head, and there was something about his expression that told me he wanted to roll his eyes. “I know you have it in your heads that I’m some kind of master villain, but I’m not that bad. I was never going to throw Thea out or anything of the sort. I just wanted to give her a little extra incentive to get results.” He shot me a self-satisfied smirk. “And it worked.”
Holy fuck. I’d known for months that Vincent Sharpe was a master manipulator, but the way he’d toyed with us was almost impressive. I’d been certain he was ready to drop kick me out of the state, when really, he’d merely used the threat to ensure I played his game. Again, I didn’t approve of his methods, but they were pretty damn effective.
We all sat there for several minutes, letting tonight’s revelations sink in. I had a feeling I’d still be trying to wrap my head around them for weeks, if not months, to come.
Eventually, Tristin asked, “Why now? Why did you decide to come clean to Glinda and then us?”
“It was a culmination of things. You, Leo, and Hayle all seem to be more settled than you’ve been in years. Also, Lily’s threats weighed on me. As unstable as she’d become, I had a feeling my house of cards was going to come tumbling down, with or without my continued silence.”
He turned to his wife and gave her what had to be the gentlest smile I’d ever seen from him. “And, most importantly, Glinda revealed on Christmas morning that we’re having a baby.”
Chapter Forty
Thea
Propped against the headboard in my bedroom at the townhouse, I tucked my knees toward my chest and got back to work on my sketch. Usually, I completed a drawing in one sitting. But I was taking my time with this one, wanting to get it right. Even though it depicted a moment from the past, it meant more to me than a memory. I longed for it to portray the future.
Maybe my search for meaning was due to the subjects of the drawing. Or, maybe, it had more to do with the timing.
After Monday night’s tragedy, the last five days had passed too quickly and too slowly at the same time. None of us had gone to our classes. Hayle had needed the time to mourn and rail at the world in equal measures. Tristin, Leo, and I had remained by his side, supporting him, whether that meant practically forcing him to eat or turning on a nature documentary to distract him. Leo had even taken him to the boxing gym a couple of times and held the bag while Hayle punched the hell out of it.
We’d all spent more time than usual at the mansion, getting to know Glinda. I still thought she was way too good for Vincent, but I’d also seen a different side of him over the last few days. A gentler, kinder side that seemed to be his constant companion while his wife was around. Well, his wife only in the common law sense, because the original paperwork had been issued for his fake identity. They’d told us that they were planning a small ceremony for the spring to make things official.
Their baby was due in July, and Vincent had every intention of having all of his business settled in Moss Harbor before then so he could make the formal move to Atlanta to be with Glinda and the baby. That included a plea bargain the district attorney was already working on regarding the obstruction of justice charges that had been filed as soon as Vincent had confessed to covering up my mother’s murder. Though it would take time to finalize the plea bargain, it sounded like he would have to spend a few months in prison as well as pay a hefty fine.
A past version of myself might have believed that the punishment couldn’t even come close to fitting the crime. But I refused to spend any more of my life obsessing over the events surrounding my mother’s death. Vincent had finally owned up to the truth, and Lily had ultimately paid for that truth with her life.
It was over, and I was ready to put the whole thing to bed. I doubted I would ever be able to think about my mother without experiencing a small pang of sadness over what had happened to her. But, for the first time since the evening of her funeral, I