“Somebody should finally thank her for what she did that night, don’t you think?”
“You never did?” Vic stared at her in disbelief. “Jesus, Vanessa, why the hell not?”
“Mother said there was no point,” Vanessa said with another shrug. Vic watched as her fingers went to the scar just under her hairline and she massaged it absently. “She thought Riley only did it hoping she’d get some kind of compensation for the deed.”
“Are you serious?” Vic was shocked but knew she really shouldn’t be. Vera had always been like that. “Even if she had expected something in return, which I really doubt because she probably had no clue who you were when she did it, she still saved your damn life that night. Do you comprehend how huge that is? If she hadn’t been there, you would have died in that fire.”
“I know,” Vanessa said, tears in her eyes. Vic sighed and put an arm around her, pulling her closer so Vanessa rested her head on her shoulder.
Their mother had always cared more about her social standing than she did about her twin daughters. As a result, Vic and Vanessa had been best friends growing up, as well as sisters. And now this? Obviously, she hadn’t changed over the years, something Vic would have known if she’d ever visited. Now she was glad she’d stayed away.
Their mother was more than appalled by Vic being a lesbian, and she never missed an opportunity to let it be known. They’d only been there since that morning, and Vic had already heard the snide remarks. So far she’d managed to bite her tongue, but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could do it.
“I’d think you’d want to see her again too,” Vanessa said, poking her playfully in the ribs. Vic didn’t have to see her face to know she was smiling.
“I would, but I know she probably hates us both.” Vic closed her eyes and Riley’s face popped into her mind. She wondered what she looked like now. Was she still as hauntingly beautiful as she had been in high school? “The way we treated her is the biggest regret I have in my life.”
“Really?” Vanessa sat up straighter and looked her in the eye. “What about not telling her how you felt?”
“You know as well as I do I wasn’t completely sure how I felt about her back then.” Vic shook her head and leaned forward, her forearms resting on her thighs. Actually, that was a lie because she had known on some level but never wanted to admit it to anyone. Not even to Vanessa, at least not until after she’d been ready to come out. “All I knew for sure was she confused the hell out of me. I didn’t even know being with girls was a real option until we went to college.”
“I guess you got more of an education than I did, huh?” Vanessa laughed and put a hand on Vic’s knee, squeezing gently.
“You can say that again.”
“So, can we go?” Vanessa asked. “To the reunion?”
Vic knew she should say no, but the truth was, she really did want to see Riley again. What were the chances she’d forgotten all about high school and moved on? She allowed herself a small fantasy of Riley professing she felt the same way about her.
“I’m here for your wedding, isn’t that enough?”
“No.” Vanessa smiled at her, and Vic knew she’d agree to anything she wanted. It was how she’d always been. Unable to resist her sister, which was why she’d even hung out with those losers in high school in the first place. And why she was here, at the family estate, now. Anything to make Vanessa happy.
“Fine, we can go,” Vic said before standing and holding a hand out to help her up. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
“Just think how much it would piss Vera off if you actually started dating Riley.” Vanessa grinned and bumped her shoulder into Vic’s.
Vic couldn’t help but laugh at the thought, because it certainly would piss her off. Their mother had always referred to Riley and her friends as trailer trash, whether they’d lived in trailers or not. It had always irked Vic, but she’d never said anything about it. God, how she would love to have the opportunity to put Vera in her place.
* * *
“Are you just going to sit there staring at your phone, or are you going to actually call her?” Megan asked the next afternoon. Riley was beginning to regret having told her about Vic’s request. Megan held her hand out and snapped her fingers. “Give me her number and I’ll call.”
Riley sighed and entered the number into her phone. She hesitated before actually pressing the call button though, because she had a really bad feeling about this. She put on a good show in letting everyone think she didn’t want to talk to Vic because she was pissed about high school. If she was being honest with herself though, she was really afraid of being made to feel like a victim again which was what she knew would happen as soon as she heard Vic’s voice. She closed her eyes and gave herself a mental shake. You can do this.
She opened her eyes and pressed the button but stared straight ahead. It was bad enough Megan was standing there watching and listening. She didn’t need to see whatever faces she decided to make in an attempt to distract her. It rang three times and she was about to hang up before it went to voice mail, but then she answered.
“Victoria Thayer,” she said, very businesslike.
Riley opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her throat constricted and all she could hear for a moment was the blood pulsing in her ears. She knew she must have looked like a deer in headlights as she glanced at Megan, who was giving her a thumbs-up.
“Hello?” Vic said, sounding irritated now. “Who is this?”
“Yes, hello, I’m sorry,” Riley said and then cleared her throat. “I’m the manager of the movie theater in Wolf Bay. I had a message you called about a bachelorette party.”
“Oh, yes, I did. I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch your name.”
“My name is Riley Warren,” she said before she could change her mind. It gave her a small amount of satisfaction when there was a lengthy pause from the other end of the line. “Ms. Thayer? Are you still there?”
“Riley?” she asked, her voice quiet, and if Riley wasn’t mistaken, a little strained. “From Wolf Bay High? Class of two thousand?”
“Yes, that’s me.” Riley took a long drink from the glass of water Megan handed her before sitting across from her at the kitchen table. When she put the glass back down, Megan reached across and placed a hand on her arm.
“How have you been?”
The question stunned Riley, because who the hell did Vic think she was acting as though they’d been friends?
“A lot better than I was in high school, but why are you asking me that like we’re just old friends reconnecting?” Riley pulled her arm away from Megan and stood before beginning to pace. She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger as she let out a breath. “Because we were anything but friends, Victoria. Or maybe you’ve conveniently forgotten about that.”
“I haven’t, Riley, but I wish I could go back in time and change it all. I swear to you I am not that person anymore. I’m so sorry for all of it.”
Riley sat back down with a thud, because she sure as hell hadn’t been expecting that. She’d spent so many long years feeling nothing but anger and hatred toward the entire Thayer family, and now she gets an apology right off the bat? What the actual fuck?