“My guess is him,” Audrey said tonelessly, gesturing at the man in the corner. He was dressed in a slick, pinstriped suit despite the late hour and was chatting animatedly to one of the paparazzi while he texted on his phone.
“So who’s that douchebag?”
“One of her managers.”
Gretchen grunted. “Surprise, surprise. He probably thinks all this publicity is fabulous.”
“Probably,” Audrey said in a tired voice.
Gretchen wrapped an arm around Audrey’s shoulders and pulled her into an awkward hug. “How you hanging in there?”
“I’m fine,” Audrey said in her brightest, most efficient voice. “Cade is struggling, though, so I’m trying to keep him calm. I sent him off to talk to one of the board of directors about donating a wing if they’ll give Daphne privacy while she recovers. He liked that idea.”
“Clever,” Gretchen admitted. “But I was asking about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
My sister overdosed because I blamed her for my love life troubles, I’m not in love with Cade like I thought I was, and I fell in love with a guy who abandoned me. “I’m fine.”
Gretchen gave her a disbelieving look. “You do realize that this is one of those times that it’s okay to be emotional?”
Audrey simply sipped her coffee, ignoring Gretchen. Her sister talked a big game, but she knew as soon as they heard word on Daphne, Gretchen would fall apart like she always did. Her big sister had a heart of gold, but she was impulsive and incredibly emotional. Couple that in with Daphne’s self-destructiveness and Cade’s restlessness as he sought to be able to do something—anything—to assuage his guilt over Daphne using him to get to the drugs? It was just best all around if Audrey kept her head together. Someone had to.
Later on, in the privacy of her own apartment, she could break down if she wanted to, but there would always be more to do. People to call, arrangements to make for Daphne’s car, managers to scold, her boss to check in with . . .
Someone had to be the practical one in all of this. The dependable one. And it was exhausting, but it needed to be Audrey. Longingly, she thought of Reese and the way he always pushed her into showing emotion. The way he’d laughed as he’d tossed her into the hot tub and bent her over the edge to made love to her.
Tears pricked her eyes and she blinked them back. This was not the time to dissemble. At least she had some really good memories of their interlude, before it had all gone to shit.
“Miss Petty?” A doctor entered the crowded waiting room and immediately the half dozen paparazzi and reporters stood up, readying their cameras. Audrey stood and raised her hand quietly and, true to form, Gretchen burst into emotional tears, just like Audrey had expected.
The doctor eyed Gretchen and moved to Audrey’s side, leaning in to whisper. “Your sister is in intensive care, but we feel she’s out of the woods. She’s awake and alert and can receive visitors.”
“Good. Thank you,” Audrey said. She squeezed Gretchen’s hand consolingly as she mopped at her face with Kleenex.
“You can’t bring those,” the doctor said with a sniff, gesturing at their coffees.
Gretchen automatically handed hers to the reporter sitting next to her. “Here, make yourself useful,” she said in a watery voice.
Someone pushed through the double doors nearby and then Cade was sprinting at them, his blond hair mussed and his clothing wrinkled. He looked like hell, dark circles under his eyes, and pocketed his phone. “I’d like to see Miss Petty.”
“I’m sorry,” the doctor said. “Family only.”
Cade looked at Audrey, raking a hand through his hair in frustration.
“It’s fine, Cade. Go home and get some sleep,” Audrey told him in her easiest voice. “I’ll handle it from here.”
“I need to see her.”
“I know you do,” she said soothingly, and gave him a hug. She whispered in his ear, “Maybe tomorrow. I’ll work on the doctors, okay?” When she released him, he nodded and then sat down in one of the waiting room chairs.
The man with the suit approached the doctor and handed him a business card. “I’m Miss Petty’s manager. I need to see—”
“No,” Audrey said at the same time as the doctor.
“I’m Miss Petty’s manager,” the man in the suit repeated. “The label—”
“I’m her legal guardian,” Audrey interrupted. “And she doesn’t want to see him.”
The doctor shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Right now we are only allowing immediate family to visit.” He looked at Gretchen and Audrey. “If you will follow me.”
Gretchen shot the manager the bird when they left, and Audrey pretended not to see it.
They followed the doctor through the maze of corridors in the intensive care unit. “We’re keeping her under heavy monitoring,” he explained. “Her system was compromised by the amount of drugs, but with time and proper care she’ll make a full recovery.”
Gretchen began to loudly sniffle again, and Audrey handed her more Kleenex. “Thank you, doctor.”
He gave Audrey a pointed look. “I don’t need to tell you that that young woman needs serious help.”
“We know.”
“She told me she was trying to get clean. You know I must recommend constant psychiatric observation and a detox facility where she can be monitored at all times. She is a danger to herself right now.”
“I can force her to go,” Audrey said quietly. “But it won’t work unless she wants it. It has to be her decision.”
“I realize this. As a professional, though, I’m recommending it strongly. I don’t know that Miss Petty could survive another overdose. Do you understand me?”
“I do.”
The doctor nodded and led them to a door. The room’s blinds were down and the door was closed. Isolated. Private. “I’m Doctor Howell. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Audrey said, her voice calm as she shook the doctor’s hand. “We will.”
Gretchen sniffed loudly.
The doctor turned and left. When they were alone at the door, Audrey turned to Gretchen. “I’m going to say some unkind things to Daphne,” she warned her sister. “But I need you to support me in them, understand? It’s for her best interests.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened but she nodded. “I’ll follow your lead.”
Audrey opened the door and they went inside.
The lights in the intensive care unit were turned off so Daphne could sleep. Her twin’s frail form was hooked up to multiple monitors, all beeping and flicking with her vital signs. Intravenous medications hung from her skinny arm, needles taped into it. As they shut the door, Daphne opened her eyes and gave them a wan smile. “Hey.”
Gretchen burst into tears again. She sat down next to the bed and took Daphne’s hand in hers, squeezing it. “Hey, baby girl. It’s your slutty sister come to visit.”
The corner of Daphne’s mouth quirked, as if she were trying to smile and didn’t have the energy. “That’s an odd greeting.”
“You told me I was a slut the last time I saw you.”
“I did? Huh. I don’t remember.” Daphne’s voice was soft, tired.
“It’s because you were drunk. And high. Both,” Gretchen told her.
“That explains it.” She turned to look at Audrey. “I guess I caused you a little trouble, didn’t I?”
Anger flared in the pit of her stomach, but she tamped it down. Anger wouldn’t reach Daphne. It’d just make her run harder. “You caused everyone a bit of trouble,” Audrey said, her voice mild. “Your manager’s here, along with every paparazzi he could round up at this hour.”
“I don’t want to see him,” Daphne said in a tired voice. “Tell the doctors not to let him in.”
“They won’t,” Audrey reassured her. “Cade’s waiting to see you, too.”
“I don’t want to see him, either.” Tears well
ed in her eyes and trickled down the sides of her face. “I can’t look at him right now.”
“Because you used him to get to the pills?” Audrey said coldly.
Daphne sighed. “You don’t understand.”
“I don’t,” Audrey said calmly. “I’ve never understood it. You have the life you’ve always wanted and you’re tossing it away.”
Daphne said nothing. She squeezed Gretchen’s hand as Gretchen continued to mop fresh tears from her cheeks. “Don’t lecture me, Audrey. You don’t know how hard it is to be me.”
Audrey moved forward and put a hand on Gretchen’s shoulder. “You’re right, Daphne. We don’t know what it’s like to be you. We’ll never know. That’s why it’s time for us to say good-bye.”
That got her twin’s attention. Daphne’s gaze focused on Audrey, her eyes widening a little. Audrey felt Gretchen stiffen under her grasp, but she didn’t speak up to contradict Audrey.
“You’re my twin,” Audrey said in a soft voice. “I love you more than anyone else on the planet. And I thought that by supporting you through everything, no matter what happened, that I’d be doing you a favor. That you needed someone to lean on.”
“I do—”
“But I see now that I’m not doing you any favors,” Audrey continued. “I’ve always let you do what you wanted, even when I didn’t think it was the right decision. All those times you bailed out of rehab early? I let you. All those times you went right back to that bad situation? I said nothing. And this last time? When you promised to get clean and then overdosed as soon as my back was turned? That’s my fault because I supported you when you said you didn’t want to go to rehab.”
Tears began to pour from Daphne’s eyes. “I was doing better,” she protested. “Yesterday was just a bad day.”
“There are always going to be bad days, Daphne,” Audrey said bluntly. “Some are going to be worse than others. That doesn’t mean you run for the pill bottle to fix things. That doesn’t mean you use a man who loved you simply to get your way.” She felt no pleasure at Daphne’s flinch. “And it doesn’t mean that I’m going to continue to support you while you make bad choices. So this time, instead of supporting you, I’m offering you a choice. You can go back to rehab—”
“No—”
“And you can stay there until I’ve met with all your doctors and I’ve decided that you’re clean.” Audrey turned her calm Daphne, ignoring her tears. “Or we can say good-bye now.”
“Good-bye?” Daphne choked.
“If you do this again, the doctor says you won’t live,” Audrey said bluntly. “And I already feel like I’ve lost the sister I used to know and love. I won’t go through this again. I won’t hold you on the floor and worry if you’ve killed yourself. If you won’t get help, this is where Gretchen and I leave you behind. You can destroy your own life, but you can’t destroy ours too, Daph. And watching you kill yourself slowly is ruining all of us.”
Daphne said nothing as tears poured down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry,” Audrey said. “But this is the way it has to be. You know I love you, Twinkie. You know I do. But I can’t watch you destroy yourself. Come on, Gretchen. We’re leaving.”
“Oh, but—” Gretchen began, looking at Daphne and Audrey. After a moment her face screwed up like she was trying desperately not to cry again, and she leaned in to hug Daphne. “I love you, too. I hope you make the right decision.”
“Audrey,” Daphne said piteously, now sobbing openly. “Don’t go. I want to talk to you—”
Audrey shook her head, her heart breaking into a million pieces in her chest. “You make your decision, Daphne. And if it’s the one where you choose to live, then we can talk. But for now, Gretchen and I have to go.” She turned to the door, then looked back at her sobbing twin. “I love you, Twinkie.”
“Aud, wait—”
Audrey opened the door and ushered Gretchen out.
They walked down the hall in silence. After a moment, Gretchen looked over at Audrey, her eyes red from weeping. “Sometimes you are stone cold, you know that?”
“I know,” Audrey said, feeling heavy and aching with sadness. She wanted to run back in there and comfort her twin, but she knew it was the wrong thing to do. This was the only way she could think of to get Daphne to turn her life around. So she had to be firm, even if it meant she had to be cruel.
“You’re not even crying!”
“I’ve shed enough tears over Daphne for now,” Audrey said. “I’ve got to be strong.”
Someone had to. There was so much to do. Someone would need to talk to the paparazzi and downplay the story. Talk to Daphne’s management team and discuss how to proceed. Call family and friends who would see the news and worry. Straighten out her work, Daphne’s insurance, and a million other small things that someone had to think about. She didn’t have time to be emotional or needy.
But for a brief, weak moment, she wanted to curl up into someone’s arms and just cry and weep and be a blubbering baby. Someone like Reese, who didn’t mind if she wasn’t strong all the time.
But Reese wasn’t here.
They returned to the waiting room, Gretchen sniffling the entire time. Cade met them at the door, the look in his eyes worried.
“She doesn’t want to see you,” Audrey told him gently. “I’m sorry.”
“I’ll wait out here,” he said. “Until she wants to see me.”
“You might be waiting a while,” Gretchen told him tearfully. “These twins are the most hardheaded women you’ll ever meet.”
A ghost of a smile touched Cade’s pale face. “Oh, I know.”
***
Reese poured himself another drink and considered the cards in his hand. Nothing but garbage. Eh. He swallowed his scotch and tossed his cards on the table. “I fold.”
“Gotta stay in to make some money, Durham,” Jonathan Lyons teased him, raking the pile of chips toward him. “Unless this is some new tactic you’re trying.”
Normally, Reese would have risen to the bait. But his mood was foul tonight, so he just grunted and poured himself another scotch.
“You’re in a bad mood,” Logan observed, taking the scotch bottle from Reese’s hand and refreshing his own drink. “Business trouble or women trouble?”
“Are they ever separate?” Reese asked with a grimace and tossed his drink back. Women were definitely trouble. Upon returning to the city, he’d approached Camilla in a strictly business manner about the cruise line. She’d refused to see him. So he’d gone to her father, only to be stonewalled once more.
His business was fucked, all because he wouldn’t pork a bored heiress. Goddamn.
Hunter snorted at his side. “For most people, yes, women and business are separate.”
Reese made a face at the scarred man. Hunter was usually silent. Count on him to chime in for that. Reese glanced around the table at his friends. Logan was to one side, Hunter to his other. Across the table, Jonathan was carefully stacking his pile of chips while Griffin dealt the next hand.
Cade was nowhere to be seen.
“Where’s the golden boy?”
Griffin shrugged and continued to deal. “You’re his keeper. You tell us.” His cultured, European accent made the insult sound almost pleasant. “Weren’t you vacationing with him for the last week or two? We had to cancel three meetings because of you two being out of town.”
Reese grunted again. “We were busy. And we’re not joined at the hip. I’m not his keeper.” If he was, he wouldn’t have let Cade near Audrey.
Audrey, who’d lit up shyly at the thought of going on a date with Cade. Who’d forgotten all about him an instant later. Audrey, who’d just been using him for sex to pass the time, her sister had informed him as soon as they’d gone. Daphne had gone on to confess to him that Audrey had told her hours earlier that she still wanted Cade and not Reese.
And that ate at him. He stared down at his empty tumbler and considered refilling it again. Maybe he needed to get good and b
lasted.
It wasn’t like him to get all hung up on a woman. But then again, Audrey wasn’t like most women. He thought of that tight little bun and her prim shirts covering those big, lush breasts, and that fiery passion she showed in bed. He clenched his jaw in frustration.
Fuck. The one woman who didn’t bore him within a week and his best buddy scored her right from under his nose. It fucking sucked to be him.
There was a bang at the top of the stairs. Automatically, all five men glanced up.
“Isn’t Bruno up there?” Logan asked Hunter.
“Always,” Hunter replied.
“No, miss,” they could hear from upstairs. “You can’t go in there.”
“Fuck off, Bruno! I can, too. Let me in!” The voice was familiar.
Reese turned to Hunter, who groaned and rubbed a hand on his scarred face. “Is that who I think it is?”
Hunter glared at him and got to his feet, approaching the stairs just as the door flung open and a disheveled Gretchen Petty stumbled her way in, brandishing her purse like a weapon. She bounded down two stairs, glared back at Bruno, and then brightened at the sight of Hunter waiting at the foot of the stairs for her. “Hey, baby!” She peered at the others sitting around the table, her gaze going to the cards and poker chips, and a wide smile crossed her face. For a moment she looked so much like Audrey that Reese’s chest ached.
“Thank fucking God,” Gretchen said a moment later, spoiling the vision. “Poker night. With the way Bruno was acting, I thought I’d wander in on some secret sausage party or something.” She tripped down the stairs, ignoring Griffin’s choked sound of outrage, and kissed Hunter on his unsmiling mouth. “But then again, I know Hunter doesn’t like cock, so that couldn’t be it.”
“Hello, Gretchen,” Logan said in a flat voice. “Did Brontë set you up to this?”
“No.” Gretchen’s eyes widened. “Does she know about this? That little hussy. She never said a word.” She moved to Cade’s empty chair and sat down, inviting herself to the table. “I was wondering where my lover had to run off to when I was clearly in need of more comforting, and I got nosy, so I tailed him here.” She looked over at Hunter and wiggled her eyebrows at him.