Page 94 of Until Now

“It’s not that. I just… I-I broke up with Lee.”

I’m not sure what kind of a response she was looking for, if it was sympathy she wouldn’t find it here. “I’m sorry, I guess? I won’t say I told you so, but…” I’m surprised when Teagan laughs. “Did he cheat?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Well, I was hoping I was wrong. You’re taking it better than I thought you would.”

“So are you.”

“Not like him cheating on you affects me.”

“Well, yeah, it kinda does.”

“What are you talking about?”

Teagan’s jaw dropped. “Holy shit. You don’t know.”

“Teagan, what are you talking about?”

“Lee was screwing your mom.” The glass bottle slipped from my hands shattering against the white concrete beneath my feet. “I thought you knew, I thought— Wait, Nick didn’t tell you?”

“What do you mean Nick didn’t tell me? I haven’t seen him since my birthday.” It’s three weeks until Christmas and I haven’t seen or heard from Nick since he left my office.

“Nina, he knew. That’s why your mom—”

“Are you fucking with me?”

“I thought you knew.”

“I have to go, I need to go see my dad. Make sure he knows.”

“I’m sure Nick told him.”

“If Nick didn’t tell me, what makes you think he told him?” I wasted no time leaving to confront Daddy about the news I just learned.

Daddy pinches the bridge of his nose before he massages his forehead. If you’re listening God, please let this be the final nail in my mother’s coffin. I can only hope for my father’s sake. I can’t imagine what he’s going through. I can’t imagine the person I’ve spent the last thirty years with acting the way my mother has. “I have no reason to lie to you, Davina.”

“Teagan is a lot of things, but she wouldn’t lie about this.”

“Your mother was blackmailing him and I had to handle this as delicately as possible. I don’t want her to find out he told me.”

“What do you mean she was blackmailing him?”

“Remember when she told you she looked into him? Well, I guess she’s been using that against him. She found out who he was well before you even told me.”

Is that why he left?

“It’s why he left Haven.” Daddy rubs his tired eyes. “He found out about your mother and Lee, and in return, she looked into him. He was gonna tell you and she couldn’t have that happen. So, she threatened his father’s garage, his brother’s school…you.”

“Me?”

“You were a weak spot she knew she could exploit.”

That doesn’t mean he should’ve kept it from me. I could’ve helped him. I could’ve gone to Daddy, we would’ve figured it out. If he had just told me the truth—

“Nina,” Daddy leans forward. “That boy was trying to find a way to protect his family. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.”

It’s all starting to make sense. The hushed conversations in the hallway. The glares. The way she didn't seem shocked when she found out the truth. The mysterious text messages in Denver and the phone call in Savannah — it was her. She’s been threatening us and Nick was trying to keep her at bay. This whole time, it was all her.

---