“Oh, I know he is. He tried to get some information from me. Then Dad set him straight.” Finally, I hear a smile in her voice.
“Really? How?”
“Said you needed some time. You just finished school. That he should give you a moment to breathe. He’d waited this long; he could wait a bit longer.” He’s been waiting for me? What, to bang me before he got married? I don’t understand this. Chase is charming and never a straight-out asshole unless it’s deserved.
This doesn’t sound like him, but maybe I don’t know him like I thought I did. I’d built him up in my head as a young girl. As I got older, I kept my distance. He’d seemed to do the same. But when we were close, it felt so easy and natural. Like I did still know him.
“This is so stupid. Why is he worried about me?! He's engaged to another woman.”
“Yeah, I’ve poked around about that with some of the staff, and they don’t know info on it. They said they’ve never heard of him even dating.” Molly has made it a point to be close with everyone that works at our home, and no one knows more secrets than the staff. “I finally broke and asked my mom, and she gave me this cryptic response that I need to leave that subject alone.” That’s interesting. I wonder why Grace would say that?
“The hell?” I mutter. The only reason I can think of is that Grace and Chase’s mom have gotten close since she married my dad. If anyone would know about a wedding Rebecca is planning, it would be Grace!
“Come home. I miss you. Let's pick a school together. Is Paris kickass? Should we go there?”
“Nah.” I mean, it was nice, but I don’t think Molly’s French would be up to par, plus I honestly don’t think she wants to go to college.
It’s not for everyone, but I think she might feel a sense of pressure because she knows it will get her out of the house to give Mom and Dad their own space. She might not want to admit it yet, but her plans are going to be wrapped up in Asher. That means she will be staying close to home. As for me, I don't think Paris is for me. I don’t see myself wanting to live so close to Heidi. I feel strange even calling her Mom at this point.
“Shit,” I mumble when I hear a door in the hotel suite open. “I’ve got to go. I’ll text you later.”
“Later,” Molly says before ending the call.
I learned early to keep talk of Grace and Molly off the table, but Heidi is always bringing them up. At times I think she is jealous. But what’s been worse is that her attitude has also changed towards Asher and my dad. It’s shifted a lot. There is this underlying hatred I’m starting to notice, and I think she’s trying to lure me to her side with some of her sob stories. I find most, if not all of them, hard to believe.
When I step out of my room into the suite, I see Heidi and she’s clearly distressed. Her eyes are wild as she holds bags in her hands. Which is strange. She’d normally have someone else bring them to the room for her. Heidi can’t do much for herself. I have no clue how she ever thought she could have kids and take care of them.
“Date go bad?” I ask. She’s been on a bunch of those lately.
I had no interest when she tried to add me to one of those apps. I actually think it’s a bit risky with the amount of money our family name carries. I don’t mean because we’re in another country. Though part of whatever deal Heidi took in the divorce, she had lost the last name Score. I suppose some might not know but still. She screams money. She doesn’t even try to hide it.
“They’re trying to ruin me!” She drops the bags to the floor. “They hate us! You don’t understand, and now they know we’re close, and they’re going to make up lies to rip us apart like they did before!”
“What are you talking about?” Her pupils are so big I wonder if she’s on coke. A few girls at school did it.
“Tomas and Asher!” she screeches.
“They don’t know I’m with you.”
“Oh, they do, and now it begins. They are trying to say I’ve been stealing from them. That…” She goes off on a tangent, but my mind starts to click things into place. It was her.
“You brought me here so that I’d save you, didn't you?” I cut her off, not hearing most of what she said. “You knew if anyone could get Asher or Dad to not press charges for whatever you’ve done, it would be because I asked them not to. You used me. You haven’t changed one bit.”