying to enjoy my life. You should do the same.” He turns his attention to the flight attendant. “Can I get two whiskey cokes?”

“You don’t need two of those,” I scowl. “If you keep this up, you’re going to need a wheelchair when we land.”

“One of them is for you.”

I drop my head into my palm, wanting to scream. “Nick, I need you to stop this.”

The flight attendant returns with a smile, carrying two drinks. She passes the first one to him which he passes to me and then takes the second one into his hand. This isn’t a battle I’m going to win. It doesn’t make sense to argue with him. And I can’t just throw it out, because he’ll order another.

“Even if I wasn’t pregnant, I wouldn’t drink. Alcoholism runs in my family, and I wake up every day with a promise to myself to not end up like my mother. Do you know how she turned into an alcoholic?” I ask, but I’m not sure if he cares to hear the answer. “She drank too much when she was upset. It became a crutch for her.”

He takes a long sip of his drink, all the while his eyes don’t leave me. “That’s because she’s weak.”

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