Chapter 5: What Lacey Carried
Lacey came to the door just after seven the next morning.
Uncle Roy was asleep in the armchair by the entrance.
He woke the moment she knocked, but I was already up.
I'd barely slept.
I opened the door.
She looked like she hadn't slept either.
Her bridesmaid dress was gone, replaced by jeans and a grey sweater.
Her eyes were swollen.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
I stepped back.
She came inside and stood near the window, not sitting, not moving toward me.
Uncle Roy looked at me.
I nodded once.
He went into the bathroom and closed the door.
Lacey said, "I need to tell you everything."
"Then tell me."
She pressed her lips together.
"The kiss — it wasn't what you think.
It was one night, six weeks ago.
We'd all had too much to drink at the engagement party planning dinner, and he—" She stopped.
"It doesn't matter how it started.
I let it happen.
That's on me."
"Did it happen more than once?"
A pause that lasted too long.
"Once more.
The week after.
I ended it.
I told him it was a mistake and I never wanted to speak about it again."
"And then you sent him a message the night before my wedding."
Her face crumpled.
"I sent it because I was scared.
I was scared he was going to say something to you himself, on his own terms, and make it sound like more than it was.
I wanted to remind him we had agreed to stay quiet."
"You wanted to protect yourself."
"Yes." Her voice broke.
"I wanted to protect myself.
I'm not going to lie to you about that."
I looked at her for a long moment.
My sister.
The person I had asked to stand beside me at the altar.
"Did you know about Daniel?" I asked.
"Not until three months ago.
He told me after the second time.
I think he told me because he wanted leverage.
Something to hold over me so I wouldn't say anything." She wiped her face with the back of her hand.
"I told him to tell you.
I told him twice.
He said he would handle it."
"And you believed him."
"I wanted to believe him.
Because if I didn't, I had to tell you myself, and I—" She stopped again.
"And you were afraid of what that would cost you."
She didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
I sat down on the edge of the bed.
The folder was still on the coffee table.
Lacey's eyes went to it and then away.
"The money," I said.
"Did you know about that?"
"No." Her voice was immediate, certain.
"Claire, I swear to you.
I had no idea about any of that."
I believed her.
I wasn't sure why, exactly, but I did.
"He's been taking from Dad's trust," I said.
"For four years."
Lacey went very still.
"How much?"
"I don't know yet.
Grace is going to find out today."
"Who is Grace?"
"My attorney.
Renata brought her."
Lacey sat down slowly in the chair by the window.
She looked at her hands.
"I didn't know Renata existed until last night.
I swear that's the truth."
"I believe you."
She looked up.
"That doesn't mean I'm not furious with you," I said.
"I am.
I don't know yet what that means for us.
But I believe you about Renata."
She nodded.
Her eyes filled again.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"I'm going to Grace's office this morning.
I'm going to find out exactly what he took and how.
And then I'm going to get it back."
"And Ethan?"
"He'll have his own problems to deal with."
Lacey was quiet for a moment.
Then: "He called me this morning.
Before I came here."
I looked at her.
"He told me to tell you the folder was fabricated.
He said if you go to a lawyer, he'll tell everyone that I was the one who arranged the whole thing.
That I put the photographs in the cake to destroy the wedding out of jealousy." Her jaw tightened.
"He said he has texts from me that he can make look like anything he wants."
There it was.
"What did you say to him?" I asked.
Lacey met my eyes.
For the first time since she'd walked in, she looked completely steady.
May you like
"I told him to go ahead," she said.
"And then I called a lawyer of my own."
