Nessa (Broken Sisters #1) (18 page)

Jesus she hit him, that's my girl! Her hand looks pretty swollen though.

"Oh my God you actually hit him! I think you may need an x-ray."

"Nah, I'm ok are you? I assume you saw her there."

"Yeah I did. I'm ok," I tell her rubbing my stomach. "I have to be strong for this little one growing in me."

She smiles at me. "Yeah. Keep your head up babe, you can get through this. It's been a shity few months but you are so strong."

"Thanks. I'm feeling kinda strong." Yeah right. I literally had a break down outside his building but I'm not going to worry her with that.

"Where did you go?"

"I went there saw them and left. I bumped into my dad he could see I was a little upset and he brought me here." It's kinda true.

"Your dad? That's good. Everything ok with you two?"

"Yeah, I think we will be fine in time. I told him he was going to be a Granddad."

"Really? That's great babe. I'm happy this is working out for you. I'm sorry about Taylor, I know you liked him."

"I fell in love with him Stacey."

"Oh shit Nessa. I'm sorry." Yeah me too. Sorry I seem to attract pricks. I don't want to sit around thinking about this all the time.

"Stacey I want to work. Please don't say no, because I don't think I can take that." She looks like she wants to say no.

"But you're pregnant and going through shit. Are you sure you can handle work on top of it all?"

"You're right but I have to be strong for this baby. I still have a hell of a fight ahead of me but I want to work so please let me." I know I'm begging a little but I want my mind off my shit. I'm going to have to face my shit one day soon and I'm not ready for it to be now—working is just the distraction I need.

"Fine there's a corporate event tomorrow. You can host. I need a night off anyway."

Yes I feel like fist pumping the air. "Thank you and you do need a night off." I hug her.

"Nessa you're so strong. Everything you have been through and you just get on with it. I am so proud to call you my friend, my sister, and my family but please stop with holding the shit in. I don't think I can handle it if you break on me so please talk to someone."

Well shit. I feel the tears dripping out of my eyes. "I won't break. I'm not fragile but I'm going to have to open that letter and I'm going to have to deal with Taylor. I can't promise I will be strong all the time but I will get through it."

"I know and I'll be right here with you."

I'm so tired and everything is swimming around my mind. I to go to bed as I'm working tomorrow I could use the rest. I know I should be in a ball curled up crying about Taylor but I'm not gonna be my mam, I can't give up.

THIRTEEN

Everything's running smoothly and I have checked in with Stacey to let her know everything grand. She worries way too much. She may not have rang me but she is probably pacing the apartment.

The guests are starting to arrive as I head out back to check everything. On the way back in I grab a tray of drinks to give to the waiting staff to start handing out.

I'm just about to hand the girl the tray of drinks when I spot Taylor arguing with my dad. What the hell? Then a girl comes up and they both smile. I know her face but from where? She turns and I notice two things at once, she the girl in the picture Taylor had in is apartment and she looks like me.

I feel suddenly feel very dizzy. The tray of drinks fall from my hands. I start backing out but the noise got everyone's attention and when Taylor notices me he pales, my dad spots me and makes his way over.

"Nessa are you ok? What are you doing here?" I can't answer. I just stare at Taylor who is now also beside me.

"Nessa it's not what you think." This comes from Taylor. I don't know what to think right now. The picture from his house he called her his sister, which make my dad his stepdad. Is this some sick joke? Did he know all along who I was to these people? It's all so confusing but Taylor was adopted by his aunt, who is my dad's wife. They're his family too. I need to leave to figure this out.

This is why I couldn't be at his birthday party or why we never went out much! Oh it's all making sense now. I bet he had a great laugh at me.

"Taylor do you know Nessa? What's going on here?" my dad asks Taylor as it seems I can't answer.

"Yes, I do." Shit my dad will know it's him. Shit I need to leave so I turn and walk away but Taylor grabs my arm.

"Nessa just let me explain."

"Let go," I ask but he doesn't. I look to my dad who is looking at us and I can see all the dots connecting for him.

"You're the one who got her pregnant, cheated, and tossed her aside?" my dad says in a deadly tone, even I'm a little afraid.

"Pregnant! What the hell is he talking about Nessa?"

"What's going on Dad? Who is she?" When Colleen talks I realise I need to move but Taylor still has me so I take a deep breath.

"Yes I am. I tried to tell you but we don't have a future remember." I turn to my dad and then I turn to Colleen my apparent sister. "I'd be your sister, his daughter, and his whore so really I'm just no one important." With that I pull my arm from Taylor's grip.

"Nessa stop. That's not true. Let’s go sit down, you don't look the best." This comes from my dad. I can see his worry but I can't stay here.

"I can't do this right now. Please don't ask me to." He looks at me and nods.

"Nessa we need to talk. Just stay, I can explain."

"There is nothing to explain. I just don't even want to talk to you. I hate you, can you understand that? I. Hate. You!" With that I turn and run.

I make it out the door and down the street before I stop at a wall to breathe. When a sharp pain hits the back of my head I realise my day is just going to shit.

FOURTEEN

My head is throbbing. When I open my eyes I freak a little because I'm tied to my old bed. I pull at the ropes but I get nowhere. The door to the room opens and Brandon walks in.

"Welcome home Nessa," he sneers. Brandon has done this, why?

"What's going on? Let me go!" I pull at the ropes again and get nowhere.

"No point in fighting. You're not going anywhere."

"What do you want from me?" My freaking head is pounding.

"I took everything from you but you just land right back on your feet, didn't you? Every girl I ever did this to could never get over the hurt. I know because that's the best part for me watching you all break. But no, not you. I thought I picked a big softy looking for a bit of love but no you actually got up and fought. Looking at you in that hospital bed I thought I finally broke you. You looked so weak but again you got up so I'm going to kill you slowly and take some pleasure from it. I'm going to enjoy every moment," he sneers at me. This is a sick joke. He's not really going to kill me. He's kidding, right?

"Brandon this is not funny anymore. Please let me go." The look he throws my way scares the shit out of me.

"Oh this is no joke. I know you thought you were funny leaving and landing yourself a billionaire. Well guess what, jokes on you now."

Leaving him? Oh God, he's messed up. Lucy was right. Seriously no more men for me.

"I didn't leave you. You cheated on me. Just let me go please. I won't tell anyone," I plead.

He jumps on to the bed and that's when I notice the knife. In his hand. I scream. Oh God, my baby. He's going to kill me and my baby!

"Scream all you want Nessa, no one will hear you and no one will care. You're nothing."

I hear a noise downstairs the same time I feel the pain in my side as he stabs me. All I can think of as everything goes black is I hope my baby will be ok.

Taylor

I just stand there and watch her leave. I knew this moment was going to come. I just had it played out so different in my head. I suppose that's what happens when a plan back fires. I definitely didn't see falling in love as part of it but I did I fall hard and fast.

I bought a fucking company to get payback on Patrick and his daughter. For years he would slip off to his other family and leave us. Sure he said he was working but we all knew he was really going to see his other daughter.

Sally was always sad and Colleen would cry herself to sleep wanting her daddy and not knowing where the hell he was. My aunt Sally adopted me from my alcoholic Father when I was four. I didn't have a Mother as she tragically died in child birth. I'll always be grateful to Sally for taking me in.

I didn't hate my father he just couldn't cope with losing the love of his life. I was the reminder that she was dead or that I killed her. Who knows, all I know is he didn't want me and Sally did.

Seeing her so broken over Patrick fuelled a need in me to protect her and Colleen. I never understood why she would never get rid of him and when I questioned her she told me I didn't understand. I always thought she was weak but I guess love does that to people.

It's not that I didn't liked Patrick, he gave us everything and helps with my companies but he never saw what he did to them. He was never there and I want him to know what it was like trying to pick up the pieces of two broken women, by going after what he seemed to care about most. Nessa.

When she walked into my office and threw that water in my face I was in shock. She wasn't afraid of me and that fed my need to hurt her more than ever.

The first night I slept with her I felt shit I have never felt before. I never let myself get close to women. I didn't want to marry and I certainly didn't want to end up like my dad—broke from losing the one person he loved and left with a child. I never wanted that for myself so I thought this was going to be easy turns out not so much.

When I heard she was in hospital something inside me broke. I went to see her and knew there would be no staying away so I stopped trying. I just had to make sure my family didn't know I was seeing her. Simple enough, right? Well not so much because that meant I couldn't be seen with her.

I felt terrible. I was falling in love with a girl that I wanted to spoil and show off to the world but I couldn't bring her out in case a picture of us was taken. I was getting nervous especially when she said she was talking to her dad. She told me she didn't see him but she had to have been seeing him and because I thought she had been it meant she was lying to me.

I convinced myself she knew who I was and I decided to hurt her before she could hurt me. When she mentioned kids and a future I freaked. She sounded so genuine but I figured it was all part of her plan to out me. I never wanted them anyway after knowing what my dad went through, but even when I was telling her I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted a future with her, needed one, but it was time to let her go.

When she came back the next day I was shocked but the look of hate and disgust on her face killed something in me. Kim had only gotten there, she was looking to be paid for escorting me to my birthday party. It had killed me to take her and not Nessa but everyone could see I had been happier than normal and knew it was a woman so I had to cover my tracks by bringing Kim.

I spent most my time keeping Nessa in so I couldn't be photographed with her, yet never even considered being photographed with Kim at my very big birthday bash. But that's probably because I spent the whole night wishing Nessa was there.

I thought I broke her that morning. I didn't it though, it was just now I did that and I don't have the first clue how I'm going to fix this.

"Taylor is this true? What the hell is going on?" Colleen breaks me from my thoughts.. She looks hurt but I need to find Nessa.

"It's a long story and I have to go. Can we talk later? I just need to find her." My voice cracks a little. Shit I've got to leave and go after her but Patrick stops me.

"What have you done to her Taylor? When she found out about your cheating I found her outside you apartment complex on her fucking knees sobbing her heart out. What the fuck is going on and how do you know Nessa?" He's fuming. I don't think I have ever seen him so angry.

"I didn't cheat but I didn't tell her that." He looks like he wants to hit me but this is his fucking fault.

"You know what, screw you! If you were there for this fucking family I wouldn't have had to do this." He looks shocked. Like he doesn't know why it's his fucking fault.