Page 106 of Claimed

“Well, if you’re not sure then you’re not ready. We can discuss other forms of contraceptives, but we’ll have to do a pregnancy test first to make sure you’re not already pregnant,” he says, going into doctor-mode.

“Okay.”

“I see you’re on your way out. Get a pregnancy test and come talk to me when you get back. If I’m not here, call me.”

“Thanks, Dr. E.”

I leave him and try to make my way to my car but run into Lonnie in the bar, talking to Deena.Just what I need.I haven’t seen her since the night she returned and was hoping she went back to wherever she’s been for the last couple of months. I try to pass her, but she calls out to me.

“Raven.”

“What?” I answer brusquely, keeping my back to her.

“Can I talk to you?”

“¿Quéquieres?”

“Porfavor…”

“Cincominutos.” I sigh, continuing to the door. If she wants to talk to me, it will be on the way to my car.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but…I want to apologize to you.”

I stop moving, giving her an extremely unamused side-eye.Really, bitch?

“I know. You have no reason to even give me the time of day, but please…can we go somewhere and talk?”

Maybe I’m a fool or too soft-hearted, but she looks sincere. I haven’t even thought about her since she left, and I realize now she doesn’t affect me the way she used to. Motioning to the car, I tell her to get in. I drive to Millie’s and we sit in a booth at the back. Millie glances between the two of us and gives me an encouraging smile. We both order coffee and I raise a brow at her, waiting for her to speak.

“I guess everyone’s been wondering where I went.”

“Not me.”

She nods in understanding. “After the way I treated you, I don’t blame you.”

“What do you want, Lonnie?”

“I want…I want to let you know I’m not going to interfere with you and Gage. I see how happy you are together, and I’ve accepted that nothing was ever going to happen between me and him.”

“Oh? What made you realize that?”

“He told me. He said if it wasn’t you, it would be someone else. At the time, all it did was make me resent you more.”

She’s staring down into her coffee mug, but I can see the remorse in her expression. I’ve never seen her like this. Could she have really changed this much in a few months?

“And now? What’s changed?”

“I went home…back to Papa’s house. I did a lot of soul-searching. Being back in that house for so long brought back so many memories. It got me wondering how I became a plaything for a bunch of men.”

She raises her face to the ceiling and tries to blink back her tears. “I know Papa is so disappointed in me. That’s not the kind of daughter he raised.” I watch her swipe the tears from her cheeks and take a sip of her coffee before continuing. “What I said to you about not having a sister…I’m sorry. I was also wrong.”

She pulls something from her purse, places it on the table, and slides it toward me. I pick it up and see it’s an old photo. It’s a much younger Lonnie, sitting on our old couch, gazing lovingly at a baby in her arms.

“That’s us,” she explains. “I had this little box with a lock on it that I used to hide my diary and anything I considered valuable. I thought I’d cleaned out the house, but I found it under my bed. That picture was in there.”

I stare down at the image as she talks. I won’t lie, it’s getting to me.What happened to this little girl? How did she turn into the monster I grew up with?

“That was the day Papa brought you home. When I found the picture, memories from that day started coming back to me. I remember being so happy to have a little sister, someone to play with…someone who would look up to me. I was going to teach you everything.”