“Gus! I’m so glad to see you!” Mia hugged her aunt.
“Mia, what’s wrong? And why is your cheek bruised?”
Mia covered the cheek with her hand. She’d not looked in a mirror yet. She kept her voice down. “I’ll explain everything in a minute. Do you know why Jane is in my room?”
Gus’s mouth fell open. Her gaze darted to the hall leading to the bedrooms. She shook her head.
“I’m going to go see.”
“I’ll wait here with your man.”
Mia’s face flushed. Jackson grinned and winked at Gus before offering her his arm.
Mia moved back down the hall. Gus kept the television at such a high volume, Mia doubted that Jane had heard her come in. Her bedroom door was half open, and she peered inside. Jane was bent over the desk, riffling through the papers Mia had put in the drawer. She had nothing important. At least, nothing that would inspire someone who lived on gossip and scandal.
Mia’s hands fisted at her sides. How many times had her cousin gone through her things?
She was done with this. She flung the door open.
Jane jumped back, spinning to face her. Mia’s papers and receipts fluttered to the floor.
“Well, well. I wonder what you were searching for. Find anything interesting?”
Jane’s face flushed. Her eyes, though, met Mia’s with defiance. “I was bored.”
Like that was ever a good reason to pry into affairs that didn’t concern you. “I wondered how the school board had heard about the police. It was you, wasn’t it?”
Instead of appearing ashamed or embarrassed for getting caught in the act, Jane tossed her head. “I knew the moment I saw you with Jackson Stewart that you were in trouble again. You obviously didn’t learn your lesson in high school. And then the police show up? It didn’t take much digging to find the truth.”
Several things coalesced in her mind at once. Jane had been listening in on conversations and actively seeking out dirt on both Mia and Jackson—then and now.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You were the one who started the rumors about me in high school.” It wasn’t a question. No matter what Jane said, the look on her face told Mia all she needed to know. Except the why. Not that it mattered.
The betrayal should have shocked her. But after all Mia had learned, all she’d been through in the past few days, Jane’s actions didn’t surprise her. “I’m curious how you knew I was pregnant. My parents didn’t even know until I miscarried.”
Jane’s eyes widened slightly. So she hadn’t known how Mia had lost the baby and had just jumped to her own conclusions. Typical.
At first, Mia thought Jane would remain silent. Instead, she exploded.
“You were so stupid, Mia! You had it all. Cheer captain. Gorgeous boyfriend. Your parents were rich and could buy you anything. My mom was a single mom. We barely scraped by. I couldn’t even get on the squad with you and all your stuck-up friends. When your mom called my mom crying about the baby, I knew I’d found a way to take your place.”
Mia shook her head. “How’d that work out for you?”
Jane’s fists clenched. “They were just a bunch of snobs. They didn’t even hold tryouts.”
“You tried to ruin my life. You didn’t deserve to be on the team.”
Jane made a low sound in the back of her throat. “I deserved it more than you. I never got pregnant. And that junior who replaced you? She was just a stupid little follower. Who knows what she did to get there? Everyone knew I was prettier. But I guess they wanted another rich brat.”
“I’ll tell you what she did.” Mia folded her arms across her chest. She was done with letting Jane’s pity party hurt her. “She had talent. And the work ethic to learn the routines and do the flips and moves the cheer squad required. Neither of which you had.”
Jane snarled.
Mia just stared at the woman. “You’ve been spreading lies about me for years. I’m not a suspect. I’m one of the victims. But I know you’ve never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” She stepped closer and Jane tensed. Did the woman seriously think Mia would hit her? Mia scoffed in her face. “I believe this is mine.”
She grabbed the papers still clutched in Jane’s hand. Looking down, she saw the emails from the school regarding her suspension. “You even printed out some emails from my computer. You really are desperate.”
Jane crossed her arms over her chest.
