Love Me ~ Without Regret (15 page)

“I wish you had told me, I would have dressed better. Can Michael cook like a gourmet chef? I might have to cozy up to him.” I wiggle my eyebrows at Clay.

“You go right ahead. Just please bring me a plate home.” He holds the door open for me and taps me on the ass on my way in. “We always sit back there, close to the kitchen. His grandmother still rules this place and she likes to come out to check on us herself. We’re her boys. If you want to see a feisty old woman, mess with one of us.”

Everyone is seated around a large round table and a sweet looking little old lady is standing on the left by the kitchen door. She is as round as she is tall and has tight curls surrounding her face.

“GG.” Clay goes to her with his arms wide open. He hugs her, rocking her side to side. “I’ve missed you.”

“Have you missed me Clayton or my cooking?”

Clay looks up at the ceiling, doing the best imitation of someone making a hard choice.

“Just get your hinny over there and sit down. Let me meet this pretty little thing you brought with you tonight. Hey there, doll. I’m Gloria Gentry but all my kids call me GG.” GG holds her arms out for me, too.

“Hello, Miss…”

“It’s GG. Did you not hear me, doll? Clayton, did I not just tell her all my kids call me GG?”

“Sorry about that, GG. I’m Lizzie. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Anyone who gives Clayton a hard time is definitely a friend of mine.” I grin. I’m going to like her. She is feisty.

“Now both of y’all get over there, sit down, and I’ll bring ya some food.” GG likes to be in control and tell everyone how it’s gonna be, I bet she could give Granny a run for her money.

“Yes, ma’am.” I take the seat by Clay. We are sitting in the back by the wall, which feels a little cramped, but I like all of the togetherness. Bailey has always been my family, but all of these guys are growing on me, even… Denise. Bless her heart.

“I can’t believe you ordered veal, Ryder. That’s a baby cow. All I can think about are those big brown eyes looking at me, or it wanting its momma. How scared and lonely it must have been.” Denise is almost in tears.

“It’s a cow, Denise. A cow. I don’t see you passing up the filet mignon. That’s a cow, too, you know.”

Ryder has no sympathy for her.

“You’re being a bully because Aubrey isn’t here, Ryder. You need to be nice to me.” Denise picks up her napkin and dabs at her eyes.

“Actually, Aubrey and I aren’t seeing each other any longer, if you all have to know. So there, get off my back.” Ryder gets up and leaves the table.

“Someone is grumpy because he isn’t getting laid.” Cash chuckles.

“Ryder will be fine. He’s never had any trouble getting a piece…of pie,” Kane says as GG returns to the table.

Everyone is laughing so hard, GG smacks Kane on the back of the head. “I don’t know what filthy thing came out of your mouth this time, Luther Kane, but you better start acting like you had some raising, or I’ll call Ruby.”

“Luther, can you act like a gentleman for once?” Cash gives Kane a deadpan look.

“Who is Ruby?” Bailey asks, while she steadily dips her bread in the olive oil mixture.

“That’s my Mimi. She and GG have been best friends since Jesus was a baby,” Kane smirks.

Smack! GG pops the back of his head again. They must love each other to give one another a hard time. If GG’s grin gets any bigger, her false teeth will probably fall out. 

“What can I get you two kids to eat?” GG looks over at Clay and me.

“I’ll have a seafood platter and Lizzie might want to see a menu.” Clay says.

“What did you get, Bailey?” I look across the table.

“I got a small steak and veggies.”

“That’s what I will have, too. No need to go to any trouble for me. Bailey and I normally share a plate when we go out to eat,” I tell GG.

“It ain’t no trouble, doll, but if that’s what you truly want, I’ll be happy to get it for you.” GG smiles and returns to the kitchen.

“She’s great, Michael. Can we take her home with us?” I ask.

“I’ll give you one day because that’s all it would take before you’d be sending her back, Lizzie. In fact, you would pay me well to bring her back up here.” Michael snorts.

“She can’t be that bad. She seems lovely to me. What do you think, Bay?”

“I think she and Granny could whip these boys into shape, maybe even make men out of them.” Bailey never misses a beat as she leans over with her hand held high.

I high-five her.

Cash whispers in her ear and gooses her in the side. I don’t want to know what that was all about, but I’m sure she will tell me anyway.

GG and a server bring out our food and place everything around the table. GG watches over us for a few minutes to be sure we are happy with our meals then returns to the kitchen.

We’re all quiet because everyone is stuffing their faces with the extraordinary food. The place is packed, but more people arrive and are squeezed in somewhere. I look up and notice Clay has stopped eating.

Clay scoots back his chair. “That fucking cunt!” He throws down his napkin and stomps off toward two women that are talking to a server. Clay takes one of them by the elbow and pushes her out the door.

All of us at the table sit here with our mouths agape. I turn to Kane. “Who’s the fucking cunt?”

“Lizzie, you don’t even want to know, trust me. For your safety, stay right here. Shit’s about to go down, and you don’t want to be anywhere near Clay when it does.” Kane places his hand on top of mine and taps it.

What the fuck is going on here? Like hell, I’m going to sit here while some bitch ass hoe goes off with my man. Does he not even know me? A lot more calmly than I feel right now, I slide back my chair and stand.

Bailey stands too and hell if Denise doesn’t get up as well. I walk to the door, keeping my temper and attitude in check. My bitches are right behind me. They’ve got my six. I hit the door and we’re out in the parking lot, but Clay and the bitch ass ho aren’t anywhere to be found.

“Do you guys see him?” I ask.

They both shake their heads.

“Lizzie, I’ll check this side of the building, and you and Denise can check that side.”

I give her a curt nod, “If you see him, don’t say a word. Just listen and see what’s going on, please. I want to know before I fly off the handle.”

Bailey gives me her half smile and goes off to check her side.

Denise and I head in the opposite direction. As we approach the corner of the building, I turn to Denise and put my finger to my lips. I peek around the corner. Nada. Looking at Denise, I shake my head.

“I’m sorry, Lizzie,” Denise whispers to me.

“Thanks for having my back, girl. I owe you one.”

We meet Bailey in the middle and she lets us know her side was empty also. I look to where Clay parked the truck to see if they’re sitting in there, but his fucking truck is gone. Shit’s about to get real all right. One of them or maybe both of them will face my wrath.

“Lizzie, let’s go inside and call him. There could be a reasonable explanation for this, or maybe we can get answers from one of the guys, or Oakley. She’ll know what’s going on, if she’s not too busy on her cellphone.”

I’m shaking all over, but not from the cold. It’s pleasant for March. Denise puts her arm around my waist and guides me back in the restaurant. The table is silent when we return.

Bailey walks around to pick up my purse, “So which one of you assholes are going to spill your guts? Don’t make Lizzie have to cut off every one of your balls. Michael? Ryder?” They just look at each other. “Luther Kane? Do I need to call Ruby myself?” Bailey hands me my purse then she puts her hands on her hips and taps her foot. “Oakley, do you know what’s going on?”

“Lizzie, this is something you and Clay will need to discuss on your own. I don’t want to get in the middle of it.” Oakley goes back to doing whatever she was doing on her phone.

“Well screw every one of you. I hope you all puke all night long.” I dig in my purse for my phone. I pull it out and dial Clay’s number. I walk back outside, hoping to get a private conversation with him. Straight to voicemail. Someone comes up behind me and puts an arm around my shoulder.

“Lizzie, I’m sorry, hun. Clay really should have told you about this. I can’t believe he started a relationship with you and didn’t tell you about this issue. Come back with me to the hotel and I’ll tell you the whole story.” Kane puts his arms around me and pulls me in for a full body hug.

I was being strong until he did that. I lose it. Tears roll down my face. What is this story? Do I even want to know? I hope my heart isn’t about to be gutted again. That familiar pain of rejection is stabbing me. I can’t go through another heartbreak.

“Kane, please tell me now, I don’t want to wait until the hotel. Please.”

“Shhh, come on, let’s get you in the car.” Kane nudges me toward his car. “It’s going to be a long night, honey, and you’re going to want to be some place where you can get it all out of your system.”

I follow along because I don’t know what else to do. Clay left me stranded. At least Kane wants to help.

Clay

I see the fucking cunt come into GG’s and I lose my mind. She lied to me. She lied to me, and I’m going to find out why. I leave the table without a word. When I reach Megan, her face turns white. I grab her elbow, “What the fuck, Megan?” I push her through the door, hoping Lizzie hasn’t noticed her.

“Uh, Clay… I can…” Megan stutters.

“You can what, Megan? You can tell me why the fuck you’re pregnant when you told me you had an abortion? When I begged you not to kill our baby? You can tell me why you lied? What can you do, Megan? Tell me!” I’m livid. I’ve pulled her all the way to my truck. I open the door and help her and her nine-month pregnant belly inside. “Don’t fucking lie to me either. I want the truth, Megan. I think you owe me that.” I shout at her before I slam the door.

“Clay, please calm down. Let’s go to my apartment and I’ll explain everything.” She says while she buckles her seat belt. She moves the bottom belt off her extended belly.

“You’re damn right you’re going to explain everything to me. I’m not fucking leaving until you have my baby.” I hit the steering wheel with the palm of my hand. I glare at her in disgust. I can’t fucking believe she lied to me. The fucking cunt whore lied to me. I was ready to marry her and raise a child with her. Fucking. Cunt. Whore.

Megan lets us in her apartment, “Can I get you something to drink, Clay?”

Looking around, I see nothing has changed. Her place is still the small artfully decorated studio apartment we spent many hours in making love. “Drop the small talk act, Megan, and give it to me straight. Don’t leave out any details.” I pace, glaring at her, with my hands clasped behind my head. I’m beyond pissed. I was pissed when she told me she was having an abortion and now I’m in a psychotic rage because she’s still pregnant. I’m still going to be a father. She betrayed me by keeping silent. What I can’t figure out is why she betrayed me. Why would she want to hurt me like this? What did I do to her, for her to think it’s necessary to keep my child from me? Or is she just a bitch?

Megan cries and tells me a sad sob story. I don’t know if I should believe her or not. I can’t trust a word she says now. She says she was in the parking lot at the clinic and having a hard time making herself go inside. She had been going back and forth with the decision. Her aunt went with her to offer moral support and because she was going to need someone to drive her home afterward.

“Jenie was with me, Clay. You know how long they have been trying to have a baby. It was selfish of me to ask her to go Clay, but I didn’t have anyone else.” Megan sniffles.

“Bullshit, Megan. That’s complete bullshit and you know it. I would have been there.” My finger is in her face. I know I’m probably scaring her. That I need to back off, but my temper is getting the best of me. “Do you know what hell, thinking you had an abortion, put me through? Then my parents died. I’ve had a miserable nine months of grief, over losing my child and then my parents.”

“Clay, you said you wouldn’t go with me to get the abortion. That if I was going to go through with ‘killing’ our unborn child you were done with me.”

She has that black shit running down her face. Women crying get on my last damn nerve. I hate Megan right now, physically hate her. I can’t bring myself to care an ounce for her, but she is carrying my child. I’m still pacing.

“So you decided to keep my child and not tell me. That’s fucked up, Megan, really fucked up.” I sit in the armchair, put my elbows on my knees, and hang my head. “Did you think I didn’t deserve to know? To be in its life?”

“It’s a he, not an it, Clay. He’s a boy, but I’m not keeping him.” Megan gets up and walks to the window.

“What did you just say? Excuse me? What do you mean you’re not keeping him?” I walk over to her and turn her to face me.

“Like I said, when I went in the little room at the clinic, Jenie was with me. They made me listen to the heartbeat. It sounded like a horse galloping, and it tore me up, Clay. I reached for Jenie’s hand…” Megan is bawling uncontrollably, “Jenie had slid down in the corner with her face in her hands, Clay. I couldn’t go through with… I couldn’t end our… I’m giving the baby to her and Marcus to raise. I can be a part of his life, but not have to be responsible for him.” Megan lets out a long exhale.