Page 116 of Our Broken Pieces
Marcus
The house feels empty without Gigi. I used to enjoy the quiet—hell, I lived for it—but now, without her, the place just feels dead. It’s strange how fast things change. I used to be perfectly fine on my own, and now, I actually look forward to her sass when I walk through the door. I’ve gotten used to having her around—her voice, eating dinner together, even the way she always knows how to calm me down. There’s something comforting in knowing she’s here to stay, like I don’t have to pretend to be tough all the time. I’m not big on traditions or superstitions, but she insisted we do things properly. So, she’s at the hotel tonight, and I’m stuck here alone with Ethel.
I grab my laptop in one hand, a glass of whiskey in the other, and make my way to the couch. The second I sink into theleather, Ethel jumps up like she’s been waiting for this moment all day.
“Just because your mother’s not here doesn’t mean you get to take advantage and be a brat,” I say.
She stares at me and meows.
“I fed you already. Go do cat things.”
But no, she’s got other plans. She cautiously steps across the cushions, eyeing me like I might flip out at any second. When her eyes seem less… demonic, I grudgingly set my stuff down on the coffee table. And to my surprise, she climbs right into my lap, purring like she’s the queen of the house.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, bewildered.
She circles my lap once, then settles in like it’s all normal.
“Alright, fine. Just stay there.”
I reach for my laptop and log into my call with Rory. His face appears on the screen. “Marcus, good to see you, man.”
“Good to see you, too. Even if it’s on a screen.”
“Sort of the world we live in now. How was the trip?”
“Really good. It was nice to do our own thing before we have the big performance for my dad’s friends.”
“Understandable.”
“So, what did you find?”
“Marcus, that woman is not Sarah Kelly.”
My stomach tightens. “Shit. I knew something wasn’t right about all this. Who is she, then?”
“Grace Murphy. Originally from Boston, she now lives in Tulsa, heavily in debt, previous jail time for theft and aggravated assault of her now deceased husband.”
“What the fuck is she doing here, then?”
“That’s a really good question.”
“This is going to fuck with Gigi.”
“There’s more, Marcus. I also have news about her real parents. They both passed three years ago. House fire—caused by a small meth lab they were running out of their kitchen.”
I run my hands down my face. “Fucking hell, Rory.”
“I know. It’s probably best Gigi wasn’t raised in their household.”
I nod. “So, what should we do about this Grace woman?”
“There isn’t much we can do until she tries to use it for her own gain.”
“I’ll just tell G to keep away from her.”
“Keep all texts or emails if she gets any. And yeah, just don’t initiate contact with her.”
“Got it.” I blow out a breath, and Ethel starts to purr in my lap.
