Page 77 of Stand Your Ground

I loved to see that change play out in real time.

There was nothing better than watching a woman claim her power, especially when she was your best friend.

Eventually, we were able to refill our drinks — Maven a glass of red wine and me a gin and tonic. I went to fill a plate withchicken tenders and fries — Ava’s request — when Maven placed her hand over my wrist to stop me.

“Let’s pause. Ava can wait a second. I want to chat with you in private.”

My brows shot up. “Should I be scared?”

“Only if you have secrets to hide, which I’m betting you do.”

She gave me that sassy little whip of her head that always made me laugh as she dragged me to one of the high-top tables in the corner of the suite. Her eyes skirted up to the television as the crowd roared to a higher decibel, but when whatever was going on died down, she looked back at me.

“Alright. Here’s the thing. I may not be as good at this as you are, but I know when my best friend is off. And you’re off. So, I need an update on this whole wedding thing, and I also need to know what the hell is going on between you and Carter Fabri.”

There was a crack of a stick against the puck, but it might as well have been my jaw hitting the table.

“Don’t even try to tell me it’s nothing,” she said, holding up her hand before I could say a word. “Fill me in on wedding drama first, and then tell me what’s going on with our Center, or I swear, Livia, I will feed that Tory Burch belt you let me borrow to the nearest garbage disposal.”

“Rude!”

Maven just waved her finger in the air as she took the first sip of her wine, as if to tell me to get to yapping.

With a glare, I took a sip of my own glass before letting out a long sigh. “The wedding drama is… relentless. My sister is begging me to come. My mother keeps texting me to say that I better be there, that I better not let Lacey down, but then she makes all these passive-aggressive comments that give away her true wish.”

“Which is?”

“Come on. You heard her when you were at my condo the night she called the first time.” I paused, not wanting to say it. “She doesn’t want me there, Mave.”

I didn’t know why my body reacted like this was shocking news, like there was any other wish my mother would have. I knew when she turned her back on me as a teenager that I didn’t matter to her.

But I was still just a girl.

And I wanted my mother to love me.

My eyes fell to my nails. I needed a manicure. My brain chose to focus on that so I didn’t slip too far into my emotions. “Of course, she doesn’t want me there,” I continued. “She can’t hide me if I’m in the same room as her and all her friends.”

Maven’s brows shifted inward. “And what doyouwant?”

“To not be in this position,” I answered honestly. “I love Lacey with all my heart. I’m so happy she’s found love, and I want to be there to celebrate her. But I don’t want to be anywhere near Mom and Dad. I don’t want to have to make nice with them when they… when they…”

I couldn’t say the words out loud. Fortunately, Maven already knew the story, so I didn’t have to.

I don’t want to have to make nice with my parents when they covered up their friend assaulting me.

I don’t want to pretend everything is fine when they cut me off the minute I said I wouldn’t stay quiet.

I don’t want to be in the same room with the person who abused me, who my parents sided with over their own daughter to keep their perfect little world intact.

I never let my thoughts get too far down that road before I ripped them right back on track. I was not a victim. I was over playing that part by the time I turned twenty.

I was a survivor, a woman who took back the narrative and control in my life despite those closest to me who tried to stop me.

“Lacey still doesn’t know everything that happened, does she?” Maven asked.

“You asked me that already,” I reminded her. “At my condo.”

“That’s because I was trying to do the not-so-subtle best friend thing and plant the seed in your mind.” She paused, her eyes softening. “Liv, you need to tell your sister.”