Page 3 of Twisted Lies 4
I chuckled. “Well, thank you for being my living mannequin.”
I designed most of my clothes using her as my sounding board. She was patient, enthusiastic, and always there for me. She was everything a best friend should be.
What other high school girl would allow a budding designer to create her prom dress?Only Jade would take such a risk, and it had paid off. The dress had been all anyone could talk about at prom. The excitement over my design had given me the extra boost of confidence to pursue my dream.
I wanted to design clothes for a living. According to Grace, it would be a complete waste of fucking time. Just thinking about her constant verbal barbs filled me with anger, pain, and fucking resentment. Her emotional abuse would have broken me by now if it weren’t for my dad’s love and nurturing.
Damn it! I miss him so much.
I blinked back the tears. It had been nearly a year, and I still couldn’t think about him without breaking down in a sobbing fit. Just trying to cope with his death had been rough on me. He had been my rock. Dealing with the psychological bullying from Grace had made coping with his untimely death and the trials of living without his protection nearly impossible.
But I was taking it one day at a time, and thanks to Jade’s moral support, I was surviving. Jade had been my best friend and my biggest fan since high school. We complemented each other despite the fact that Jade and I were just so…different.
Jade was the daughter of Ariana Bellisario—a philanthropist, heiress, and successful businesswoman—making Jade a member of the illustrious group of New York socialites whose monthly allowance was more than what most people would make in a year.
I, on the other hand, grew up in a middle-class family. They had been happy as shit when I’d received a scholarship to attend the ultra-elite private high school whose students included the children of celebrities and foreign dignitaries.
Our differences didn’t end there. Jade was beautiful and lithe, with shocking apple-green eyes. My olive-colored skin and features were more exotic—or what guys would call sensual. I could live with that description, but it was my tight, curvy body that caused me angst—well, that and the fact that I had more ass and breasts than should be allowed on any woman unless her lifelong ambition was to be a very well-paid stripper.
Jade was my bestie and my partner in crime. When she needed me, I was there just like she’d be for me. It’d been that way from the first day we met as freshmen in high school, and it would always be that way.
Jade jarred me out of my thoughts by screaming at the top of her lungs, “Sin! Are you fucking listening?”
I clutched my pearls. “Shit! Do you have to be so damn loud?” I snapped.
The cab driver scowled at me in the rearview mirror.
“Okay. Grumpy much?” Jade responded dryly.
I sighed. She was right. I should have been bouncing up and down with excitement. It was a huge life goal of mine to attend one of the best fashion schools in the country. I’d worked so hard for this day, and it was finally here.
“Now, how in the hell are you going to break the good news to Grace?” Jade asked.
And there it was, the motherfucking killjoy—my mom. My fingers twitched. Anxiously, I straightened my crisp oxford shirt and then smoothed down my black skirt as if I were somehow being scrutinized by her unforgiving glare.
“I don’t know.” I bit my bottom lip. “I’m on my way there now. Any suggestions?”
I felt sick to my stomach just from thinking about the inevitable confrontation. Our relationship had never been good. Grace wasn’t…well, motherly. Okay, the woman was plain narcissistic. She always had been, and she always would be.
“Number one—don’t let her mindfuck you, Sin. Stay true to your plan. You’re going to school.” Jade’s voice hardened. “You’ve worked too damn hard to let her dash away your dream.”
It hurt like hell to admit it, but I’d never gotten the sense that Grace loved me, and I damn sure never could do anything right in her eyes, no matter how hard I tried. And believe me, I’d tried. It was fucking embarrassing how hard I’d worked to be everything she expected me to be—flawless. I’d even dyed my long, naturally auburn hair blond like hers, which looked utterly ridiculous with my olive-colored skin and exotic features. What was worse was the sheer disdain in her eyes when she’d seen it. In comparison to her ethereal, porcelain looks, I wasn’t pretty enough or thin enough or smart enough. I just wasn’t enough…and, frankly, the truth hurt like a motherfucker.
I sat stiffly, clenching my fingers around my leather handbag. “You’re right. I have to be firm with her. I want to go to school. I just haven’t quite figured out how in the hell I’m going to pay the tuition.”
“Sin, just tell her you earned her help with paying the tuition. You’ve been busting your ass while assisting her in that overpriced teahouse for months. For fuck’s sake, she claimed she couldn’t afford to pay you, but then she went out and bought a luxury vehicle with cash.” Jade scoffed. “God, that woman is worse than my piece-of-shit father.”
My lips pursed just from thinking about how Grace had burned through the money from my dad’s life insurance settlement on extravagant purchases. Including a new condo with a homeowner’s association fee that was more than what most people paid for their monthly mortgage. To make matters worse, she was living way above the income generated from her new teahouse business.
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Thank you for giving me the swift kick in the ass I needed. You’re right. I must take care of me. God knows, if I don’t, she damn sure won’t.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Jade responded.
I sighed. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay. Remember, I have an audition today, but I’ll be home right after. I have a feeling this is going to get real ugly, so give me a call, or even better, stop by.”
“Shit! I’m sorry. I forgot your big audition is today. Get off the phone. You need to get your mind right. No more talking about my dysfunctional family.” I sighed heavily. “Thank you, Jade. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
