Page 130 of The Secrets She Keeps

Really, she just wanted her sister to be happy more than anything. That was all. Like Powell would be with Gunnar and everything. The idea that Powell was going to finally settle down and everything had upset Brianna more than she thought, apparently. Made her think about a few things. And…Leena. Brianna wasn’t ready to let herself think about Leena right now. "Are you sleeping with Nelson?"

Bethany’s mouth thinned. She turned to Brianna and crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that any of your business? I know you don't like him."

"I don't not like him. I just want you to be with the best man you deserve. You deserve that." Her sisterdid.Bethany deserved to be happy. Of course, her sister did.

"I didn't always," Bethany said. "We weren't very nice a few years ago, Bri. We just weren't. Banks's death, well, it opened my eyes to the kind of woman I was becoming. I didn’t like who I was. I just didn’t. And...I'm trying to be a better person now. Nelson's a good man. I definitely don't deserve him. Not really. But he loves me just the way I am."

"That's what matters, right?" Nobody was perfect, after all. Brianna definitely wasn't, even though she was beautiful and smart.

"What has made you sad? Where is that little girl you had staying with you? Whose kid was she? Someone said she was your roommate in college’s daughter. But you never went to college.”

"Timothy's. Trey's...sister." Bethanyknewabout Timothy being her father. Even though they never spoke about it. "She's my little sister. Timothy took her away a few hours ago."

"I see. So she is your sister too.”

"Yes. Like you are. But...we...you and I, we’re different. We've been together forever." Brianna looked at her sister and said something she had never said before. "I love you, you know. I loved Banks too. And I miss him a lot. I do not love Trey. He’s a jerk.”

Bethany's face tightened. “He’s a monster. I hate him. I hate him so much, Bri. He’s pureevilinside.”

"Why? Does it have anything to do with Steve?" Steve and Trey had been on her mind for the last hour. Something…something didn’t make sense. Those two had doneeverythingtogether for years. If Steve had been into really bad things, she bet Trey was too. Those men, those friendsshe’d seen near the park, they were the bad kind.

The wrong kind.

They’d had no business in Hughes Heights. Brianna knew that.

Bethany paled right before eyes. And just crumbled.

A rush of panic went right through Brianna. She reached out. "Bethie, what's wrong? Talk to me. Tell me."

"I know what Stevedid.I know what he did to Heather Coleson. Iknow. And I hate him so much."

Brianna would never forget what her sister said next.

She just never would.

89

Gunnar kissedhis woman on the forehead, grabbed a carrot slice, and took Powell’s keys. “Dan and I are looking for a secret room next door.”

“Like little boys on a treasure hunt?” Powell asked. Her arms slipped around his waist. She’d touched him more freely since getting out of the hospital too. Gunnar was enjoying that. He wanted to touch her too. “Do you guys need me to go over there with you? The power was turned on this morning.”

“You stay here with your mom. We’re just going to go inside. See if there are any signs people have been in there that shouldn’t have been. Daniel just has questions. Something is eating at him. He had to deal with his father today, and the man said some things that Daniel’s still trying to figure out.”

“About what? That is one guy I have never liked. Daniel’s father is a total jerk.”

“He said some things about Heather. Apparently, their paths crossed before. When she was in her early twenties or so. I am thinking it wasn’t a friendly type of association. Now our Daniel’s back is all ruffled. The man is just not sane where she is concerned.”

“Well, he can’t have Heather. I’m keeping her for my brother. It’s already been decided. Mom and I voted—it was unanimous.”

“I want to be there when you tell those two that.”

“Tell Daniel not to dwell too much on his father. That old pervert likes to say things to all the girls that age. He said things to me before.”

“Like what?”

“Probably exactly like what you just imagined. Don’t worry—Mac overheard him once and threatened to feed his liver to Mom’s Yorkie at the time. My big brothers handled it. But he definitely likes women too young to know better.”

Imagine that.

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