The Body #3: Rogue and Euphemia

Chapter 8 (Rogue): Come Home

I was in my office at the club house when I realized Gel was standing in the doorway.

"What do you want?" I asked her. Rude? Yeah. It was the only mode I had with her now. Since Euphemia had run away, I'd spoken to her only when necessary for the case and for no other reason. She tried playing the Winnie needs you card, but I told her unless she had one of the brothers bring my niece to me and she stayed the hell away the entire time, I wasn't going to see Winnie.

She never let her come by and it was obvious that she'd been using my niece to get to me, to come between Euphemia and me, and that knowledge churned in my gut. Gel was with my brother, and I thought we'd settled that shit ten years ago.

Before Gel could answer, I looked at her impatiently. "If it's not about the case, get the hell out of my sight."

"Ro, it's been three months. She's not coming back. And odds are, my brother and your brother are going to rot in jail for a long time. We should be there for each other, be friends again."

"You were never my friend and you proved that with the way you treated Euphemia. I love her. I love her and I'm going to marry her."

"So why didn't you?"

"That's none of your fucking business. I'm through talking with you."

The bitch actually walked toward me. "Your brother will expect you to take care of me and Winnie when he's sentenced to life...or worse."

"Winnie I'll be happy to take care of if it comes to that, but it won't."

"You can't know that. And she could have been yours, Rogue."

"In what world? I never touched you once and never wanted to." I just looked at her. "Now, get the fuck out. I can't even stand looking at you and have no desire to talk to you."

"Rogue, please. You need me and I need you."

I stood up, at my limit. "I don't need you in any way. I never have, and you know it. You knew it when you poured your heart out to me, and I told you I wasn't interested in you and I never would be. And then you moved on to my brother."

"Well, he does look exactly like you. One twin's as good as the other."

"Believe me, I warned him about you, bitch. Told him that you'd thrown yourself at me, and I didn't want anything you'd put on offer. He said he'd always known that, but he didn't care. At that point, it was on him to deal with your shit or not. Then you baby trapped him, poor bastard. I was hoping he'd get smart and dump your ass, but you worked it so he's tied to you for a long time. Actually thought you'd gotten over your thing for me, thought you and Brew had fallen for each other. Thought you'd be good to Effie, but I learned that lesson the hard way, and I will never forgive or forget it."

She shrugged. "I did what I had to."

"Get out now. After I don't need you, you're going to disappear."

There must have been something in my promise because she didn't smart off like she usually did, and she left with a lot less attitude than she'd had when she came in. I sat back down, amazed I hadn't pulled my gun on her, and clicked on one of the bookmarked sites I had.

Since I didn't know how far along Effie was when she'd left, I was always guessing, but if she was four months, the baby was the size of an avocado. If she was five months, the baby was banana-sized. If she was six months, the baby was the size of a mango. I read again what was happening to the baby developmentally at all three months, trying to picture Euphemia's belly growing and changing. Wondering if she was taking care of herself and getting enough sleep. Wondering if she had everything she needed. Wondering if she missed me at all or if she hated me.