Our Shattered Pieces

by M. E. Clayton

  Darius side-eyed her. “Picked us for what?”

  Her shoulders drooped and she rolled her eyes dramatically. “There’s an educational benefit tomorrow night, and I have six tickets I’m supposed to give out.”

  “I thought those kinds of things were for administration…people,” I said. Brandy was both a teacher and very involved with the school board and the administration side of things.

  “This year, they thought it would be a good idea for the actual teachers to see all the hard work that goes into the benefits,” she explained. “I guess it’s to make us appreciate how some people still care about the education industry.”

  Last week, I would have been interested in going. This week, not so much. “Thanks, Brandy, but I’m going to have to pass.”

  “Noooooooooo,” she whined. “There’s a good chance that this thing might be boring as hell. I want fun people at our table.” I didn’t miss the way she glanced at Darius. “It’ll be you two, me, Maria, Carlisle, and Franklin.”

  I had to give her points. She made sure not to pair it off evenly. By inviting Carlisle and Franklin, it made it appear innocent and friendly, but I knew better.

  Darius glanced at me. “I got nothing going on tomorrow night,” he said.

  I looked over at Brandy, feeling myself caving. “Fancy?”

  She nodded. “Black tie,” she grimaced a bit.

  “Open bar?” If I was going to do this, I was going to need a little help to get me through the night. Especially, if it was black tie. I wasn’t a fan of fancy.

  Brandy nodded again. “Yes, it’ll be open bar.”

  “I’m down if you are,” Darius said.

  Well, it was either go to this thing or sit at home and finish losing what was left of my mind over Molly. I let out a deep sigh. “Okay, I’m in.”

  Brandy squealed. “Yay! I’ll go let everyone else know.” And off she went.

  As soon as it was safe, I turned towards Darius. “You know that woman has a thing for you,” I told him. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to socialize with her off the clock?”

  Darius shrugged. “We’re off the clock now.”

  “You know what I mean,” I chided.

  Returning his attentions back to the grill, he said, “Dude, she can have a thing for me all she wants. I’m madly in love with my wife, and there’s no woman on the planet who’s a threat to Loraine.”

  “Just watch yourself,” I said. “You never know with some people.”

  Darius looked up at me and grinned. “That’s why you’re not leaving my side all night,” he said. “While there’s no temptation on my side, I’m still not stupid.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “Then why go at all?”

  “C’mon, when are we ever going to get another chance to rub elbows with the wealthy?”

  I did laugh then. “Did you forget who my sister just married?”

  Darius started laughing. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.”

  The rest of the day was spent eating and having fun. Everyone grateful to be able to relax, and not be vigilant of minors around, was a good thing.

  Now if only my heart wasn’t fucking breaking.

  Chapter 33

  Molly~

  By the grace of God, everything was going off without a hitch. Because I had the best working for me, they’d been able to pick up the slack I had failed to carry. Normally, I was on the ball with an event, but this thing with Grayson was really doing a number on me.

  When I hadn’t heard from him all day Wednesday and Thursday, I hadn’t known what to think. But now that it was Friday night, and still nothing, I realized I had blown my chance, and had blown it badly. But even knowing that, he still deserved an apology. I mean, there was asking a man to help carry your baggage, and then there was dumping it on top of his head.

  “I know I’m biased because my parents were both teachers, but I love when we do work with the educational department,” Phoebe said, coming up next to me.

  I turned and grinned at her. “I can’t claim a favorite, but if I had to, it’s anything that helps kids.”

  “Amen,” John said from behind the bar. “It should always be all about the children.”

  Before I could comment, Phoebe asked, “So, are we looking good so far?”

  The fundraiser for District 17’s educational system was coming along nicely. Always the first to show up, and the last to leave, I had made sure to triple check everything. I needed to make my lack of concentration this week up to my team, so I’d been eyeing everything, to near the point of rudeness. While I’ve mingled, and had done my networking, my mind was on everything else.

  “Everything looks good, Pheebs,” I told her. “You guys really pulled out the best for this one.”

  She winked at me. “We pull out the best for everything.” Then her pretty face scrunched up. “Except for that nauseating country club ‘historic preservation’.” She used air quotes around the words, historic preservation.

  Chantilly Montgomery had more money than half of Chicago combined, and instead of donating to the Sugarland Country Club for upgrades herself, every year she hired us to put on an event to actually push for donations for restorations. The tactless thing about that was that every member of Sugarland Country Club raked in nothing less than half a million a year in earnings. Why couldn’t they just all chip in for the restorations themselves? Rich people asking other rich people for money for their own selfish pleasures were real trash, if you asked me.

  “Agreed,” I replied. “It’s all kinds of tacky.”

  “I wish we could say no,” she muttered wishfully.

  That was the thing about running a charity organization, saying no to anyone requesting our services appeared ungrateful. And any charity organization that strove to be successful couldn’t afford to come across as ungrateful. A lot of our success was built on the foundation of humbleness and appreciation. Besides, those same rich people who attended the Sugarland event attended a lot of our other events with their wallets wide open.

  “Well, let’s not invite that headache until we have to next year,” I advised. “Let’s work this event like I know we can.”

  Phoebe grinned. “At least the open bar should make the night interesting,” she said. “If there was ever a group of people who needed free booze, it’s those who spend all their time with children.”

  I laughed as I thought about Mystic’s twins. At almost two-years-old, they were the neatest little things, but I also knew they were a handful. Mystic quitting her job to be a full-time mother and wife was probably the best thing she could have done for her sanity. Though Gage was very hands-on, twins were twins.

  “Well, it’s not like this is our first rodeo,” I reminded her. “If we know how to deal with anything, it’s the imbibed.”

  Only half an hour into the night, I wasn’t too worried about tonight’s crowd. Educators were rather tame and didn’t party the night away into all hours of the morning. Then my feet stuck to the floor, for one second, when my thoughts led me to Grayson. He was a teacher, but he was far from tamed and I knew he could last through the early morning hours.

  Shaking off that intruding thought, I left the bar area to check on the seating area, and make sure there were no last-minute surprises before dinner was served.

  Offering greetings and polite talk, it took me fifteen minutes to check the east section sitting, and once I was satisfied with that, I headed towards the north end, only to be stopped short.

  Grayson.

  Standing around one of the tables that sat six was Grayson, dressed in a suit, looking as breathtaking as he did at Lorcan and Rowan’s wedding. I mean, Grayson was gorgeous any day of the week, but all suited up, he was compellingly handsome.

  And next to him stood a lovely blonde with a smile that lit up her face. Glancing at their group, there were four men and two women, but that didn’t mean anything. Two of the men could easily be a couple, therefore, pairing them all up nicely.

&nb
sp; I quickly turned around and rushed towards the nearest ladies’ restroom. Grateful that it was empty, I turned on the cold water and splashed my face with it, not caring about my makeup. I didn’t wear it heavily, so it wasn’t anything that I couldn’t touch up.

  Staring at the panicked woman in the mirror, I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm my racing pulse. I knew I didn’t have the right to be hurt or jealous, but the shock of seeing Grayson with another woman was a blindside I hadn’t prepared myself for. I’d been so wrapped up in what I was feeling, it never occurred to me that Grayson would have moved on already.

  But why wouldn’t he have?

  I had flipped out on him and had accused him of some awful things. Why would he wait for me? I sure as hell hadn’t given him anything worth waiting for.

  Taking a few more deep breaths, I did my best to pull myself together. This was not the time or place to have a breakdown, and I did have my pride, whatever was left of it.

  I was the one who had called it quits. I was the one who hadn’t answered his texts or calls. So, if nothing else, my self-respect demanded that I shove my hurt feelings aside and treat Grayson and his group with the decency he and they deserved.

  Putting on my game face, I went back out there to finish the job I had started. Heading back towards the north seating, I checked on all the tables, like I normally did, and plastered a huge smile on my face when I approached Grayson and his table.

  His entire body froze when he noticed me, but I made sure to keep my smile in place. “Grayson, how nice it is to see you,” I lied. “I had no idea you were attending tonight’s event.”

  Grayson stood there, staring at me awkwardly, before the blonde at his side spoke up. “Hi, I’m Brandy Horowitz,” she said, introducing herself. “We’re the lucky ones attending this year from Halston.”

  I turned my smile her way and stuck my hand out. “It’s very nice to meet you, Ms. Horowitz,” I lied again. “I’m Molly Cavanaugh, the event’s coordinator.”

  “Well, the place looks amazing,” she gushed. “Everything’s absolutely perfect.”

  Yeah. Absolutely perfect.

  Chapter 34

  Grayson~

  Thank God for Brandy’s chatterbox ways because I needed a goddamn minute. Even though I knew this was what Molly did for a living, it never occurred to me she’d be putting on this event.

  Never.

  “Oh, Molly Cavanaugh,” Darius spoke up. “Isn’t your brother married to Grayson’s sister?”

  Turning that infuriating smile towards Darius, she answered, “Yes. My brother, Lorcan, is married to Grayson’s sister, Rowan.”

  “Oh, what a small world,” Maria said, standing next to Darius, and suddenly, it occurred to me how this might look. In this day and age, it was quite possible to assume that Franklin and Carlisle were an item, along with Darius and Maria, and me and Brandy.

  Molly scanned everyone’s faces as she said, “Well, it’s wonderful to have you all here. I hope you enjoy your evening.” She turned to walk away from our table, and that’s when the shock gave way.

  And anger started to simmer.

  “Molly?” I called out to her. Though she didn’t turn around to face me completely, she did turn around enough for me to lock onto those silver eyes of hers. I had to clear my throat before saying, “I’ll come find you later, yeah?”

  That stunning smile still plastered on her face, she said, “Sure. Though, I’m usually quite busy at these things. I’ll just catch up with you later if we don’t get the chance to talk tonight.” With that, she turned around and walked off.

  My eyes stayed glue to her as I watched her check on the seating, and even though I knew she was doing here job, I hated how she seemed so unaffected that I was here.

  Fucking hated it.

  “So, that’s your sister-in-law?” Brandy asked as we all started to take our seats.

  “No, she’s Rowan’s sister-in-law,” I corrected.

  “Uhm, doesn’t that make her your sister-in-law, too?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m not the one married to Lorcan. I have no ties to that side of Rowan’s family. Molly’s Lorcan’s sister, and I’m Rowan’s brother, and that’s it.”

  “Oh,” she mumbled, and that’s when I realized I was sounding like a complete dick. Even Darius was eyeing me as we sat down.

  Seven minutes.

  That’s how long I lasted before excusing myself to go look for Molly.

  Seven fucking minutes.

  I knew if I didn’t do something, it’d be back to radio silence after tonight, and I was done with that. I’ve been going crazy for days, and my salvation was in this building, walking around like she hadn’t shattered me to pieces.

  Searching in places I probably had no right to, I finally found Molly in a preparation room. There were crates of wine on one of the tables, and another table full of small gift baskets. Molly was counting the wine crates.

  “Molly?”

  She jumped at my voice, and her eyes were wide as she looked at me. “Grayson, wh…what are you doing back here?” She started glancing around the room. “This area is off limits to the guests. No one is supposed to be back here except me or the staff.”

  I made my way to her in four long strides. She backed up until she was trapped between me and the table, and soon, I was crowding her.

  “Is that really what you want to say to me after Monday?” I snarled down at her. “Is that all you have to fucking say to me, Molly?”

  “Because you think now is the time to have this conversation?” she hissed, her eyes darting around for possible intruders.

  “Should I wait for you to answer my phone calls, then? Because that doesn’t seem to be working out for me,” I reminded her bitterly.

  “Grayson-”

  “Talk to me, Molly,” I begged like a fucking pussy. “Just talk to me.”

  “Now is not the time,” she repeated.

  “Then when!” I roared, not caring that I was behaving like a lunatic at a fundraising event. A fundraising event for children, no less.

  “Grayson, stop it!” she whispered-yelled. “Someone could walk in-”

  “I don’t care,” I barked.

  “Well, I do,” she shot back. “This is my job. My career. My life’s work, Grayson.”

  I took her face in my hands, willing to take the hit if it came. “Baby, you’re driving me fucking crazy.” Her face fell, and my hold on her face tightened. “Give me something, Molly. Anything.”

  “Grayson, I’m working. I-”

  “Molly, please-”

  “Molly, we need-oh, shit, I’m…sorry…” I turned to find a tall, willowy brunette, wide-eyed, staring at us. Stepping back, I gave Molly enough room to turn and face whoever this woman was.

  “No, it’s okay, Helene,” Molly rushed out. “We were just…we’re done here.”

  “Uh, yeah…uh, Mr. Jacobs is looking for you, and I…” She trailed off, the awkwardness of the situation bouncing off the walls.

  “Oh, of course,” Molly replied. “I’m…coming.”

  “Molly-”

  “I have to go,” she said, cutting me off. “Just…go back to your date, Grayson. She’s probably wondering where you’re at.” She quickly made her way across the room, and I was left standing in the room, alone, feeling like a complete fucking moron.

  When I finally got back to my table, Darius jerked his chin up, silently asking me if everything was okay, and I threw him a nod, lying my ass off that everything was fine. And then I felt like an ass because I had promised him that I wouldn’t leave his side in an attempt to play it safe.

  The rest of the night was spent pretending to give a fuck about something other than Molly, and it sucked. Darius and I also made enough trips to the open bar to be thankful we’d taken a cab here. I’d also made sure to spend most of the night talking with the guys versus Maria and Brandy. Molly had left before I could explain who Brandy was, and I didn’t want her looking over at our ta
ble and continue getting the wrong idea.

  Three hours later, we all headed out, the guys making sure the girls go into their cars safely before going our separate ways.

  Once the cab had dropped Darius off, I had it take me home, so I could pass the fuck out and forget what a shitshow tonight was. Walking into my house, I tossed my suit jacket on the couch, remembering how much I hated doing fancy.

  Chapter 35

  Molly~

  I had teased Mystic about being able to drop her children off with her husband in the middle of a workday, so she could have some girl time, but here I was, doing the same thing. Well, not dropping off my kids, but intruding on Lorcan’s day because I was a mess.

  A complete fucking mess.

  And the most selfish part of it all? I knew Lorcan would be working through the weekend to catch up from his honeymoon last week, and I was still bothering him. Though Lorcan was a workhorse, he’d been cutting back since marrying Rowan, so him working on a Saturday, at the office no less, was a big deal. And here I was, bothering him with my bullshit.

  “Jesus, Molly,” he breathed, “how many times do I have to tell you that you come before my work? You always have, so fucking spill it.”

  While I’d had plenty to keep me busy last night, my eyes found themselves searching for Grayson all night long. Lots of times I found him at the bar with one of his friends, but he also spent a lot of time at the table with his entire group. I had also unfortunately noticed them all leaving together, and a part of me had wondered how he could have cornered me in that room while on a date with someone else. Grayson never stuck me as the callous type, but that was rude for anyone.

  Curled up in one of the plush leather chairs in Lorcan’s office, I looked over at my brother, sitting behind his desk, looking confident and strong, and I wondered how many times he was going to have to save me from myself.

  “I fucked up, Lorcan,” I confessed.

  He let out a deep breath. “Does this have anything to do with Grayson?”

  I wasn’t surprised. Rowan had already told me that everyone had known about the night of the wedding, and even if Lorcan hadn’t suspected, I imagine Rowan had gone home and told him the business the day she and Mystic had visited me at my office. Not that I minded. Rowan knew how close me and Lorcan were. I didn’t view it as breaking my confidence, no matter what she might have told him.