Nick’s jaw tightened.
“Enough to prove Mom invented most of this.”
I opened the door.
“I’ll send her home.”
“Then bring her in.”
***
When we walked back into the dining room, Alicia stayed close behind me.
Nick picked up the microphone.
Martha saw Lydia beside him and went white.
“No.”
Caroline turned.
“Then bring her in.”
“Lydia?”
Nick didn’t waste time.
“Mom’s talked about Lydia through our entire relationship. Tonight, Lydia asked to speak for herself.”
Martha stepped forward.
“Nick, put that down.”
Lydia shook her head.
“Lydia?”
“No, Martha. You’ve spoken for me long enough.”
Caroline stared at her daughter.
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I wasn’t, Mom. Then Martha called me last week.”
Martha’s face tightened.
“I wasn’t, Mom.”
Lydia looked at me.
“She asked me to show up late, spend time around Nick, and make Jill wonder whether he’d chosen the wrong woman.”
My stomach dropped even though Nick had warned me.
Caroline turned sharply.
“You asked my daughter to do what?”
“She asked me to show up late.”
“I was trying to make Jillian understand reality.”
“Whose reality?” Lydia asked. “I’ve never wanted Nick.”
Martha scoffed.
“You would’ve been perfect together.”
“No. You would’ve liked that. That’s different.”
