What She's Doing Now (Sequel to The Great Pretenders)

Policy Of Truth

By Depeche Mode

You had something to hide

Should have hidden it, shouldn't you

Now you're not satisfied

With what you're being put through

It's just time to pay the price

For not listening to advice

And deciding in your youth

On the policy of truth

Matt felt an instant wave of panic and nausea at Brian's words. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that girl you met last night,"Brian replied quickly. His voice deep and low as if he was trying to keep others from hearing him. "Lucy's daughter."

"That's not even fucking funny," Matt said angrily as the gas he was pumping began to overflow from the car, splashing on his shoes. He pulled the pump nozzle out and replaced it quickly on the fuel dispenser "Fuck!" he said under his breath.

"Do you hear me fucking laughing?" Brian growled in reply.

Matt opened the car door and threw himself in inside "Where did you hear that?"

There was silence on the other end of the line and Matt looked at his iPhone to make sure the call hadn't dropped. "Brian?"

Another deep breath "Zoey told me today when set asked me about you seeing Lucy. Apparently Lucy was pregnant when she left Huntington. Remember she just disappeared ?"

Matt closed his eyes and leaned his head on the steering wheel. Of course he remembered. The damn pregnancy test at Zacky's house. The one that was negative. How? You can't fake those things...right? She must have somehow. Afterwards, she'd sent him away. And then she left. Could that be the real reason? No, Lucy wouldn't do that. She wouldn't do that to him. Would she? No, not the Lucy he'd known. She'd never keep a secret like that from him. But she did just say, he didn't know her anymore. Jesus fuck. "I remember."

"Did you have any idea, man?" Brian asked hopeful.

Matt looked out at the road. He wanted to deny it. Hope like hell that this was a lie, a terrible joke but somewhere deep in his gut, he knew it was true. "No way, Brian, seriously you don't think I would have told you if I knew I had a 15 yr old kid? I mean, yeah I knew she was scared she might be. But she told me she wasn't pregnant. I saw...the test...the test with my own fucking eyes. It was negative."

"Damn," he replied sympathetically.

"Has Zoey known all this time?" Matt demanded roughly.

"Yeah." came the disappointed reply.

"She's known for years and hasn't said a fucking word to me? What a bitch," Matt could feel the nausea rising up again.

"Screw you asshole," Brian replied his voice louder "That's my WIFE your talking about."

"Screw you dickhead, your wife fucked me up by not telling me..."

"Wait a damn minute," he interjected "Shouldn't it be Lucy that you're fucking pissed at? After all, it's her that decided to have your kid and not tell you about it."

He was right, Matt conceded. Lucy had fucked him up big time. "Yeah, you're right. But I'm still pissed at Zoey."

Brian laughed for the first time in the conversation "Oh trust me, I am too. She'll be paying for this one for a long time."