Chapter 32
579words
He nodded, understanding what I wasn't saying—that I still felt vulnerable, that having him close would give me strength.
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The café in Lakeville was a charming place with exposed brick walls and mismatched vintage furniture. Rebecca was already there when we arrived, sitting at a corner table with her back to the wall—a habit from her modeling days, always aware of who might be watching.
She stood when she saw us, her usual poise faltering slightly. "Liv. Nathan. Thank you for coming."
Nathan squeezed my hand. "I'll be at the counter if you need me," he said quietly, then nodded to Rebecca before moving away, giving us privacy while remaining within sight.
I sat across from my sister, really looking at her for the first time in months. There was a vulnerability to her I'd rarely seen, a crack in the flawless facade she presented to the world.
"You look good," she said. "Better than at the hospital."
"I'm healing," I replied simply.
Rebecca fidgeted with her coffee cup. "Liv, I don't even know where to begin. What I did—lying about being pregnant, letting you believe Nathan had betrayed you—it was unforgivable."
"Then why did you do it?" I asked, the question that had been haunting me for days.
She took a shaky breath. "The easy answer is that Victor threatened me. He knew about my financial problems, knew I was desperate. But that's not the whole truth." She looked down at her hands. "The truth is, I've always been jealous of you, Liv. Always."
This confession surprised me. "Jealous? Of me? You were the beautiful one, the successful one. Mom and Dad's favorite."
Rebecca laughed bitterly. "Is that what you thought? God, Liv, I was always trying to live up to you. You were the smart one, the one with purpose. You knew exactly who you were and what you wanted. I was just... decorative."
"That's not true," I protested.
"It is," she insisted. "You became a doctor, helping people, making a difference. I became a model because it was the only thing I was good at—being looked at. And then you found Nathan..." She trailed off, looking ashamed.
"You had feelings for him," I said, the realization dawning. "That's why you agreed to Victor's plan."
She nodded miserably. "I told myself it was just about the money, about saving my career. But part of me thought... if you and Nathan were truly over, maybe someday..."
The admission should have angered me, but instead, I felt a strange sense of clarity. "You never had a chance with him, you know," I said quietly. "Even when we were separated, even when he thought I hated him—his heart was always mine."
"I know that now," Rebecca said, tears filling her eyes. "I've seen the way he looks at you. No one has ever looked at me that way, Liv. Not once in my entire life."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," she continued. "I don't deserve it. But I am asking for a chance to make things right. To be the sister you deserve."
I studied her face, searching for any sign of deception. But all I saw was regret and hope—the same hope I'd been feeling myself these past few days.
"I don't know if things can ever be the same between us," I said honestly. "But I'm willing to try. Slowly."
