Page 73 of Whispers of My Skin

Suddenly Cassandra changes her tune.

“Stephen, honey, this has all gotten out of hand. Being pregnant has my hormones all over the place, I haven’t been feeling so great and I keep bursting into tears for no reason. Joel was concerned about me, so he invited me to stay so he could keep an eye on me while you were away. I didn’t tell you, because I know how much you worry about me, how important this pregnancy is to you, how desperate you are for an heir. But Tara is so jealous of my friendship with Joel, she’s making trouble by exaggerating everything and twisting my words to make me look bad. That’s why I was reluctant to come with you at first, I thought you’d be angry with me.”

Cassandra finally comes out from behind Joel and approaches her husband.

Finally, the veil is falling.

Joel seems frankly astonished with the whole situation and is left dumbfounded. Cassandra thought she was so fucking smart with her devious schemes, but she didn’t fool me for a second, I always knew better.

“Stephen, let’s go home and talk this through, away from her malicious influence,” she says, pointing her finger at me as she slips her hand through her poor husband’s arm.

As much as I want to refute Cassandra’s accusations, I’ll swallow them if it means seeing the back of the bitch for good.

“Let her go, Joel, I really don’t think he poses any kind of threat to her,” I murmur to him.

And he does without a second glance.

I hurry back into the house, with Joel following closely behind.

“So?” I ask him once we’re alone. “Are you going to continue trusting your conniving little friend after this?”

“What was I supposed to, Tara?” he replies. “Desert her, leave her on her own after she told me her husband had hit her? Imagine if it’d had been Camille, what would you have done?”

“I would have gone out and kicked the bastard in the balls,” I answer without hesitation. I would do anything for my family, as he is well aware. “But that woman is not your sister and she has feelings for you. She’s in love with you, can’t you see that?”

“I’ve always seen her as just a friend. A very close friend, sure, but never in a romantic way. And since I don’t have that many friends, those that I do have are very important to me. Apart from Cassandra, there’s only Connor. So naturally I felt very protective towards her.”

“Yes, but what you don’t seem to realize is that she didn’t look at you in the same platonic way, Joel. Things are very different for her, and that’s why she’s always hated me so much.”

“I can maybe see that now, but it’s come as a complete surprise to me,” he admits, raising his eyebrows, and I can tell he’s still in shock.

“Now that the scales have finally fallen from your eyes, and you’ve seen Cassandra in her true colors, I trust you agree that she’s never to step foot in this house again. She is no longer your concern, is that clear?”

Without giving him a chance to respond, I walk down the hall to the kitchen. Fermin and Mrs. Sanchez are standing there, obviously having overheard everything.

“Where’s that glass of champagne?” I demand, turning to my friend. I’m allowed a small amount of alcohol now, and I think I deserve it.

“That’s my girl!” Fermin grins passing me the flute.

I knock back the glass of Dom Pérignon in one swallow.

“Cheers!” I toast, raising a second glass.

There are more things to celebrate than just the meeting going well.

Finally, Cassandra is leaving. And with any luck, this time for good.

A little later, Joel comes into the kitchen, looking very shame faced, as well he might.

The champagne is kicking in and I’m a just little tipsy.

As soon as they see him appear, Fermin and Mrs. Sanchez scramble to disappear from the kitchen, like rats deserting a sinking ship.

“Can we talk?” he asks quietly, sitting on the empty chair beside me.

“Oh, so now you want to talk? Now that you’ve finally realized that I was right all along. Shame it’s too little, too late.”

“Tara, don’t be like that. You’re being unfair.”

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