by V. F. Mason
After some time, when I was done staring, we came back to the rest of the gang and Maggie suggested we go wait in the cafeteria. It was almost lunchtime and no one had eaten since breakfast, so they all wanted to go. I didn’t feel like eating, but I knew there was no point in staying here, because I wasn’t family, and they wouldn’t let me enter even if she woke up.
The cafeteria food was shit, but we had to eat, so no one complained much. I noticed Maggie, Ren, Becky, and Grady acted freaking weird, and to be honest, I couldn’t care less, because I didn’t get their relationships. They kept on swapping. It was hard to know who was with who anymore.
Once we made it back, it had already been four hours, but she was still asleep. That fucking much they could tell us.
“Where the hell is my daughter?” a deep, gruff voice echoed in the hallway, and I turned to look at the man, who I assumed was Serena’s father. Well, he was huge and looked nothing like her. He wore a black suit, and everything about him spoke class, money, and power. Walking beside him was a beautiful blonde who looked genuinely worried. He came to Hawk. “What the hell, Hawk? I trusted you with my daughter, and now she’s in the hospital?” He sounded pissed off and, well, who wouldn’t be in that situation?
“I didn’t send her here, did I?” Hawk answered and studied his friend, folding his arms and looking pissed himself. He probably didn’t appreciate being yelled at in his hometown in front of his kids.
“You told me it was safe and I didn’t have to worry.”
“It’s a ranch. What exactly did you expect?”
Serena’s father was about to say something but changed his mind. He put his hand on the bridge of his nose, squeezed it, and took a deep breath. “It’s all secondary. How is she? When can I see her?” He looked like a loving and terrified father whose princess was hurt.
“She has a small concussion and several bruises. They will keep her through the night for observation. She’s asleep, but we couldn’t see her because we aren't immediate family.”
At the same moment, a doctor came out and Serena’s father rushed to him. They talked in hushed words, and then he disappeared through the door.
I wanted to fucking scream in frustration. I knew he was her father, and he had the right to see her, but she was mine, too, and I needed to know she was okay.
The blonde woman looked lost, like she didn’t expect to be left alone, and at the same time, she didn’t know how to start a conversation with us, either. She just sat down and studied the room.
It appeared the man kept her away from his family, and that hurt her. If she was his, he made a poor job of handling the situation.
Kind of. I couldn’t help but feel I’d seen him somewhere before, and the lady, too. They seemed familiar, but I knew for a fact I’d never met them.
“Listen, son—” Hawk didn’t finish, because her father came back. He didn’t look happy.
“How is she?” I needed to know from someone who’d seen her, someone who was close to her.
He looked at me, and then his gaze went down to my dirty jeans and shirt. I didn’t exactly have the time to clean up. He concentrated on my features, and after a minute, his gaze became sharp. “And you are?”
Yeah, should have known it wouldn’t be easy. Nothing about that guy was fucking easy.
Part of me got him, because if I had a baby girl who was hurt and some fucker asked about her while looking like shit, I wouldn’t have liked that shit either. “Shane Alexander.”
He raised a brow, but I kept quiet. I wouldn’t be telling him about our relationship; that was Serena’s place, not mine. Since the guy had a fuck-off vibe, I didn’t feel like shaking his hand, either. “She’s asleep and everything seems fine.”
I nodded and wanted to go back to my place because I needed to wait until they allowed visitors to see her, and I would be there.
First fucking thing.
He stopped me and held out his hand, and I shook it. “Braden Devlin.” He watched my face closely, as though he expected me to know the name.
It sounded Irish; plus, I remembered Serena saying something about her Irish ancestors during our first real conversation. The only other Devlin I was familiar with was the ice-cream brand and the multibillion-dollar corporation that was…
Son of a bitch!
Everything began to click into place for me. She didn’t cook. She didn’t clean. She was too polished. The odd reaction from Ren when he saw Becky. The guilty expression from Serena every time I talked about money.
She lied to me. The whole fucking time, the girl I fell in love with lied. The poor girl who wanted to make it in the world, all that shit was a lie.
I let go of his hand and turned to leave. No one tried to stop me, maybe because they saw in my face it was not the time to do it. I needed some time alone. I needed to get through the fact that yet another person whom I held close had lied to me, and that changed every fucking thing between us.
I hated her, because she made me fall in love with her, and then she took it all away.
I fucking hated her for making me feel.
As I walked out of the hospital, I tried not to think about how my hate and my love felt like the same fucking thing.
Serena
Groaning, my eyes snapped open as my foggy mind tried to make sense of my surroundings. My body ached in different places, confusing me even more. Then my mind registered IV drips, beeping, and antiseptic smells familiar only to hospitals.
Why would I be here?
Memories came rushing back at me.
Horses, the call from Beth, Hawk and Shane saving me from Lightning.
And then blank.
The nurse in pink scrubs entered the room with a worried look, but smiled once she noticed I was awake. Marisa. At least someone familiar was in the place. We saw each other once at the grocery store, where Maggie introduced us.
“What happened?” My voice was raspy, probably from thirst. She must have known, because she handed me a cup of water with a straw so I could take slow sips.
“You have a slight concussion, and you passed out. The doctor wants to keep you overnight. Nothing to worry about, but don’t make any sudden movements.” I nodded slightly and tried not to wince, as even that brought pain. “You’ll be a bit sensitive since all the medications are wearing off. Anyway, you have quite a bit of company in the waiting room.”
My brows furrowed. “I do?”
“Yep, looks like your friends, boyfriend, and father are there. Thought he and Shane would tear down the hospital, but thankfully they didn’t.”
Her words made little sense to me. There would be no way my dad was here, because who would call him for such a thing? Before I could say anything, the door opened and my dad entered.
Surprise!
“Baby girl, you know how to scare your father.” His deep voice was soothing, and he immediately leaned down and gently hugged me. Although I missed my dad’s hugs, they didn’t bring me the peace they usually did.
“Daddy, what are you doing here?” My voice was muffled against his chest while he sighed heavily.
“What do you mean what am I doing here? My daughter lies injured in the hospital, and I should have done what? Carry on as though nothing happened?” He sounded angry, and I pulled away a bit so he would let me go, but he was still glaring at me with the disapproving look I was so familiar with. “Do you know what I felt when Hawk called and told me what happened? I left the meeting room and immediately called Mark to get on a jet and came here as fast as possible.” His eyes gentled. “Honey, when I said embrace the lifestyle, I didn’t exactly mean to the boot.”
Well, I didn’t know what to say, because he said it all. Jumping into the ring was stupid and reckless, but my head had been elsewhere at that moment, and I was paying the price for it.
“I’m okay, Daddy,” I assured, and he chuckled. “Is Alice here too?” His body grew tense while he nodded. I didn’t blame him, because I was a total bitch for always putti
ng a strain on his relationship.
My time here allowed me to reflect on my parents’ relationship. I loved my mom, but my dad was still alive. Was it so bad he moved on and tried to be happy? Maybe I owed it to him to not act like a spoiled brat and let him handle his relationships. Shane had no parents; well, he had Hawk, but they weren’t exactly close or anything. Where I knew for a fact my dad always would be there for me.
“Cool. How is she?”
“Good. Her book is going well, and she was worried about you.”
“When is the wedding?” I joked, but somehow that didn’t lighten the mood.
He frowned, completely stunned. “There is no wedding in the plans.”
What the hell? “What do you mean there’s no wedding?”
“Sweetheart, I never said there would be a wedding, did I?”
Everything he said was confusing as hell, because, yeah, they had to marry. He spent all his time with her, and the woman basically lived at the house. “Dad, I thought you were serious?”
“Well, we are. I mean, we’re together.” He still didn’t see the point.
“But why?” It was a stupid idea.
“Because no one can replace your mother, baby girl.” My dad was still in love with his dead wife.
“Daddy!” I was on the verge of tears, because it was touching, but at the same time, it was so wrong. I didn’t need him to live in the past. But wasn’t I the one who’d hated Alice in the first place?
I wasn’t in love back then. I didn’t understand what it did to a person.
He came closer and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay, baby girl, rest.”
But I couldn’t let it go just yet. “Dad, is Alice okay with that?” What woman wanted to live as second best?
“Yes, she knew what she signed up for.” And with those words, he left. Somehow, I doubted she was okay with it, but it was not my story.
Then another thought struck me.
If my dad was here, it meant he’d met everyone.
Oh, no.
In the next several hours, everyone from Becky to Carter came to visit me and stayed for a bit. They kept talking about how I scared everyone and how Shane was terrified and losing his mind in the hallway when he wasn’t allowed to see me. I wanted to soothe him and make sure he was okay, but he wasn’t here and no one knew where he went. They weren’t telling me something; I just couldn’t figure out what the hell it was. After all those visits, I was exhausted and decided to sleep a bit, because I was spending the night anyway. Shane didn't answer my calls or texts, but I tried to rationalize it by coming up with different excuses.
The next day, my dad and Hawk came to pick me up, and I learned Dad and Alice were spending the night on the ranch, but no further plans were made. I didn’t really understand why he would need to stay, because I was fine. I still had three weeks to go with the arrangement.
Shane didn’t come, and I started to feel dread in the pit of my stomach, but at the same time, Dad never mentioned him, and that gave me hope that maybe they hadn’t had the time to talk. But I knew I was grasping at straws at that point.
Everyone was present for a “welcome home” lunch, and then I rested again. No one wanted to talk to me much. I knew it was because they were afraid I would ask for Shane.
Sleep was better than wondering about when he would come to give me hell.
He had no other option once he’d learned the truth.
The soft touch on my cheek woke me. I moved in that direction, but it was gone so quickly, I opened my eyes to see if I had imagined it. The room was dark with the only light coming under the door from the hallway.
A shadow appeared in the corner, and I was about to scream when recognition settled in.
Shane.
He came to see me! Instantly, I relaxed into the covers. He’d just touched me. That was what woke me up, but he wasn’t coming near me.
“Why are you all the way over there?” My whisper sounded loud in the otherwise silent room.
“I don’t know,” he whispered back, but his voice was edgy and cold. “Maybe because I'm afraid to touch the high and mighty Serena Devlin.”
He knew the truth.
I’d wanted to tell him the night before, so he would know the truth, so our relationship could have no more secrets and be on equal footing.
Not like that.
No, no, no, never like that.
“Shane—” He raised his hand, and I had no other choice but to close my mouth.
“I learned a lot of things about you in the last few hours. Where should I start? Oh yeah, rich heiress, the party lover, and the media darling.” His description of me brought nothing but disgust, because everything he described was the girl I was for other people, and he knew the real me. The one I hid from the world but was not afraid to show here. I was the real me here. “And according to them, you left tons of males heartbroken. How interesting, given the fact you were a virgin.”
Flinching as if he slapped me, I never thought he’d throw that in my face. I stated, “You don’t even want to know my side of the story.”
“Maybe I would have listened to everything you had to say if you had taken the time to actually tell me.”
I hung my head, studying the blanket having nothing to say since he couldn’t be more right. “I planned to tell you, that night before the accident.”
Shane just stared at me. “That seems pretty convenient, but even so, it is kind of late.”
“Shane, I made a mistake. Does it have to be this way?” He almost told me he loved me last night. Didn’t people say love could conquer everything?
“Then how do you want me to react to this?”
I wanted him to hug me and be with me. I wanted him to tell me everything would be all right and it would never change anything in our relationship. But I couldn’t tell him that, not with the way he was looking at me. That guy was a stranger. He was cold and detached, nothing like my Shane.
“Just differently. Trying to see my side of the story.”
Suddenly, he was by my side on the bed, drawing me closer until our chests touched and our lips were an inch apart. His hot breath brushed across my face.
Kiss me, was all I could think, and then he was doing just that. Only after he started kissing me did I realize the words were out, but who cared as long as his lips touched mine?
The kiss wasn’t about feelings, passion, or love. Instead, it had punishment, anguish, and pain, and I knew he needed that as much as I did. He hated himself for doing it, but neither one of us had the power to stay away from the other.
He let go of me with a groan, breathing heavily while my lips burned from the kiss. Touching it lightly with my fingers, I wondered if he bruised my lip. It was so different from our usual kisses, which left me feeling happy and loved. That one made me want to rinse out my mouth and cry, because somehow it made everything we shared seem fake and dirty.
“Tell me now.” He wanted to know the truth. He deserved it. I just wished it were different, because part of me knew he wouldn’t like it, and the end to our relationship was near.
My avoidance had brought me to the point where I had to tell him in the worst of circumstances.
Shane
As much as fury occupied every bone in my body, nothing could have kept me away from Serena.
After I left the hospital, I went back to the ranch, took a shower, and just rode my bike and tried to think everything through. Everyone sent me texts. She was okay, which soothed my soul, but the hospital wasn't an appropriate place to hash out her lie. That shit was too raw to discuss there, so I waited until she fell asleep and then entered.
Also, the shit I found out about her, the girl I didn’t even know, because none of it fit with my Serena. If it weren’t for the pictures, I wouldn’t believe it.
I hated all those guys she was posing with in pictures, how they touched her, and how she was barely wearing anything, and it was all on display for everyone to see.
The
kiss was punishment for that, because she was mine. Even back then, I considered her mine, just as I was hers.
She sat more comfortably on the bed and raised her knees to her chest as she looked to the window; apparently, she couldn’t hold my accusing stare.
Well, too fucking bad.
“After Mom died, I lost it. We did almost everything together, and she always supported my art. Then she passed away, and I couldn’t take it with all the media attention. I was constantly photographed with a sad face, and they pitied me. She was the darling of society. So of course, they wanted to talk about her.” She got silent for a moment, and all I wanted to do was hug her, because the little girl she described was still inside her, grieving for her mom. “Becky was wild and loved to party. She always did. Everyone wondered how we could be friends with how different we were. But no one pitied her, and I wanted that, to have attention like that, so no one would see the real me, the girl who was hurt. And suddenly, it was the easiest thing to do. One makeover and, poof, you were done. And I loved it. It was like another part of me came out who could be free and carefree and do whatever she wanted. I won’t apologize for that.”
I didn’t need her apologies for her choices in the past or why she acted like a spoiled brat. If it helped her in dealing with her mom’s death, then I was happy for her.
She took a deep breath, studying her folded hands. “Dad didn’t like it, though, but he let me be, because he thought it was better than me sitting at home and doing nothing. But I kept getting in trouble. I’d come home drunk from the parties, and all those boys….” She looked up. “As you know, nothing physical happened with them, but everyone thought it did. He was not happy with that either, but usually, when he was pissed, I could settle him down rather quickly. That time though, I did something he couldn’t overlook.”
“What?” I asked after a moment, because she’d remained silent, as though she’d done something so horrible she couldn’t even say it.
“I… there was a party because of Alice’s book. She’d written about her life. You know, ups and downs and stuff like that.” By her voice, I understood she wasn’t impressed with her dad’s girlfriend. “And I just kind of spilled that it was probably not true and she wrote it to get attention. I said that to the paparazzi, who love that kind of gossip. One thing led to another, and she received a big backlash from it, which pissed off my dad.”