Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
Why take the high road when you can take the psychopath?
—Creed to Birdee
Creed
I spoke until I was hoarse, and then spoke some more.
I didn’t stop when we got into the diner.
I just kept talking, telling her everything that I could think of, giving her me in hopes that she would forgive me for my sins.
And they were big ones.
Needless to say, I spoke when I was nervous.
And she gave me one hundred percent of her attention.
She didn’t look away.
Not when she spoke to order her drink.
Not when she spoke to order her food.
Not when the waitress asked if we needed anything.
Not when I told her my entire life story, from beginning to end.
Those brown eyes that I was so totally in love with stayed on me until I finally ran out of things to say.
When I stopped talking, the silence was almost deafening.
But that smile she gave me when she realized that I was done was blinding.
I loved her slightly crooked teeth. The slight points of her incisors making her look like she had baby vampire teeth.
It was cute.
And all Birdee.
“I love your teeth,” I found myself saying. “It looks like you have tiny little fangs.”
She snorted. “Those two teeth were the bane of my existence in high school. When I was thirteen or fourteen, Mable found out that they bothered me. And she called me a blood sucking whore from about fourteen on. I’m not sure when she actually stopped.
Probably around the time that the school started to adopt the moniker. ”
I blinked. “Why did she call you that?”
“I wasn’t a whore, if that’s what you were thinking,” she hurriedly said. “In fact, I’m a…”
She quickly cut herself off, her cheeks heating.
“Tell me.” I leaned forward. “I just told you everything about myself. I told you when I lost my virginity, for Christ’s sake. You can tell me this.”
She shook her head, almost as if she couldn’t believe what she was about to do, and then admitted, “I’ve had one sexual experience in my life.
And it’s not even that kind of sexual experience.
It was one time in college, I fooled around with a boy-man when I was nineteen or so.
I didn’t like the way he made me feel, so I asked him to stop.
The end. That’s the end of my experience.
” She winced. “So for Mable to call me that felt like a slap to the face.”
“Didn’t I once hear you dated Mable’s ex-boyfriend? Slept with him or something?” I hurriedly held up my hands to try to do damage control when I saw the indignation on her face. “I know that you didn’t do it.”
“Mable’s ex-boyfriend, or fiancé, whatever you want to call him, was a serial cheater.
” She sighed. “Morris was sleeping with every woman that would spread her legs open for him. I used to go to the country club a lot—it had the best Wi-Fi in town—and I’d see him taking so many women into the janitor’s closet.
I was so sick of it, so I just…let the lie pass.
I wanted her to know that he was a dick and that he was cheating on her.
And she already hated me anyway, so why would I care if she thought I did it? ”
“You’re a good person, Birdee,” I said softly. “I’m not sure why you let everyone think you aren’t.”
She shrugged. “My dad is a pretty popular person in this town. Mom was, too, in her own circles. Mable’s beloved by everyone. It’s hard to kick the stigma of being known as the town ‘bitch.’ Sometimes it just seemed easier to let it lie. I mean, even if I did defend myself, who would believe me?”
I tilted my head slightly sideways and asked, “Then why’d you stay?”
She looked out the window. “I don’t think a daughter ever stops wanting her father’s attention. I guess I figured if I stayed, maybe one day he’d give me the time of day.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached forward and caught her hand. “He doesn’t deserve you.”
Her watery brown eyes tipped up and her gaze caught mine. “I think you are biased.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “For some reason, you’re actually talking to me.
That’s just…weird. And since you feel some sort of obligation to talk to me since you ran over me with your truck, you got to know me.
Maybe you know I’m not a bitch, and you feel like you should spread the word or something. I don’t know.”
“One, you’re not an obligation.” I linked my fingers through hers.
“Two, you’re not a bitch. And have never been a bitch.
Three, you’re the reason that I have my sister in my life right now.
For that, you’ll have my devotion for the rest of my days.
Even if you hadn’t already had it before you brought her back into my life. ”
She tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”
Before I could answer, the diner’s doors opened and four laughing people, and one only barely smiling, came inside.
Romeo, Mable, Vito, Grace, and Cody.
Romeo’s gaze caught mine the moment they came through the door, and his smile dropped.
“Your regular table is open, dear.”
That regular table just so happened to be right next to ours.
Mable, Cody, and Grace didn’t notice us until they were about to sit down. Vito caught their gaze only after he took his seat and saw them watching.
Romeo came up to me and offered me his hand.
Since I would’ve had to let Birdee’s go to take it, I fisted my hand and held out my knuckles to him with my free hand.
He changed directions fast and knocked his fist against mine.
“Hey, Birdee,” Romeo rumbled. “How ya doin’?”
“I’m fine,” Birdee lied.
She wasn’t fine. She was tired, and you could tell. She had dark circles under her eyes, and even though she was wearing long sleeves, you could still see the medical tape coming out from under her sleeve.
Romeo missed nothing and eyed her carefully. “Are you sure?”
“Yep,” Birdee chirped.
Romeo eyed the dressing peeking out of her sleeve, and Birdee hastily tugged it down over her hand.
Romeo’s eyes came to mine, and I shrugged at his questioning gaze.
“What the hell are you doing here right now?” Vito barked. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”
I moved my stare from Romeo to Vito before I said, “I know you’re not barking at her like she’s in trouble. She’s a grown-ass adult.”
Vito snorted. “I wasn’t barking at her.”
“You kind of were,” Mable interjected. “It was pretty loud. Plus, what’s it matter if she’s not at work?”
Vito scowled at her. “She told me that she was strapped for cash when I invited her out a couple of months ago. Figured if she needed the money, she’d be at work.”
“Vito,” Grace warned.
“What?” Vito asked.
“You’re taking out your anger on her, and she’s not even who you’re upset with. We talked about this.”
Vito muttered something under his breath, but we were saved from replying by the waitress coming back with our food.
The only problem was, Grace’s purse caught up on the waitress’s legs, and the plates in her hand started to teeter in our direction. Specifically, right at Birdee’s injured side.
I reacted before I could think, standing up and all but shoving Romeo into the way of the teetering plates.
The plates crashed down once they bounced off Romeo’s back, but Birdee was luckily spared.
Though, she did jolt suddenly and twist so that she could brace herself for the impact.
“Fuck, fuck. Baby,” I said as I slowly, carefully started to roll Birdee’s long-sleeved shirt up her wrist. “Are you okay?”
“I think I’m fine,” she whispered, voice quivering.
“Fuck,” I repeated. “Let me see.”
She gingerly handed over her arm, and I inspected the dressing with a hawkish gaze, missing nothing.
“Does it feel okay?” I asked, cupping her arm in my hands.
“I think so,” she said. “My heart’s pounding right now, but I think I was just scared.”
“I think you’re okay.” I grumbled. “Let’s go.”
“I’m okay…”
“I think I’d feel better if we went back to my place. I’m closer to the hospital just in case.”
“What happened?” Romeo asked as he peeked over Birdee’s shoulder to stare at her arm.
“Can incident with her artery,” I muttered. “Happened at her new job. She’s okay, but she has to baby that arm for a while to keep her from ripping that repair open all over again.”
“Whoa,” Mable said. “What happened exactly?”
Birdee gave them a very quick rundown of what happened.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
Birdee blinked. “Why would I?”
Vito looked like he’d been shot.
“Shit,” Grace whispered under her breath.
“I’m your dad,” Vito pointed out, getting angry.
“I’m so sorry,” the waitress apologized. “I’ll get these redone as soon as possible. And I’ll make them to go. They’re on the house.”
I helped Birdee to her feet, but left the sleeve where it was so I could keep an eye on the bandage.
“Romeo, could you go start my truck?”
“Sure.” Romeo took my keys from my hand as I caught up Birdee’s jacket.
I only slipped it onto one side of her body, once again keeping her arm free. “Just tuck your shoulder in.”
She did, just as Vito said, “What the hell, Birdee? I’m your father. I should know things like this. Were you in the hospital?”
“For three days, yes.” Birdee moved toward me when I gently tugged on the empty sleeve of her jacket.
I pulled her into my arms as gently as possible just as Vito went on a tirade.
“That’s something a father should know,” Vito continued.
“You know now, don’t you?” I asked. “And also, back up. She just got out of the hospital and you’re scaring me. If this repair breaks, she could literally bleed out right here. She’s already done that once in the last week, I’d rather not ever have it happen again.”
Vito’s angry eyes came to me. “What are you doing with her?”
My brows rose. “I’m taking care of her. What’s it look like?”
“Why?”
Birdee flinched.
“Because she’s someone extremely important to me, Vito,” I pointed out. “She’s mine.”
Birdee’s breath hitched.
“Yours?” Cody asked curiously.
“Mine.” I looked down at the top of Birdee’s head. She’d dropped her gaze to my chest so I could no longer see her face. “She’s mine and I’m hers.”
Birdee inhaled deeply.