Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,73

to manipulate you.”

The bite of Archie’s fingers tightened on my shoulder once, then he eased his grip and l slid my fingers between his before I glanced back to find Edward staring at Archie. Maddy glanced between them before she finally glared at me.

Yeah, I was waiting for that.

“You couldn’t leave it alone,” she said to me.

“This isn’t my fault,” I told her. “It’s never been my fault. You’ve reminded me continually that you could have had an abortion or you could have given me up for adoption. I don’t owe you anything.”

“I chose to keep you!”

“Do you want a medal?”

“You don’t get to talk to me that way—”

“I’ll talk to you however I please,” I said, but I wasn’t yelling. If anything, I was just tired. Tired of this. Tired of her. Tired of this farce between us. “You’re a shitty mom. You’ve been a shitty mom for a long, long time. I just didn’t know any better. I’ve spent years making excuses for you. Trying to understand, trying to be a better kid so that you would love me.”

“Of course I love you.” She even managed to say that with a straight face.

I laughed. “I don’t think you even know what that means.”

“And you would?” Maddy stared at me. “You, who was too scared of your own shadow to grab life and live it? You just focused on your books and your cats? You had all those boys for years, and you don’t express any interest until now?”

“I’ve got a response for that,” Archie said dryly. “Fuck off.”

Edward sighed, but he was still staring at the DNA test results that had mine and Archie’s names on it. We’d gotten them to give us more than just numbers.

“I only want one thing from you,” I said abruptly, because I was done. When I stood, Archie pulled the chair away and then moved until he had me tucked against his side.

“Oh, now you want something?” Maddy all but threw her purse on the table. “And that would be exactly what? Not that I plan to give you anything, since you not only humiliated me in that courtroom, you’re killing yourself to sabotage the one relationship that has ever meant anything to me.”

“I want the names of the other three men.”

Maddy snorted and folded her arms. “They aren’t important.”

“Bellville,” Edward said abruptly. “She had an affair with Roger Bellville.”

“Eddie…” Maddy stared at him. But he ignored her and focused on me and Archie.

“That was before I met your mother,” he said to Archie. “She’d been seeing him for months, and it went on for a few months after. They were seen frequently at parties. As far as I know, he’s an attorney these days. Still in New York.”

New York.

“This is hardly necessary,” Maddy tried again, but he shook off her grip.

“There was a teacher too—humanities professor at Harvard. Well, he wouldn’t have been a full professor then. He was an assistant or in training. Might have been working on his master’s degree.” He rubbed his jaw. “Jackson? Jackson Something or maybe Something Jackson.”

“I didn’t have an affair with him.” Maddy folded her arms. “I can’t believe you paid attention to those rumors.”

“You made sure I saw you with him, Maddy,” Edward said without looking at her. “You always enjoyed rubbing my face in it. As I recall, you also came straight to my bed after leaving his.”

I flinched, and my stomach rolled. There were some things I really didn’t want to know.

“With that disgusting thought in mind…” Archie stated. “That’s two names. Do you have a third?”

Edward shook his head. “There were a few in those days, and then I made a point of not rising to the bait and stopped paying attention.”

I swore Maddy almost looked hurt. Or maybe she was just embarrassed.

“But you might try talking to Amber Van Dien. She and Maddy were the best of friends before Maddy slept with her boyfriend.”

“Eddie.” Now Maddy rounded on him. “What are you talking about?”

He barely spared her a look. “If I think of any others, I’ll call you…” He hesitated a split second, then glanced at Archie. “If that’s all right with you.”

“Email will be fine. By the way, you can keep that copy. We have our own.” He picked up my backpack. “And keep a leash on your girlfriend. I’ll get an injunction if I have to, but I don’t want her anywhere near mine.”

“Archie,” Edward said as we rounded the table. While my hand was in Archie’s,