Page 119 of The Crowned Garza

When she asks why it enrages me so much, I remind her of the difficulties I used to have forming genuine female friendships because girls only befriended me to get close to my brothers.

Sunny knows all this. Sheknowsgetting involved with Tripp would bother me. In fact, Itoldher, in no uncertain terms, that it was a no-no.

Why would she betray me like this? Break my heart like this?

Of all people, why her?

Mom sits quietly, patiently throughout my tirade.

Until I catch her smiling into her mug.

“No, no, Mom. No! You’re supposed to be onmyside.”

“Iamon your side, sweetie.” Her tone is placative, calming. “But I also love Soleil as a daughter. It would be a delight to have them together. Those two have been dancing around each other for alongtime. I’m surprised you never picked up on it.”

Denial. That’s what it was. The signs were always there. But I suppose I just ignored them because I never believed, not for a second, that Sunny would…

“Argh!” I scream up at the ceiling.

“Calm down, baby. Please.” Mom pushes my cup of untouched tea closer to me. “Have a couple sips.”

“Give me work to do.” I bounce on my toes, shaking my hands, rolling my neck, trying to get all this pent-up energy out. “You said a bunch of the kitchen staff were out sick, right? Put me to work.”

“Drinkthe tea,” she says in her firm, brook-no-argument mama voice. “Then you can work.”

Chastened, I reluctantly plop down and take a sip of tea. “I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive this, Mom.”

She rubs my arm. “Is it really so bad for them to be together? You love her more than anything. Shouldn’t you be happy at the possibility of her becoming a part of the family? Especially since she has none left?”

“No. She’s supposed to bemine.”

Mom sighs. “That’s a bit childish, don’t you think?”

“I’ll never support it. I’ll never support them together. No. No fucking way.”

Her palm connects with the back of my head. “Language!”

“Sorry.”

Chided, I finish my tea.

Five minutes later, I’m tumbling deep into the depths of unconsciousness from whatever was in that tea.

Moms are so evil.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“What the hell was that?”

Tillie

DULCE PAUSES AT THEhall opening when she emerges from her office and finds me still here. “Staying late again?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I shrug. “Doing preps helps me work through it.”

“You know you are just making the juniors’ work easier for them, right? You are literally doing their jobs right now.”

“Huh.” I lob her a smile I don’t feel. “Is that why they like me so much?”