Page 48 of The Wish List
“I didn’t say that.” Beth shook her head. “Of course I thought you were a pain in my butt. That’s what happens with sisters. Only neither of us had a chance to have a normal relationship because of what Mom chose for herself.”
Her older sister moved forward. “That’s not your fault, Freya, but it’s not mine either. I know I screwed up and was overbearing, but I was also a kid. I didn’t know what I was doing and didn’t want to lose the two of you. We have no idea what’s happening now because you won’t share anything. Your social media followers know more about you than I do.” Beth pointed at Trinity. “Neither of us understands what’s going on with you.”
Freya focused on Trinity. Her sweet, sunny baby sister. “Do you agree with her?”
“Well, neither one of you made things easy back then,” Trinity said. “And Freya isn’t the only one keeping secrets now.” Beth took a step back like she’d been slapped.
If Freya was going to be raked over the coals, at least she wasn’t alone in it.
“Yes, Beth. I know what you’ve been hiding.” Trinity flashed a brittle smile. “I ran into one of your coworkers at the bakery the other day. She said she’s going to miss you. Everyone is going to miss you when you move. Where are you going, sis?”
Embarrassment flashed in Beth’s eyes, but her chin jutted out. Freya knew the baby of the family couldn’t derail their stalwart older sister. “Let’s talk about Freya first, and then I’ll tell you what’s going on with me.”
Freya didn’t want to talk about herself. She wasn’t ready. She needed things to be perfect so that no one would judge her. But it was clear Beth wasn’t going to spill her beans until Freya did. Trinity had already shared so much, although she’d skimped on the specific details about how she’d ended up in a relationship with a man who hurt her.
Freya appreciated Trinity’s courage. If her little sister could share something so private, Freya owed it to their relationship to be brave enough to do the same. She wanted to tell her sisters. Writing was a part of her life that actually gave her a feeling of purpose.
“I wrote a book.” She opened the drawer of the small desk and pulled out the most recent printed manuscript.
“Like a tell-all memoir?” Beth looked confused.
“No, not like a tell-all. It’s a domestic thriller, although the action centers around a reality show set.”
“How long have you been working on this?” Trinity stepped forward and took the bound stack of papers from Freya’s hands.
“Off and on for a couple of years. I came up with the idea when I didManhunt Island. The premise came to me one night in a dream when we did the isolation challenge.Manhunt Islandwas my fastest elimination because I did my best to lose. I wanted to get home to my laptop.”
“Can we read it?” Trinity asked. “Are you going to send it to editors in New York or publish it yourself?”
Beth stared like she was seeing Freya for the first time. Freya didn’t know whether to be amused or offended. “I haven’t shown it to anyone yet.” She snatched the manuscript from Trinity’s hands. “You can’t read this version because I’ve done a lot of edits since being back in Magnolia.”
She gave Beth a pointed glare. “That’s what I’m doing up here in the early mornings and late at night. I haven’t turned Mom’s house into some sort of den of iniquity if that’s what had you worried.”
“Always a flair for drama,” Beth murmured. “I didn’t think you were hosting sunrise raves.”
“But you thought I might be doing drugs?”
“Don’t blame Beth,” Trinity said. “I told her I thought something was wrong.”
Another direct hit to Freya’s pride. “Or maybe you were projecting onto me to take some of the attention away from how off the rails your life is?”
“Freya.” Beth’s admonishing tone was unnecessary. Before the words were even out of her mouth, Freya regretted them, especially seeing the way they made Trinity fold in on herself. Going after her little sister was the worst form of kicking the dog.
“I’m sorry, Trin.” Freya tugged at the ends of her hair and tried not to fidget. She felt two feet tall. “This is the first thing I’ve done that felt real, and it’s honestly hard for me to talk about it.”
“You’ve made out with more than one man on camera.” Beth grimaced. “How can writing a book make you feel more vulnerable than that?”
“Because reality shows aren’t really reality. On-screen, I’m a character. Even though this book is fiction, it’s me writing it. I’ve put a piece of myself on every page, and I struggle with the thought of allowing people to judge my talent.”
“I’m proud of you, Frey,” Trinity said gently, always the peacemaker.
“It’s exciting,” Beth agreed. “When you weren’t raising hell, you always had your nose in a book. Now you’re writing one. That’s a big deal, Frey. We should go out and celebrate. Even if we can’t read the book yet, you can tell us about the plot and the writing process.”
Freya’s chest burned like tiny sparks were flaming inside her. She would love to talk about writing and appreciated that neither of her sisters were mocking her for even attempting to write a book. She’d given them plenty of reasons to.
“You should talk to Greer,” Trinity suggested. “He has clients who—”
“No.” Freya held up her hand. “Neither of you are going to tell Greer about this. Not one word to anybody unless I say you can. Anyway, it might be absolute trash.”
