Page 85 of The Best of Friends

His nasty little smile never wavered. “Face it, Rebecca. You’re ruined. And you’ll take your family down with you.”

Then he turned and walked away, leaving her frothing with rage and clueless as to how to fix any of it.

Fifteen

REBECCA SAT IN THE book-lined conference room and tried not to let anyone know she was nervous. The article had appeared that morning, and she’d already received nearly a dozen calls.

David walked into the conference room. She resisted the need to run to him so he could make her feel better.

“I don’t need a lawyer,” she said instead. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Not just a lawyer,” he said with a grin. “A team. We have a spin consultant and a media specialist coming, too.”

“Goody.”

“Along with Mom and Dad.”

She stood. “No way. I’m not staying if she’s going to be here. I don’t want to listen to whatever it is she’s going to say.”

But Blaine and Elizabeth appeared at the doorway before she could make her escape. Rebecca sat back down, wishing she hadn’t had that extra shot in her latte. It wasn’t sitting well in her stomach.

She’d called David after Jonathan had stalked out of the restaurant. He’d promised they would fix whatever problem Jonathan had created. While she believed him, she was seriously pissed that there was something that had to be fixed. Maybe she could have been slightly more sensitive when she’d broken up with Jonathan, but that was no excuse for what he was doing.

“Don’t worry,” Blaine said, moving toward her. “We’ll make this right.”

She stood and hugged him. “Thanks, Dad. Jonathan is being ridiculous. Conflict diamonds. I would never do that.” She stepped back. “I shouldn’t have told him about the jewelry at all.”

“But so interesting that he knows,” Elizabeth said coldly. “About your being Rivalsa. Apparently you all know, and no one thought to tell me. Now I’ll have to pretend to be excited and have a coming-out party.”

Rebecca watched Blaine and David try not to squirm. She felt a flicker of sympathy. None of this was their fault.

“Why would anyone tell you?” she asked Elizabeth. “You never showed any interest in me before. Your own daughter took off when she was eighteen, and you did nothing.”

Elizabeth pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. “Here we go again. I didn’t look hard enough. Poor, poor you.”

“You didn’t look at all,” Rebecca said coldly. “Admit it. You were relived not to have to worry about me.”

“Because every move everyone makes is about you. God forbid anyone go five minutes without considering what you might be doing or thinking. The world would cease turning.”

“Elizabeth,” Blaine said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “This isn’t helping.”

“Oh, and if we’re not helping Rebecca, we’re not doing the right thing,” Elizabeth said, her voice thick with anger and contempt. “How foolish of me to forget.”

“Admit it,” Rebecca said, refusing to let her mother’s words hurt her. “You’re pissed because you love the pieces and you had no idea they were mine. Now it’s all going to come out, and you’re going to have to pretend you’re proud of me, that you knew all along. You’re going to have to convince your friends that it was a happy secret, when you’ll be left feeling like a fool.”

Elizabeth’s blue eyes turned cold. “How little you know me, Rebecca. My friends will be nothing but jealous to find out my daughter has been delighting them all with her jewelry. There’s no convincing. You’ve made me a celebrity. How that must annoy you.”

“Not as much as your not knowing it was me in the first place,” Rebecca said. “David’s known from the beginning. He helped me. Did you know that, Mom? Gave me a place to stay, looked out for me.”

David sighed heavily. Rebecca knew she was selling him down the river, but making her point with Elizabeth was more important.

“Dad came out to Australia to make sure I was all right,” she continued. “The rest of the family gave a damn, but not you. You couldn’t be bothered to check up on the mistake you’ll always regret.”

Elizabeth stood and faced her. “Look at this mess. Look at what you’ve become. Why wouldn’t I have regrets where you’re concerned?”

“Elizabeth.” Blaine’s voice was sharper now. “She’s your daughter.”

“I’m well aware of that, Blaine. But while you left for work every day, running the family business and enjoying yourself, I was left with an uncontrollable child whose only goal was to make my life a living hell. She was rude, defiant, and insulting to my friends. She skipped school, drank, slept with her friends’ boyfriends. She worked hard at destroying her life and taking me down with her.”

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