Page 64 of Begin Again
“It’s fine, Syd,” I say, waving her off. “She won’t be any trouble, will you,Brina?”
“Cross my heart,” Brina says, one of her bony fingers making an X over her heart. She falls into the chair from across my desk, resting her oversized red YSL bag on her knees. It’s from the new collection later this year. How did she get one of those? She can’t afford one—she doesn’t get that much money from the estate.I would know, I’m in charge of the damn thing. Maybe she’s dating someone. In that case…good for her. I might still have my investigator Ed look into it, because if it’s one of her former boyfriends from when Daddy was still alive—
“So, Davina…How are you?”
I roll my eyes. “Cut the act. What are you doing here?”
“Act?” She places a perfectly manicured hand over her heart. “Davina, I don’t know what you mean. I’ve only come here out of concern for mydaughter.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” I say, lifting my glasses from my nose and folding my hands over the papers on my desk. “Why are you so concerned?”
“Why, Nicholas, of course.” Brina’s face pulls into a solemn expression, and my heart drops at the mention of my husband’s name. She sighs. “It’s so terrible. I can’t believe he’d just up and leave.”
“He didn’t up and leave, Brina.Chi te l'ha detto?”I ask.
She stares at me blankly. Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot she likes to pretend she can’t understand Italian.
Rolling my eyes, I repeat the question. “Who told you about Nick?” It’s probably those gossipmongers at the private club she frequents. “Questo non ti riguarda.” This doesn’t concern her. Nothing about our lives should concern her.
Brina reaches across the desk to cover my hands. “Oh, you know, I heard through the grapevine he left you and Elena. That is my granddaughter’s name, isn’t it?”
How does she know so much about me and my family? Kai wouldn’t tell her, and as far as I know, he hasn’t spoken to her since Daddy’s death, either. When the truth came out about our mother and my ex-boyfriend sleeping together—yeah, you heard me, my mother was having an affair withmy ex-boyfriend—it was the final straw for my brother. Not to mention the way she conducted herself during the reading of our father’s will, plusfinding out she had been having multiple affairs for practically their entire marriage.
Was I surprised? No, not really, but it was a tough pill for my brother to swallow.
Kai was our mother’s pride and joy. Brina loved him in a way I had never known. We never got along, I was the child she never wanted but got anyway, and she always reminded me. Daddy used to say the reason she and I butted heads was because we were so much alike, but I resented that. I still do. I don’t want anything to do with her and she doesn’t want anything to do with me—we like it that way. Since the truth about her and Lee came out after our summer trip to Haven ten years ago, I haven’t seen or spoken to my mother, even concerning matters of the estate and her monthly stipend. The family attorney plays middleman so I don’t have to deal with her.
“My daughter is none of your concern,” I snap, ripping my hands away from her.
“You cannot keep my grandchild away from me, Davina.”
Her statement is almost laughable. “I can’t keep her from you? I am her mother—”
“And I’myourmother!”
This time, I do laugh. She cannot be serious. Is she trying to guilt me by pulling the “I’m your mother” card?
“I think you’re confusing me with your other children, Kai and Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth is not my child.”
“Well, you sure treated her more like a daughter than you ever did me.” I rub the crease between my brows. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have far more important things to worry about than whateverthisis. If you thought using my husband was your chance to weasel your way back into my life or the life of my daughter, you are sadly mistaken.”
“And what will you tell her when she asks why she doesn’t have grandparents, hmm? That day will come, especially when she realizes all her friends have something she doesn’t. Something you can’t buy her. This isn’t some family vacation where you pay someone to pretend to be your boyfriend. Are you sure your dear Nicholas wasn’t still pretending all this time? Maybe that’s why he left you.”
My jaw tightens, and without a second thought, I reach across my desk and smack her.
Her blue eyes burn when she looks back at me, fingers grazing across the reddened skin.
Shaking my head, the words come out in a low hiss. “Come osi?” How dare she come into my office and speak so terribly of my husband?
“Speak English, Davina. You know I cannot—”
“Stop pretending like you don’t understand me!” I slam my hand down on the desk. “I know damn well you can. You understood Daddy perfectly for however many fucking years you held him hostage.”
Brina’s face pulls into a straight line.
Rising from my chair, I brace myself against the desk and tower over her. “Howdareyou speak ill of my husband? You walk in here pretending like you care about him. About me and Elena. You don’t care about anyone but yourself and whoever your latest fuck is. Why are you here, Brina? Run out of money for the month, or are you so bored you have to show up here and fuck with my life some more?”
