“She certainly had a lot to say. None of it good.” Liv grimaced. “In fact, some of it was downright disgusting.”
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. “I can only imagine. Whatever she said was lies, Liv. I swear to you.”
She looked serious. “I already figured that out. I don’t see you into group-sharing-wild-orgy sex.”
“Jesus, no.” I rubbed my eyes. “Is that what she’s saying now?”
“That, plus she had affairs with all of you.”
I hunched over the table, tapping it with my finger. “I never slept with her. Ever. There was no affair, no relationship. Nothing.”
“With anyone?”
“Early on, she and Andy had a fling. It ended fast, and afterward, things went downhill. The woman is deranged.” My head fell back against the booth. “I’m sorry you got dragged into this.”
“How did you meet her?”
“She was a waitress at the first club we played at together. We became regulars, and she was always there. She seemed great. Friendly, supportive, always bringing us beverages and making sure we were okay. She was easy to talk with, and we all liked her. I mean, we liked all the staff, but she always went the extra mile.”
“Then?”
“She and Andy got together. She became strange. Obsessive. He broke it off, and suddenly it got weird. She’d say things to us individually, as if she was trying to pick us off one by one. Turn us against each other. We started hearing rumors about things she was telling people in the club. She went after Mark, then made Alex’s life a living hell. Went to his wife and said they were having an affair. His pregnant, emotional, vulnerable wife. He went crazy. His wife was having a hard time and actually believed Vicky’s lies. It took a lot of work to smooth it over.”
“Oh, wow. She’s a headcase.”
“She spiraled out of control,” I continued. “She was drinking a lot. She quit her job but only because the manager was going to fire her after we went to him and told him what was going on. She disappeared, but every so often would appear with some ludicrous story or lie. She showed up at my house one night, telling me she knew I was secretly interested. I kicked her out, but it made no difference. She told people we were having an affair.”
“But you weren’t.”
I met her gaze. “Never, Liv. I thought she was our friend. Nothing more.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “I believe you.”
“She showed up one night and caused a scene at the club. We met with her and our lawyer as a group. We gave her a choice. Shut up, and leave us alone, or we’d get a restraining order against her, which would have made her life difficult since she waited tables at a bunch of different clubs we played at.” I huffed out a long breath of air. “That was four months ago. She seemed contrite and apologized. Disappeared. We heard she’d stopped drinking, was getting counseling, and left town. I didn’t think we’d ever see her again.”
“Why do you think she showed up tonight?”
“I have no idea, but I hope it’s the last we see of her. I’ll talk to Mark later and see what he thinks.”
“Why would he insist on talking to her?”
“He’s a professional mediator. He knows how to listen and what to say to defuse tense situations. If he thinks it’s a problem, we’ll talk to our lawyer about the restraining order.”
She observed me for a moment. “Sometimes restraining orders mean nothing to someone who is determined.”
I frowned. “Do you have experience with this sort of thing? Did Sammy’s dad pull something?”
“No, not him. My mother had to get a restraining order against my father. It meant nothing to him, and he kept hassling her. He was arrested, and it finally stopped, but only because he left town.”
I scrubbed my face. “I’m sorry. This is bringing up bad memories for you.”
She shrugged. “No memory of my father is good.”
“You shouldn’t have to deal with this sort of situation.” I picked up her hand, stroking the thin skin of her wrist. “You have enough to deal with.”
“Let’s hope it’s the only time I have to see her.”
I was amazed at how calm she was. I didn’t want to add stress to her life, and it was making me uncomfortable.
“It will be,” I said firmly. “It’s us she is obsessed with—you happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. She won’t bother you.”
* * *
The entire evening was ruined by Vicky’s appearance. The plans I had for the night with Liv were put aside. After we left the diner, I took her home, walking her to her door. Our kisses were still deep and passionate, filled with longing and want, but they went nowhere past the door. It wasn’t the right time. We both knew it.
I didn’t get much sleep. Mark texted me and said he had been very clear with Vicky. None of us were interested in anything she had to say. He told her to stay away from us and to move on with her life. He told me Brent had escorted her out and put her in a cab. He said as a precaution he had sent our lawyer an email, asking about the restraining order we had discussed.
I think I may have gotten through to her. I hope we don’t need it, his last text read.
I hoped so as well. If anyone could get through to Vicky, it would be Mark. Still, I worried.
Unable to sleep, I worked on my latest project—Sammy’s bookcase. It had taken a while to design and cut all the wood. Once it was sanded smooth and pieced together came the task of painting it—and adding the beloved glitter. She had informed me there could never be enough glitter.
“I love the sparkles, Mr. Van! They make me happy.”
I was determined this bookcase would elate her. She didn’t know I was building it—as Liv had stated, she thought we were drawing for fun. I planned on surprising her with it.
But the damn glitter.
As I discovered, no matter how careful I was, the stuff went everywhere. By the time I finished applying it, I was certain, if I sneezed, glitter would come from my nose. I stood back, staring at the bookcase. The light caught the glitter, sending cascades of reflections all over the walls. It was horrendous.
Sammy was going to love it.
I glanced at my watch. I knew Liv was taking her to the park, and I wanted to see them both today. Maybe I could take them to lunch once Sammy had her fill of the park. Spend some time with them. I showered, dressed and drove to the park, then walked the path that led me to the playground. I saw Sammy hanging upside down on the monkey bars, laughing and playing with a friend. I watched her for a moment, her carefree spirit making me smile. She saw me and did a flip, so she landed on her feet, making a beeline for me. I crouched down and met her enthusiastic expression.
“Mr. Van!”
“Hey, Mouse. Having fun?”
She nodded fast, her curls bouncing. “Yeah!” Then she frowned, leaning forward. “Mr. Van, why do you have sparkles in your hair?”
I stifled my groan. I had washed my hair twice, but I couldn’t get all the damn glitter out.
Sammy’s eyes grew round. “Did you lose a tooth? Did the tooth fairy come and leave you money? I always know when she’s been there because there are sparkles on my pillow.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Something like that.”
She beamed, her eyes wide. “You have to tell Mommy. She’ll be so surprised. She says the tooth fairy never comes to her anymore since she is too old.”
I chuckled and glanced toward the bench where I figured Liv was sitting. I froze. She wasn’t alone.
Vicky sat next to her.
Rage tore through me. It was bad enough she had made my life miserable. Tried to destroy my relationship with my friends. Ruin their lives with her lies. But to cross the line and show up here and confront Liv? Especially when it had been made clear to her to back off? With Sammy so close?
Jesus, the last thing I wanted was for her to get near Sammy. God only knew what she would do or say. She would frighten the shit out of the child, regardle
ss.
Not fucking happening.
I stood and glanced down at Sammy. “Go back and play. I have to do something,” I said through tight lips.
She frowned. “What’s the matter, Mr. Van? Why are you mad?”
I struggled to hold on to my temper. “I’m not, but I need to talk to your mom.”
Sammy pointed behind her. “She’s right there. She’s talking to that lady.”
“Did you talk to the lady?”
She shook her head. “No.”
I sighed in relief. “Okay, Mouse. I’ll be over in a minute, okay? I’ll push you on the swings again.”
She turned and scampered away.
I stalked forward, angry and intent on getting Vicky as far away from them both as possible. Fury poured off my body. My fists were clenched tight to my sides. I struggled to stay calm as I approached. I didn’t want to frighten Liv, or God forbid, Sammy.
I failed.
Sammy yelled my name, waving frantically from her upside-down position trying to get my attention. I waved back but kept walking, undeterred.
Vicky looked up, her face paling at the sight of me. Liv met my gaze, shaking her head, warning me not to come closer.
Fuck that.
Leaning down, I wrapped my hand around Vicky’s arm, pulling her to her feet.
“We need to talk.”
She began to protest.
“Now.”
“Van,” Liv began, “it’s not what it looks like—”
“I’ll talk to you in a minute,” I interrupted her. “Vicky and I have some important things to discuss.”
“No, wait—" Liv protested.
Vicky shot Liv a glance. “It’s fine. Thanks for listening.”
I pulled her down the path, around the corner. I could still see Liv and Sammy, but we were out of earshot. Liv watched us go with a frown on her face.
“I warned you,” I hissed. “I am done being nice. I want you to get out of my life. All our lives and not come back.”
She began to speak, but I continued my rant. “How fucking dare you come here and harass Liv? What did we ever do to you that gives you the right to mess with our lives? Haven’t you already caused enough damage?” My voice was rising even though I was struggling to maintain my composure. “You are not getting near that child. Or Liv.” I stepped closer, almost snarling in my anger. “Back. The. Fuck. Off.”
She shook off my grip and stepped back. Her next words shocked me.
“I know, Van. I get it.”
I grimaced. “What?”
She blew out a deep sigh. “I am sorry. I overheard Liv last night say she was coming to this park today, so I came here to apologize to her. I only came back to town to get a few things and head back up North.” She passed a hand over her eyes. “I made a mistake last night and fell back into my bad habits. I haven’t had a drink since I left town, but something hit me yesterday, and I started drinking again. All the hate and anger I thought I had worked through hit me, and I acted out. Fell into my old behavior and said some nasty things. Mark talked to me last night, and his words were so spot-on.” She sighed ruefully as she rubbed her arm. “I need to apologize to all of you. But I also need to leave Toronto and all the memories behind. I’m never coming back.”
Her words seemed genuine. Her gaze was tired but sincere as she met my eyes.
“I don’t understand.”
“I was horrid to all of you. I caused a lot of problems for you, and I was a terrible person. I’ve been getting counseling, going to meetings, trying to get my life back on track. I decided to come back and pick up the last of my things. As soon as I got to town, I knew it was a mistake. I should have listened to my sponsor and my friends. I wasn’t ready. I became that person again.” Her voice wavered. “I’m sorry.”
My anger drained away, but I was skeptical.
She saw my doubt. “You don’t have to believe me. I understand. I did and said some awful things. I’m not proud of myself, and I’m shocked how fast I slipped back into that role yesterday.”
“Why?”
“I was already sliding back. I knew you guys were playing, and I decided to come see you. I meant to approach you all and apologize. Instead, I started wallowing and throwing back shots in the afternoon. When I came to the bar, I saw the way you looked at Liv. I’ve never seen you look that way at anyone—especially me. It made me jealous.”
“We were never anything but friends, Vicky. If we were even that.”
“I know. But in my head, we were. I wanted to be the one to someone. To you—to any one of you,” she admitted. “I’m messed up. It’s too involved to hash out, Van. I called my sponsor this morning, and we talked for a long time. I’m heading back this afternoon and I won’t be returning. Once my head is clear, I’ll write you all my apologies.” She lifted her shoulders. “I don’t think I am strong enough to face you all in person again—at least not for a very long time. I have a lot of issues to work through.”
“I think it’s for the best.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Liv was kinder than she had to be. I appreciated her listening to me, especially after the way I spoke last night.”
“She is a good person.” I narrowed my eyes in warning, still unsure if I believed her. “Leave Sammy alone.”
“I won’t go near either of them again.”
“Okay.”
“You are very protective of them.”
“I care about them.”
She studied me. “She’s the kind of person you deserve, Van. I hope things work out for you. For what it is worth, I am sorry. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.”
I pursed my lips, then huffed. “Go back up North, Vicky. Fix your life. You leave us alone, we’ll leave you alone.”
She turned and walked away without another word. I watched her walk past Liv, only offering a small wave as she hurried by. I sucked in some much-needed lungfuls of air, calmer than I had been, but I needed to clear my head before I spoke to Liv.
I approached the bench and sat beside Liv. She was stiff and silent. We watched Sammy for a few moments, then I leaned forward, clasping my hands between my knees.
“That was unexpected,” I muttered.
“It certainly was.”
Her voice was unemotional. I glanced over at her. She was sitting ramrod straight, her gaze on Sammy.
“She won’t bother you anymore, Liv. She promised—”
She turned her head, her eyes cool. “Was that necessary?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Dragging the poor woman away, embarrassing her, and making her leave?”
I gaped at her. “What?”
“Granted, I wasn’t happy to see her, but I agreed to listen. She was apologizing, and I believe she was sincere.”
“I didn’t know that at the time.”
“No, and you didn’t bother to ask. You didn’t give me the chance to explain.”
I turned to her, our knees pressing. “She’s a freaking headcase, Liv. All I saw was her talking to you. Once again, I assumed, spreading her lies. She was too close to you. Far too close to Sammy. I had to get her away from both of you.”
“Shouldn’t that be my decision?”
Once again, I gaped at her.
“I saw Vicky coming. She asked me if she could sit and talk to me. Apologize. I could have said no, but I agreed. She never went near Sammy, and if she had tried, I would have stopped her. She had been sitting here for ten minutes before you showed up, and she was getting ready to leave when you dragged her away. Frankly, your reaction startled me. It was a little over the top.”
“Over the top,” I repeated.
“Yes.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Is that right?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t need you to protect me, Van. Who I choose to talk or not talk to is my decision.”
“Not in this case,” I almost snarled.
<
br /> She stood, anger pouring off of her. “In every case. I’m a smart, capable woman. I can judge someone without your help. I could see she was different and she simply wanted to talk. You didn’t bother to look. You jumped to the conclusion that I wasn’t thinking clearly. That I couldn’t possibly know what I was doing. I’ve already had two men in my life who dictated what I could or could not do. Say or not say. I’m not about to take on a third. I think I may have misjudged you.”
I was on my feet instantly. “No, you haven’t. I’m the guy you thought I was twenty minutes ago. I couldn’t stand her being close to you—spouting her venom. I couldn’t allow it.”
Her gaze became frosty. “You couldn’t allow it?”
I realized I had used the wrong word.
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I meant I couldn’t risk it.”
“No one tells me what to do anymore. I put up with that long enough. You don’t get to allow me anything.” Liv ran a hand through her hair, her gesture filled with frustration. “We rushed into this, and I need to stop it before it goes any further.”
“What are you saying?” I asked, my heart sinking in my chest.
She lifted her eyes to mine. “I was right to begin with. We should be friends, Van. Only friends.”
“Don’t say that. It was the wrong word, Liv. I used the wrong word.”
She shook her head. “My life was governed by wrong words for years. I won’t do it anymore.” She met my pleading gaze. “I’m sorry, Van. I can’t.”
She turned and hurried away, calling for Sammy. I watched them walk away, stunned. More than once, Sammy turned her head, peered at me over her shoulder, and gestured to her mother, but Liv kept hold of her hand and soon they disappeared from my sight.
I sat down on the bench, reviewing the last screwed-up twenty minutes in my head. I had come here hoping to spend the day with them. I hadn’t expected Vicky. I hadn’t planned on Liv seeing my temper. I hadn’t expected her reaction.
I hung my head. I had been worried Vicky would somehow chase Liv away. Make her fearful of me.
I had managed to do it all on my own.
Van
“Vince, what is going on with you?” My mother tapped her fingers, staring at me from across the table. “And don’t tell me nothing, because I’ll know you’re lying.”
Vested Interest Box Set Books 4-7 Page 34
