“I saw your ‘fiancé’ last night.”

Brandi whipped around to face Dr. Shane and took a breath to steady herself. It was her first shift back at the hospital since Caitlyn had died and it already had her anxieties acting up without adding Dr. Shane into the mix. It didn’t help that they were in an isolated hallway that led to the locker rooms.

“I’m sorry?” she asked, looking for a way out of this conversation.

“Last night at the Leukaemia Foundation fundraiser. Your ‘fiancé’ was there.” He actually used air quotes. “Curiously, you weren’t.”

Declan had been at a fundraiser last night? He’d told her he had to work late, was that what he was doing?

She shrugged at Dr. Shane. “I wasn’t feeling up to attending,” she said.

She didn’t know what the hell was going on but she knew Dr. Shane was trying to catch her out in a lie. Maybe she and Declan weren’t really engaged, but there was definitely something between them, something more than just a mutually beneficial arrangement. It had gone way beyond that in the last few weeks even if they hadn’t had ‘the conversation.’

“He didn’t appear to miss you,” Dr. Shane said with an evil glint in his eye. “His date was very attentive and they left early.” He smirked like he knew something she didn’t. He did know a hell of a lot more than she knew, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing.

“They did leave early,” she replied, thankful that her voice didn’t wobble, “He was tucked up in my bed by ten o’clock.” It was the truth. He had come to her place and they had spent the night rediscovering each other’s bodies. He had been distant over the last week but he’d made up for it with the things he’d done to her last night.

Dr. Shane stepped into her personal space and she took a step back, the wall behind her preventing her from moving clear of him.

“Just admit it,” he breathed, leaning down and getting close to her ear. “Your so-called engagement is a sham. Any man who had you as their fiancée would not attend a fundraiser with another woman, even if that woman was smoking hot.”

Brandi gritted her teeth and kept her face impassive. On the inside she was screaming, but she would not show weakness in front of this man. She had once thought him good-looking, but now all she could see was the ugliness underneath the pretty wrapping. He was vindictive and spiteful when he didn’t get his own way and Brandi’s refusal to fall for his charms had only made him more determined to have her. She would not let him win. He didn’t get to intimidate her just because she had refused his advances. For too long she had tried to brush him off with kindness but it had only encouraged him. It was time for her to draw a line in the sand.

“Get off me,” she said, her voice steel.

His eyes widened at the threat in her voice but they narrowed again as he leaned closer, boxing her in.

“Step away from me Dr. Romero,” she said pushing his chest and forcing him back. “Your behaviour is inappropriate and if you do not leave me alone I will have to take the matter further.”

She saw the anger snap in his eyes as he looked at her like she was a piece of shit on his shoe.

“You think anyone would believe my word over yours?”

“It doesn’t matter if they believe me or not,” she said. “I just have to voice the accusation and you will be investigated. Sexual harassment is frowned upon these days or didn’t you get the memo?”

“It won’t stick,” he growled at her. “Everyone knows what a slut you are. You strut around here in those sexy little costumes, prancing and preening in front of all the daddies while their little kids are sick. How many have you slept with, huh? How many daddies have you made feel better by taking their minds off their sick kids with a blow job in the storage room or a quick fuck in the bathroom?”

Brandi gasped at the vitriol that spilled from his mouth. Is that what he really thought of her? Is that what other people thought of her? She came here week after week with nothing but good intentions and a desire to make a few kids smile and meanwhile people thought she was getting off with the fathers of those same kids?

Her stomach rolled violently.

“Fuck you,” she hissed and pushed past Dr. Shane, running for the bathroom.

Brandi rushed into the ladies’ room and shut herself in a cubicle. The nausea roiled in her gut and she vomited into the toilet, the words that Dr. Shane had spewed at her burning through her and leaving her distraught. She hated this. She hated that people took one look at her and immediately thought she was some nymphomaniac that couldn’t get enough. She hated that when men looked at her they thought she would be easy, that she would lay down and spread her legs for them just because she was pretty. She hated that people saw her as a bimbo, a brainless blonde who had nothing more to offer society than her body. It’s why she preferred the company of children. It’s why she chose to dress up as Disney princesses. Brandi preferred the fantasy of a knight in shining white armour come to slay the dragon or Prince Charming rescuing her from the evil queen than the reality of men who thought she was theirs to manhandle.

She rested her forehead against the side of the cubicle and wished that Declan was there. No she didn’t, she realised with a pang. He had lied to her. She had thought he was different to all the other men she had dated, but he had just shown his true colours. He’d gone out with another woman and had lied about it. Now she understood what his attentiveness last night was all about. He’d felt guilty so he had come home to make himself feel better.

Her stomach rolled again and she threw up, tears streaming down her face. This was fucking great. Just what she needed on top of everything else. A recurrence of the fucking stomach bug and just when she had begun to find her feet again.

Slowly she got to her feet and flushed the toilet. She washed her hands and her mouth and took a deep breath. Was she contagious? Maybe she should go home? She felt better now that she had thrown up so maybe it was just the stress of Dr. Shane and being in the hospital for the first time. Besides, the kids had already seen her and they would be so disappointed that she didn’t spend time with them. She wracked her brain for some way to finish her shift without infecting anyone. It was time to pull out an old dress-up costume. Dr. Barbie. She could wear gloves and a face mask and limit her contact with the kids. But before that she would find a doctor to give her a quick check-up and clear her. The last thing she wanted to do was cause an outbreak of gastro in the children’s hospital.

Dr. Hemsure had given her the all clear. He told her it was probably just nerves and stress from being back at the hospital for the first time. Which would probably explain why she felt like throwing up again this morning. It was her first party since Caitlyn… God. Would she ever stop dividing her life into Before Caitlyn Died and After Caitlyn Died?

Brandi took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she manoeuvred the car into a parking space. It wasn’t just any party, it was for Harper’s daughter, Piper. She hadn’t been keen on doing it in the first place, but Peyton had talked her into it. Now with the anger she felt towards Declan, who would be in attendance, on top of the animosity she felt coming off Harper in waves every time they were in the same vicinity, she thought that the whole thing was going to be a disaster.

But she had promised and here she was. The large house rose before her and she swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat. If she could just make it through the morning without throwing up or causing a scene then she would count it as a win. It helped that she was being Cinderella today. The costume was one of her favourites and it wasn’t too revealing. Dr. Shane’s comments about her costumes had hit her below the belt and now she looked at what she wore with a new eye. She hated that. She hated that his words had undermined her so that she was actually blaming herself for his harassment. She hated that it made her second guess the clothes she wore as if it was her responsibility to make sure men weren’t unduly attracted to her. Where was their responsibility? Were they so simple-minded that seeing a woman in a sexy dress made them stupid? Did the way a woman dress give them permission to violate her?

Brandi took another deep breath and gripped the steering wheel. She couldn’t think about any of that now, it made her too mad. She needed to concentrate on what was in front of her. A little girl’s birthday party. She had a job to do and she was determined to do it to the best of her ability. She had lost the joy of what she did somewhere along the way and she desperately wanted to find it again. This had been one of her favourite things to do and she wanted to feel that way again.

Collecting her things from the back seat of the car, she headed up the drive and rang the doorbell. A blonde woman Brandi had never met before answered the door.

“Uh, hi?” she said, “I hope I have the right house. I’m the entertainer for Piper’s birthday party.”

The woman gave her a once over and the corner of her lip tipped up in a sneer. “You’re supposed to be dressed as Cinderella.”

Brandi held up the garment bag she carried. “I just need a room to change. The dress isn’t exactly conducive to driving.”

The other woman swung the door open as someone came down the stairs. “Heather? Who was at the door?”

Brandi looked up to see Harper. Bailey’s friend arranged her features in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Brandi,” she said, “you’re here.”

“I am,” Brandi replied, “I just need a room to change.”

“Follow me,” Harper said, turning around and heading back up the stairs.

Harper led her into what looked to be a children’s playroom. It didn’t bother Brandi in the slightest. She had the whole getting changed thing down pat now and the room was large, bigger than most she had to work with. Harper didn’t stay, which also suited Brandi just fine. The last thing she felt like doing was making polite small talk with a woman who clearly had no time for her. It was probably a good thing that there was no future with her and Declan. No matter how much Bailey had been able to look past her skin, Harper couldn’t and the last thing Brandi wanted was to drive a wedge between Declan and his friends.

She sat down on a child-sized armchair and frowned as she dropped her head in her hands. Why should she even care about hurting Declan’s feelings? He had gone on a date when they were supposed to be… Ugh. What were they supposed to be? Nothing, not really. They hadn’t pledged exclusivity to one another, although if he was trying to convince his mother that they truly were a couple then fidelity was sort of implied. Obviously Declan hadn’t gotten the memo. Meanwhile Brandi had been left sitting at home completely in the dark about his extra-curricular activities. How many other times when he’d told her he was working had he been seeing someone else? And why did she care?

Sick of herself and the train of thoughts that seemed to be stuck going around and around in her head, Brandi stood up. Her head swirled and her stomach rolled and she clamped her hand over her mouth looking frantically around for a reticule to catch her puke. She found it in a sandcastle bucket and grabbed it with desperation before she could empty her stomach all over the brightly coloured rug under her feet. When she was sure her stomach had settled enough not to need it again, Brandi stuck her head out the door and checked that the coast was clear. Harper had pointed out the bathroom on the way to the playroom and Brandi made a dash for it. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to know that she had vomited. It wasn’t a great way to introduce her business to potential new clients.

She emptied the bucket in the toilet and flushed away the evidence. Hunting under the sink Brandi found some industrial grade disinfectant which she used to wash out the bucket and then she used a swig of mouthwash to rinse her mouth. She leant her arms on the vanity and took a couple of deep breaths. She was nervous. It was always going to be hard, this first party and it just so happened to be full of other unexpected perils. She should have said no, claimed sickness or something, but it was too late now. Brandi lifted her chin and squared her shoulders. She could do this. It was a party for six year olds. Two hours tops and then she could escape.

Declan watched as Cinderella spread her delightful magic around the party of eager six year olds. He hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her but she hadn’t once glanced in his direction. He didn’t know if it was because she was trying to stay in character or if there was another explanation. He was slowly getting the inkling that it was the latter but for the life of him he didn’t know what he had done to upset her. He checked his watch. The cake was going to be brought out soon and if he understood how these things worked, then it wouldn’t be long before she was off the clock. Then he would find out what the hell was going on.

“What put that scowl on your face?” Mason asked coming up to stand beside him and handing him a beer.

Declan sighed and shook his head. “Nothing.”

Mason turned to look at what Declan was staring at and muttered his own sigh. “Ahh. Trouble in paradise?”

“So you’ve noticed it too?”

“Noticed what?” Hunter asked coming up to stand with them.

“That Cinderella is giving our Prince Charming the cold shoulder,” Mason said.

“So it’s not just me, then,” Hunter said before sipping his beer.

“Brandi is incredible,” Brooks said joining the group. “I’ve never seen Piper so enamoured before… except maybe when we went to the royal wedding. This is definitely on par with that.”

Declan brooded and sipped his beer. Brooks was right. Piper looked at Brandi like she hung the moon and the hero worship was as cute as hell.

“I doubt Harper is very happy about it,” Declan replied.

Harper had the look of a slowly approaching storm cloud and Declan had the feeling it had little to do with how the party was progressing and a lot to do with the way Piper was following Brandi around.

“She’s a little sensitive where Piper is concerned,” Brooks said. “Having Heather here doesn’t help.”

They all looked over to where Piper’s mother was sitting. She’d taken up a position by the pool in one of the sun lounges and had utterly ignored the goings on at the party.

“She wanted to come to be here for Piper, but I think it has more to do with her keeping up appearances than anything.” Brooks sounded angry and Declan couldn’t blame him. Heather had lied to him for five years about the paternity of his daughter and then had abandoned her on his doorstep. Declan was surprised Brooks had let her anywhere near Piper ever again.

“So why is Cinderella ignoring you?” Hunter asked and they all turned their attention back to Declan.

“I have absolutely no idea,” he replied truthfully. “But I intend to find out.”

Harper looked over to Brooks to give him the signal that it was cake time and he excused himself to go and attend to her needs. Declan swallowed the rest of his beer and made his way past squealing little girls and an excitable oversized puppy to position himself near Brandi. He wanted to make sure he could prevent her from running away before he had spoken to her.

The cake was brought out to appropriate oohs and ahs and the candles were lit. Happy Birthday was sung and candles were blown out with cheering. All the while, Declan edged closer and closer to Brandi intending to take her arm and lead her away to a quiet room and get to the bottom of what was going on with her. So he was as surprised as everyone else when her knees buckled and she swayed, losing her balance and falling into his arms like her marionette strings had been cut.

Alarmed adults looked at him but thankfully the kids were too busy eating cake to notice that Cinderella had swooned. Trying not to draw any attention to them, he headed for the house carrying her slight weight. She seemed to have lost more weight, which he probably should have noticed before now, but having her in his arms brought it into stark reality. Her face was gaunt, her cheeks hollow and dark circles under her eyes. Her skin had lost its normally lustrous tanned glow and he could see the fine lines of veins snaking like vines up her neck.

He took her to the front room and sat on the sofa, keeping her on his lap. He heard someone come in behind him and looked up to see Bailey’s frightened look.

“Is she okay?” Bailey asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “She just… fainted.”

Brandi groaned in his arms and opened her eyes. When she focused on him she smiled softly before her brain engaged and she remembered she was angry at him. He still didn’t know why. She struggled to get off his lap but he held her and her voluminous dress in place, not ready to let go. His own pulse was beating a staccato rhythm and a rush of relief washed over him as her eyes snapped at him. If her anger was anything to go by, she would be fine.

“Let me go.”

“No,” he said, “not until you tell me what happened.”

She looked from him to Bailey and something in Bailey’s gaze must have given her pause.

“What happened?” she asked and the tremor in her voice cracked his heart wide open.

“You fainted, sweetie,” Bailey said reaching over to take her hand. “Declan caught you before you hit the ground.” Bailey drew her eyebrows together in concern. “Are you okay? Has this ever happened before?”

Brandi shook her head slowly. “I fainted?” she asked. “That’s never happened before.”

“Have you been sick?”

She jolted at the sound of his voice but then held herself unnaturally still.

“It’s probably just because I haven’t eaten this morning,” she said. “I was too nervous before the party.”

“You’re saying this is because of low blood sugar?” Declan asked and he couldn’t keep the heat out of his voice. She had given him heart palpitations, fainting like that, and it was because she hadn’t been taking care of herself. He looked again at her thinness, the way her collarbones poked out, and he growled low in his throat. “How many meals have you been skipping?”

Bailey quickly excused herself and Declan could only hope it was so she could get Brandi a plate of energy rich food. Brandi turned angry eyes on him and struggled to get off his lap, but he held her secure.

“I don’t think that is any of your concern,” she growled. “Now let me up.”

“No,” he said simply. “Not until you tell me why you are so angry at me. Is it just because you’re hangry?”

“Hangry?”

“You know, angry because you’re hungry.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m a whole lot more than hangry, you rat bastard.”

His head jerked back like she had slapped him. “What the hell, Brandi? What have I done?”

“What was her name?” she asked and then shook her head. “No, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know. I hope she was worth it.” She struggled again and Declan was so surprised that he let her go and she jumped from his lap. She swayed slightly and reached out to steady herself and Declan was on her feet, reaching for her.

“Stay away from me,” she said, stepping out of his reach.

“Brandi,” he pleaded, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

She swirled around in a swish of pale blue tulle and nailed him with a death look. “Where were you Friday night, Declan?” she asked in a low voice and he swallowed.

“Fuck,” he breathed and squeezed the bridge of his nose. “It’s not what you think—”

“Really? It sounded a lot like you attended a fundraiser with a date who wasn’t me, or that’s what Dr. Shane told me when he bailed me up at the hospital yesterday.”

“The fuck he did,” Declan growled. “I’ll kill the fucking bastard for laying a hand on you.”

“You gave up that right when you decided to date other women without telling me.”

“What?” Bailey’s startled gasp made Declan groan. Great. Now he would have two irate women to deal with over something that was inconsequential.

“It’s not what you think,” he tried again, this time with a placating tone. “My mother—”

“Don’t even bother,” Brandi said, storming from the room. He made a move to follow her but stopped at Bailey’s look.

He was left standing there looking after them as Bailey turned and strode after the woman that had turned his life completely upside down.