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“Will do.”
She stands and walks inside.
About five minutes later, she walks back out. Jade is roughly six feet tall, so I can’t make out her mother behind her at first. She’s much shorter than Jade. But when she does come into view, all the wind is knocked out of my lungs. I blurt, “Mandy?”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
BETH
“Mandy?”
Amanda looks at him in complete and total shock. Her hand covers her mouth. Tears immediately spill over her eyes and drip down her cheeks.
Dominic looks at me before turning back to her. He’s white as a ghost. He barely blinks, completely frozen.
Jade’s eyes move between the two of them. “Mom, how do you know Dominic?”
“He…he…he was a friend from college. Just before I dropped out.”
Jade nods, apparently understanding the significance of that.
Dominic finally blinks. “Jade, your mother is Amanda Tremaine? But your last name is McGinley.”
“My parents were never married. I use Tremaine as my middle name and McGinley as my last.”
Amanda looks at Jade. “How doyouknow Dominic?”
“I work with him.”
Dominic stares at Jade. “How old are you?”
Jade answers, “Twenty-three.”
I see Dominic doing the math in his head.
Amanda shakes her head. “She’s not yours, Dom. She was born nearly two years later.”
Because Jade is, well, Jade, she says, “Wow. I’ve always had a crush on him. We could have had a major Greek tragedy on our hands. Are you sure I’m not his?”
I’m pretty sure Jade is simply trying to break the obvious tension, but she’s not helping. I don’t think anything can help the awkwardness of it all.
Amanda rolls her eyes. “Look at you and look at Dom and me. Does it look like the two of us would have produced you? I haven’t seen Dominic in twenty-five years.”
Cassandra, never one to mix words, asks, “What the fuck is going on here? I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone.”
I answer, “Dominic and Amanda dated when they were in college.” And she’s the only other woman he ever loved. And her actions ended his career. And she ruined him for all other women. And, judging by his reaction, he might still love her.
Darian clears her throat. “Dominic, if you and Amanda would like some privacy to talk, feel free to use Jackson’s study.”
He looks at Amanda and she nods. He stands. I desperately need him to acknowledge me in this moment. A kiss. A touch. A look. Anything.
But none of that happens. He forgets I exist. Just like those who came before him.
He walks toward her, and they embrace in such a familiar way. I can’t hear what they’re saying, but their arms are around each other.
I thought my heart was put back together. That I was truly whole for the first time in my life. That we were unbreakable this time around. I thought I did everything right.
I was wrong. My heart is breaking all over again. I can’t help the tears spilling from my eyes as they disappear into the house. All without him looking back at me. Not once.
