“In bed, full of Valium,” Chloe mumbles back.
“Come on, let’s go into the library where no one can hear anything,” I say, leading the way. Matteo follows behind us. I want to tell him to give us a moment, or at least some space, but I can tell he’s still annoyed with me and I know he’s only trying to be there for us, so I choose not to send him away. He’ll find out everything soon anyway.
When we get into the library Matteo locks the door behind us and I know it was a good choice to let him stay because he could be our lookout, in case he hears my mother or any of the help.
“Dad left me a house,” I blurt, facing Chloe.
“He left you a house? And I got nothing?” Her face turns ashen.
“Just listen,” I say, holding up a hand to stop her, “before you go off on one of your self-loathing, ‘poor me’ tantrums. Iwentto the house.” I sit down on one of the reading chairs and motion for Chloe to do the same. “It’s a mountain cabin, right out of a Hallmark holiday movie, beautiful. But when I got there, someone was already there.”
Chloe slides to the edge of the chair. “Cut to the chase, Vaughn. What happened? Who was there?”
“Claire.” I whisper her name because I want to hold in inside my mouth and savor it. I don’t want to share it with anyone, just like when we were children.
“Claire? I don’t know anyone named—” she cuts her thought short.
“Claire Radcliffe,” I say.
Chloe jumps to her feet, hands tightened into little fists at her sides. “What was Claire Radcliffe doing at the house Daddy left you?” Her mouth drops open, her jaw goes slack. “Are you telling me…please do not tell me Claire was doing anything with—”
“Ew, no!” It’s my turn to jump up and ball my hands into fists. “She was there getting her mother’s stuff. Libby and Dad were secretly living there together. For years.”
“Mom is going to kill her,” she breathes.
“Libby’s already dead,” I explain, raking my hands through my hair. “Just listen to the rest of the story, please, and stop jumping to conclusions.” I blow out a quick breath. “Claire had no idea about them. She hasn’t seen her mother in years, she barely ever spoke to her.”
Chloe gave me a doubtful glare.
“I’m pretty positive she was telling me the truth,” I stammer loudly.
“Yeah, right,” she scoffs.
“Do you know after what happened that night, she was sent away from her family? She didn’t see them at all. And when she got out and went back home, she had no home? Remember how everyone promised her jobs? She had all those internships lined up…She came here and tried to get a job, and no one here would give her one because of what people said about her and her mother.”
“Yeah, of course I remember that. Mom had the entire staff at the country club sign a waiver to never allow Libby Radcliffe to be able to step foot inside again. But her mother did that to herself, Vaughn. She ruined our family. You remember what happened to Mom after she found out about the affair, how sick and depressed she got?”
“Yes, I know what she went through, but Claire was the one who suffered for everything Libby and Dad did, Chloe. Claire couldn’t step foot in the club either. She was eighteen and homeless. She couldn’t even get a job stocking shelves at the grocery store in town because no one wanted to go against Mom.”
“So what?” she says, throwing her hands in the air. “They tore our parents’ marriage apart!”
“Libby did, not Claire!” I shout, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Her mother abandoned her forourfather, and her father disowned the both of them. She’s been on her own since that night.” I squeezed her shoulders tighter, wanting her desperately to understand. “How could you think Dad was so innocent? Do you think he was somehow tricked into having the affair? Chloe, come on. He…” it was still hard for me to say, but ithadto be the truth, “he loved her.” Claire was right, it couldn’t be any other way.
Chloe’s gaze drops to the floor.
“And Claire suffered so much more than we did. She sold her eggs and plasma to put herself through school. Even now, she lives in a shitty little row-house apartment in the worst neighborhood. And she works her ass off.”
“Don’t talk about her like she’s human, Vaughn. She and Libby were manipulators, and they were always after our family’s money!”
“No, you need to stop. You need to stop idolizing a father who never deserved it and start thinking about the friend who needed you, when she found out the same thing we did at the same exact moment.”
“She knew,” Chloe hisses, pointing a finger at me, “I told you that night. Claire wanted to talk to me about something serious and we never got the chance. She was going to tell me about the affair.”
“No, she wasn’t. She was going to tell you—to see if you were okay with us being together. She wanted to tell you she was in love with me.” Fuck my life. This is killing me. We could have been together all these years. Why can’t Chloe understand? Why can’t she see the truth?
Her back straightens and her eyes turn into saucers. “Oh my God! You’re sleeping with her?” she screams.
“Chloe, just listen to me—”
