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She breathed hard, stopping in front of us. “You can’t tell anyone. Please, I’m begging you.”
“Why, Lena? Why, when you have James? Why would you do such a thing?” I asked before I could stop myself.
A flash of impatience sparked in Lena’s eyes. “For heaven’s sake. You’re such a child.”
“I’m not,” I said. “I’m a woman who would never compromise myself the way you have.”
“You can’t marry James now, can you?” Delphia asked, triumphantly. “You’ll have to tell him you’re no longer the marrying kind.”
“Is that really what you want?” Lena asked. “For the man you both seem to care so much about to have his future and that of his family ruined?”
As much as I hated her, she was right. This did nothing but hurt James. Either way, he would be hurt.
“That’s exactly what I want,” Delphia said. “You and James don’t love each other. You’re making a mistake that will make you both miserable.”
“It’s not about us,” Lena said, voice rising. “It’s about our fathers. Don’t you see? We may not have much in common, but we share the most important attribute of all. All our lives we’ve been trying to get our fathers to love us, to approve of just one thing we’ve done. That is something you two spoiled brats could never understand.”
“Spoiled brats?” Delphia said through her teeth. “How dare you call us that.” She shoved Lena.
I gasped. “Delphia.”
Lena shoved her back.
Before I could fathom what was happening, they were rolling around in the grass, hands and arms flailing about as they tried to swipe at the other.
“Delphia!” I shouted. “Stop!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw James running toward us. The ladies were now in the dirt and gravel of the driveway still wrestling like baby bears.
“James, please do something before someone sees,” I said.
“What’s gotten into you?” James leaned down and grabbed Delphia by the waist, hauling her away from her opponent and setting her on the top rung of the fence.
I knelt to help Lena up, giving her my hand. “Are you hurt?” I asked.
“Just bruised probably.” Lena sank onto the ground near the fence. Tufts of wild grass framed her face. “I’m sorry, James. I’ve made a mess of things.”
“What are you talking about?” James looked at me. “Addie, what’s happened?”
“It’s not my place.” A heaviness had overtaken me. My sister may have meant well, but she had no business interfering in this way. All of it had become so ugly. What had Lena been thinking? Jesse was not a good man. Why would she ruin everything with James? Her whole life had been unfolding in the most glorious way, and she’d sabotaged it.
I glanced at Delphia. She was staring at the ground, legs dangling over the fence. For a moment, I was taken back to our childhood. There had been more than a few times she’d gotten herself into scrapes and worn the same stubborn expression. However, she’d been young. A nearly grown woman should not be acting this way.
I gestured for her to follow me. James couldn’t seem to figure out where to look, his gaze darting from one to the other of us, clearly baffled.
I approached, grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, and whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry, but it’s not my place to explain any of this. Come find me later if you need to.”
His eyes were full of questions, but I turned from him. He and Lena would have to decide what to do. It was between them. Whatever he decided, I would be there.But not this way,I thought. This was all wrong.
“Delphia, follow me, please.”
“What if I don’t want to?” Delphia asked, pouty.
“Now.”
Delphia jumped off the fence, clearly unhappy with me and my stern tone. I didn’t care at the moment. I wasn’t happy with her, either.
* * *
