Douglass crosses her arms. “No, I really don’t understand. I love you, Aunt Natalie, but you’ve been enabling Amelia her entire life, and I know this sounds bitchy, but I didn’t work my ass off for five years at a minimum wage job to make money that would go directly into my undeserving sister’s pocket.”
Natalie’s face falls. “She needed it more than me.”
“Are you kidding me right now? She was living with Chase, rent-free. He bought her a car and paid for everything. And she thanked him by sleeping with the pool guy!”
I’m struck all over again with how the hell she knows all that. I’m also shocked by how little any of it bothers me. After my two-year pity party in the bottom of a bottle, I got over it and pulled myself out of that pit of despair. Amelia holds no power over me now.
“Other than for money, has she even come by to visit you once in the last five years? Helped out in any way? Said a simple thank you?”
“It’s not like that,” Natalie denies.
“It’s totally like that. Look around.” Douglass gestures to the large water stain and sagging ceiling where the roof is caving in overhead. “The only time Amelia calls you is when she wants her next payday.”
Natalie mimics Douglass’s stance by crossing her arms and digging in. One thing about the Donnelly women, they are stubborn as hell.
“I’m not going to argue about this. I love both of you girls. Amelia isn’t you, Douglass. She’s not strong like you. She needs me to take care of her.”
Douglass chuckles humorlessly. “I amnotstrong, far from it. And Amelia needs to learn how to take care of herself.”
Not able to hold my tongue any longer, I butt in. “Sorry, Nat, but I’m with Douglass on this.”
Both women turn to look at me. Natalie with her brows furrowed, and Douglass with her brows arched.
“You are?” they say at the same time.
I step directly behind Douglass, giving her my full support. “Team Douglass all the way. Biases aside, I know from personal experience about relying on something for a crutch. However, crutches are meant to be temporary. And, if you insist on giving Amelia money, then you should have no problem with me giving you the money you should’ve gotten from Mom in her will.” I end my mic drop with a smug smile.
The look on Natalie’s face would make a lesser man fear for his life, but she doesn’t say anything because she knows I have her.
“Good. Glad that’s settled. I’ll stop by the bank tomorrow and set up the account.”
“You are so much like your mother.”
She makes her way over to me and Douglass, cups her niece’s face and kisses her cheek, then does the same to me. It’s the only sign of acquiescence she gives.
“Let me know when dinner is ready. I’m going to go lie down.” She shuffles out of the kitchen.
Douglass peers up at me in fascination, and I swear I see hearts in her eyes. “Thank you.”
I flick her nose, and she scrunches it adorably. “You’re welcome.”
“But I’m not going to let you do it.”
Chapter 19
I take my anger out over Amelia’s phone call to Natalie with the blade of the knife as I aggressively slice into the cucumber I’m cutting for the salad. I know better than to provoke my sister, but I did it anyway. And in doing so, I just painted a huge-ass target on my back. I guess Chase told her about seeing me. I knew I shouldn’t have let my guard down around him or get suckered in by his sob story and his offer of friendship.
I’m also frustrated with Natalie and the blinders she wears when it comes to my sister. From the broken bones and bruises Natalie never questioned when I was younger because I was a good liar, to the fact that Amelia is twenty-seven years old and has never worked a day in her life. Why would she when she can live off everyone else’s dime? And the fact that Natalie keeps feeding into that selfish mentality angers and frustrates me to no end.
Then there’s Jordan with his white-hat complex, needing to fix things because he wants forgiveness for his past mistakes. I won’t let him get sucked into this whole mess, no matter how good his intentions are. As soon as he sets up that account, Amelia will get her hands on it and bleed it dry, leaving Natalie with nothing.
Those thoughts swirl around my brain, and the clacking of the knife against the chopping board gets louder.
“When did you and Chase become bosom buddies?”
He tries to ask it all casual-like, but I hear the edge in his query. I know how much Jordan hates Chase for what he did.
“We’re not. I ran into him at the gas station right before you showed up.”
