Page 15 of Savage Hate
She giggles and sits just as the tiny creature begins to stir. “Gabriel wore me down.” I smirk, and she leans back in her seat. “What can I say? I love babies.”
I laugh and order us both some coffee and a scone—something I decide to splurge on, since Silasdidhand me nearly two-hundred dollars last night. When I rejected that amount, he just glowered at me and told me to stop asking questions or I was fired.
“I had no idea you were even pregnant.”
She grins down at her baby, rocking the car seat with her foot. “Yeah, well, the other two trolls kept me too busy to post anything on social media.”
I put my elbows on the table and watch Mindy as she soothes her baby. In high school, Mindy was a party girl—always out, always dating, always had the scoop on where to go. She was outgoing and fun… the complete opposite of me. And her family took me in as one of their own for nearly four years. It’s not fair that she looks the same, either. Gorgeous, naturally bronzed skin, deep-set brown eyes, and thick, black hair. I was always envious of her gorgeous hair, which she has up in a casual ponytail today.
“How’s Gabriel?” I ask, referring to her husband.
It was kind of a scandal back in the day—Mindy marrying Gabriel. He was ten years older than her, and recently divorced. But here they are, ten years later, with three kids. Despite everything, she’s glowing. I can tell she’s happy. It’s the kind of happy you feel in your soul. The kind I yearn for.
“He’s great! Still working too many hours at the firm, but it’s fine. I can’t complain.” She looks at me,reallylooks at me, and I squirm in my seat under her scrutiny.
“Areyouokay?”
I’d given her a brief summary of what had happened to me this past week, and she’d been understanding and sympathetic. But that familiar, nagging feeling of dread, of someone feeling pity for me, returns full force.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly as the server brings our food and drinks. Sipping my coffee, I shrug, trying to think of a way to convince my former best friend that I’m not falling apart at the seams. “I’ve found a part-time job until I get my feet back on the ground.”
Mindy eats her scone in three bites, giving me an apologetic look. “Sorry, I’m ravenous thanks to this one sucking the life force out of me every two hours.” Pinning me with a serious stare, she brushes her hands off and tilts her head. “But are you okay, Lennon? You just seem…” She trails off and leans back in her chair. “I’m worried about you. Your eyes are sad, you know?”
I tamp down the irrational anger at her concern. “Yes. I’m really fine. Wright is…” I swallow. “He’s a piece of shit. Honestly? I dodged a bullet.”
Mindy laughs. “You really did. Cheating asshole.”
I nod. “I’m staying at one of my mom’s properties. It’s right in town,” I add, looking away. “It’s small, but it’s free. I’ll be out of there and into a place of my own in no time.”
Mindy orders another scone, setting down a ten-dollar bill in the process. “Oh, yeah. Where is that again?”
I am dreading this question, because I know exactly what she’s going to ask next. “It’s right over Savage Ink.”
She gasps. “Oh my God. Silas’s place?!”
I rear my head back. “Yeah. You know it?”
She stands excitedly, pulling her pants down to show off a butterfly tattoo on her lower abdomen.
“I got this to commemorate my C-section.” She laughs. “Motherhood is so glamorous.”
I chuckle. “Wait, so did he give you that tattoo?”
She shakes her head as she inhales her second scone. “No. Jude Vanderbilt. The two of them own it with Damon Brooks. I’m not complaining, though.” She laughs, sipping her coffee. “Like, damn, boys, what the fuck did you eat after high school to get so big? I can’t believe how much they’ve changed.”
I burst out laughing and shake my head. “Right? It’s almost unnatural.”
She smiles at me. “So, what’s next, then? Do you plan on staying in Greythorn indefinitely?”
I look down at my chipped nails, and I realize the last time I had them done was in New York.
That’show recently my other life ended.
Mynailsare the same as when I was still engaged to Wright. When I still had a penthouse suite overlooking Central Park, and a housekeeper.
I shake the thought away. “Um, I’m not sure, really. I’d like to get a place of my own here, and after that, I have no idea. Maybe Boston, or maybe somewhere warm like California.”
“That’s exciting!” Mindy chirps, her voice upbeat. “You have your whole life ahead of you. The world is your oyster.”
