Page 97 of The Best I Never Had

He looks so proud of himself, so earnest in his helpfulness, that I almost feel guilty crushing his joy when I shoot daggers at him.

Diana raises a brow, an empress studying an ant. “Is that what we’re calling what I just caught you doing in the closet? A backslide? My generation called it going at it like jackrabbits.”

“Not in my closet,” Lynne moans dramatically.

“You guys must really like that closet,” Gabriel says, and it rings through the room.

Addy gasps, her eyes going hard. “You promised, Thea.”

“This is just a big misunderstanding,” I say.

The room quiets down to hear whatever drama’s going to spill from my mouth next. I almost expect Lynne to come running up with the wireless microphone, but she’s probably still recovering from learning about our extracurricular activities in her closet.

“Vaughn’s just a friend, right, Vaughn?”

I kick him, and he jumps to attention. “Yes, just friends.”

“And yes, Owen and I may have had…” Brain-altering sex. Unabashedly honest conversations. The most authentic connection I’ve shared with someone since my mother’s death. “… a few moments. But we just got caught up in the magic and romance. We agree we don’t work. Right, Owen?”

I can see what the lie costs him—the pained expression in his eyes and the way his mouth draws into a tight line—but he still nods. Still sacrifices what he wants for what I need.

“So this was all just a fun game for you?” Diana asks. “Playing with this family’s emotions for your own entertainment.”

“She’s not playing with anyone’s emotions, Mom,” Owen says, and I can tell he’s holding back an eye roll.

“Of course you’re going to side with the trollop.”

“Don’t talk about her like that,” Owen says, more fiercely than I’ve ever heard him speak.

“What century is this?” Gabriel mutters, but he’s still close enough for the mic to project it around the room.

“Can you turn off the fucking mic, Gabe?” I snap, and Diana gasps dramatically.

“Such foul language, too. I can’t believe I thought you were good enough for my son. I’m ashamed of the role I played in trying to get you two back together.”

Patricia—Diana’s archnemesis who sees an opportunity to get back in her good graces—steps to her side. “My twins told me that she’s been making a scene all week.”

One of the twins—I’m too overwhelmed to figure out which—says, “We never said that,” but neither woman is paying attention to him.

“I’m not surprised,” Diana says. “She’s desperate for attention. With the way she keeps jumping on any stage that will have her and toying with my son’s feelings. She makes him fall in love with her, drops him like last week’s newspaper, then strings him along like this? It’s disgusting.”

Cece stomps to the middle of the group, her embroidered dress catching the light like she’s a living disco ball. “Diana Ellis Hayes, get control of yourself.”

“I don’t think there’s room for you to talk, Mother. You’ve been trying to manipulate Owen for years.”

All the Ellises are murmuring, the noise getting louder and louder as each new family member shares their opinion. The buzzing is too loud, too muddled to know what’s being said, but I imagine the worst. My body preps for fight or flight. I’ve never been inclined to run, but if I follow my instinct, I’ll just make the situation worse.

“Oh my god, stop attacking Thea. She didn’t do anything wrong,” Camila hollers from her seat at one of the tables. “It was all fake!”

The entire room goes silent, their eyes swinging between me and Owen. And holy shit, I’m going to need the Ellis-Gutiérrez siblings to stop trying to help me.

Diana looks at Owen, a stricken expression on her face. “What does she mean?”

I look at Addy, whose face is as devastated as Diana, but with an edge of guilt. This isn’t what I wanted for her. I tried so hard to keep this from coming out, but it still happened in the end.

Owen sighs and rubs his forehead. “Thea and I pretended to be in a relationship back at Camila’s wedding. I wanted to avoid everyone trying to set me up all weekend.”

Diana spins to me. “I’m guessing this was your idea.”