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The other woman chuckled. “She wasn’t my real mother,” Maddie said, surprising Aria.
“What?”
“They adopted me from Beatrice and Carl.”
“The owners of the diner?”
Maddie nodded. “It’s not common enough knowledge but they’re my real parents. Times were tight and they didn’t want to give me up, but they couldn’t run a crumbling business and raise a baby. They didn’t want to leave town, and so they gave me to my mother. She was a horrible woman. She told me all the time how fat and ugly I was. She really messed with my head and I’m guessing your mom has messed with yours.” Maddie sighed. “Bull helped me to see reason. He got me to think about my own daughter. This was before Lindsey, and if I would say those horrible things to my daughter. If you looked at yourself and saw your daughter in the mirror, would you tell her the same things your mother told you?”
The tears fell down Arai’s cheeks. “No, hell, no.”
“Then you’ve got to stop believing them. You’re a beautiful woman, Aria, you’re sweet and kind, and I know for a fact that Grant loves you, so very much. He messed up. Guys are going to mess up. Bull did and still does, but I love him. I love him enough to stay at his clubhouse until he thinks it’s safe for me. I’d do anything for him.”
She loved Grant, so much. But it was hard. He had lied to her.
“He should have told me the truth,” Aria said.
“Yeah, he should have and he’s a dick because he didn’t. Believe me, Grant knows what he did wrong and I bet he even regrets it.”
Aria sighed.
“You’re telling me I need to forgive Grant?”
“No, I’m not telling you that. Yes, I’d like you to forgive him, but only when you’re ready to.” Maddie smiled. “I better head downstairs. I’m pretty sure Lindsey is already driving everyone crazy.”
Maddie got to her feet and left.
Aria sighed.
Lidia had asked if she would ever forgive Grant. She wanted to.
Reaching for her cell phone, it wasn’t there. She frowned and got to her feet. She checked her pockets and then quickly left the bedroom, going to the bathroom. Knocking on the door, no one called out that they were in there, so checking through the laundry basket, she tried to find her cell phone. It wasn’t there either. Where did she have it last? She made her way downstairs and went to the kitchen. There was no sign of her cell phone.
“You okay, Aria?” Pat asked.
“Yeah, I was looking for my cell phone.”
“I haven’t seen it. I think Grant might have taken it.”
“Grant?”
“Yeah, and look, he just pulled up.”
Aria looked toward the window and saw Grant turning off his bike. She stepped out of the kitchen door and headed in his direction. Grant turned toward her and he stopped. Aria stopped. They hadn’t spoken in over a week.
“Aria,” Grant said.
“Grant.”
“What’s up?”
“Pat said that you, er, that you have my phone.”
He chuckled. “Leave it to Pat to tattle.”
“Do you have my phone?” Aria asked.
He reached into his pocket and she saw his knuckles were bleeding. “Are you okay?” Aria asked. Deep down, she knew she shouldn’t care. Grant had lied to her. He had put her in this position. And yet, she couldn’t help but be concerned seeing the state of his hands.
