Always You

Chapter 15

{Meg}

After checking inside the restaurant, I decided to wait outside. The restaurant looks nice and a little fancy with the dimmed lighting. Probably looks totally different in the day time. It's still light enough outside even though it's half-six at night.

The first date with Abby on Wednesday was a success. Three of us spending the whole day together. Now, it's Saturday, Layla had been in work today but she gave me a kiss before she left this morning, telling me she'd see me tonight.

Now it's night and it's time for our first date.

Abby will be getting ready for bed now, thankfully Gracie kept the air-mattress that Abby slept on when we stayed there. This is the first time I will be away from Abby for the night. Layla even suggested doing something during the day if I was uncomfortable leaving her overnight. It was the right time and the right circumstance that I felt comfortable leaving her at Gracie's.

The lights of the dessert shop next door call to me so I peak inside and see what's on the menu while I wait.

"Meghan, is that you?" a voice that I haven't heard in over two years says.

What is with this town and bumping into my exes? Unlike the last time this happened with Layla, this voice is definitely not welcome.

"Trina." I say nervously turning around.

"I thought that was you." She chuckles, before completely shocking me and coming in for a hug, placing a kiss on my cheek.

I bring my hands up and make a space between us. What the hell does she think she's doing? How does she think that is appropriate after how she ended things?

"Trina. What are you doing? Why are you here?" I ask confused and a little panicked.

"Sorry, yeah the kiss was a bit too familiar after how things ended. How are you Meghan?" she says, with her confident smile still plastered on her face. Her eyes focused on me, waiting for my response. She's the only one apart from my parents that call me Meghan, even though I introduce myself as Meg. At the time she gave me a line about preferring my full name but really it was a controlling factor. I prefer to go by Meg, so that is what I should be called.

"I'm fine, living nearby now." I find myself answering. Her presence completely throwing my head back in time. Not in a romantic way but enough that I can't find the anger towards her.

"Your cousin lives near here, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, Gracie."

"That's it." She says smiling. I notice she still hasn't answered my questions.

"Trina, what are you doing here?" I repeat, determined not to be ignored again.

"I'm on a date, well, I will be. Been seeing her for a few months now. Look I want to apologise for how I handled things with us. It really wasn't my finest hour." She says with a self-deprecating chuckle.

"No, it wasn't."

"I hope you can forgive me. I've thought about you over the past two years, wondered what gender the baby was."

"A girl." I say shocked at the apology. This was something I never thought I would see. I feel like I'm dreaming. Is this really happening?

"A girl, really, I bet she's as gorgeous as her mother. Oh, my date has arrived, look it was nice seeing you again. I'm glad we could clear the air."

With that she and her date stroll into the restaurant.

Come on Layla, where are you? Ahh, screw this, I need a drink, they have a bar in there I can wait for her there.

--__--__--

"So, you're the ex-fiancé?" I hear.

Looking around I see Trina has stepped out of the restaurant and her date is looking at me.

"Sorry, were you talking to me?" I ask.

"Yes. You're Trina's ex-fiancé, right?"

I take a breath. Knowing this is going to be awkward. "I am."

"So, why'd you do it? Leave her after planning so much of the wedding?"

Come again. I lean back in my seat flabbergasted by her questions. What the hell has Trina been saying about me?

"I'm sorry but I think you've been mis-informed. She left me."

"That's not what she told me."

I find that this doesn't surprise me. "Did she tell you that I was pregnant?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"What?"

"Yes, I was a week away from my due date when Trina came home one day and said things were getting too serious too soon. I went into labour that night because of the shock."

"That – that just doesn't match up. She said she was all in, wanting to settle down and start a family but you didn't want kids."

I pull my phone out and search for the pictures of me pregnant. Showing her the full picture before pointing out my engagement ring. Then I pull up a picture of Abby and I that was taken recently.

"She was the one who proposed and suggested we start the process to get pregnant before we got married."

"So, she has a kid with you."

"No, my daughter has nothing to do with her. I paid for the procedure because she could barely make ends meet. As for her being named as a co-parent, thankfully we never got around to it before my daughter was born. She may have been there during the pregnancy but she has no rights to my child." My temper is rising and with that the realisation that Layla still has not arrived. Screw this it's been half-an-hour, she's not coming.

--__--__--

I storm out of the restaurant and practically run into Trina.

"Hey, where you going Meghan?" Trina asks, all smiles.

A mirthless laugh escapes me, how did I not see her for the bitch she is? Five years I wasted with her. She was definitely not worth it. "I've got to thank you, breaking up with me was the best thing you've ever done for me. Well and force me to have my daughter when I did. So, thank you, I'd still be living a lie if we were still together." I say with a big smile.

The smile on Trina's face however drops. "Where's this coming from Meghan? I thought we cleared the air earlier."

"Yeah, I thought we had as well but then I just had an interesting little chat with your date. She wanted to know how I could leave you. Funny how different the version of our break-up she knew was, compared to what really happened. Wonder where she got that idea from."

"Now Meghan, listen. I - "

"You know what Trina I really don't care. Your control over me is in the past. I meant what I said, thank you for ending things, you did me a massive favour." I say smiling.

With that I walk off with my head held high.

When I get to my car, I try calling Layla but it goes straight to answer machine. Where is she? I call the number to the fire station she gave me. Hoping for better luck there.

"Hello, hi. I'm just calling to see if Layla has left yet?" I say when someone picks up.

"May I ask who's asking?" the gentleman asks politely.

"I'm her roommate Meg. We were meant to meet about half-an-hour ago."

"Oh, hi Meg, old rugger did say she was meeting you tonight, she was primping in the locker room earlier." He chuckles. "As far as I know she left ages ago. Hang-on a sec I'll just double check." The gentleman says on the other end. My anger over Trina is quickly being replaced with worry. "Hi, Meg, I'm sorry but she left on time. I'm not sure where she is. I wouldn't worry though maybe it was just a confusion on the meeting place."

"Yeah. Thanks anyway for checking. Bye."

Don't worry? Surely, he would have heard if she was in an accident. Where is she then? She suggested we meet up at the restaurant.

Ahh. I'm going to head home and pray for answers there.