Nicole curled her fingers into her palms. Unfortunately she knew exactly what was going on. This was the moment she’d dreaded. Why, oh why hadn’t she just said something before now?

She should have told the truth and explained everything to Milly, but she’d been afraid.

She’d been a coward.

And now she was paying the price because Richard showed no signs of holding back.

“Remember that time we were staying with her in LA? She overheard me talking to Avery, and she gave me an ultimatum. Leave Avery, or leave you. She forced me to choose.”

It shouldn’t have been so difficult to hear it because she’d replayed that conversation in her head so many times.

She knew it was bad, but somehow it sounded even worse when he said it.

The guilt was so intense she almost doubled over.

Richard was watching her. “And she threatened to tell you if I didn’t. And I knew she wasn’t bluffing, because you and she have always had an unnaturally close relationship.”

Milly’s breathing was shallow. “It’s called friendship, Richard. There’s nothing unnatural about it.”

“The two of you were closer than sisters. From the first moment you introduced us I could tell she didn’t want me around.”

Nicole felt the ground shift.

“That isn’t true.” She somehow managed to find her voice. “That is not true.”

“Isn’t it? Why don’t you just admit it, Nicole? Milly is the only person in your life who has stuck by you. None of your relationships last. Your own mother didn’t want anything to do with you. Milly was all you had, and you didn’t want to share her with anyone. You were jealous of me. Of my relationship with her. Of what we had together. You have always been jealous because you thought I came between the two of you. You wanted me to leave her so that you could have her all to yourself.”

His words made her shrink.

“That’s not what happened.” Outrage drove her to defend herself. “You were betraying her trust. I wanted you to be honest with her, that’s all. To make a choice. Is that so wrong? I didn’t want you lying to Milly. I wanted the best for her.”

His words rang in her head. Your own mother didn’t want anything to do with you.

She wanted to cover her ears with her hands to block it out. It was as if he’d jabbed a knife deep into the most vulnerable parts of her and then twisted it.