Page 55 of Stand Your Ground

I gaped at her audacity, running a hand over my open mouth before I clamped it shut and resisted my urge to scream. “Is there something you wanted? I’m actually busy at the moment.”

“Too busy for your own mother, for yoursisterwhom you never see. Typical. I suppose you’ll be too busy to attend the wedding, then?”

I didn’t miss that she said that last part with more hope in her voice. That was exactly what she wanted — for me not to show. Of course, she wouldn’t tell my sister that. She would want me to be the one to take the blame. She wouldn’t dare give anyone a reason to say a bad word about her.

I knew that better than I knew my own face in the mirror.

“I don’t know what my plans are yet,” I said without fanfare. “I told Lacey I would let her know.”

“Well, it would be great if you couldlet her knowsooner rather than later. Weddings take a lot of planning, not that you would know.”

Maven growled at that, and I saw her open her mouth like she was about to let my mother have it. I shook my head once in warning, giving her the eyes to let her know I could handle it.

“While this first phone call in years has been such a delight,” I said, voice level and void of emotion. “I really am busy. I will be in touch — with Lacey — and you can go back to pretending like I don’t exist.”

“If only it were that easy.”

The click of the phone was swift, and then the screen went back to my normal background in an instant.

I rolled my eyes, but Maven was irate. She hopped up and started pacing the room with little grunts and growls escaping those beautiful lips of hers as I got right back to the task at hand.

“The nerve of that woman! How horrid can she be? She is yourmother. She—I—I don’t—” My best friend shook her head before dropping to her knees next to me, gathering me up in her arms and squeezing me tightly. “Liv, that was awful. I… I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It’s fine,” I said numbly. “I’m used to it. Although, I do admit it’s easier when she just leaves me alone.”

“It’s not fine. Nothing about any of that was fine.”

“It’s just how it is.”

Maven hugged me for a long time, and I felt the sadness, the pity, radiating off her. I almost wished I felt as sad as she assumed I was. The truth lay more in the fact that I was just numb to it all now.

I’d taken back my power when I left that town. It took me a while, but I found my voice, my path, and my way to own control again.

I wouldn’t relinquish it ever again — least of all to the woman who birthed me but only wanted a shiny little doll who did exactly as she said, not a daughter.

Maven sat back on her heels, her hands still framing my arms. “And Lacey still doesn’t know, does she?”

I shrugged. “I haven’t explicitly told her, no, but…”

Maven crumpled, then shook her head like she was determined to turn the night around. “What are you doing Sunday? Come to our house. Vince’s parents will be in town and mine are coming over for dinner. We’d love to have you join.”

I smiled at the sweetness, even if the gesture tasted a bit sour on my tongue. I loved Maven and I loved that her parents had always treated me like their own.

But that didn’t make up for the fact that mine had abandoned me in my deepest time of need.

“I’d love to,” I said, squeezing her knee. “But actually… I have a date.”

I thought Maven was going to fall out on the floor. “A… date?”

I nodded, rolling my lips together. “Mm-hmm. And no, I’m not telling you about him.”

“What?! Why not? Have I been removed from best friend status without my acknowledgment? First the eggs, now this?”

I chuckled, turning back to my rings. “Relax. It’s just a first date, and you know me, it probably won’t lead anywhere other than back to my bedroom for a night of fun.”

“Who is he? How did you meet? Do I know him?”

“Tell you what. If he makes it to a second date, I’ll tell you about him,” I said carefully, stating that I’d tell her about him, but wouldn’t exactly tell herwhohe was.