Page 130 of Mistaken Impression

I shake my head, then take a sip of tea. “Not that I can think of. No-one else had a motive. Mac was right about that. Kennedy had nothing to gain from telling the press about him, and I know I didn’t do it, even if he didn’t believe in me. The only thing that’s never made sense to me is why Vivian hated me at first sight.”

“Didn’t you just say she wanted Mac? Isn’t that a good enough reason for her to get her claws out?”

“It would be, but Mac and I didn’t get together until halfway through the recordings. Vivian’s dislike of me was instant, literally from the moment I first said my name.”

Drew’s face pales, and he clamps his hand across his mouth. “Oh… God.”

His words are muffled, but I can make them out well enough. “What’s wrong?”

He lets his hand fall and shakes his head. “I think this is my fault.”

“What?”

“Vivian’s dislike of you… and possibly her leaking of Mac’s secret to the press, assuming she’s responsible, of course.”

“How can it be your fault?”

“Because I once dated someone called Vivian,” he says. “And she was looking to get into either film or television production. Do you remember this woman’s last name?”

I think for a moment. “Riley? No Reid. That was it… Reid.”

“That’s her. Vivian Reid.”

“When did you date her?” I ask, pushing the invitation aside and leaning a little closer to him.

“I don’t know… three, maybe four years ago.”

“Why did you stop?”

“Why did I ever stop seeing women? She wanted more than I was willing to give, so I broke it off. She wasn’t happy about it.”

“Clearly.” I narrow my eyes at him, and he holds up his hands, like he’s surrendering.

“I’m sorry, Sis. I guess she must have heard your name and realized who you were.”

“How, though? Ours isn’t the most unusual last name in the world, so how would she have made the connection? Kennedy didn’t. She had to ask me about it.”

“I probably mentioned you,” he says, biting on his bottom lip. He looks really contrite, but there’s no point in him being sorry.

Not now.

Funnily enough, I think it was discovering Vivian’s connection to Drew that made me determined to attend tonight’s ceremony… if only to confront her. Drew’s right, the studio won’t want Mac to be there, and I’m damned if I’m going to let Vivian get away with ruining his career and our relationship, just because of something my brother did.

I don’t think he was particularly keen to renew his acquaintance with her, but he’d said he’d come with me, and that’s why he’s sitting beside me in the car… although I’m driving, because he’s staying on in Boston after the ceremony, while I’ll be going straight back to Newport. In the end, our plans worked out even better than Drew expected, because when he told Lexi what was happening, she surprised him by announcing she was coming to Boston for a few days.

“She wants to spend some time with her sister before the baby’s born,” Drew said, when he called and told me. “Personally, I think she’s insane, traveling here so soon before the baby’s due, but she says she’s bored, and I can’t stop her.”

“If she’s spending time with her sister, does that mean you’ll get to see her?”

“Lexi? Yeah. A friend of hers is bringing her here on the Thursday we’re going to your award ceremony. She’s got an interview, or something on the Friday morning – the friend, that is, not Lexi. And I’ve said I’ll drive her home on the Sunday, to make things easier for her.”

“And her sister? Will you see her, too?”

“Not if I can help it. I’ve avoided it so far… and I’ll keep right on doing so, if I can.”

“Forever?”

I heard him sigh. “I don’t know. At the moment, I’m still in love with her. I can’t face the thought of seeing her. It’s too hard… especially as there’s every chance she’s got another man in her life by now. I think I’d rather live in ignorance of that.”

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