Meggie
“Hey, Reb.” Diesel bent and brushed his lips over her forehead.
“Hey, Dee,” Rebel greeted quietly, still a little groggy, even though her sedatives had been scaled back two days ago, right after her chest tube was removed because her lung had re-inflated.
She wanted to talk to Rule. Though Rebel understood why Daddy insisted she couldn’t—the psychiatrist didn’t think it was a good idea for him to hear from her or Momma—she’d wanted to say goodbye before they moved him to facilities in California.
Smiling, Diesel slid his fingers through Rebel’s hair, standing on the side of her bed closest to the door, allowing Momma access to Rebel on the opposite side. The one near the chair and closest to her own bed.
Momma leaned in and hugged Rebel, not caring that Rebel hugged her back and sobbed so fiercely, it wet her gown.
She stroked her hair. “I’m so sorry, my precious love,” she said. “Not only has my neglect of your brother almost cost you your life but it has taken such a great emotional toll on you.”
“I just want Rule to love me again.”
“He will,” Momma said fiercely. “We’re getting him the best care and he’ll be home again before you know it.”
Rebel nodded, trusting and believing her mother.
“We need to get you better,” she said, thumbing away the tears sliding down her cheeks. “Zoann told me that Bailey suggested you get into counseling as well.”
“I don’t want to talk to Aunt Bailey.”
Momma smiled. “It would be unethical for a member of your family to provide psychiatric care on the record. Even if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t allow Bailey to do it.”
Alarm raced through Rebel. “Then why did you let her help Rule?”
“Kendall oversaw the entire process. ”
“Aunt Meggie, can I talk to Rebel for a moment?” Diesel asked.
Momma considered Diesel and scowled. But Rebel wanted to talk to Diesel, too. By the time she returned home, she and Diesel would never get the chance to talk alone again because of Daddy’s stupid cameras.
“Please, Momma?”
“I don’t want to repeat the same old song and dance for the rest of my life, Diesel Caldwell,” Momma spat, her blue eyes narrowed. “There’s a reason for those new cameras, son.”
“Aunt Meggie, I can explain.”
“You cannot,” Momma retorted.
Rebel’s tears started again. “I know why you wouldn’t want Diesel and me together now. I’m underage. But why not when I’m eighteen? He’s a good man. Is it because he’s fifteen years older than me?”
“Diesel is a fine man,” Momma agreed without hesitation.
“Since the family connections don’t matter to you two, perhaps this will.
How would either of you feel if you took a child in, adopted him, raised him as your own, allowed him to babysit your little girl, only for that same son to want her in his bed? It would feel like a grave betrayal.”
“Diesel never touched me, Momma. I swear.”
Momma continued staring at Diesel, the promise of murder gleaming in her eyes. Rebel didn’t know how her mother would take the confession lounging at the tip of her tongue. Yet, she couldn’t allow Diesel to take the fall when she was as much to blame for his behavior as she was for Rule’s.
“Don’t be mad at Diesel, Momma,” she croaked. “It’s all my fault. I-I-I undressed in front of him.”
Overwhelming silence followed her announcement. They gaped at her, then regarded each other warily.
“I’m sorry,” Rebel continued. “I was selfish and just wanted my way. He changed toward me because of my actions. He’s innocent.”
“Yeah, no.” The word landed like a shard of ice. Anger reddened Momma’s face. “He’s the adult, Rebel. He could’ve walked away from…? I assume the pool house, when you both were in there changing?”
The last time they’d had a pool party was for Ryan’s sixteenth birthday, the morning she and her father drew the lines on her future relationship with Diesel.
Rebel shook her head. “It was in my room,” she admitted. “Recently. He turned his back to get a beer, and I undressed, then cornered him.”
“You’re a jackass,” Momma hissed to Diesel, accusation burning in her eyes.
Diesel raised his hands in supplication. Though unbandaged, his recent stab wound still hadn’t healed completely. “I know, and I’m sorry. I should’ve left.”
“It hasn’t happened again.” Rebel swiped her cheeks. “I promise. It won’t happen again. I like Kaia. I truly do.”
Diesel stiffened.
Fuck him. He’d already told her of his intention to divorce Tabitha and marry some girl named Jana. He had the audacity to dislike how she felt about Kaia? Fuck. Him.
She thought of Rule. Seeing her with Diesel always triggered her twin. Maybe that was what sent him over the edge? She’d had Kaia over the night before and…and…but he didn’t seem to care about Kaia, only her and Diesel.
Any way she looked at it, she blamed herself for Rule’s state.
The realization flushed away her anger and fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.
She was livid and despondent, worried and afraid.
Diesel kissed her forehead again, his gray eyes unreadable.
He gave her a half smile. “As long as Kaia is worthy of you, Reb.”
“He writes poetry for me.”
“You like his poetry?” Momma asked, appalled.
“Did you like Brett’s bullshit?” Diesel spat. “Kaia’s poetry has that motherfucker’s energy.”
“One of you explain to me now,” Momma ordered.
“The day I called him Brett said your eyes were like a deep blue ocean and your hair was like fields of wheat,” Rebel confessed.
Groaning, Momma rolled her eyes.
“That isn’t what that motherfucker said,” Diesel sneered. “He said Aunt Meggie’s eyes were the color of a blue crab from the deep blue ocean and her hair was like fields of wheat sprouting from her hair.”
A giggle escaped Momma, then she clapped a hand over her mouth and cleared her throat, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Did, uh, did your daddy hear?”
“Yes, Momma.” Rebel threw Diesel a triumphant smile. “He’s never compared Kaia to Brett, so you’re just nitpicking.”
“He’s probably blocked that stupid shit out of his head,” Diesel retorted. “Brett only said one or two lines. Kaia keeps it up.”
“I know it’s a little rough around the edges,” Rebel said defensively, “but his sentiment is so romantic.”
“Umkay.”
Diesel winked at Momma and smiled before his face went blank again. “I hope you and your emo boy live a long and happy life together, sweetheart.” He looked at Momma. “Has Uncle Christopher mentioned my plans, Aunt Meggie?”
“About you divorcing Tabitha?” Momma nodded. “He has, son.”
“I’ve filed for legal separation from her.”
“Withdraw it,” Momma said flatly. “You’ve been unhappy since you married her. You have zero chance of reconciling, so skip this unnecessary step and file immediately for divorce.”
“I don’t think—”
“Exactly, son. You don’t think. What happens if you’re incapacitated or critically injured?
Your daddy and me will have absolutely no say.
She will have the power of life and death in her hands.
Yours. What happens if you’re killed? She gets everything, unless she’s killed.
As far as I know, she’s an annoyance, not a threat.
She doesn’t deserve to die because you’re an idiot. ”
“I’m not ready to sever ties with her yet.”
“Then you aren’t ready to move on with your girlfriend.”
Jana, a name burned into Rebel’s memory. She pretended Diesel’s intention to marry that girl didn’t crush her. “My girlfriend is who I want to talk to you about, Aunt Meggie. I love Jana. I want her to move into the treehouse.”
“You’re out of your mind,” Momma said. “Tabitha will pounce. You want Jana to move into the treehouse? Divorce Tabitha first. Otherwise, the answer is no.”
“I want Jana close, Aunt Meggie.”
“You can want her on top of you. It isn’t happening at our house, unless you divorce Tabitha.”
“I understand your concern,” Diesel said. “But she has to be under my protection as soon as possible. Please. This is important.”
At Diesel’s desperation, Rebel’s anxiety increased.
Momma studied Diesel. “I see.”
“I don’t,” Rebel inserted.
Momma winced; Diesel smirked.
“Your carelessness will cost us a fortune,” Momma said after a moment. “I can’t believe you.”
“You’re letting Jana move into the treehouse?” Rebel cried.
“Jana’s pregnant, Rebel, so I’m sure Aunt Meggie would want the woman carrying her first grandchild safely under our protection.”
Forcing herself to ignore her baby girl’s devastation, Meggie smiled at Diesel. The only reason he claimed to have made a girl pregnant and expected her to believe that nonsense was because he took her for a fool.
Diesel was infamous amongst the club girls. Meggie tried to ignore all the rumors, innuendos and escapades about him, but they were inescapable, so she pretended they didn’t exist. She knew of three abortions he’d funded. Though he didn’t want children, he didn’t always practice safe sex.
He had so many emotional scars, so she understood his behavior. Years ago, she’d taken him aside and brought up counseling. He’d just turned eighteen and the hyper-masculine club culture was already in his psyche, so he’d declined. She’d kept her promise and told no one about her suggestion.
When Tabitha announced she and Diesel were trying for a baby, Meggie had been shocked and concerned. But Diesel thought he knew it all, so she’d kept her peace.
No longer, especially if Rebel were involved. The moment Rebel said she liked Kaia Diesel’s demeanor changed.
Grabbing her IV pole, Meggie limped back to her bed and sat, various emotions swirling through the room at Jana’s supposed pregnancy.
Rebel, devastated. Diesel, smug.
Meggie, livid. “I expect to see the results of her pregnancy test, son.”
He swallowed. “Uh, that’s private.”
“Not in this case.” As much as Meggie tried to consider CJ’s plea, the idea of Diesel and Rebel together turned her stomach. And once she found out about Tío’s injuries, supporting a relationship between Rebel and Diesel was even less unlikely.