Page 13 of Out of Bounds
“Because he came at a time when things were happening, and you had a meltdown.” She tosses her long dark hair to the side and her soft blue eyes take me in with warm adoration.
If anyone else said that to me I’d deny it. I’m so used to defending myself. I don’t have to do that with Quinn because she’s never judged me.
She’s not doing it now either, which I’m grateful for.
“Lucille had just gotten engaged,” I fill in. I won’t tell her that her and Logan’s marriage and baby news also woke me up to reality.
I think she knows. I don’t have to say anything.
Anybody in my shoes would know I had that meltdown because suddenly all my friends were moving on with their lives and I was still stuck in a rut.
“Bree, you shouldn’t compare yourself to your cousin,” Quinn says.
“I don’t want to. I think I might not be inclined to either if my whole family with the exception of Aunt Shelby didn’t. It’s soul sucking. Not one of them can see me and appreciate me for who I am. It’s hard.”
More tears track down my cheeks. These ones are from the inadequacy I feel for being me.
Lucille is three years younger than me. She’s blonde, skinny as a rake with big boobs, and the epitome of beautiful. She has a degree in business but started her career doing pageants when she was sixteen. She then landed a modelling contract in L.A. eight years ago. That’s when life took off for her. Since then, she’s been the face of Dior, Chanel, Gucci, you name it they want her. And she’s had two small parts in Hollywood films.
Lucille is the highlight of the Dawson family, and she should be.
She’s achieved so much, and everyone is understandably proud. I am too even though I can’t stand the bitch. But what I hate is the comparison. Because we’re similar in age I’m constantly being compared to her. It’s always been that way.
This marriage thing threw me for a loop. I didn’t even think about her marrying a prince.
She has money, her career and love. All I’ve wanted since forever was one of those things—the career, and I don’t have that.
I was going to break up with Liev in a months’ time, but I was also thinking of closing down my salon and rethinking things.
I mentioned that part to Aunt Shelby only because we were talking about working together one day. Like me she’s a qualified beauty therapist and hair stylist. But she did further studies and has her own brand of homeopathic treatments.
Of all my relatives, as crazy as she is, I’m closest to her.
She moved to Wilmington earlier last year when she left husband number four.
“I have to get back on track. Right now, I want to think about my business,” I say.
“What are you going to do?”
“Think about the thing I can control the most. Kind of. I think I need to close the salon, Quinn. It’s not working.”
Quinn looks back at me with sad eyes. She inherited a lot of money from her late aunt, Lilly, who was like a mother to both of us. When she got it, she gave me some to help me. I used it to upgrade my salon but the problem in this town is there are too many of the same business.
We’re all in competition with each other and when you’re not part of the in crowd you’ve had it.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to look like I wasted the money you gave me.”
“I would never think that.”
“Thank you. I have some left. Enough for a deposit of sorts.”
“Sounds like you have some kind of plan already.”
“It was just a thought based on my original dream. I wanted to leave town. I don’t know if I should still do that. Lord knows it feels like if I stay I’ll just be stuck being the same old loser.”
“You are not a loser, Bree Dawson. You are a strong woman. A strong intelligent woman. Please summon the Bree I know. You need her.”
