Page 82 of The Acquisition

I cared for Jana, but did I love her? I'd spent my entire life chasing after a ghost, and I was still coming to terms with the fact that Jenny was gone. How could I love them both at the same time?

My keys clanked as they hit the table. As much as I hated to admit it, Caroline was right. I couldn't go after Jana until I had an answer.

* * *

My phone rang again, and I was once again disappointed not to see Jana's name flash across the screen. Seeing Beck's name instead made my heart race with anxiety.

"Beck, is something wrong with Evie or Gracie?"

"No, they're both fine. Gracie was released from the NICU this morning. We have to stay until tomorrow so they can observe them both for another twenty-four hours."

"Well, thanks for the update—" I began, but Beck cut me off.

"That wasn't why I called. Sabrina told me Waverly is here."

I groaned. "I'm on my way."

Several minutes later I walked into Evie's room and the kind of chaos only my sister could create.

"I'm really mad at my brother for not introducing us. I had to take it on myself to come and see you and this sweet little bundle myself. I'm not surprised though, ever since he hooked up with Jana he's been preoccupied."

"What?" I heard Evie's shocked reply.

My heart thumped hard in my chest. This wasn't how she was supposed to find out. Jana and I were going to tell her together, when things settled down. Now everything was spinning out of control, and I feared I was losing everything.

"Waverly, enough!" I shouted as I entered the room.

She put her hand on her chest in feigned shock. "I thought she knew. I mean, you didn't hide your marriage from me, why would you hide it from your daughter?"

I didn't miss the slight snarl to her lips when she said ‘daughter.’

Evie's fists clenched her blanket. "You married my best friend?"

"It's not what you are thinking," I argued.

"Then what is it?" she asked, her voice soft and sad.

"Her father locked her out of her apartment, took all her money, and left her with nothing. We found out her grandfather updated his will, leaving everything to Jana. She would gain control on her thirtieth birthday or—"

"If she were married," Evie finished for me and I nodded.

"Is that all it is? You married her to help her? Are you sure there's nothing more?" she pushed.

"Of course there's nothing more. Can you imagine Colter marrying that woman for real?" Waverly snorted.

Evie's head slowly turned toward my sister. Her hazel eyes, so much like mine, seemed to burn with a golden fire. Waverly didn't have any sense to the anger she sparked.

"If you think for one second I'm upset because ofwhohe married then you're sorely mistaken. Jana is more family to me than you are, whether we share the same blood or not."

Waverly sniffed, and I could see her gearing up to throw a tantrum. I grabbed her elbow and pulled her toward the door. "You've done enough damage for one day, don't you think?"

She yanked on her arm trying to loosen my grip. "There's no reason to manhandle me," she protested.

"I've spoiled you for too long, Wave. No more. I don't really like who you're becoming. What were you trying to do here? Hurt me? My daughter? Jana? That you could hurt people who mean so much to me makes me wonder if you ever cared about me, or if I'm nothing more than a source of cash to you."

Waverly sniffed and lifted her chin petulantly. "They're taking you away from me. Do you expect me to just stand by and lose the only person who's ever cared about me?"

"If you try and push away every person in my life so you can be the only one, I can promise I'll never forgive you, and you will lose me." I started to turn away from her, but she spoke, digging the dagger deeper into my back.

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