Chapter 24 - Secrets, Lies and Dishonor

**Serena / Baby Girl**

Garrett and I slept in his bedroom after our scene while Daddy watched. I woke up with a start, Papa had an arm slung over me and I was curled into him, but something woke me up.
I heard another noise, louder this time that sounded like a shoe dropping on the floor. I’m startled and look over my shoulder towards the door. The light is dim, but I can see Devon is there, holding onto the door frame. He heads into the room but he’s swaying. And now he’s trying to take off his shirt.

I move Papa’s arm gently and he moaned, trying to grab me again. I kissed him quickly and moved his arm again to slip off the bed.

In a stage whisper, I asked Father, “Are you drunk?”

“No, well, maybe yeah,” he slurred a little.

“I thought you had a business meeting. What happened?” I was upset. Paul was in this same condition the other day and I hated it.

“You smell so good, Baby Girl,” he breathed into my hair. He held on to me and I almost fell over.

“Devon, focus. Why are you drunk? I don’t like it.”

“I know how Paul feels now. I don’t like it when you say my name,” he sloshed.

I can’t maneuver him, he’s too heavy and uncoordinated. Almost pulling me down to the floor with his weight.

“You have to earn it when you’re drunk, Devon. Why. Are. You. Drunk??”

“Guilty. So guilty,” he whines.

“What have you done?” I asked in a hard voice

“Had a date,” he said, sounding drunker by the minute. “I didn’t cheat, needed information.”

I was astounded and hurt. What does he mean he had a date and needed information?

I look behind me and Garrett is sitting up looking groggy.

“Did you know about this?” I accused.

Garrett shook his head. “He had a meeting is all I knew,” he said.

“Who did you meet, Devon,” Garrett asks.

“Nina,” he said the word as if it pained him.

“Ohhh,” Garrett wouldn’t look me in the eyes.

I don’t like the way Garrett said that and if Devon is feeling guilty that spells trouble for me. For all of us.

Devon takes a step forward and almost falls down. Then he does a kind of stutter step sideways on his way to the bed. I look up and Garrett is on his phone. Calling Paul, the coward. He doesn’t want to be the one to tell me what the fuck Devon has been doing.

I point my finger at him, because now I’m livid.

But I don’t get to unload on him because Paul answers, sounding groggy.

Garrett puts him on speaker phone. “Ah, Paul. Devon just got here, drunk as a skunk saying he feels guilty about something. Going on a date with his ex for information? This isn’t going down well with Baby Gril,” I narrowed my eyes at him trying to manipulate me with my pet name. “And to top it off, Devon just passed out on my bed.”

I looked down and he was right, Devon was totally zonked out.

Fucking hell, these men and their secrets.

Paul begins talking. “We have been trying to figure out why dad wants us at that dinner so badly this weekend. Our sister Lacey overheard a conversation and called Devon to report that she overheard dad saying he didn’t want us all dating the same woman. Naturally, we wondered, how did he know? None of us told him. And Lacey also warned us that Dad was planning something for the dinner.”

He took a deep breath and continued. “Devon suspects, and I agree, that Dad is going to try to marry us off to some of his business partners daughters. Devon used to date a woman that fits that description, so he met her at a bar tonight. She gave him some names of some of the daughters that may be candidates. She’s included in that list and will be at the dinner this weekend with her father.”

I was breathing hard, feeling like I had run a race and was dead last.

“You’ve been keeping secrets again, Paul,” I said in a rough voice. I was shaking in anger.

“I swear to God we were going to tell you tomorrow, everything. We need a plan of action, and we need and want your thoughts on the matter. We were just trying to get all the information together. Devon feels guilty that we didn’t tell you before he met with Lavinia, but it was not a date. She left the bar, and he texted me what he found out. He must have stayed and gotten drunk afterwards. Baby, he did not cheat on you.”

“Paul, I’m absolutely sick of secrets. You promised me no more even before you introduced me to Devon. Now you added Garrett into the mix and you’re still keeping things from me. I’m going to stay in my mother’s wing until you figure out how to make this up to me, but I won’t trust you. I’m never going to trust again.”

I turned and strode out of the room. I couldn’t stand being around any of them anymore. What have I done to deserve this? I’ve given them, all three of them, all of me and this is how they treat me? Secrets and lies.

I could hear both Garrett and Paul calling for me, but I kept going. I was going to lock myself into a guest bedroom. After that what? Paul was right before. I had no where to go and no money to get there. Mother was happy here. Paul would take care of her. Maybe I should just leave. Run and hide. My heart was rent in two or maybe even three? Fucking confusing polyamorous relationships be damned. My heart couldn’t take anymore.

I wasn’t going to make it. My chest squeezed and it felt like my heart was going to bump right out of my rib cage.

Garrett caught up with me in the living room.

“I didn’t know, baby. I swear I didn’t. I’m just as pissed with them as you are!” he yelled at me in a pained voice.

I wanted to believe him. I wanted someone on my side. I needed someone in my corner, because right now I felt very much alone.

I heard Paul’s voice again, but it was muffled. Garrett turned his phone over, and Paul was saying, “…. He didn’t know, sweetheart. I texted him a couple of questions, but we didn’t tell him the plan. We wanted him to be with you tonight and not have any knowledge about what Devon was doing.”

I looked at Garrett and saw the hurt in his eyes.

“What time will your flight be in? Garrett will have to come get you. I don’t think Devon will be up to it.”

“My flight will be in a ten tomorrow morning. I won’t be able to go back to sleep, so I’ll pack up now but that was the earliest flight.”

“I will be here awaiting your return, but it will look different than originally expected. After that we will see. Right now, I want to run away and never see either of you again, Paul. Right now, I wish I would just die.”

“Fuck!” Garrett exclaimed.

“Dammit, Serena, never say that!” Paul burst out angrily.

“You don’t get it. I will not tolerate being kept in the dark. Don’t think for one moment you were protecting me or my sensibilities. You dishonored me. If I am not due your respect, then there is no reason for me to be here.”

“Serena – “ Paul began.

But I talked over him. “Garrett, hang up the phone. I’m done.”

“Serena!” he called to me again, but Garrett disconnected.

What the fuck do I do now?