Page 85 of Playing Pretend

I walked around the glass coffee table until I was in front of my sister. “You haven’t changed, Trina. You still think Dad was perfect, and that he could do no wrong.”

“Oh get off your high horse. You are no different! You’ve been dating Caleb Callahan for goodness sake.”

My hackles rose, and my natural response was to go on the defense. “You know nothing about me and Caleb.”

“I know that he used you to get to Daddy. I know everything between the two of you was giant lie.”

Baxter’s eyes widened, and then my sister realized what she’d said.

“What are you talking about?”

I looked between them, and the expressions on their faces made my stomach drop.

“We know everything,” said Katrina. “Your friend Jennifer got in touch with me, and told me you were here.”

“Jennifer is not my friend.” Panic gripped my throat. “Not even close. What else did she tell you?”

“She said your relationship with Caleb was a lie, that he was just using you to get to Daddy, something about getting him back here so that they could arrest him for money laundering as payback for having an affair with Caleb’s Mother.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s not true. Caleb would never do that to me.”

Yes, my relationship with Caleb wasn’t entirely real, but Katrina had no idea what she was talking about, and neither did Jennifer.

“Jennifer quit, and has had it out for me ever since I started working at Callahan Industries. Nothing she says is true. She’s a crazy bitch who has a knack for lying.”

I didn’t want to believe Caleb would do something so reprehensible, but I couldn’t deny that the seed of doubt had been planted.

Nothing made sense. Perhaps it was too much for me to process all at once. I wanted to dismiss all of it.

“You need to go.” My voice cracked, but there were no tears. I should have been upset that my Father was dead, or guilty that I was relieved he was gone. I should have been angry that Jennifer was still being a nuisance and dubious that she would sink to a new low by conjuring up an inane story.

All I felt was tired.

So very tired.

“Your Dad’s service is on Saturday,” said Baxter. “I will leave a plane ticket if you decide to come.”

“I won’t,” I told him.

“You have to.” Katrina moved towards me, but stopped short. “You have to lay the past to rest, and forgive.”

How dare she.

I tightened my hands into fists.

Too bad I couldn’t hit her – I didn’t want to get arrested for assaulting a pregnant lady.

“Someday I will forgive you, but right now, all I want is to forget you. All of you.”

Katrina wiped her face. “I really wish things were different. You’re still my sister.”

“We stopped being sisters the day you fucked my fiancé. Now you’re just another asshole I’m related to. Like father, like daughter. Daddy would be so fucking proud.”

Katrina whimpered, and Baxter tried to say something.

“Get out.” I gritted my teeth. “And don’t ever come back. I may not have forgiven you, but I’m so ready to forget you.”

Baxter nodded, and actually had the decency to look apologetic. He held Katrina at his side, and I avoided looking at them. It was only after they’d left that everything started sinking in, and what bothered me more than having my Father die was the possibility that Caleb’s lie was bigger than I thought.

The question was, could I handle the truth or would I finally buckle under the weight of it all?