Maya started laughing maniacally. “You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Everyone in this fucking town knows your husband had a gambling addiction.”
“Stop calling your father that.”
“Joseph wasn’t my father, was he? Or did you forget that tidbit about sleeping with Frank Moss?”
Holy shit. Did I just hear Maya say that she could be Decker’s sister?
“I told you those rumors are false. You are your father’s daughter. Always criticizing. Always listening to others when I’ve been telling you and your father the truth all these years. You are Joseph Darvy’s child.”
“I don’t fucking believe you, Mother.”
“I told you that I won’t tolerate swearing in this house,” Briney groused in a schoolmarm tone. “Now that you’re done making my day the worst, I’m going back and see to the guests.”
“You know what, I’m done, too. After today, I’m fucking out of here and you won’t have to see me again,” Maya warned.
“Maya, you don’t have to tell me that. I already know you’re leaving for good.” Briney’s words were cold and impassionate. Nothing like how my mother treated me last night.
I almost felt sorry for Maya, until I remembered why I was here in the first place.
Then I saw Briney Darvy stride past the powder room, toward the main part of the house. This was my chance, and I didn’t care if Maya was in a foul mood.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found Maya standing in the den’s doorway, watching her mother stride away.
“I want to talk to you,” I demanded, and without giving her the chance to deflect, I strode up to Maya and pushed her back into the den.
“What the hell, Regi,” Maya grated out, but back-peddled into the room.
I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, purposefully blocking the only exit from the room. I whirled around and faced her, not trusting what she’d do if I gave her the chance to physically hurt me. Then I got the full scope of what I heard. The shattered window, the broken vase and the glass all over the Persian rug.
“Regi—”
“No Maya.” I cut her off. “I need answers from you.”
“Fine.” She dropped into a leather side chair, folded her arms across her chest and glared at me.
“You’ve been lying to me all these years.”
“What are you talking about?” She narrowed her eyes on me, but I knew my best friend—or ex best friend, and the games she played.
“You lied about Decker and Krew. They got caught by the cops that day with Teke. You knew Krew went to jail and Decker had to enlist in the military. This whole time I thought they were okay and together, but they weren’t.” I raised a hand in front of her face—palm out—I didn’t want to hear any bullshit out of her mouth. She needed to listen. “You also lied about how you were never interested in my men—and yes, they were my guys. Even back in high school, you wanted them.”
“Whoever told you all this is a liar. I only wanted what was best for you and your reputation.”
“Don’t lie to me anymore,” I shouted and took a step toward her. “I know for a fact you were jealous of me and my relationship with Krew and Decker. You even went as far as trying to break our friendship up by making up shit—I know this to be true.”
“Fuck you.” Maya jumped up and got in my face. “You had to be a greedy bitch and take the two best looking guys all for yourself.”
“They were my friends,” I defended. “We were kids.”
“Don’t accuse me of making up rumors. Who do you think saw you and the boys heading into the Honey Pot—like all the fucking time? Other kids—our classmates. I was the one who protected you—made sure no one called you a whore, or a slut.”
“I don’t?—”
“That’s your problem, Regi. You always think about yourself. I was your best friend—I looked out for you and when those cunt-lickers came into the picture, I was shoved to the side. I was a second thought to you.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this shit. Krew and Decker told me you were a manipulative bitch and you’d tried numerous times to sleep with them. Krew said you even tried when he got out of prison. All this damn time, I could have been with them.”
“Krew and Decker—when did you talk to them?” she asked in a growl. Something flickered behind her cornflower blue eyes and I stepped back, because I suddenly became wary of being near her. But nothing was going to stop me from getting to the truth.
