The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4 (Cursed #3-4) - Rebecca Donovan Page 0,116

heard your messages.”

She’s quiet.

I sigh. “Are you feeling okay?” I can’t be a complete bitch to my mother. I never have before. Being angry with her doesn’t come naturally. Frustrated on her behalf, yes. But I’ve never blamed her for who she is or the choices she’s made. Not even now. I mean, I’m definitely annoyed. I just want to know what those choices were because they’re fucking with my life now.

“Yes, I’m better. Nick took some time off to stay with me.”

“You forgave him?” I ask, not surprised.

“I did. I love him,” she says tentatively, like she’s afraid of how I’ll react.

“He loves you too,” I say, not denying it anymore. A wave of relief overtakes me, knowing she’s with someone who’s much more capable of caring for her than me.

“He wants to buy a place together outside of Boston. I told him I had to ask you.”

“Live your life, Mom,” I tell her. “It has nothing to do with me.”

“It does,” she counters. “I will only accept if you do.”

“It’s fine,” I assure her impatiently. “You can live with him.”

She hesitates before asking softly, “Did you open the box?”

“Yeah,” I answer just as quietly. “I had to find answers somehow.”

“I wish you hadn’t.” Her voice is barely above a whisper, quivering with emotion.

“Well, I wish you’d be honest with me,” I reply, my jaw tightening as tears flood my eyes. “Are you going to tell me what it all means?”

She doesn’t respond.

“Then I guess we have nothing else to talk about. Live with Nick. He’s good for you.” I hang up. I stand there for a moment, collecting myself. My heart aches, and I really want to cry. But I won’t. I’m done crying.

Standing tall, I blow out the emotion and blink back the moisture from my vision. I return to the kitchen to find Olivia trying to appear like she didn’t just overhear. Her back’s to me as she chops vegetables at the counter.

“Here’s your phone.” I set it on the island.

Before I can leave, she says, “I don’t mean to pry, but I worry about you. And I know you may not want to hear it right now, but your mother worries too.”

“You know why I’m done talking to her, don’t you?” I ask, picking up the tote bag that I left by the stairs.

“Partly,” she responds. “I’m sorry, I don’t know much about what’s come between you. She said she’s been trying to contact you. I thought this was a good opportunity for you to speak, away from school.”

This interests me because that means Niall hasn’t confided in her either. And I was under the impression they didn’t have secrets. I know it was my own unsubstantiated conclusion, but I really believed it to be true.

“Let’s just put it this way. I know something happened on Nantucket seventeen years ago. Something that ruined my mother’s friendship with Maggie and made her break it off with the love of her life. Whatever it was, Niall covered it up. Like he does everything. And maybe you know; maybe you don’t. But I do know it’s about my father. And now … I’m paying for it.”

Olivia is stunned speechless.

“So you can tell my mother that if she wants her box of secrets back, then I want an explanation. I’m not going to let her screw up my life too.” I turn to walk away but pause to face her with one more message. “Oh, and tell your husband that Vic Thorne is the guy from the convenience store. He’s the same guy who put Allison Pixley in the hospital. Not that he can or will do anything about it, but I thought it was time he knew.”

Olivia watches me with her mouth ajar. I continue my exit down the stairs. Given her profession, I find it hard to believe she’s never been assaulted with blatant honesty. But I guess I can be a shock to anyone’s system.

Before I reach the bottom of the stairs, I hear footsteps, and a moment later, “What the hell has been going on?”

Eavesdropping isn’t usually my thing, not counting spying on Grant and Lily in the library, but I’m really tempted to listen. Except Olivia’s voice disappears behind a closed door, and I can’t hear anything else. Well, maybe the adults will finally start confessing.

Kaely, Lance and I spend the afternoon floating and swimming in the lake. Grant arrives in the late afternoon while I’m napping on a lawn chair under an umbrella.