The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,324

to see him again?” she asks, and I get the distinct impression she’s stalling.

“Probably not. It was reckless. What’s up?” I add to preempt any more beating around the bush.

She purses her lips and clears her throat. “I just wanted to say bye. It was nice to see you.”

I nod my head slowly, my expression one of exaggerated expectancy, as I wait for her to say whatever she’s clearly holding back.

When she just looks up and down the corridor, and doesn’t say anything else, my discomfort grows.

“Well, my number hasn’t changed. If you’re ever in Houston, let me know.” I pull my keycard out of my pocket.

“Wait, uh- do you still have the bakery?”

I quirk my eyebrow in bemusement at her out-of-left-field question, “It’s still there, but we sold it to a new owner.”

“We? Are you back at Wilde?” Her expression is neutral, but her cryptic question feels far from benign and I’m beyond ready for her to get to the point.

“No. Nope. My grandfather’s banishment stuck.”

She relaxes her shoulders a little and her jaw loosens, as if she’s relieved to hear that. “So, what do you do, now?”

“I raise my children and raise money for causes I believe in.”

“You don’t work at all??”

I tense. Years of Mommy wars and my own dissatisfaction with the state of my life put me on the defensive.

“Marcel thinks it’s a negative reflection on him as a provider if his wife works to earn wages.” I mimic my husband’s French treatment of the word wages, imbuing it with all of the disdain that he does.

Matty raises an eyebrow in surprise, “And you don’t mind that? The Regan I knew-

“Is gone,” I make light of my heavy predicament and force a resigned smile.

“That’s too bad. I…” Matty’s gaze falls away, almost shyly. “I miss her.”

A spark of hope kindles in my chest. “But, maybe we could…I don’t know... get to know each other again?”

Her dark, inscrutable gaze snaps to my face. She scans it with a grim frown thinning her lips. “Do you believe Rebecca?”

I blink, her sharply delivered question like water flung in my eyes.

Her dark eyes flicker with disappointment before they shutter again and my hackles rise. I straighten my posture and cross my shoulders. “You couldn’t leave with us in a good place. You had to pick a fight.”

She throws her head back in a humorless cackle. “I wish one weekend and a few conversations was all it took for us to be in a good place.” She fills the words with scorn and her lip curls. “I’m not surprised you think so, though. You’ve been keeping up appearances so long, you’ve forgot what real relationships look like.”

My patience, already brittle, starts to splinter and crack. I cross my arms over my chest and uncross them quickly. I’m not the one who should be on the defensive. “And you do? Who are your friends? Who’s waiting for you when you get home?” I spit.

The flash of sadness that crosses her face makes me wish I could take my words back. But Matty recovers her sadness and gives as good as she gets.

“At least I didn’t sell myself for the sake of a man who hung you out to dry.”

I gasp in affront., “My grandfather did not—”

She leans in. her chin jutting upward. Her eyes blaze with anger has me taking a step back. “He Hung. You. Out. To. Dry. Just like you did us. For something that wasn’t our fault.”

“It was entirely. Your. Fault. You’re lucky you didn’t go to jail. My grandfather did his best for you.” I stab a finger in her face.

She shoves it away and leans in, so we’re almost nose to nose. “He did his best for his granddaughter and himself. And you can’t see that he was involved because you were so enamored with him.” she says in a voice deepened by anger.

I’m shocked by the way this escalated. I just want to get into bed. I dig deep to find enough restraint to be the bigger person.

“Listen, we’re obviously never going to agree on this.”

She steps away from me, her lips turning down in disgust. “Oh, one day, you’ll find the courage to look at your family and yourself honestly. Then we’ll agree. But until you prove yourself better than the men who hurt us, I don’t think we have anything left to say.”

This is it. After that awful fight we had last time we saw each other, I’ve still thought of Matty as my