Page 32 of Wicked Nasty

He turns to look directly at me. "Becca, I am truly sorry for how your mother has treated you. But I kindly ask that you treat my family with respect while you are here. Can we all agree on this?"

All four of us nod in unison. Louise moves to sit beside me, taking my hand in hers.

"Rebecca... or should I say Becca," she corrects herself, "I am so sorry for springing this on you. I can't even imagine a mother betraying her own child like that. I just want to help."

"Thank you," I reply softly, feeling guilty for being rude to her earlier. "I will try my best to be better."

Cliff offers a warm smile. "We don't expect everything to change overnight. Just do your best. That's all we can ask of our children."

Louise nods in agreement. "We're here for you, Becca. Del, why don't you show her around the house and where she'll be staying?"

Del grins mischievously. "Perf."

Delilahgivesmeagrand tour of the house while Danny hides in his room. He can be mad all he wants, but this is on him. He spilled my secret.

As Del and I settle into my new room, she helps me unpack and put away my belongings. She turns to me as I place my books on the shelf.

"So what happened with your mom?" she asks bluntly.

I let out a heavy sigh, turning towards the glass doors that lead to a small porch. "Where do I even begin?" Opening the doors, I let the cool breeze wash over me, soothing my skin. "My mother never wanted me. I was just a prop for her perfect family image. Selling the house was her way of getting rid of me quietly. Out of sight, out of mind. She can tell everyone that I'm living in some fancy condo while she travels the world without me."

"Wow, what a bitch," Del mutters under her breath.

“Yeah.”

Shaking her head in disbelief, Del speaks up again. "I know you didn't want to come here, but my mom would never do something like that to you. She can be overbearing and annoying at times, but it's always out of love. She never gives up on anyone. My mom is just…"

"Lonely and hurting," I add.

Del nods sadly. "Daisy's death really took a toll on her."

Closing the glass doors, I sit down on the bed. "I'm sorry about that. Losing someone you love is never easy."

Twisting her hands together nervously, Del looks over at me. "This may sound harsh, but I've come to terms with Daisy's death. Of course, I miss her every day and will never fully get over it. But it was her own choices that led to her death. I had been waiting for that phone call ever since she started hooking up with Reece. I just never thought it would be Cat who killed her. I thought it would be Reece or the drugs."

"I still can't believe it," I murmur. "And how is your dad coping?"

"Eh, he's handling it as well as he can. I think deep down, he knew Daisy didn't have much time left on this earth. He misses her, but he's not blaming himself like my mom is. Plus, he goes to therapy while my mom refuses to. Therapy has helped me come to terms with everything, too."

I nod in understanding. "And Danny...?"

Del smirks. "For someone who claims to hate my brother, you sure seem interested in him."

"It's not like that," I try to defend myself. "I'm just trying to understand how to interact with him."

"Sure," Del says skeptically. "Danny... he's struggling the most with Daisy's death. He'll never admit it, but he's always had crippling anxiety. He used to hide it well, but then there's the weed. Losing Daisy has really set him back, and he needs actual medication to help with his depression."

Looking at Del, I can see the worry etched on her face. Her brow is furrowed and pain lingers in her eyes. Without thinking, I stand up and place a comforting hand on her arm.

"He'll be okay," I reassure her. "It takes time to heal from losing someone so important in your life."

Del gives a small smile and nods. "I guess all we can do is watch and support him."

Louise's gentle knock echoes through the wooden door as she cautiously opens it. The smell of savory food wafts in from downstairs, filling the room with delicious aromas. Del sits up from the bed, turning to give me a sad smile before getting up to join Louise at the door.

"Hey girls," Louise says softly, "just wanted to let you know dinner should be done soon if you want to head down."

As Del passes her and exits the room, Louise furrows her brow in concern. "Everything okay?"

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