“About what?”
“Stanford?”
Pippa shrugs. “Probably. I wouldn’t put it past him. He had his heart set on you going to Yale, and when you didn’t get in again, I heard him mumbling something about how at least one of his daughters was going to an Ivy League school.”
My confidence dwindles even further.
“Hey now, don’t look like that. Whatever Dad did, he did it for your own good. We both know how smart you are, Poppy. You deserve to go to Stanford. You earned it.”
“He just said I didn’t.”
“Well, you did. If it wasn’t for me begging you to go to UNR with me, you’d be in Yale finishing up your PHD. I’ve held you back, and I’m sorry for that.”
“Pippa Kiplinger is sorry for something? Has Hell frozen over?”
She laughs, pushing me playfully. “Shut up. I can admit when I’m wrong sometimes.”
“Have you told Amber yet?”
She shakes her head.
“When are you going to tell her, Pippa?”
She moves away from the bed, closer to the door. “When the time is right.”
“They’re getting married in a few weeks.”
“We’ll see.”
I can see the wheels turning in her head. She has something planned. Something that isn’t good. “Pippa, just tell her about Eddie. Don’t do something stupid.”
Her laugh is almost evil; the way it curdles from her throat and fills the room with haunted cackles. “We both know it’s toolate for that, Poppy. Well, get some rest, okay? At least you didn’t end up in jail like Wesley.”
Immediately, I sit up a little straighter. “Wait, he really went to jail?”
She nods. “Now Eddie is down a groomsman. Such a tragedy. Couldn’t have happened to a better guy.” She smirks. “Why do you care, anyway? You hate Wesley.”
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean I want him to go to prison.”
She shrugs. “Maybe it will be good for him and teach him that it’s not okay to go around hitting people? He almost killed that dude, Poppy. Imagine the newspapers tomorrow if that guy actually died? Dad’s already pissed about our family name being slung around because of this stupid club fight, and you passing out in the middle of it. Imagine if it was linked to someone’s murder, too. You’re just lucky they haven’t found out about your little addiction yet. The second they do, consider your inheritance gone.”
“And yet, you get away with murder, and he doesn’t even bat an eye.”
She blinks but doesn’t say anything.
“I don’t understand why he hates me so much.”
She holds my gaze for two whole seconds before moving into the doorway. “Face it, Poppy, as long as I’m around, you’re never going to be Daddy’s favorite girl, so rest up, dear sister. Friday is Amber’s bachelorette party, and it’s going to be one hell of an occasion.”
“Pippa, what are you up to?”
She smirks. “You’ll see.”
Then she’s gone, leaving me alone in the hospital to overthink my entire existence.
Chapter Ten
Wesley
