Shared Secrets

Chapter 11

Warnings: Mentions of violence, mentions of alcohol 

Grace's POV

I stay rooted in place on the deck as I watch Tom retreat back through the house and out the door. I let out a sigh and drop back down into the porch seat, feeling exhausted. What is happening? Why is Tom lying to me? He claims that he doesn't know what the whole shrike thing is, but I saw the look of surprise in his eyes when I brought it up. His whole explanation about the business he conducts with Tap House Bar seems a bit fishy as well. I've never heard of a pharmaceutical company directly supplying hypnotherapy drugs to a bar. Am I missing something? And why was Tom lying about why he was at the hospital this afternoon? I went through and checked every room in the private wing and there were no occupants. What is he hiding? Maybe I'm just being paranoid and I should just let it go, but I'm intrigued.

Tom has always been full of secrets, but back when I knew him I was always on the inside of them. When we were kids he would tell me all the time that he would never lie to me because we were in it together. And while I know it's irrational, I feel a little betrayed that he broke his promise.

"Hey, Gracie..." I turn around to see Jenny and Nia standing at the sliding door, Chester bouncing excitedly in Nia's arms. "We kind of overhead everything from Nia's window." Jenny walks over and sits down next to me.

"Do you want to tell us about it? It sounded...tense out here,'" Nia says, handing me Chester who immediately starts to lick my face.

I let out a breath and tell them everything starting from when I ran into Tom the first Friday night and had a weird feeling about the way he was acting. It feels so good to just get everything off of my chest. All of the suspicions, the weird feelings, the constant doubts running through my mind, everything. Jenny and Nia both watch me with wide eyes, nodding along as they listen. At some point during my long rambling session, Jenny had wandered into the kitchen and came out with a bottle of wine for the three of us. By the time I finally let everything out we've gone through two full bottles of wine and Chester has fallen asleep in my arms.

"Wow... that's a lot..." Nia says after taking in everything that came out of my mouth. "I mean if he really is telling the truth about selling drugs to the Tap House Bar, I'm pretty sure that's illegal. I can ask my professor if you want?"

"No, I don't really want to get involved in his job. I don't think I could handle it if I know he was doing something illegal." I smile appreciatively at Nia for trying to help me out.

"Well, I think the whole thing is bullshit." Jenny looks at me pointedly. "I mean come on, we all know Tom's reputation. He's a womanizer. I'm sorry Grace, I know you really like him, but his whole charming personality is all an act. Those strange feelings and suspicions you have are a red flag. It's your intuition's way of telling you that you should just drop him before you get hurt. You're looking for a relationship, not to be some guy's side chick."

"I know...I guess I thought he had changed while at uni-"
"Guys like that, never change Grace. Trust me, I've seen my fair share of players and they're all the same. They'll always come up with some excuse to leave you suddenly, lie to you, make you feel like you're the one that's losing your mind." Jenny looks at Nia for backup and she nods enthusiastically.

"So, what should I do? It's not like we are official or anything so I can't just break up with him." I ask Jenny and Nia. I know what they're going to tell me. They think I should just end it with Tom, but I don't know if I want to. It's probably the best idea, especially since he doesn't really seem to care about me all that much and Jenny is probably right, he has other women he is seeing when he's not with me. But, I like how he makes me feel. I know it's possible that it is all an act, but the way he looks at me like I'm the only person in the room, makes my heart swell. I guess I just want so badly for it to be real.