The Best of Friends

by Susan Mallery

  Ariel wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You’re right. He picked me, not you. I have to remember that. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Ariel sniffed. “Any cute guys I can flirt with inside?”

  “Cute? Not so much. But there are plenty of rich ones.”

  Ariel smiled briefly, then went into the party. Rebecca leaned against the building and wondered what she was supposed to do next. Fate answered that question in the form of her mother, who stepped out onto the sidewalk.

  “There you are. Everyone’s asking about you. I went to all this trouble to invite these people. The least you can do is mingle.”

  “Fine. Sure. I’ll mingle.”

  Elizabeth studied her. “Are you all right?”

  “Never better.”

  “David is still angry,” Elizabeth said, following her daughter inside. “This problem has to be fixed.”

  “Agreed.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  There was no “we.” At least that’s what she wanted to say. Only there was. They were the only ones who saw the potential for disaster and were willing to head it off.

  “I’ll talk to Jayne,” Rebecca said. “She’ll understand why she has to break things off with David.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  “Then I’ll get nasty.”

  Eighteen

  JAYNE SAT IN THE waiting room, her hand tightly holding Lori’s. The eighteen-year-old shook slightly, although she was trying not to show her nervousness.

  Three years ago, Lori had been referred to the breast center by her pediatrician after she’d found a lump in her breast. Lori had been one of the very rare cases of teenagers with breast cancer. Surgery, radiation, and a lot of prayer later, she had been pronounced cancer-free. But twice yearly mammograms were required.

  Normally Jayne performed the mammograms, then took her break right after so she could keep Lori and her mom company while they waited for the radiologist’s report. Today, she was acting as a friend rather than a nurse. Lori’s mom was away on a last-minute business trip.

  “I know it’s fine,” Lori said, speaking quickly. “I’m healthy, I eat right, I rest. I’m playing softball with my sorority.” She smiled. “We’re not really great players, but we look good in the shorts and T-shirts. Last week we were playing Sigma Pi—that’s one of the fraternities—and we were really behind. I hit a high fly ball. Mia was on second base, and when she saw the outfielder was about to catch it, she lifted her T-shirt and flashed her boobs. The guy dropped the ball.”

  Jayne laughed. “Whatever it takes to win.”

  “I don’t want to be sick,” Lori pleaded.

  “I know.”

  Katie walked into the waiting room. They both looked at her. In her most professional voice Katie said, “If you’ll come with me, please.” Because all information was given privately, in an exam room. But right before she turned to lead the way, she gave Lori a big thumbs-up.

  The teen exhaled sharply. “Did you see that?” she asked in a whisper.

  “I did. Good news.”

  Better than good. With this “all clear,” Lori could switch to annual mammograms. She would always have to be more careful than most young women her age, but the immediate threat had passed.

  Later, when Lori had left and Jayne had said good-bye to her friends, she walked toward her car. Her cell phone rang. She looked at it, already guessing the caller was David. Sure enough, his name and number flashed on the screen.

  As much as she wanted to pick up the call, she knew there wasn’t any point. They didn’t have anything to say to each other. Nothing that would change their circumstances. He was a Worden, with a history and a future that involved being rich and selling diamonds. She was a radiology nurse who wanted a level of normal he couldn’t provide. She was leaving town in a few weeks, and his life was here. She pushed the Ignore button and kept walking.

  Only to stumble to a stop when she saw Rebecca waiting by her car.

  “When you weren’t at home, I thought you might be here,” Rebecca said.

  Fierce gladness rushed through her. She’d missed her friend, had missed talking to her and laughing with her. Sure, Rebecca had been a total bitch, but it wasn’t the first time. There was only one reason for her to be here, and that was to make things right. Rebecca wouldn’t apologize—hardly her style. But she would get her point across.

  Jayne knew that for the friendship to continue, she was going to have to have a serious talk with her. Put up some boundaries, that sort of thing. But later. Right now she just wanted to be happy to see her friend.

  “I had to meet with a patient,” Jayne said.

  “You’re working?”

  “Part time.”

  Rebecca leaned against Jayne’s Jetta. “I want to talk to you about what happened before.”

  “All right.”

  “You’re taking it wrong. You know you can’t be with David. Whatever is going on between the two of you is just a game to him. Practically a joke. It was never going to be serious.”

  If Jayne were smart, she would get a big, fat L tattooed on her forehead. L for loser, as a reminder. She would see it every morning and know that her relationship with any member of the Worden family, but especially with Elizabeth and Rebecca, was a party for one.

  They weren’t friends. How many times did she have to have that information thrown in her face before she would believe it? Why was she so damned slow? Rebecca Worden was not her friend and had never been her friend.

  A friend was someone who loved you. A greeting card sentiment based in truth. Love meant giving more than receiving. Loving someone was about wanting the best for the other person—something Rebecca would never understand and had never practiced.

  “You’re great,” Rebecca continued, “totally wonderful. Just not for him. You’d never fit in. You know that, right? The parties, the social thing. You hate that. You wouldn’t know what to say or how to dress. Mom would make your life a living hell, and eventually she would wear David down. He’s not strong enough to stand up to her. Am I making sense?”

  “Every word is crystal clear.”

  Rebecca smiled. Actually smiled, as if they were connecting on an important level. “You’re so important to me. I really care about you and your happiness. And David is not the guy to make you happy. This is better. You know that, right? Plus, hey, if you two fall for each other, where does that leave me?”

  Jayne was pretty sure Rebecca meant that last comment as a joke, but it was the first honest thing she’d said.

  “I’m doing this out of love,” Rebecca added.

  “Interesting,” Jayne said slowly. “It’s not how I define love, but I’m not like you, so what do I know?”

  “Are you mad?”

  “No, I wouldn’t say mad defines how I feel. Disappointed works. I also feel very foolish. I still remember the first day we met, when I was wearing your hand-me-downs. I was terrified you were going to make fun of me and let everyone know I was the daughter of a housekeeper. But you didn’t. You talked to me and were nice, and I was so grateful. Too grateful, because I didn’t see you for who you really are.”

  Rebecca bristled. “I’ve been a damned good friend.”

  “Better than I deserve?” Jayne asked, raising her eyebrows. “Let me rephrase that. Better than someone like me deserves?”

  Rebecca pressed her lips together.

  “I’ll take that as a yes,” Jayne said. She supposed this was like ripping off a bandage. Better to do it fast and get all the pain over with at once.

  “You liked hanging out with me because it made you feel better about yourself,” she said. “I was dependable. I understood.”

  “You’re not the martyr in this,” Rebecca told her. “You got plenty out of our friendship. You lived in the big house like real rich people; you pretended my parents were yours, too. You like living on the fringes, Jayne. It makes you feel you belong without all that messy re
sponsibility. You can come and go as you please, bad-mouthing us when we don’t live up to your standards. It’s easy to be critical when you’re always on the outside.”

  “Do you think that’s where I wanted to be?” Jayne demanded. “Do you think the vacations and used clothes were worth it? Does it occur to you I would have preferred a ratty one-bedroom apartment with my mother than living in that big house with you? I had no one. Yes, I pretended you were my family because the alternative was to be totally alone. I accept responsibility for that. Somehow I allowed myself to get sucked into a relationship with your family. My mistake was not ending things long ago.”

  A mistake she had paid for in blood, she thought grimly. “Somewhere along the way, I decided that being alone was the worst thing in the world. That I would do anything to be one of you. It was never about the money, although I don’t expect you to believe that.”

  “Of course it was about the money,” Rebecca told her contemptuously. “You loved being able to say you knew me, knew my family. It gave you power with your other friends. Something special that they didn’t have.”

  Maybe she was right, Jayne thought sadly. Maybe she’d needed the Wordens to feel special.

  “My goal was to belong,” Jayne said quietly. “To be a part of something, in whatever form that took. At some point, I sold out who I was for that connection. I’ll take responsibility for my actions. I gave too much of myself for too little. Which is why I’m leaving. Because I need a clean break.”

  “Oh, please.” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “You’re not interested in a clean break. You want to trap David into marrying you. Are you going to fake a pregnancy?”

  There it was—the end point. With her words came pain, but no real surprise. Only sadness and regret. A list of “might have beens.”

  “You’ve known me since high school,” Jayne said. “You’ve seen me at my worst and my best, and yet you ask that question? You’re right—the rich are different. There’s a lot less character development. You don’t have to bother with it because you don’t have anything to earn.”

  Jayne stepped around the other woman and opened her car door. She got in. Rebecca stared at her for a long time, then walked away. A few seconds later, a midnight blue Mercedes sped past and she was gone.

  Jayne dropped her head to the steering wheel and gave in to the tears burning in her eyes. She cried for what was lost. For a friend who was no more. But mostly she cried for what she’d never had at all.

  Still puffy and feeling more than a little broken inside, Jayne drove to Beverly Hills and found a parking space right in front of the Worden store. It was a miracle, or maybe just a sign. Either way, she was going to finish up things with the rest of the family and then be done. In three short weeks, she would be moving to Texas. Better to break things off cleanly now, she told herself.

  Once inside, she told one of the sales associates that she was there to see David. Less than a minute later, he came through the showroom and walked toward her.

  As always, her entire body sighed in appreciation at the sight of him. Tall, blond, movie-star handsome. Completely crush-worthy. Of course she’d fallen for him years ago. He was the male ideal. Now she was in love with the man behind the pretty exterior, but that was a problem for another day. Once all this was over, she would figure out a way to heal and move on with her life. Teenage Lori had beaten breast cancer. Somehow Jayne could get over David Worden.

  He smiled as he approached, making it tough to breathe. Then he took her hand in his and pulled her into one of the private rooms off to the side. Places where the very rich could sit and think about their two- or three-million-dollar purchase without being disturbed by the general public.

  The space was small, with a sofa, a couple of chairs, and a table. The lighting was soft, and there were mirrors on the wall—all the better to see the glittery jewelry—and real china for coffee or a snack. Spend a couple million at Worden’s and they gave you a cookie.

  “I’ve been leaving you messages,” he said, closing the door behind them and staring into her eyes. “I was starting to feel like a stalker.”

  She wished she could smile, or maybe had thought to touch up her makeup. No doubt she was blotchy and puffy.

  David reached up and brushed his fingers along her cheek. “Have you been crying?”

  “Yes, but that’s not why I’m here,” she said. “Or maybe it is. I don’t know anymore.”

  He took her other hand in his. “Let me talk, Jayne. I’m sorry about Rebecca. I’m sorry she can be such a bitch, and I’m sorry you had to hear that. But I’m not willing to let her come between us. I meant what I said. I love you.”

  The words should have been magic, and this should have been the happiest day of her life. There should be flowers and singing birds and music. Instead, she felt only dread and resignation.

  She pulled her hands free, then cupped his face. She could feel the beginning of stubble on his jaw, see the small scar by his upper lip. His eyes were still that impossible color of blue, the lashes gold-tipped.

  “You’re better than the fantasy,” she told him. “But I meant what I said, too. You’re not worth it. We have to break the cycle here. Now. We’re not going to see each other anymore. I’m leaving in a few weeks, and you’ll find some perfectly nice girl to marry. I wish you all the best, David. I want you to be happy and live your life.”

  “You’re going to let them win?”

  “I’m not willing to let myself lose. I have to do what’s best for me. I want that to be you, believe me. But it’s not.”

  He grabbed her shoulders. “I don’t accept that. I want you to date me, not Rebecca or my mother.”

  “I can’t have one without the other, and I’m finished with them.”

  “I won’t let you go.”

  “You don’t have a choice.”

  “But I love you.”

  The Worden moment, she thought sadly. It was in-escapable. “This isn’t about you,” she said, pulled free, then left.

  * * *

  Elizabeth sipped her cocktail. “Rebecca says that Jayne swears she and David aren’t seeing each other anymore. I’m hopeful, but I can’t be sure until I talk to David, and I want to give him space. I don’t suppose he said anything at the office today?”

  Blaine continued to read his magazine.

  Elizabeth glared at him. “Blaine, I’m speaking to you.”

  “What?” He glanced up, looking over his reading glasses like an old man. “I wasn’t listening.”

  “Obviously.” She glanced at her watch. Dinner was late. She was going to have to have another talk with Carmine. The woman was getting tiresome. “I was saying that I think David and Jayne aren’t seeing each other anymore, but I’m not sure. Did you and he discuss that today at work?”

  “David broke up with Jayne? Why? I thought they were good together.”

  The man was an idiot. Despite the family name and money, he was a total fool. If she wasn’t around to monitor him, he wouldn’t be able to get dressed in the morning.

  “They’re not good together. They’re a disaster. Which isn’t the point. Has your son said anything?”

  “No.”

  “Will you ask him?”

  “Ask me yourself, Mother.”

  David walked into the living room and paused by the sofa.

  Elizabeth felt his anger from several feet away, but she smiled so he wouldn’t know. “David, darling. How nice to see you. Are you here for dinner? You didn’t call, but I’m sure there’s plenty. You know how Carmine loves to cook for twenty.”

  “I’m not interested in dinner. I want to talk to you.”

  Blaine stood. “Something to drink?” he asked.

  “No.” David’s gaze slid back to Elizabeth. “You’re going to back off, Mother. Starting now. You and Rebecca have no part of this.”

  She sipped her drink. “Sit down. You’re hysterical.”

  “This is my life. Stop screwing with it.”

&nbs
p; She stiffened. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me.”

  “Blaine, are you listening to this? Your son is being disrespectful.”

  Blaine walked to the cabinet by the window and poured himself another drink. “What have you done this time, Elizabeth?”

  “Me? Nothing but worry about those I love.” She was doing her best to keep her only son from making a disastrous mistake, but did they appreciate that? Of course not.

  “She and Rebecca have been doing their damnedest to break up Jayne and me, and they’ve succeeded.”

  Confirmation at last, Elizabeth thought with relief. Excellent.

  “Jayne won’t see me. She says it’s over.”

  “Then I don’t see the problem,” Elizabeth said. “I know it’s always difficult to lose the girl, but there are so many others out there. Appropriate young women with good families. I have several names and numbers for you.”

  “I can get my own girl, Mother. I don’t need your help. What I do need is for you to stay out of my life.”

  She rose and faced him. “So you can do what? Marry Jayne Scott? There’s a disaster. I should have known this was going to happen. She’s always been one to sneak around and slip into places she wasn’t wanted. She’s been using us for years, just waiting for an opportunity.”

  “Are you actually listening to what you’re saying?” David asked. “Jayne isn’t anything like that, and you know it. She’s been a part of this family for twelve years. In all that time she’s been kind and loyal. She’s been your unquestioning lapdog, and you’ve never appreciated her.”

  “Jayne’s a good girl,” Blaine said. “I’ve always liked her.”

  “How lovely for you,” Elizabeth said, wishing he would go back to his stupid magazine. “I know the truth. She’s after money and power, and you’re her way to get it. She’s been planning this for years. She’s been living her whole life in anticipation of trapping you.”

  “You’re wrong,” David said. “Were you always like this? A blind snob who assumes the worst about everyone?”

  Elizabeth drew back. “Don’t speak to me like that.”