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“Thanks.” I turn to face her, “But what about you? What’s going on?”
“I can’t keep spending my time with a bunch of vipers. I’m sorry Mara, but I haven’t done anything wrong and I’m not going to subject myself to them anymore.” Her eyes meet mine before she averts them again. “I’ve tried, okay? I’ve tried for Reece, but…I just can’t anymore. I don’t sleep that well at the best of times, but now it’s so hard.”
This isn’t right. Surely my family can’t be that bad. Well, apart from one person that is. Reece is going to go crazy when he finds out how she’s been treated. I feel glee knowing he’s going to go crazy at her. Kind of getting my own back. God, now I’m becoming Sarah. Ugh!
“Dahlia, I hear where you’re coming from, but please think about Reece. He’s your best friend and right now he’s going crazy because he can’t get in touch with you. He hasn’t done anything to you, has he? It’s my sister.”
She nods her head swiping at a tear on her cheek. “I don’t want Reece being upset with me, but…but, I don’t feel strong enough to deal with it all today.”
This is so not like her. My brother has led me to believe that she’s a fighter and not someone to let people walk all over her.
“Dahlia, what’s really going on?”
She won’t look at me.
“Is it Sarah who’s being a pain in the ass?”
She doesn’t say anything but she flinches when I say her name.
“It is. If it’s any consolation, she’s being a bitch to me as well, and I have no idea why. I’m presuming it has something to do with Donovan, but I’m not all that sure.”
“She hates me. She blames me for all the trouble between your mom and dad, and she won’t leave me alone. She’s like a toothache. The only reason I’m not doing or saying anything is because she’s Reece’s sister. I don’t want him to hate me.” She sounds lost.
“She’s your sister too,” I remind her so she knows that she has family. “Reece won’t hate you for putting Sarah in her place. I mean I’m so close to smacking her it isn’t funny.”
She laughs, but I’m not convinced she’s telling me everything, so I ask, “Are you sure that’s it? I mean we’re talking about Reece’s wedding here?”
Now she won’t meet my eyes.
“Dahlia, please talk to me. I promise I’ll keep it to myself if that’s what you want.”
After a few minutes of silence, she whispers, “She’s blackmailing me.” She sighs. “If I stay away from Reece and the rest of you, she’ll keep her mouth shut about something.”
Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.
“I just want Reece to have an amazing wedding day without your sister spoiling it because of me. I’d never forgive myself if it was ruined because I called her bluff.”
“What the hell is she blackmailing you with?”
“It isn’t as big as you’re thinking, but to Reece it probably will be…. Maybe.”
“Tell me.”
She sighs. “You won’t say anything?” She asks.
“I promise.”
“About six months ago, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’d had an argument with Ryder. He’d accused me of being a whore. I was upset and pissed so I’d gone off with a couple of girls who were passing through and we ended up meeting some guys they knew. I knew I shouldn’t have gone with them, but I did. We ended up drinking and…and I did some drugs with them and finally passed out. When I woke up I got the hell out of there.”
I sure as hell wasn’t expecting that. As I watch Ryder join Donovan on the back steps, I try to think of something to say. My brother will be pissed she did the drugs, but surely if he knows the whole situation that stemmed from her argument with Ryder. But they seem to be friends now.
“How does Sarah know about it?”
“She was home for the weekend and apparently gone shoping with a friend and spotted us.”
I run my hands through my hair. “Look, my advice is to go to see Reece now. I’ll come with you. You can tell him yourself. Tell him how you told me so he knows the whole thing. It isn’t as bad as you think it is. I know what he’s like about drugs—to the point he’s obsessed, but if you tell him, you take away Sarah’s hold, and I sure as hell can’t wait to rub it in her face.”
“Mara, she’s your sister.”
