“What do you mean he pulled his sponsorship?” Colt asked, elbows propped up on the table with a stern look on his face.
“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, babe,” Brittany answered for me.
“What she said.” My voice came out weak in a way I’d never heard before. I didn’t even sound like this earlier by the creek with Emmett. I hated it. This wasn’t me. Meek and scared to speak up.
“What didhesay?” Savannah asked.
Tess looked over at me, worry etched in her blue eyes. “Yeah, did he say why?”
I licked my lips, staring down at the table. “He just said he’d heard some things about me.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Beau groaned, bracing his elbows on his table, burying his head in his hands. I was right, he had gotten a few grays here and there in this whole process.
“What kind of things?” Levi asked. “Depending on what they are, we could sue whoever said it for defamation.”
“Yeah,” Savannah agreed. Leave it to the lawyers to be sue-happy.
I shrugged a shoulder, unable to look at any of them. “He wouldn’t tell me what or who. Just that he heard something and was pulling the funding.”
“I could take a wild guess,” Claire snapped next to me.
My head whipped in her direction. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
She was furious, glaring at me with contempt in her eyes. “Come on, Delilah, don’t make me spell it out.”
My heart pounded against my ribcage. “No, I think you need to.”
“He clearly heard about yourextracurricular activities.” And there it was. The words—her judgment—hit me right in the gut. So painfully hard that I couldn’t breathe while we just stared at one another, a chasm forming between us. Silence settled heavily over the table. The kind that made me want to sink through the floor.
“That’s not fair, Claire,” Weston of all people finally said. But out of all of us, he and I were the most alike, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising that he’d have my back.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen. You have to believe me.”
She scoffed bitterly. “What did you expect? You go out drinking multiple nights a week, hooking up with whoever, and show up at places hungover or in the same clothes as the night before. People talk. Did you really think it wouldn’t come back tobite you? You represent Golden Circle whether you like it or not. And now we’re all paying for it because you can’t grow up.”
“That’s not true,” I said through gritted teeth, trying not to cry. “I’ve worked my ass off for this. You know I have.”
“Was that between shots at the Bull Pen? Or when you’re hopping from one bed to the next?” A choked sound left me, her words landing with the slap she intended. My throat ached from holding back tears, my heart breaking. But I reminded myself of all the hours I’d spent in my office and at home, making sure every patient’s care plan was flawless. I wasn’t useless like she was insinuating. Not entirely.
“Claire!” Savannah gasped from the other end of the table at the same time a chair smacked against the floor, making me flinch.
“That’s enough!” Emmett snapped, shooting daggers in Claire’s direction. My eyes popped wide enough at his outburst to let the tears spill free. “You know just as well as we all do that Freedom Reins wouldn’t evenexistwithout Delilah. You wouldn’t have even beenconsideredfor the partnership with Cavendish without her.” He was breathing hard. His hand shook in front of him while he pointed at me. “So don’t you fucking dare sit there and pretend that she hasn’t done shit for this ranch. That she didn’t save your ass when you were competing for Cavendish.”
Claire’s hands landed on the table with a thud, rattling the plates and glasses. “She cost us millions, Emmett! Our ranch. Our legacy. Everything our parents worked for is at risk because of her choices.”
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Oh,fuckthat, Claire. Maybe that’s how it was six months ago, but not anymore, and you know it. We’re about to have the biggest ranch in northern Texas, so get off your fucking high horse. She has been here every. Single. Fucking. Day. Busting her ass, pulling all-nighters,agonizing over care plans forweeks. She’s done more for Freedom Reins than any of us, and you know it.”
She didn’t respond, only glared at her brother. Her brother, who just stood up for me, the person he’s supposed to loathe, in front of everyone. Openly. Without hesitation. Did he even know how that looked? Did he care?
I stood on wobbly legs, barely able to breathe under the crushing weight of the shame I felt from Claire’s words and the love I felt from Emmett’s actions. “I’m gonna go,” I whispered, my voice shaking.
Tess snatched my wrist. “Don’t go,” she pleaded with teary eyes. “Not like this.”
“It’s okay, bug.” My voice cracked because it wasn’t okay. None of this was okay, and I wasn’t sure it ever would be again. And I left before anyone else could stop me.
I sped down the porch steps, needing to get away. Part of me wanted to disappear forever, but another part knew I couldn’t let this end here. I had to figure out a way forward, even if I had no idea how.
12
