Page 27 of Deceit

“About two months to be closer to Madelyn.”

I look at Scarlett. “And you?”

“A day before the accident.”

“And why are you here?” I look between the two of them, wanting answers from both. The silence is deafening for well over a minute before my sister decides to spill the beans.

“To visit.” Or not.

She begins fidgeting with her fingers and averts her eyes from me.

Something that Emmy does.

One way to get my little blonde bombshell to talk is to stare at her until she rats herself out. Though, as of late, Emmy has become somewhat immune to my trick and built a pesky tolerance.

My little sister, though, it’s been over two decades since she’s been in the same room with me. She’s only just scratching the surface.

“I’m getting away from my ex.”

“And why would you need to come states away to do that?” My tone is strained, already not fond of the idea that the nine-year-old sister that I remembered is now a grown woman of twenty-nine with a whole life.

Funny how I’ve spent days with her, and she failed to mention that little detail.

Scarlett’s face flushes the color of her name and pulls her focus away again. “Because he’s abusive and crazy, and…I need somewhere to crash.” I set my jaw, finding Hardy doing the same thing.

“Do you have kids with him?” I press, double-checking to be sure because I think I already know the answer to that.

“No.”

“Mortgages?”

“No.”

“Bank accounts?”

“No.”

“Life insurance policy?” Her brows furrow at my—to her—odd question. “No?”

She slowly shakes her head. “No.”

“Good—“ I bring my beverage back up to my lips. “—because he’s dead.”

Being at this charity gala brings forth so many flashbacks of working with Wade that I have to remind myself that those days are over. And while at the time I thought they were the hardest, I’d take them over the here and now.

I’d choose being overworked, stressed, and always babysitting Wade to make sure he was on his best behavior over this moment where I’ve been stood up by Bishop.

He was supposed to come with me tonight.

He made it sound like he didn’t want me to be alone, surrounded by rich men and stuffy conversations that sometimes subtly led into leaving with them.

But I should’ve known better.

He hates them just as much as I do, and I grew up in this environment.

However, Bishop made things fun. He’d find somewhere to kiss me senseless one minute, then allow me to go to watch Wade just for me to come back so he could make me come two more times.

All past tense.

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