Broken Cycle

Chapter Seven

The next morning, I woke up at eight thirty. I'd stayed the night at Carrie's, so I didn't have to worry about explaining anything to my mom or Mason. A cab came and got me and I gave the driver the name of the bank.

As he drove, my stomach formed knots. What if he didn't even know about me? What if he thought I was lying? What if he wanted nothing to do with me? What if he hurt me the same way he hurt my mom? But there was the possibility he could love me. He could apologize and work things out. Maybe not get back together with my mom, but at least own up to what he did.

The taxi man told me we were here, so I paid him and got out the cab. Looking at the doors of the bank, I could almost vomit. Finally, I walked inside and went up to the front.

"Hi," a lady smiled at me.

"Um, can I see Gregory Harris, please?" I asked.

She nodded and called him. "Have a seat, he'll be right out."

I sat in a chair and waited. People came in and out and when Greg walked out, my heart almost stopped. My anxiety kicked in and I almost ran, but I couldn't move. This was the man who pinned my mom against pavement and created Mason and me. The lady pointed him in my direction and he walked up to me.

"Hi, I'm Gregory Harris. How can I help you?" He asked.

I swallowed and stood. "My name is Emma Barns. Alexis Barns' daughter."

He looked like he saw a ghost and put his hands in his pockets. "Uh... I'm suspecting she doesn't know you're here?"

I shook my head.

"Why'd you look for me?" He asked.

"Because I saw you in your car yesterday. And I just wanted closure, I guess," I stumbled over my words. "I saw that you have this new family, so you probably want nothing to do with me, Mom, or Mason, but I just want to know why you hurt my mom the way you did."

He swallowed and got uncomfortable. "Look, I don't need to explain myself to you. Had that not happened, you or your brother wouldn't be here."

"I know," I said. "I also suspect that your wife knows nothing about me or my family."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" He asked.

"I'm trying to get answers," I said.

"Emma, what happened between Alexis and me, isn't your business," he said.

My jaw dropped. "I'm the product of what happened between you two! I think it is my business!"

People stopped and stared and he grabbed my arm. He threw me in his office and sat me in his chair. He sat in his official chair across from me and put his arms on his desk.

"You want answers? Fine. I did what I did because I was desperate and wanted to be with someone. Your mom was closest in sight and my buddies felt like recording it. We edited it to make it look like a legit hookup and that was it."

"That doesn't make it okay for you to do that," I almost growled.

"I never said I was right," he shrugged.

"So why did you never try and contact us?" I asked.

"I knew your mom would never allow it. And I got myself a beautiful family now. I don't need y'all," he said.

I swallowed and looked at my hands. "Well, thank you for your time."

"Wait," he said as I stood and headed for the door. "You're not talking your mom about this--"

"Of course not," I said. "She probably wouldn't care anyway."

"Don't try and find my family--"

"Wasn't planning on it," I opened the door and walked out.

I sat against the wall outside his office and cried. I was nothing to him. I was nothing to anyone. Except Liam. He loved me. And Carrie was my best friend, but my family couldn't possibly love me. I had all of Greg's traits. His snarky attitude, his comebacks, everything. My mom couldn't possibly love me.

"You're still here?" He looked at me.

I wiped my eyes and stood. "No."

"Okay, look, I apologize. Some of those things, I shouldn't have said," he said half heartedly.

"I don't care anymore. I got what I came for," I said.

"I really am a good guy now," he said.

"I already told you I don't care," I snapped.

"Says the girl who tracked me down, ambushed me at my workplace, and cried outside my office," he said.

"Because I thought you'd be the bigger person." I said.

"Wait... I know you," he pointed a finger at me.

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow.

He pulled out his phone and pulled up a blog called "Slutty Emma." It was filled with pictures of me at various parities and pictures of me and Liam together.

"Y'know what they say. Those with daddy issues turn out just as messed up," he said.

"I'm not anywhere close to as sick as you," I spat.

"You say that now. But by looking at these pictures, you and this Liam kid are awfully close. And if you two haven't done it yet, you will soon," he said.

I shook my head. "No we won't. And frankly, that's none of your business."

"Well, goodbye and I hope I never see you again. My daughters aren't sluts," he said.

And that was when I punched him in the face and ran out the bank.