Forged in Stone - Alyssa Rose Ivy Page 0,30
is a game I would play with you.”
“I don’t mean my body, but nice that they have that expression wherever it is that you’re from. Jamesville or whatever.”
“Jamesville? Is that what you are calling it now?”
“You haven’t given me another name yet.”
“Bellgard.”
“Bellgard? Never heard of it.”
“Does that surprise you?”
“No. But I thought I might get lucky.”
“I can help you get lucky.”
“Nope. No sex talk. I liked you better when you talked about intimacy with such reverence.”
“I can talk about intimacy all you want.”
“Talk about Bellgard.” Her gaze was unwavering.
“No. We are supposed to be taking turns here. I showed you mine.”
“You already know where I’m from.”
“But by suggesting we play this game, I assumed you had secrets of your own to share.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but I was desperate to know more about her. I wanted to know everything and anything.
“I do have secrets. Ok, want to know who Dale is?”
“Yes, I would.” I wanted to know who had made such a beautiful girl so upset that she became agitated at the mere mention of his name.
She cleared a box off an old sofa and sat down on the dusty cushion. I took the cue and sat next to her. “He’s the guy who dumped me for my step-sister.”
“For your step-sister?” I spat out.
“Do I have to repeat it?”
“And she agreed to this?”
“She agreed to it before he dumped me. And before you say it, yes I was that idiot girl.”
“Why would you be the idiot when you were the one who was hurt? They were the dumb ones. The both of them.” I touched her arm gently. I wanted to kill the guy and the sister. How could they do such a thing? Did family mean nothing to them? It was not as though family meant much to me, but I had never had a real family. My father had lost any ounce of humanity by the time I could talk.
“Because I didn’t see it. She was always the one who got the guys, but I thought Dale was different. I thought he was the one.”
She was really opening up to me, and it made me want to do the same. “I was the idiot who did not notice I was supporting someone evil.”
“Someone evil? What do you mean?’ She wiped a tear from her eye.
I would punish Dale eventually. “My father. His name is synonymous with evil where I come from. And I am his son. That should explain a lot.”
“But you aren’t evil.”
“How would you know?”
“Because you’re in the attic in the middle of the night trying to find something for a pregnant friend. That’s not being evil.”
“How do you know that is what I was doing? Maybe I had a nefarious plan you foiled by waking up.”
She put a hand on my arm. “I don’t know. I already admitted to getting the wool pulled over my eyes for six months, but—”
“Six months? They did that to you for six months before you found out?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I was an idiot.”
“Have you spoken to your sister since?”
“Once. I’ve avoided her which probably explains why I have no life. I refuse to hang out with any of our shared friends because they all knew. They all knew and kept the truth from me.”
“Except for that other friend? The one who introduced you to the dashing Brad?”
“Yeah, Grace. She’s not friends with my sister.”
“You deserve a better man.”
“I know.” She sighed.
“I want you to see Bellgard.”
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to make my decision tonight?” She threw my words back at me.
“It is morning now.” I didn’t have a watch on, but I knew it had to be at least after midnight.
“The sun isn’t up.”
“You don’t need the sun to call it morning.”
“We probably should get some sleep.”
“I need to find a bassinet in all this mess.”
“It’s probably in that back corner over there.” She pointed across the room.
“Why do you think so?”
“Because there’s a box labeled nursery next to it.”
“But a nursery is a garden.”
“It’s also a baby’s room.” She stood up. “How do you not know that?”
I stood and carefully made my way around boxes and furniture over to the corner where she had pointed. Ainsley followed.
She pointed triumphantly at a small cradle. “See.”
“Yes, this must be it.” I examined the small wooden crib. One leg was broken.
“I bet there’s other stuff she’d want from here.” Ainsley opened up the box marked nursery. “What is she having?”
“A baby?”
Ainsley sighed. “Is she having a boy