"It was Roman," she says bitterly.
"Why?" I try saying and cough a bit afterwards.
"Don't talk. Sip on your water." Sloan pours some ice water from a mustard colored pitcher into a Styrofoam cup. She seals it with a plastic top and straw and hands it to me. I take a small sip, almost afraid to swallow.
"It was all too much for him to find out at once. You met with he who will not be named, which you didn't tell me about, but that's an argument for another day. Shrek was also there, then you were in a horrible car accident, Blake was with you when it all happened, and then it was him who ended up saving you. So I think the Dark Knight just lost it. He lost his ever loving mind and beat the shit out of Blake as well as a few security guards for good measure."
That's when the tears start to fall and my body begins to violently shake. Everything I was trying to avoid was happening tenfold right before my eyes, and there wasn't a thing I could do to change it or make it right. Jade's warning suddenly pops into my head about trust and how Roman doesn't give it freely or give it twice.
The urge to vomit is overwhelming. I turn my body as best as I can to the side and throw up all over the floor and apparently Sloan's shoes as she rushes over to hold my hair back for me.
She doesn't at any time ask me about the baby. That pretty much confirms for me that she has no idea. She would have said something already, especially after I puked. I'm actually impressed to see that the doctors really enforce HIPAA laws in this hospital. They probably can't discuss my pregnancy with anyone, because I'm over twenty-one. Not even with my parents. Which reminds me ...
"Parents," I whisper while Sloan cleans up the mess I've made.
"They're here. They've been staying in a hotel close to the hospital. You've been in and out of it. Sleeping a lot. So you missed some of their visits, but they are here all of the time. Listen, Bitsy, I think I should call the nurse in. Tell him you threw up. It's a male nurse, and he's not half bad looking." Sloan smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. She's trying to be comforting, but I can tell that she's worried about me.
I try my best to return her smile and ask the question that I've wanted to know since I woke up in this place. The one question that I'm now frightened to ask.
"Where is he?"
She sighs deeply.
"He was arrested for the beating, but he posted bond. So he's home warm in his bed. Your parents convinced Blake to file a restraining order, so that the hospital would be forced to bar him from visiting you. I suppose if it wasn't for the restraining order, he'd be camped out in your room every single moment of the day."
Oh God ... maybe my parents do know about the baby.
"Your parents are at the hotel getting some rest." Sloan tilts my cup of water as a directive to take another sip. "We've all been taking shifts. Me, Juliette, and them. Even if we weren't allowed in your room, you haven't been alone for one second. Someone was in this hospital 24-7. They'll be back tonight, but I can call them now if you want."
I shake my head no as best I can, and I begin to cry harder than I think I ever have in my life. My life is a complete mess, and I have the nerve to be bringing a new life into my mess.
Sloan slides her chair over as close as she can to the side of the bed and starts combing her fingers through my hair. "Shh, Bitsy. It's going to be all right. I promise. It's all going to be fine. I'm just glad you're okay."
I close my eyes as the tears continue to roll down the sides of my face and inside of my ears. Everything is not okay, and all I want to do is go to sleep and wake up ten days ago.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
SLOAN
"I have to admit that this is very awkward," Is how I start the conversation.
"How so?"
"I don't like you even a little bit."
"The feeling is quite mutual."
"You seem broodier than usual."
"How very astute of you."
"I suggest you adjust your tone if you want my help."
I'm wearing a curve hugging jersey dress, a pair of knee high, leather boots, and my Burberry trench that my parents bought me last season for my birthday. Not only do I look good, but I'm feeling like quite the badass, superior bitch right now. I never thought I'd see the day that I'd have the Dark Knight right where I wanted him. On his fucking knees. Figuratively that is.
With his oversized body, scarred face, and tatted skin, he is the king of his gutter world, but in the soft and safe land of my best friend Elizabeth Hill, he is nothing more than a mere peasant; and I hold the only opportunity for him to gain entrance back into Bitsyland. It's the ultimate example of karma.
Treat people like shit and shit happens to you.
Elizabeth's recovery has been painstakingly slow. The healing process of broken bones, a concussion, and damaged vocal chords is no joke, especially when you're heartsick, and she's definitely heartsick. She misses the jackass like crazy, but she's also carrying around a tremendous amount of guilt over what the lunatic did to her employee Blake.
He beat that beautiful golden-haired Viking of hers so badly, that his jaw is wired shut for eight to ten weeks. I'm not even sure how you pull something like that off in a hospital emergency ward full of doctors, nurses, and security staff, but he managed to get it done. Honestly the guy should be in jail right now, but I suppose he knows a lot of people in very low places who help him maneuver the system and keep him out of jail all the time.
No justice, no peace.
"You listen the fuck up, Glamazon–"
"No, you listen. I have a name. It's on all my official documents. My birth certificate. My license. Hell, my daddy gave me that name." I point directly to his face. "And you're going to call me by that name, or we aren't going to continue this conversation. You feel me?" I say satirically mimicking one of his usual go to phrases.
He thumps his fist on the table we're sitting at in The Lotus in anger. Maybe to get my attention, or maybe to get a reaction out of me, but his temper tantrums mean nothing at this point. He needs me, and I don't need him. Pure and simple. He's the one that better play nice.
"All right, Sloan." He says my name like there's garbage in his mouth.
"Good!" I clap my hands together. "Now we're getting somewhere. What do you want to know?"
Roman is on the outside of the circle of trust. Even though he isn't in jail, he's been barred from the hospital. I think forever. Bitsy's parents won't take or return any of his calls. Juliette and Joseph were so angry with him for embarrassing the hell out of them in the hospital that they've cut off his Elizabeth information pipeline. At least temporarily. Juliette has been known to slip when it comes to her stepson. She has a soft spot for him.
Elizabeth's phone was trashed in the accident, and she doesn't want another one until she's out of the hospital. I figure she doesn't want to field calls all day from fair weathered friends and curious extended family members. So I am the only direct connection the Dark Knight has to his beloved cousin, and it's a fantastic feeling. I am now the overlord.
*Cue my evil laughter!*
"What's up with the parents?"
"They're leaving in two days, but they're coming back for her."
"What do you mean for her?"
"Obviously they want her to finish her recovery at home with them. It's normal for a girl's parents to want her close after something traumatic happens like this."
I love seeing him sweat.
"I've been trying to be respectful, Sloan, but I'm running out of patience," he blusters. "They're trying to take her from me. Everyone is trying to take her from me."
He sounds like he's going a bit batshit if you ask me.
"And that is never going to happen. She's mine, and she belongs with me."
"And how exactly have you been respectful? You've only stayed away from the hospital, because legally you aren't permitted within twenty feet of the building. Don't act like you're staying away out of respect for Bitsy or her parent's wishes. The reality is that you do
n't have a choice."
"I would think that you of all people would know better than that. I could throw some money at that place, and in ten minutes they'd throw a red carpet down for me that leads straight to Elizabeth's room. Trust me, I'm giving her parents what they want ... for now."
"You mean what Elizabeth wants."
"She doesn't want this."
"You sure about that?"
"Let me get you up to speed. Elizabeth is having my baby."
I almost choke on my own salvia. What the hell did he just say?
"Your baby?"
"That's right." He grins triumphantly. Like he's won some sort of prize.
"She never told me anything about being pregnant. We were just out drinking–"
"She didn't know she was pregnant then. She just found out. So like I said, I'm pretty sure that distance isn't what she wants. We just need to talk. I have to clear some things up."
"Oh you mean clear up the fact that you went to Miami to see about a kitty Kat?"
For a moment there, it looked like I caught him by surprise. I wonder if Bitsy is seriously considering having this guy's baby.
"There's nothing going on there."
"Really? So you go to Miami and barely say good-bye to Elizabeth, because there's nothing going on? That's real confusing."
"I didn't ask you here to talk about Miami."
"Listen, I don't know what I can do for you or if I even want to do anything for you. You don't seem remorseful one iota about Blake, you have some mystery bitch in your life, and you always complain about Bitsy spending any time with me. Her cutting you off actually works out for everyone's benefit if you ask me. There's no real motivation for me to help you."
If looks could kill, I'd be at the bottom of the Delaware River right now. The Dark Knight wants to throttle me. Good. He needs to feel a little pain right now. Baby on the way or not, he fucked up. We were all frightened about what happened to Bitsy, and maybe Blake did say something out of pocket to him back in that exam room. I don't know. None of us will really ever know all the words that passed between the two of them, but what I do know is that taking it out on his face like that was not the answer. It only made things a hundred times worse. Maybe in his world that's what you do, but not in ours, and I come from a crazy family of professional athletes. They fight all the damn time, but they definitely don't put people in intensive care.
Roman doesn't just punish, he obliterates.
Bitsy is smart, driven, and non-confrontational. She's supposed to be with men like Blake, or Jagger, or some other good looking square who just wants to marry her, put nerdy babies in her tummy, and move her back to the 'burbs.
"When's the last time you've been out on a date?"
What a strange question. Probably trying to mess with my head.
"What does that have to do with anything that we're talking about right now?"
Weirdo.
"Answer the question."
"I don't know," I lie. "It's been a minute."
"Don't you think that's odd?"
"I just haven't met the right guy. Again, what does this have to do with you?"
"I know exactly why you haven't been on a real date in almost two months."
This is getting borderline creepy. How does he know how long it's been? Maybe Bitsy's been telling him my business. I'm going to kill her once she gets better!
"Who's counting." I say nonchalantly.
"I bet your hard up ass is." He smirks.
"I've never been hard up a day in my life."
"I'm sure you can get dick quite easily, Sloan. Plenty of men like skin and bones and a disrespectful mouth. But this need of yours to go out every weekend, and get wasted, get laid, and take my woman with you while you do it? That's what women who are fucked up in the head do. Women searching for something. Desperately seeking daddy. I'm not falling one second for this I've got my shit together act you put on for the world, and so I'll ask you again. Do you want to know why you no one bothers to call you after you meet?"
I squint my eyes and glare at the asshole for a few moments. It reminds me of the times when I was in third grade, and I would stare really hard at Cynthia Martin's head during recess. Hoping I had telekinetic powers that would blow her two long ponytails, clear off of her head and over to the nearby baseball field.
"What have you done now, you psychopath?"
This isn't the Dark Knight trying to give me a few words of wisdom. It's almost as if he's done something or knows something very specific. I can feel it.
"I haven't done anything," he smiles. "You really have me pegged as some sort of criminal mastermind don't you? I'm glad you think so highly of me."
"Mastermind, no. Criminal? Most definitely."
"Your boy Blake had that shit coming."
"If that smart, hot guy had something coming to him, then you definitely have some shit coming to you, too."
"You know what, Sloan. I've never hit a woman, but you make a strong case for why a man would want to."
"I'm sure cowards across America salute you."
"Bitch."
"What did you say?"
Them's fighting words!
"I am going to see Elizabeth today come hell or high water."
"Hope you can swim then."
The Dark Knight growls in frustration, pops a couple of candies in his mouth, and takes a deep breath.
"Look, I mishandled this today. I don't want to fight with you."
"Then what do you want, because you have a funny way of showing it."
"I want us to stop this bickering thing between us before it gets out of hand. Our mutual dislike for each other is growing into more, and we need to squash it now, because it will crush Elizabeth if she has to cut you out of her life and our baby's life."
"Cut me off?! You self-centered prick. You can't be serious. She would never choose you over me. That's what's really bothering you isn't it? The fact that she'd choose her best friend over you. The fact that she already chooses me over you all the time. Your delicate ego can't take it can you?"
"I can't even believe you two are even friends, because you don't know Elizabeth at all. First of all she hates that childhood nickname you still call her, but she's too polite to tell you to shut the fuck up. Secondly she has never chosen you over me, because I have never asked her to. Not yet anyway. I think you need to ask yourself why you're so angry with me. I've never done anything to you. In fact, I barely know you.
"Maybe you're pissed that Elizabeth isn't as dependent on you or in need of your attention as she once was, because she's with me. Or is it that she isn't as available to you as she's normally been. Your go to, on call, built-in therapist. Your wingman. Your subordinate. Your lesser than."
He pinches his pointer finger and thumb together. "Someone to make you feel just a wee bit better about yourself. Or maybe the real issue here is that you want to fuck me yourself, which is unfortunate for you if that's the case. There was a time I didn't mind a little ménage between friends, but I'm a one woman man nowadays."
He's disgusting.
"I'd sooner jump off a bridge than ever spread my legs for you, and as for all the other shit you just said, go fuck yourself."
The Dark Knight finishes off a shot of dark liquor he had sitting on the table, slams the shot glass back on the table, and starts laughing hysterically. It's the first genuine bit of glee I've seen from him since Bitsy's accident. I don't know how many days it's been since I've given myself permission to laugh either, and so his deep rolling laughter acts almost as a healing balm for the both of us. I let go of my disdain for him for just a moment and crack a genuine smile.
"I've never asked you for shit, Glamazon, and I don't plan on ever doing it again, but I need your help. I love her, and I feel like I may be losing her. I can't let that happen. It will kill me. I need you to let go of the fact that you don't like me and take into account that Elizabeth loves me. I need for the two of us to try and be friends."
He stares at me straight on waiting for an answer.
I cross and uncross my legs. Take a sip of my cocktail and then another. Shit, I'm still sober.
I'm not sure what just happened. I had the upper hand at the beginning of this conversation, and now he's telling me about my best friend's pregnancy, which I knew absolutely zilch about, and making friendship requests.
"Under one condition."
"What?"
"I have two questions that I need answered. Truthfully."
"What are they?" he asks impatiently.
"First, I want to know if you've dealt with Ethan and the dealer."
"I have."
"For the record, I told Bitsy to tell you about the whole Shrek thing right away."
"Noted."
"Are they–?"
"They won't be bothering Elizabeth anymore if that's what you're asking."
"Did you do something illegal?"
"Is this your second question, because that's all I'm giving you. Two questions."
"Okay, forget the whole illegal thing. What I really want to know is why none of the guys I'm meeting are asking me out?"
"Well shit that's easy, I can give you that reason in two words," he says with amusement.
I'm waiting for one of the Dark Knight's usual smart-ass responses, but am totally shocked by his actual answer.
"Cutter King."
CHAPTER THIRTY
ROMAN
I'm standing on the opposite side of a closed door to Elizabeth's hospital room. My hands flat on the cool metal door and my eyes closed. She's just within reach, but I've convinced myself that she needs more time to heal, before I dredge up all the shit that's happened in the last few weeks.
So I don't go in.
Punk.
The only nurse who has been helpful to me since the whole Blake incident stares at me sympathetically, like I'm a pitiful soul. She's right. I am a sorry excuse. She also taps her watch to let me know that I don't have much time. I make sure to respect the boundaries she's given me though, because she's given me a gift today.
The Cousins Series Boxed Set Page 57
