“Oh stop.” Nikki blushed.
“Trust me, I know these things.” Amy grinned. “He wants you.”
“Stop making me think about him like that,” Nikki told her.
“I won’t,” Amy said and leaned forward. “Not until you both agree to go out on a date.”
“I don’t think now’s the best time for that,” Nikki said.
“It never is,” Amy pressed. “I’m not going to let up. You’re going to have to just let me win.”
And Nikki could tell she wasn’t joking, but the more she was forced to think about Paul, the more she wondered if it would be Amy who was winning.
Or her!
ChapterTwenty
“No! Mom, please do something.” Nikki knelt before her mother, her face tearstained and her eyes pleading for help.
Her mother, who had chosen to stare at the wall all along instead of her daughter, finally turned to look at her.
Nikki pulled back from the angry determination in the woman’s stormy blue eyes. “You are the reason she is in this position in the first place, Nikki. Why would I help you to further mess up her life? After all the work your father has put in to ensure that she stays the course.”
“Mom…” Nikki looked at her mother, flabbergasted. Sophia had never spoken to her in such a way before. She’d never agreed with Stewart’s schemes but had instead always made it seem like she had no choice but to side with him.
But now…
Nikki couldn’t understand where the venom directed at her was coming from. She was completely floored.
“It’s all your fault, Nikki. If you hadn’t chosen to run off and marry that man…” Sophia shook her head, the contempt with which she spoke about Josh telling. Sophia focused her stare on her daughter once more. “You are a bad influence on your sister. She only did what she did because she emulated you so much. You destroyed her future—”
“No! That’s not true,” Nikki refuted, her neck swinging her head vigorously from side to side.
“Listen to your mother. She is right. This is all your fault.”
Nikki swiveled on her heels to look up at the man staring down at her, his own eyes filled with accusation and disappointment.
“I had so many plans for you, but you have shown that you cannot be trusted. I won’t allow you to destroy your sister’s life any more than you have.”
His biting threat caused Nikki’s heart to pump wildly. Her eyes swung frantically to her sister, who stood by his side with her eyes downcast.
“Trish…don’t let him do this to you…to us,” Nikki pleaded softly.
Trish’s chin slowly came up until her tear-filled, guilt-ridden face became visible. “I’m sorry, Nikki…I…I can’t,” she responded, her voice cracking with pain.
Nikki felt like her heart had shattered into a million tiny shards, but before she could dwell on it too much, the setting changed, and she was standing in the foyer of the B&B. She spotted Amy heading away from the reception desk toward her, a broad smile on her face.
“You ready to go?”
“Go where?” Nikki asked, confused by the turn of events.
“To the movies. We planned to spend time together. Remember?” Amy responded, giving her a weird look.
“Right. I’m sorry I just got a little confused.” Nikki smiled.
“No worries,” Amy reassured her before holding her arm out for her to take it. Nikki eagerly hooked their arms, and they turned to walk out the door. Only in the doorway stood her parents, arms folded across their chests.
“What are you doing here now?” she asked, stepping in front of Amy as if to hide her from them.
