“I don’t feel so good.” She rubbed a finger against her temple. “I want to go home.”
“Yeah, sure. Of course.” He made some excuse to Eliza—she promised to see him again at the family party—and escorted Hilary out. The driver waited outside with their limo.
Hilary shivered in the car, and Mark put his jacket around her. What the hell had happened to make her like this? She’d seemed to be having a good time, and everyone they’d met had been gracious and sweet…except his ex, Taylor, who’d somehow managed to wrangle an invitation. Eliza had apologized profusely for the awkwardness, but whatever. It wasn’t like Taylor didn’t know the score, and she’d behaved herself even if her eyes had flashed daggers at Hilary. Stupid girl. If she’d been smarter, she would’ve known their breakup had nothing to do with Hilary.
Still…
“Hey, did something happen back there? Somebody say something to you?” he asked. If it was Taylor, he’d throttle her.
Hilary started. “No. Nothing like that. I just have a headache.”
He put an arm around her, and she flinched. “Sorry,” she said, then gave him a wan smile. “I sort of ruined it, didn’t I?”
He wanted to know what made her pull away like that, but she was trying so hard to put on a brave face that he didn’t have the heart to push her on it. It was obvious she was barely hanging on, and he could sense control was important to her. So he forced a lighter tone. “Ruin what?”
“You know…the function. Whatever. You need to mingle and be seen.”
“Nah. Eliza doesn’t care so long as she gets my money. I’m just a mobile ATM as far as she’s concerned.”
Hilary’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“No. I’m kidding. She likes me, but yeah, she also hits me up for money a lot. It’s for a good cause, so I don’t mind too much.”
Hilary’s place was a rather humble house located in a lower middle-class neighborhood. Strange. Mark knew she could afford something nicer than this. The commute alone would be pretty awful, given how far it was from Gavin’s downtown office.
They pulled up, and a moment later the door opened, the chauffeur standing by like a sentinel. She put a hand on Mark’s arm. “You don’t have to get out. I can walk myself.”
“But…” How could he argue with those pleading eyes? She looked like she’d shatter if anybody even breathed wrong around her. Against his better judgment, he nodded. “Okay, but I’m swinging by tomorrow to check up on you.”
“I’m fine.”
“We’ll see.”
She started to shrug his jacket off, but he stopped her. “Take it. That’s the least you can do after destroying my hopes and dreams for the evening.”
She gave a small laugh, but stepped out with his jacket. It settled around her like a lover’s embrace, and he wished he were wrapped around her instead. Then he could press his lips to hers and warm her with his heat.
It was a desire he’d had more than a few times in his life, with more than a few women. But for some reason it went deeper this time, with an emotional undertone that felt foreign. And he found that bothered him.
Watching the limo disappear, Hilary pulled the jacket closer. It smelled so good…like Mark. She could almost pretend it was his arms around her.
What a crazy thought. The two of them weren’t going to end up together. No matter how she viewed the situation, those women in the bathroom had been right. She didn’t belong with him. At least Cinderella was a well-born girl down on her luck. There was nothing well-born about Hilary or her family.
She started toward the house, then stopped when a man jumped out of a car. Her eyes widened when she recognized Walt and his Lexus.
“Hilary!” he said, approaching her rapidly. His shirt and slacks were rumpled. His prematurely graying hair stuck up in clumps, which was unusual. He always looked so professional and doctor-like.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, tightening her hold around the jacket.
“I’ve been trying all night to get in touch with you.”
Her phone had been turned off for the concert, and she hadn’t turned it back on yet. “What’s there to talk about?”
“Look, I don’t know what happened, but I don’t have a fiancée.”
“What?”
“I’m saying… Shit.” He raked his hair, messing it up further. “I saw the YouTube video. A colleague told me about it, and I was like what the hell?”
“Walt, it happened over a week ago, and you just found out?”
“I was out of the country for a conference. I told you that.”
“Yes, you did. You were always really great about telling me when you weren’t going to be around.” Something bitter spread in her chest. “So thoughtful.”
“You don’t seriously believe her, do you? I swear to you, I’ve never seen that woman before.”
“Well
I
certainly don’t know her. So…what? You want me to believe that some woman neither one of us has ever seen before suddenly decided to see if she could break us up? Just for shits and grins? Is that really what you’re asking me to buy?” Her pent-up fury, fear and humiliation shattered her control. If he hadn’t been a two-timing bastard, she wouldn’t have been subjected to the scene at her company lobby. Nor would she have gone out with Mark…and heard all those horrible things about herself. She fisted her hands and glared at him. “Because if you are, I’ve got a better scenario. You’re here because your fiancée dumped you for cheating on her, and now you want to see what you can salvage out of the mess!”
“Hilary—”
“Just stop. There’s nothing you can do to change any of it. It’s over, Walt.”
“But—”
“I thought you were different. I thought you were one of the few good guys.”
“I
am
a good guy!”
“No, you’re not. You’re a horrible jerk. Did I look so easy to you? Was there something on my forehead that said, ‘This woman’s okay to fool around with on the side, while my fiancée sits at home thinking I’m out there saving some baby’s life?’”
Walt pulled back like he’d been struck. Then he looked at her up and down, as if he’d just noticed her clothes. “I see. So this woman has provided you with convenient, guilt-free permission to move on. Who did you latch onto? Your boss?”
“Are you crazy? He’s married!”
“Why would that matter to you?”
“It means everything to me! I’m not like some people.”
“Girls like you… Why wouldn’t you want to marry well? You know the kind of life they can give you. You see it up close every day. I remember you talking about the jet your boss gave his wife. I…” His mouth tightened. “I’ll never be able to give you that.”
“This isn’t about money or private jets, Walt. It’s about you cheating.”
Me picking the wrong guy again
.
“I told you I don’t know the woman. This is all about
you
”—he pointed at Hilary—“willing to dump
me
so you can move on to something better. And if your boss isn’t available, what did you do? Snatch one of his rich clients and friends?”
Hilary stiffened. “You are
not
making this about me.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s not make it about either of us anymore. I want the bracelet back.”
“Oh, so the real reason for this visit comes out.”
“It belonged to my mother. It’s for a woman who’s true and deserving, not somebody like you.”
Bitterness and anger flooded her. He was the one in the wrong, but somehow it was she who was unworthy of anything better. “Sue me.”
She turned to go. He caught her wrist. “Don’t do this,” he ground out.
She gave him a cold stare. “Let go or I’ll call cops for harassment and sic an army of lawyers on you.” When his grip tightened, she lost her temper. “You don’t think I’ll do it? Like you said, I found myself a rich boyfriend. And he will be more than happy to drag you all over the court system for me.”
Walt released her. “Bitch.”
She rubbed her wrist. “Well, that’s original.” She’d heard worse. She’d called herself worse.
He stalked off, and she took a deep shuddering breath.
I guess that was slightly better than the situation in college
. Walt had at least tried to deny everything, and acted like he was somewhat horrified. Freddie hadn’t had that much decency. No, he’d actually been pleased to have been caught in her bed with her cousin, both of them buck naked.
Hilary shook her head. She should erase Freddie from her memory. He wasn’t worth it. Never had been. The only thing he’d wanted was to fuck both Rosenberg girls at the same time. He’d known the whole sordid story—how she and Bebe were cousins, but also half-sisters who looked enough alike to practically be twins. That plus the Rosenberg women’s reputation for being loose…
She slipped into the house and climbed upstairs to her bedroom. Aunt Lila used the master suite, and she had the second largest room in the house. It used to belong to Bebe, but since she was gone, Hilary hadn’t seen any reason to stay in the smallest one.
Opening the door to her room, she flicked on the light switch and let out a small yelp at an unfamiliar lump on her bed. As it shifted, the blanket lowered, and Bebe’s sleepy face looked at her. “Hey, cuz.”
“Bebe? Good god, what are you doing here?”
She shrugged. “Sleeping, what else?”
“Uh, this is my room now.”
“Sorry. Didn’t know.”
“Uh huh. All the office clothes didn’t give it away? The new bed?”
“Don’t be such a bitch, Hilary. It’s not like you.”
“Come on, out,” Hilary said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “You can sleep in my old room now that you know.”
“But it’s so small,” Bebe whined.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have run off. Then you could’ve kept this one.”
“I didn’t ‘run off.’ I was on an adventure. Of self-discovery.” Bebe got up. She was naked except for a thong so tiny it shouldn’t count. She had long red hair like Hilary, but instead of letting it cover herself, she tossed it over her shoulders. “I look good, don’t I? These are new tats.” She traced swirly lines etched onto her breasts. “Wanna closer look?”
Repulsed, Hilary almost took a step back. “No! Get out.”
“Don’t be such a prude.” Bebe gave her a speculative look. “Are you still pissed off about Freddie?”
“No.” Hilary would never admit how much that betrayal had hurt her. But her cousin knew her too well. They had grown up together.
“God, Hilary, it was decades ago. Honestly, aren’t you sorry you missed out on a chance for a hot threesome? It would’ve been pretty sweet.”
Hilary couldn’t believe Bebe’s gall. Her stomach knotted until she thought she might throw up—the same thing she’d felt when she’d discovered Bebe and Freddie in her bed. The old pain and humiliation formed a tight fist around her throat. “Aren’t you even
a little
ashamed of yourself?” she choked out. “Don’t you feel any guilt that you stole my boyfriend?”
“Hey, he knew what he wanted, and so did I. You’re the one who bailed. I didn’t steal anything. For fuck’s sake, I didn’t keep him afterward. I only wanted him for a good time, and if you weren’t going to join, there was no point.” Bebe’s gaze swept over Hilary. “Speaking of which… Isn’t that a man’s jacket? How about this time then? You were mad I didn’t tell you beforehand. So I’m telling you now—”
“Bebe, shut up.” Mark was so much more special than Freddie. Hilary didn’t know what she’d do if that nightmarish scene played out with Mark in it. “If you go near him, I’ll kill you.”
“Don’t be such a greedy bitch,” Bebe snapped. “It doesn’t matter where you work, how much money you make or how up-scale you dress. You aren’t that special, Hilary. We all share the same blood and the same daddy. We are all the fucking same!” She marched past Hilary and left. A door opened and slammed.
Her legs like wet noodles, Hilary leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. Tears prickled her eyes, and she covered her mouth to contain a sob. Bebe was wrong. Hilary was
not
like the women in her family. She knew the destructive power of living high on drama.
And she understood the madness of trusting men, relying on them, equating sex with anything more. She’d done everything in her power to ensure she wouldn’t repeat the mistakes her mom and aunt had made. The men she’d dated inspired affection, but not passion. Her clothes were conservative—and fashionable enough, according to Jo—to ensure she’d project the proper image of a serious-minded career woman. She’d chosen the best job she could based on her skills, and she’d worked tirelessly to make sure she was indispensable.
Still…
The women in the bathroom had known, hadn’t they? They could tell Hilary wasn’t like them, that she was messed up like her mom and aunt and Bebe. Others might be too polite to say anything to her face, but how many had thought it? Those three couldn’t be the only ones.
Hilary rested her forehead on her bent knees, making herself as small as possible. She was going to be okay. She wasn’t going to be like the women in her family. She would work even harder to hide what she was, so people would never find out.
So Mark would never find out.
The next morning, Mark was scowling as he munched his breakfast cereal at the kitchen counter of his downtown penthouse. The gorgeous view of the California morning, normally a source of pleasure, did nothing for his mood. It bugged him Hilary hadn’t wanted him to walk her to her door the night before, and that she’d looked so small and sad standing there on the street as he’d driven away.
Damn it
. Instead of worrying about her control and dignity, he should’ve pushed until she told him what was wrong.
He pulled out his phone and called Eliza. He had a feeling Hilary would never tell him now that his chance was gone, but his cousin might have heard something. She knew everything that happened at her events.
“Oh my gosh, do you know what time it is?” she moaned.
“Seven thirty. Why?”
“I didn’t get to bed until almost four.”
“Hope he was worth it.”
“There was no ‘he,’ you perv.”
“In that case, my condolences.”
“Condolences?
Condolences?
That’s all you have to say?”
“Eliza, you know you’re my favorite cousin. And as much as I’d love to let you sleep the morning away, I need to talk to you about something. Did you notice anything odd last night?”