“No, they aren’t married, and they only have three children. Mason, Penelope, and Reign.” Sabine tells him, looking slightly disappointed that he doesn’t know this already.
“Okay so was it their mom that had all the kids?” He seems genuinely interested in this and Sabine is loving that she gets to inform him about her favorite subject. Luke comes over to us just as Scott asks her.
“How the hell do you know all of this?” Luke asks looking thoroughly disgusted interrupting their discussion that I really don’t want to hear, it’s bad enough that I have to watch it with her sometimes.
“I’ve watched every episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians along with every spin-off they had.” She tells us proudly.
“Seriously, I didn’t think anyone watched that,” Luke says not realizing his mistake.
“Kim and Kris Humphries’ wedding peaked at ten million viewers. Just so you know.”
Oh, she hates when people criticize her TV shows.
“I just don’t get how anyone can watch it, that’s all. Nothing against you. I just don’t see the appeal.” Luke tells her, trying to calm her down.
“Hey, you guys watch football, and I don’t understand how anyone can watch that. You watch that, and I watch reality TV. Don’t knock it, it’s highly addictive.” She is so mad. She crosses her arms over her chest and raises her eyebrow at Luke, it’s a dare, she’s daring him to question her again.
He doesn’t. Instead, he raises his hands in a gesture of surrender causing both her and me to giggle.
“Anyway, Scott watches it too.” She casually informs Luke.
“Scott watches what?” Steven asks walking towards us and sitting on the sofa.
“The Kardashians,” Luke says in disgust, his lip curling up at the side as he does so.
“You watch that?” Sophia roars from across the room, her eyes are wide in shock.
“What’s wrong with watching it?” Scott asks her, everyone’s eyes are on him. The men looking at him like he’s gone mad and Sabine and Winter have smiles on their faces.
“What’s right with it, you mean,” Nathan says and we all laugh.
“Not even Soph watches that crap.”
“Hey! The Kardashians are not crap. I’ll have you know they’re one of the most watched reality TV shows.” I’m in shock as I realize that it was Winter that said it.
“And Sam, don’t even pretend that you haven’t seen it. You watch it with me!” That gets everyone laughing, and I look at Scott who looks relieved that he’s not the only man who watches it.
We hear the front door open and voices, but can’t quite make out what they are saying. Then in walks a woman who has long blonde hair, and I have to wonder, does this family only know gorgeous women?
Following just behind her is a man who looks like he belongs in a library and I realize that this is Dwayne. Sabine was right; he does look kind of preppy. More like a librarian, but he is definitely Sabine’s type.
It’s Dwayne who recognizes Sabine first, and I watch as his mouth opens in shock. Yeah, the guy likes her. I turn to Sabine who hasn’t seen him yet, she’s talking to Scott still. Who isn’t really listening as his eyes are on the doorway or should I say on the blonde woman who I can only assume is Hailey. She’s looking at Scott and Sabine, and her eyes are full of hurt.
“Sabine!” Dwayne says in shock once he finally finds his voice. His eyes are still wide open, and shock is clearly evident on his face.
“What the hell is going on?” She looks so uncomfortable standing there, with everyone looking at her.
“Sabine, I didn’t know that you know the Dallas’.” He too is starting to look uncomfortable, I don’t blame them, with everyone looking at them they must feel like they’re in a zoo.
“Up until today I only knew Luke, and it’s only a few days ago that I even started to like him.” She blurts out, causing everyone except Luke and Dwayne to laugh.
“Don’t worry, not many people like Luke. He’s the least liked of our family.” Scott says still laughing, and Steven shushes him.
“You’re just saying that because Morgan said that you weren’t good looking,” Luke tells him, and I swear it’s like being around two kids with the way these two are acting.
“Hey, maybe your girl needs glasses,” Scott says jokingly.
“She needs them being with you!”
“Leave Morgan out of this,” Luke growls at him, and I’m confused as to why he’s getting angry.
“Enough!” Steven shouts, and everyone quietens down.
“Now, Luke and Scott, stop with the childish bullshit. Dwayne, why don’t you take Sabine outside and you two have a chat, away from everyone. Hailey, come in and sit down, you don’t need an invite.” Everyone listens to him and does as he says.
Dwayne nods his head towards the front door and Sabine follows him as he walks out. Hailey comes into the room and takes a seat and Winter walks over to her, giving her a hug. I notice that both Sophia and Skye don’t move. Instead, they just look over at her, scrutinizing her as they do. They look worried, and I wonder why?
I take another look at Hailey and see how lost she looks, her eyes are heavy, the weight of the world on her shoulders. She needs a rest.
I turn to Luke and see that he too is staring at Hailey. “Why does everyone keep staring at the poor woman?” I ask him, as Scott walks over to Winter and Hailey.
Luke takes my hand and pulls me into the kitchen, where we are alone. “Growing up, Sophia and Winter were best friends with Hailey’s sister Maddie. Maddie started taking drugs and turned into a bitch. Anyway, the day that Winter was kidnapped, Maddie and Hailey were here, Maddie told her she wanted to make amends with Winter. It came out that Hailey is in an abusive relationship. We’ve all seen the bruises, and we’ve all offered to help her, but she just stays with him. I honestly don’t understand it. She was never this weak before.” He sounds hurt, probably because he offered her help and she wouldn’t accept it.
“Luke, you have to understand that her not leaving him isn’t a weakness. She isn’t weak, and you should never say that she is. I’ve had women tell me that they have stayed with their abusive partner because they’re isolated; they have no one to turn too. That their partner has made them believe that they deserve it, it’s his way of punishing her for doing something wrong. Hailey needs to know that you’re all here for her and love her. That no matter what you’ll be there for her when she needs you, and she will need you eventually.” I can’t believe that he thinks she’s weak. That is one thing I will not tolerate. Just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t mean the other person is weak.
“I know, and I didn’t mean it in the way it came out. I just can’t understand why she is still with him? I just hate that she’s hurting and there isn’t anything we can do.” His voice is soft yet gravelly, but I can still hear the hurt in it.
“You know when we first found out what was happening, Scott spoke to her boyfriend Eric, and he just laughed in Scott’s face. Scott was so furious that he punched him. Ever since then you’ll be lucky to see Hailey around him any more than she has too. It’s why none of us has tried again, we don’t want her to disappear.”
I close the distance between us in two steps and put my arms around him, I can feel the warmth from his body as I do.
“Luke, I don’t know how to make this better for any of you. You just have to make sure that Hailey knows that you’re not judging her and that you are here if she ever needs you.”
“You’re right; it’s just not that easy. We’re an ‘in your business’ sort of family. Once you’re part of this family, you’re stuck for life. Even though Maddie has changed and we’re all mad and disappointed with her. We’re still all worried about her.” He tells me and kisses the top of my head. I lean into him, he tightens his arms around me, and we just stand here holding onto each other.
***
Dinner was delicious, Steven is a really good cook. Sabine told him to expe
ct to see her more often. That neither Luke, Sabine or I are any good at cooking. Steven sent us home with leftovers, which I ate that night. Sabine and Dwayne have been inseparable since that night. They are extremely happy, and I’m happy for them. During dinner at Steven’s, they were constantly whispering to each other. They reminded me of high school kids, but they are happy, and that is the main thing.
Skye, well she left half way through the dinner, she said she wasn’t feeling very well, and I could tell by the look on Sophia’s face that it’s a lot more than just not feeling well.
Hailey, oh that poor woman, she sat beside me at dinner and her eye was not only swollen, hence why I thought they looked heavy, but I saw the way she was holding her side as if her ribs were hurting, she would wince when breathing. I didn’t mention anything to her because she would act as if she was fine whenever anyone looked at her or spoke to her.
It’s been three days since the dinner, and I decided that I need Hailey to know that she’s not alone. So, I called her, and we’ve arranged a lunch date. So here I am, walking into the P.I.G.S office building. Hailey is their office manager and receptionist. It’s the first time that I have been here, and it’s classy looking. It’s not intimidating, like a lot of P.I. places can be.
The reception area is really big, I walk up to the desk and wait as Hailey isn’t there. Nine doors are leading off the reception, and I wonder how many people work here, I know that Nathan owns it and Scott and Dwayne work for him along with Hailey, other than that I wasn’t aware if anyone else worked here.
A door opens, and Dwayne walks out of it, leaving the door slightly ajar. “Hey Morgan, Hailey won’t be much longer, we’ve just had a meeting. F.Y.I - she won’t take off her sunglasses at all so try not to stare.” He shakes his head and then walks through another door and closes it behind him.
Damn, she must be bad today, Luke says that she’s perfected her makeup, so you don’t see the bruises, but we can all see when her face is swollen. Eric doesn’t care that people can see the effects of his actions. He is so full of himself, I can’t stand people who think it's okay to hurt people on purpose.
“Hey Morgan, how are you?” Nathan asks as he comes out of the door that Dwayne had left open. He’s followed by three other guys, who look as though they belong in Hollywood.
What is it with this group of people, they’re all good looking.
“I’m good thanks. How are you, Soph and the kids?” Their two little boys are the sweetest boys ever, two year-old George and almost one-year old Liam.
Soph met Nathan not long after she was home from the army and they hit it off. Then she was in some sort of trouble where someone was after her, she found out she was pregnant after only being with Nathan for a few months.
“Soph’s hormonal as hell and George seems to have hit the terrible twos and Liam is an angel in comparison.” He says it all with a huge smile, and you can tell that no matter what happens, his family is everything.
“Wedding preparations getting to her huh?”
Hell, I don’t blame her. Having two kids to keep up with as well as organizing a wedding.
“Yeah, that and the pregnancy as well as Skye’s drama and the worry of Hailey.” My mouth must drop open as he quickly looks to the ceiling, “Shit, you didn’t hear that. No one’s meant to know yet.”
“I won’t say a word.” I cross my heart with my finger.
“Thanks. I’m sure Hailey won’t be much longer. She’s just talking to Scott.” Nathan tells me as if that’s a normal thing to happen.
“Wait, does Luke know about your news?” He shakes his head at me.
“Oh no, I’m not keeping it a secret from him. No way!” There is no way in hell I’m doing that, I couldn’t keep that from him.
“Fine you can tell him, but tell him not to say anything.” I nod my agreement.
“Okay, I’ve got a conference call to make, but I’ll see you soon.” He shocks me by quickly giving me a hug, before going to his office.
I take a seat because I don’t know how long Hailey is going to be. She and Scott have a history. Luke told me that Hailey was in love with Scott for all her life, and then she decided that she had enough of waiting and to move on to someone else. As soon as Scott found out that she had a boyfriend, he realized that she meant more to him Sophia’s best friend’s little sister.
He wanted her, but it’s too late, she’s in a relationship, and there isn’t anything he can do. So, he just sleeps his way through women as if he can fuck his feelings away.
I hear movement in the room and watch as Hailey starts to walk out. I see that her sunglasses are in her hands and she has a black eye. This is probably the worst I have seen in a while. Her eye itself is red, there is no white around it at all, and I’m wondering if she can even see out of it?
As soon as she sees me her movements become faster, she looks really upset. Then I see Scott come out of the room hot on her tail. “Hailey, wait, please.” His tone is soft but pleading.
Hailey does as he says and stops, she sighs as she turns around and faces him. “I don’t want to go through this again Scott, I’m sick of having this conversation.” She sounds utterly drained, her voice is soft, defeated.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you’re going too. Why are you letting him treat you like this? You’re so much better than having someone treat you like shit.” Scott tells her as he reaches out and gently touches her face.
She winces as his fingers touch her eye, and he quickly removes his hand.
“Leave it alone Scott. It’s none of your business.”
“None of my business? It’s sure as shit is my fucking business. You are mine Hailey, have been from the very beginning. I was just too dumb to see it.” He’s not aggressive when he says it, but he is definitely making his point heard. He’s so close to her that every inch of his body is touching hers.
“I’m not yours Scott, and the only reason that you think that I am is that I have someone else. If I didn’t have Eric, you wouldn’t want me, just like you didn’t want me before I got with him. So enough with the macho man business because it doesn’t work with me.” She shoves her finger into his chest to emphasize her point.
“Now, if you’re finished, I’d like to go as Morgan’s waiting for me.” She says and crossing her arms across her chest.
“Fine, I’ll leave it for today, and I’ll let you go but can you answer me a few questions honestly?” He’s not giving up at all, he’s like a dog with a bone.
“Yes, I’ll answer honestly.” She’s tapping her foot now like she’s impatient, but I think it's nerves. She doesn’t know what he’s going to ask her.
“Do you love him?” Scott asks her, and I inhale sharply, this could end disastrously.
“I don’t know! I thought I did, sometimes I still think that. But most of the time.” She takes a deep breath, her voice is soft as she tells him, “I just don’t know.”
Scott leans even closer to her “What about me, do you love me, Hailey?” She doesn’t answer him, so he asks her again.
“Do you love me?” This time there’s a bite to his tone, he really wants her to answer him, I don’t know if that question is such a good idea. It’s only going to lead to heartache.
“Don’t do this Scott, please.” I hear the tears in her voice, just hearing those words, I know the answer to his question. He just gives her a look, and I watch as a tear falls down her face.
“Yes.” It’s a tortured answer, and Hailey has had enough, she starts to walk away but is stopped as Scott tugs on her arm, and she falls into him. He then uses his hand to lift her head up, and he kisses her. I watch as she kisses him back and the kiss morphs into something else, something magical. These two are meant to be together, and I really hope that they realize that.
I have to look away as I feel like I’m intruding on their private moment. I take my cell out of my jeans pocket and send a text to Luke asking what he wants for dinner.
&nbs
p; “Hailey, please wait.” I hear Scott sounding frantic, and I lift my head in time to see Hailey heading for the entrance. She hasn’t left yet, she’s waiting for me.
As I get closer to Scott, I see Hailey put her sunglasses back on.
“FUCK! That didn’t go as I had planned! Shit, I don’t get why she ran?” He’s asking me, and I have no idea, all I know is these two are in an extremely fucked up situation, and there isn’t anything any of us can do, they have to figure this out themselves.
“Do you think she’ll leave him?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t sound as though she was. Then again, you never gave her a reason to, did you? You asked her did she love you and she told you she did. What did you do in response?” I ask him softly, not wanting to offend him.
“I kissed her.” He says instantly looking bewildered as to why I even asked the question.
“Yes, you did. She opened her heart to you, and all you did was kiss her when an I love you too Hailey would have been the perfect response.” I don’t mean it to come out as harsh as it did, but he needed to know that his response wasn’t exactly the best.
“Well, I thought that was pretty obvious. I do love her.” He says adamantly, and I can’t help but feel sorry for him.
“You should have told her that, we women are not mind readers. She doesn’t know that you love her, kissing her didn’t express that to her. I’ve got to go, she’s waiting for me. Sorry, Scott.” I give him a kiss on the cheek, and he smiles before I quickly leave with Hailey.
She’s in a world of her own when I come outside, and she looks so young and vulnerable. I walk up beside her and move into her vision, I don’t want to startle her, so I cough slightly, and she still jumps. When she realizes that it was me who surprised her, she looks sheepish.
“Sorry Morgan, I was daydreaming. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, are you okay?” We start walking towards Hal’s diner, it’s close to Hailey’s work and the food is to die for, Sabine and I have come here once, and we said that we must come back soon, but we haven’t been back yet.
Deadly Past (Deadly Series Book 3) Page 17
