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But just in case, I needed reinforcements. I grabbed a plate and went directly to the table of sweets.
They had plenty of goodies, but what I yearned for was one of Liz's brownies. My cousin Declan's wife was a very talented baker.
As I pondered over which sweets to take, I thought this would be a good venue for her to expand her business—catering events. She'd gotten into weddings lately, but this could be another great revenue stream. I made a mental note to talk to the host later; maybe I could pull a string or two for Liz. She would definitely appreciate it.
"I knew I'd find you here."
I nearly dropped my plate when Malcolm's voice came from behind me. I gripped the edges until my knuckles turned white and turned around. Francesca was right behind him. My vision faded at the corners. I swallowed hard and blinked three times, trying to clear my eyes.
Come on, Reese, don't faint. It's not so bad.
It was that bad. I felt as if I had a stone crushing my chest. I cleared my throat. "Malcolm?"
"We saw your name on the guest list," Francesca said, "but didn't know if you'd actually come."
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked.
Malcolm set his jaw.
"Well," Francesca replied, "with the two of us attending."
She'd been my best friend. Who did this to their best friend?
"What are you two doing in Chicago, anyway?"
"You Maxwells don't rule Chicago," Malcolm said in a stern voice.
Dread prickled at me. "I think you know better. I thought Declan made it clear last time."
He took a step closer.
"Malc!" Francesca exclaimed.
That sliced right into my heart. Malc. I used to call him that.
"You and your family will stop intimidating me," he sneered. "Do you understand? Or you'll be in serious legal trouble. You got away with it once. You won't again."
I breathed deeply, trying to calm myself. I didn't want to cause a scene.
"If you’ll excuse me, I have better things to do." I walked straight past him.
What was I thinking, coming here tonight? God, I hope they aren't at my table.
I put the plate with sweets down and looked around the room. They were at the table in the opposite corner. Thank heavens for small miracles.
I took in another breath and then exhaled. I have to leave this room. Right now.
I went into the lobby, straight to the hostess. "Hey, are any parts of the premises off-limits?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
A light bulb went on in my mind. "I have to make a phone call, but I’d prefer some privacy." I hated lying, but I needed to be alone.
"There's a second coatroom in the back. We won’t need it tonight, so no one will bother you there, and it gets a good signal. It's straight ahead." She pointed me toward it.
"Thank you," I said. All I needed was a few minutes to myself. I'd always been a bit of a loner, except when it came to my family. I could be surrounded by them all day long and not get enough. But other than that, I liked to be on my own, especially when shit hit the fan.
I headed to the coatroom with determined steps, praying Malcolm or Francesca wouldn't pop out and find me. I needed to get myself together before facing them again or I might end up causing a scene.
