Her hands tighten into balls at her sides as she fumes. If she were a cartoon, there’d be smoke coming out of her ears. She opens her mouth to say something. Closes it. Then opens it again. “Sod off,” she says finally before twirling away from me.
I trod after her, stopping at the foot of the stairs when she turns to go up them. “Where are you going?”
She keeps climbing as she speaks. “I’m going to pack my bag, and then I’m calling a taxi. I’m not going to stay here and be belittled and interrogated when I’ve done nothing wrong.” She curses under her breath. “I knew I should have stayed away from you. I knew it.”
“That’s good. Playing the part through to the end. Really good.” I’m frustrated and mad. About everything, but right at this moment, I’m especially pissed that she’s leaving in the middle of this fight.
At the top of the staircase, she swivels to face me. “I’m not playing at anything, you shithead. You’re breaking my heart.” Her voice cracks, and god, her expression… She’s so crushed, so defeated, and suddenly it occurs to me that she’s not just walking away from this fight—she’s walking away period.
Somehow I didn’t predict this outcome.
My lungs suddenly feel empty. I wish I could draw her into my arms and make that look go away. This isn’t what I wanted. This isn’t how I wanted this to go.
I put my foot on the bottom step, ready to come up after her, but she puts her hand up in the air to stop me. “I don’t want to talk to you anymore. Don’t follow me.”
My stomach sinks. I’m frozen in place while I watch her disappear down the upper hallway.
Once she’s out of sight, I bring my fist to my forehead and bang it a few times. My brain is going through thoughts at light speed, and I’m only sure of one thing—I did not handle that well.
Desperate for a redo, I start up the stairs despite her request not to follow her. Halfway up I decide I should probably think things through a little before I talk to her again, so I go back down. Anxious adrenaline runs through me, and I pace the front foyer, trying to figure where to begin sorting out the jumble of facts rattling in my brain. She didn’t deny it. That’s got to be telling.
On the other hand, her expression, the way her voice cracked…
I’m so wrapped up in my head, I don’t notice Mira behind me, and I bump smack into her on one of my turns. “Chandler Aaron Pierce, what the hell was that?”
Yeah, I was just asking myself the same question.
I scrub my hand over my face. “I, uh, really don’t know.”
“Do you want to explain what you do know?”
Not really.
Maybe.
Actually, this is good. Mira can help me put things in perspective. Just…where to start?
I settle on the revelation behind today’s turn of events. “So, Celia Werner is Genevieve’s stepmother, and—”
Mira shakes her head. “That’s not good.”
…and I guess I don’t have to explain the significance of that. Of course I don’t. “I was literally the only person in the dark about her being the family’s archnemesis, wasn’t I?”
“Well…” She shrugs guiltily then quickly recovers her annoyance. “But that doesn’t explain why you were a total douche to that poor girl. You were terrible to her. In front of everyone!”
I’m about to defend myself when I remember the look on her face when she was standing at the top of the stairs. “You’re breaking my heart.”
“God, I was. I know I was.” I cup my hands over my mouth and blow into them like they’re a paper bag. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Mira.” I drop my arms to my sides. “I don’t fucking have a clue.”
“Oh, Chandler.” She reaches up to rough my hair then sweeps her palm around to cradle my cheek. “Love does that to a person.”
“How did you…?” The only person I’ve declared anything to was Hudson, and he hasn’t had time to tell anyone.
Mira rolls her eyes. “It’s freaking obvious. You’re head over heels, aren’t you?”
I nod. I am totally head over heels. I’m so head over heels that I’m pretty sure my brain’s in my ass. No matter what Genny’s done or what game she might be playing, my feelings are the same. And what kind of a fucktard would talk to the woman he loved like I talked to her?
“Yes,” Mira says, guessing at my thoughts, “you were a total prick. Now go fix it.”
I want to. I want to take everything back and beg Genny to forgive me for being an asshole, except there’s still that one issue. “I can’t. She’s spying on the family for Celia.”
Mira wrinkles her face in disbelief. “She is? No way. Are you sure?”
“I think so?” I don’t know what I think, honestly.
But those pics on her phone and the word of my brother… “There are reasons to believe she might be. Hudson thinks so.”
“Does Hudson know or just suspect?” She doesn’t wait for my answer. “Did you actually ask her?”
“Uh…” I sort of asked her. It’s what I meant when I asked why she was with me. But I didn’t ask her directly about the pictures or the business files, which, now that Mira mentions it, sounds like probably a better move. “Not really.”
With surprising force for her petite frame, she punches me in the shoulder. “You idiot! She at least deserves a chance to explain, don’t you think? Instead of you just jumping to conclusions. Seriously, between you and Hudson…”