Page 130 of Reign

Daphne cut her off. “You were right. Not that I enjoyed being blackmailed, but Jefferson and I should never have gotten engaged.”

A part of her wondered whether it changed things for Nina and Jamie, that Jefferson was newly single again, but she didn’t want to ask.

Nina hesitated. “Are you and Ethan…”

“I broke up with Jefferson for myself, not for Ethan. Not everything is about a man,” Daphne said tersely.

“Of course not. Sorry,” Nina agreed, chastened.

Daphne heaved a breath. “It’s okay. I just…I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I need to get away from it all, you know? I’m leaving the country for a while.”

“So am I, actually,” Nina told her.

“Really? Where?”

“Oxford.”

“Oh, that program through the English department? Congratulations, Nina.” Daphne tried not to sound jealous. She had always wanted to apply to something like that—if she’d gotten to be a student.

“Where are you headed?” Nina asked.

“France. I could use a fresh start.”

“I know the feeling.”

They were silent for a moment, both caught off guard by the sincerity of this conversation, sifting through the strange constellation of their thoughts. Daphne drummed her fingers over the armrest of the love seat.

“Nina, I owe you an apology, too. The night of the League of Kings banquet, when I saw you and Jefferson together—”

“I shouldn’t have kissed him!” Nina interrupted. “I knew you were together, and I let it happen anyway. I never meant to hurt you, I swear. It just sort of…happened.”

Daphne should have been angry, but she knew better than anyone how easily a kiss couldjust happen.

“Trust me,” she heard herself say, “if you knew what I did that night, you wouldn’t be apologizing for a little kiss.”

Nina’s expression grew solemn. “This is about Jeff, isn’t it?”

“I told him…” Daphne couldn’t bear to say it aloud. Even now, knowing that Nina was the one who’d blackmailed her—was equally capable of hurting people for what she thought was a good reason—Daphne still didn’t want to admit this.

“I told him a very cruel lie,” she finished softly

Nina didn’t seem all that surprised. She’d probably already realized that Daphne had done something drastic to keep her hold on Jeff, when he’d been about to leave her for Nina.

Daphne hated, suddenly, that the two of them had been at each other’s throats like this for so long. Was Jefferson really worth it? Wasanyman worth it?

“I’m sorry,” Daphne said again, her voice breaking.

Nina’s reply was unexpectedly gentle. “Daphne, whatever you said that night, it’s between you and Jeff. The forgivenessyou want isn’t mine to give.”

“You’re very wise, you know.” Daphne strove to ignore the tears stinging her eyes. “As angry as I am about those emails, I’m also glad you weren’t working with Gabriella against me. This time or last time.”

“I can’t believe you thought I would do that! Ibarelyagreed to work with you, and Gabriella is a million times worse.”

“That’s one of the nicer things anyone has ever said to me.” Daphne’s mouth lifted at the corner. “By the way, can you believe what happened with Gabriella? The way Jefferson exiled her?” Not that it was legally binding or anything. But Daphne had loved the way Jefferson told her to get out of town, that she wasn’t welcome at a party in Washington ever again.

Nina snorted. “I will never forget the look on her face in that moment.”

“Honestly, we should have just involved him from the very beginning, instead of trying to scheme our way through the whole mess.”