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Lucas avidly watched as he mindlessly ran the net through the pool, grateful for the sunglasses that allowed him to witness the exchange incognito.
To his relief, Errol didn’t touch her. For that, he might have lost his shit and pummeled him. Instead, they argued, Birdie’s chin raising and then after hearing Errol’s response, falling to her chest and then nodding as if in supplication.
His heart twisted in his chest, recalling having seen that version of Birdie in the past when spoken to by her mother. Shelby Wellborn would begin her heartless ranting, Birdie’s face attempting a sliver of bravado and just as quickly turning to resignation and defeat.
Later, during high school and after she distanced herself from him, he would notice the same type of exchanges between her and her sister, Maisie. In spite of Birdie, the older sibling, Maisie always took the upper hand in almost every situation he could recall. And it was Birdie who would turn away.
Bernadette used to say, “Remember, boys, we train people how to treat us.” But Birdie seemed to be the exception to the rule. No matter the circumstances, she fell short and readily dismissed when it came to Shelby and Maisie and the entire populace of Wayward.
Even him to a degree, when she’d admit to a number of false accusations with a blasé attitude. As if the truth was pointless. Her reputation an afterthought.
Errol stalked away and into the house, after having his say as Birdie wrapped the silky cover-up tighter around her waist, despite the raging heat.
He surreptitiously moved to the other side of the pool, until he was within hearing distance without having to raise his voice or bring attention to them.
His back to her, two loungers down, he kept his eyes forward and said, “You okay, Bird?”
“I’m fine. Why aren’t you in Wayward, going through the trunks?”
“Grant left last night after I informed him of the diary’s location. He’s going to call me as soon as he’s at Fulsom’s.
“Then, what are you doing here?”
Before he could answer, Flynn stepped out of the expansive accordion doors running alongside the back of the house toward her and Lucas.
“Hey, Birdie.” He merely glanced at Lucas. “I need to talk to you about a charity benefit Mother wants us to attend. She just left the house for a neck-lift appointment, and Errol’s driver picked him up to take him to a business meeting, which is really a seedy massage parlor on the other side of town. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure,” she said, shading her eyes with her hand.
“Can we speak privately?” Flynn glanced at the pool house.
“Of course,” she said, following him. Just as he passed Lucas, he whispered rather loudly. “Cameras are off and the staff preoccupied by a breakfast casserole I baked this morning, follow us.”
Once inside, Lucas’s overheated body tingled at the onslaught of the AC, and he tore his wig off, scratching his head with both hands.
Flynn handed him what looked to be a rubbery piece of skin.
“You dropped this.”
His eye bag. “Thanks, buddy.”
Birdie faced both men with hands on her hips. “Let’s make this quick. Even though the security cameras are off, we can’t take the chance of the staff assuming some sort of weird ménage à trois between the three of us.”
At that, Flynn pulled his phone from his pocket. “I wanted you to see the video I told you about. The one with the paid lady of the evening. I keep it in a dummy file titled, ‘Recipes.’”
He kept pressing files trying to find the video in question. “Actually, I do keep recipes in this folder. Hence the breakfast casserole. Just give me a second. If memory serves, I believe I named the file MoonPie.”
The video began with Flynn panning in on Errol’s bed. Lucas leaned toward the phone for a better look as his eyes adjusted.
What was on the bed? Small animals? Pets?
He got closer as the lighting in the video was low. Holy fuck. “Stuffed animals? What grown man keeps fifty stuffed animals on his bed?”
“They’re only there on special nights. When he has company and he and Mother play the Blame Game. That’s when—”
Birdie interrupted, “Just show him.”
The video turned toward the bathroom where the inside lights shone from below. And then there was a knock at the door. Flynn turned the phone toward a piece of furniture that looked to be a large wardrobe, and scrambled inside. Voices could be heard. One of a woman and that of a…boy? Everything went haywire, the video going dark, until Flynn was able to slightly open the door to the wardrobe.
