Page 108 of The Best of Friends

“What? She’s nobody. Okay, she has money, but he doesn’t need that.”

David’s expression turned pitying. “You think this is about money?”

“What else matters?”

“I don’t know. How about being with someone who makes you happy? Who acts as if she’s happy to see you when you show up? Think about it. Would you have stayed with Elizabeth if you were Dad? Weren’t you always going on about how he should leave her?”

Rebecca didn’t like the question, so she ignored it. “You have to go talk some sense into him. Explain how bad this will look and how it hurts us.”

“We’ve been out of the house for years,” David told her. “I’m not going to ask one of my parents to put his happiness on hold because you’re not uncomfortable.”

She straightened. “What about Mom? What has she done to deserve this?”

“You’re defending her? How about tricking him into marriage, having an affair, and belittling him every chance she got? I’m not sure she even likes him. He’s a way into the lifestyle she enjoys, but is there anything else?”

“Not the point,” she said. “I don’t want my parents getting a divorce.”

“Then you have a problem.”

“David! You have to fix this.”

“I can’t, and even if I could, I won’t. This isn’taboutyou, Rebecca. It’s something difficult for you to comprehend, but try. People have to be responsible for their own lives and decisions.”

“This is all because of Jayne,” she grumbled.

David stood and pointed to the door. “Get out,” he told her, his eyes cold and his mouth pulled into a straight line. “I’m not discussing Jayne with you anymore.”

She blinked at him. “What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Sure you did. What have you got against Jayne? What has she ever done to you?”

What was it with all the hard questions?

“She’s been like a sister to you,” he continued. “Loving, loyal.”

“She’s been well paid for her loyalty.”

“Nice,” David said sarcastically. “I always knew you were selfish, I just didn’t know you were a bitch, too.”

She stood and clutched her purse tightly to her stomach. “David, don’t,” she whined. “Why are you being mean? It’s just Jayne. She’s been around forever, and you never bothered to notice her before. Don’t go all righteous on me just because you’re screwing her now.”

“I won’t listen to this,” he said, and started for the door.

She went after him and grabbed his arm. “Wait. I don’t get it.”

“Exactly,” he said contemptuously. “You’ve never gotten it. You say Jayne doesn’t fit in our world, but you’re wrong. She fits in just fine. More impressive, she fits in anywhere. She has a level of class you can only aspire to.”

“Oh, please. Have you seen what she wears to work? Those disgusting scrubs?”

“She’s a nurse. Do you want her in Armani? But it’s not about her clothes. It’s about who she is.” He paused, and his expression changed to almost… pitying.

“You’ll never get it,” he said. “You can’t. Neither can Mom. But I see Jayne for who she is, and I’m not going to let either of you ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He left then, walking out of his own office, leaving her feeling abandoned and oddly embarrassed, although she couldn’t say why.

She stood there a second, not sure what to do next, then saw her father enter his office.

“Dad!” she yelled, racing after him. “Dad, wait. I have to talk to you.”