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“Raven certainly thinks you did.”
“If that’s what she told you, she’s lying.”
“And I suppose she’s lying about you telling her that she isn’t welcome here too?” I ask, crossing my arms and planting my feet. She’s full of shit and we both know it.
“I was upset,” she sniffs, averting her gaze. “I can’t stand seeing her, Rhys. How am I supposed to live with her for three months? It’s like looking at him.” She shudders. “I can’t do it. I don’t need to be reminded of that time.”
“You don’t need to be reminded of that time? Jesus fucking Christ, Marnie.” I laugh without mirth. “You killed her father, but you’re the victim here? Do you even hear yourself?”
“Of course I do!” she cries, throwing her hands up in the air. “Of course, I know how it sounds.” Tears swim in her eyes. “But I’m pregnant with his baby. That’s hard enough without having to look into Raven’s eyes every day and deal with that guilt too.”
“At least you feel guilt,” I mutter.
“You think I don’t?” she asks.
I shrug, not sure I believe she does. Not sure I believe a fucking word she says. She’s like one of those children’s toys that you draw on and then wipe clean. She can be whoever she wants to be. When the show is over, she just erases the face and starts over. The only problem is that eventually, the magnetic ink begins to stick to the board. Little bits of the old drawings remain. They get all mixed up with the new. Sooner or later, the whole board is so messed up that you can’t tell what you’re looking at anymore.
“I feel it every day,” she whispers. “Every day. He was the love of my life.”
I’m no longer sure I believe that either. Did she love Brant? Yes. I still believe that much. But I don’t know if she loved him when she killed him. I’m beginning to think she stopped loving him a long time ago. Her jealousy of Raven poisoned her. It destroyed Brant. I’ll be damned before I let it destroy Raven too.
“I’ve kept my mouth shut and played your little game because you’re carrying his kid,” I say quietly. “But you’re paying her tuition and you’re sending her new cards. You’re going to treat her with the respect she deserves and you’re going to stop playing fucking games with her trust. If you don’t, the only time you’ll hold that kid is when you’re giving birth in a prison ward.”
“You wouldn’t,” she says.
“Try me.”
“You’ll go down too.”
“I know.” I hold her gaze, not blinking. “The difference between you and me, Marnie? You pretend to feel guilt. I actually feel it. I deserve to rot in a fucking prison for helping you. If taking you down means I go down with you, so be it.”
For the first time, doubt enters her expression, followed by the first inklings of fear. She knows I mean it. Good. “You don’t mean that,” she whispers anyway. “It was an accident, Rhys.”
“Pay her tuition, Marnie,” I growl, stepping around her to the door. “Don’t test me.”
“Rhys, wait! I’ll pay the tuition. Of course, I will. But you aren’t doing her any favors with the credit cards,” she says. “You may think I’m some monster, but I’m not. I’m trying to help her. She’s never had the chance to figure out what she’s made of because Brant was always there to rescue her. Now, she’s on her own. She needs to prove to herself that she can take care of herself.”
“No,” I say softly, pulling the door open. “You’re on your own, Marnie. Raven isn’t. She’ll never be on her own. She’ll never be you.”
“And when she graduates, she’ll be in charge of Brant’s company,” she snaps. “How do you expect her to run a company when she doesn’t even know what she’s capable of doing? You think you’re doing her some big favor by swooping in to save the day, but you aren’t. All you’re doing is ensuring that she fails before she ever has a chance to succeed.”
“I know exactly what she’s capable of,” I say. “You’re the one underestimating her and we both know you’re doing it because you’re desperate to hold onto his company. You can lie to yourself and pretend this is about you helping her if that makes you sleep better at night, but you can’t lie to me. You aren’t getting the company, Marnie. I’ll burn the entire fucking thing to the ground before I let that happen.”
