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7
I barely get a chance to move from the car before Reid peels off, heading back through the gates.
My cousin has presented himself to be a straight-up jerk. A murky cloud determined to erase my sunshine.
I can’t believe he’s upset over something ridiculous like having friends outside of each other.
“Everything all right?” Genevieve asks, coming downstairs with towels
I shake my head. “Reid hates me.”
“Oh, dear.” She offers a look of sympathy. “No, he doesn’t. Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll work it out.”
“I doubt it.” I run past her up the stairs, almost tossing Reid’s Funko pop when I reach the room, but I reconsider and set it on the dresser along with the comic.
Still seething, I pace back and forth. It annoys me that he pretty much accused my parents of lying.
I have to confirm it. I take my phone out and call Dad.
“Hey, honey,” he answers in a calm tone. “Twice in a matter of hours. Something wrong?”
I come right out with it. “Aunt Helena told you Reid didn’t want to talk to me, right? She said that, didn’t she?”
He clears his throat. “Um, did something happen, sweetheart?”
“Please just tell me, Dad. She did, right?”
The long and dreaded silence permeating the line doesn’t help. Even worse, a low groan comes through that sounds drenched in guilt.
“Dad?” I stop my pacing, but my heart continues to sprint. “Please…”
He releases a heavy sigh before he finally answers. “Helena said many things seven years ago. But not that part.”
Shock rattles my body, causing me to stagger backward. “What?”
“I was trying to keep you and your mom from that place. I didn’t want you around my father and his influence.”
His confession has me slowly sinking onto the side of the bed. “So you lied.”
“Honey, listen—”
“You lied, Dad.” I throw my hand up, on the brink of tears. “He was my best friend. You took me away from him. Then you lied to keep us apart. That’s terrible. How could you do that?” I huff angrily. “For seven years, I believed it was Aunt Helena. But it was you.”
“I’m so sorry, Cassie. I thought it was for the best.”
“Best for who?” I sputter a cynical laugh. “Why am I here now? What is this? Are you trying to make up for the lie? Is that why you agreed to let me spend the summer here? To clear your conscience?”
After a few seconds, he says, “Yes, and to mend my relationship with my sister.”
I arch over and massage my right temple to lessen some of the tension. “Reid is mad at me. He won’t even hug me. He was under the impression I wanted nothing to do with him.”
“I’m sure he won’t be like that for long.”
“I hope so,” I murmur, voice breaking as tears spill down my cheeks. Reid and I had such an incredible connection as kids. It hurts that it might be gone forever, thanks to my dad.
“I’m so sorry, honey,” he apologizes again. “It was my selfishness, and I wanted to—”
“I don’t need excuses,” I rasp. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Oh… All right. I love you, Cassie. I’m sorry.”
Without a response, I disconnect and flop back on the bed, staring at the white ceiling as the tears stream down the sides of my face.
It’s only been a few hours since my arrival at the estate, and I’m already unnerved. Reid… I want to be close like before.
What Dad did was wrong. We can’t go back, only forward. So I’ll do my part to fix it.
