"This is a mountain of things, Tria. What you told me might have fueled the fire, but it didn't light the match. I should have left that bastard years ago."
So it's not just about getting crabs?
"What's going on?" I don't particularly like always feeling out of the loop.
Tria sighs while leaning back, and Dane comes in carrying a tray of breakfast sandwiches. He winks at me as he sets the tray down, and Eleanor smiles up at him.
"Come on, Dane. Sit down beside Rain. It's about time you came around again. Always thought the two of you would be married by now," Eleanor blurts out, forcing me to cough on the surprise.
Dane just chuckles lightly, not seeming as rattled. Fortunately.
He sits down on the other side of me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. Any other guy would be gone by now. What a crazy morning.
"What's going on?" I ask again, looking to Tria for answers since she seems to know them.
She worries her lip for a moment, and then she releases a weary breath.
"Mom found out that I knew she wasn't my birthmother."
What the hell rabbit hole did I fall through this morning? I should have known it was too good to be true that Dane Sterling is mine. This is an alternate universe or one elaborately fucked up dream.
"Huh?" That's all I've got.
Dane looks just as shocked as I do, so I suppose their friendship didn't include conversations this deep. That's comforting to know.
Tria shrugs, looking anywhere but at me. "The day you found out about being high-risk for breast cancer, I wanted to prepare for the worst. At the time, I didn't understand cancer, so I just assumed all cancer was the same. Amber, a friend of mine from school, had an uncle who had survived leukemia after his brother donated bone marrow. I wanted to know if I could do that, so I went to see if our blood types matched.
"I knew Mom kept all of our medical stuff in the fireproof safe. She always handled all the paperwork for everything, including my license, but I'd seen her put the stuff there. I went digging around in it, looking for my blood type. And instead, I found my original birth certificate. Chelsey Barlin was in the spot for my mother's name. Considering Dad's history, it didn't take me long to do the math."
I swallow hard as Tria looks away to wipe a tear from her cheek. Eleanor starts to go to her, but refrains. She's probably worried about possibly transferring her critters, and that would be so hard to explain to this society. Of course, the whole neighborhood probably heard her announcing th
e fact she has crabs.
"I didn't know about it until last week," Eleanor says guiltily. "She never told me she knew, but she apparently confronted Edward about it when she was just eighteen."
Tria sighs hard. "That's why he flew to New York on prom night. He said I was looking at him the way you always did, and he couldn't deal with it," she murmurs sadly, looking up at me. "After that, we barely spoke. I ended up skipping my prom."
None of this was making sense. She skipped her prom? But I thought she went.
"So... he got mad at you because you learned the truth?"
Edward Noles was an even bigger dick than I realized.
"He got mad at her because she shattered the illusion," Eleanor interjects, taking a longer draw off her scotch. "Ironically enough, your father always wanted children, but he married me knowing I couldn't have any. After years of it just being the two of us, I think resentment festered and he decided he wanted a family no matter how he had to get it.
"I allowed it. I hated myself for not being able to give him a child. In a way, I suppose I felt like I deserved his infidelity and constant betrayal. The thing is, Edward wanted a family that adored him the same way his father was adored by his family.
"But Edward is a man with a fragile sense of love. Once Tria knew the truth, it changed him. He doesn't work hard at anything other than making money. If he has to try in a personal relationship, he actually grows resentful—just like he did with me. It's one of the many reasons I should have left him. He's a childish brat in designer clothing."
She looks apologetically at Tria who shakes her head. "No, Mom. Don't. Stop taking the blame for his mistakes. You've always deserved better than him."
For once, I agree with Tria.
This really is the twilight zone.
"What about your birthmother?" I ask. Tria has never looked so vulnerable to me. She's carried this weight for years, and I knew nothing about it.
"She died when I was a baby," Tria says softly, a glimmer of shame crossing her eyes. "Drug use."