Chapter 12
606 Words
Liam and the madame left for her doctor's appointment at 9 AM. "Back by lunch," Liam said. "Keep an eye on the girls."
Vanessa heard "the girls" and smirked. As soon as the car pulled out, she went upstairs and changed into red. Liam's little sister. The one who'd always gotten what she wanted.
Reilly was in the east garden at 4 PM, Liam's sweater still on her shoulders. She told herself she was just checking the white roses.
The gate creaked open.
"Still here?" Vanessa leaned on the iron gate, arms crossed. No smile this time. Just Liam's eyes in a woman's face. Same sharpness. Same distrust. "Mother's not here to play referee, Reilly."
Reilly stood. "Your brother asked me to come. To see the garden."
"My brother says a lot of things," Vanessa said, stepping inside. "To keep Mother calm. To keep the peace. It doesn't mean he wants you."
She walked around the rose bushes, trailing her fingers over dead stems. "Do you know what he was like before Mom got sick? He didn't do 'dinner together.' He didn't do sweaters for strangers. You're changing him."
Reilly hugged her arms. "I'm not trying to-"
"That's the problem," Vanessa snapped. "You don't have to try. He's already letting you in. And I've spent 25 years trying to get him to let me in like that."
Vanessa stopped in front of her. For a second she just looked tired. Not cruel. Tired. "I watched him become cold after Dad died. I watched him carry this whole family on his back. He doesn't need another person to break. Especially not someone her father sold to him."
"You think I wanted this?" Reilly whispered. Her voice cracked. "I was slapped for saying no. I don't want to be his burden."
Vanessa's expression shifted. Less anger. More something else. She reached out, She touched the locket at Reilly's throat. The chain was still as she grabbed it out of frustration.
"He hates that he feels sorry for you," Vanessa said quietly. "Because once he feels sorry, he cares. And once he cares, you can hurt him. Like everyone else did."
She dropped her hand. "Take the sweater off, Reilly. Give it back before he comes home. If he sees you wearing it, he'll think you're staking a claim. And he'll shut down completely."
Reilly didn't take it off. She just held the edges tighter. "Then he should've thought about that before giving it to me."
Vanessa stared at her for a long moment. Then she laughed, but it wasn't mean. It was almost sad. "God, you sound like him when you're stubborn."
The sound of tires on gravel. Both of them turned.
Martha hurried through the gate. "Miss Vanessa! Mr. Hemsworth's car just turned onto the drive. Their appointment ended early."
Vanessa's mask dropped. She looked at Reilly one last time. "Don't think this means I like you. I'm just... tired of watching him be alone." She paused. "But hurt him, Reilly. And I won't be this nice next time."
She walked out, heels loud on the path.
Martha adjusted Liam's sweater on Reilly's shoulders. "He told me to check on you at. Said 'she'll be cold.'"
Reilly stared at the gate. The engine sound got closer.
Liam was coming home. And his sister had just decided she was not her enemy,not yet.
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