Betty’s POV
The quiet murmur of voices drifted from the living room as I walked downstairs, my steps slowing when I realized it was Dad and Jeanette.
“I want this to work out, Jeanette. I want you and Stacey to be part of Betty’s life. You both matter to me.”
I sighed, a mix of frustration and guilt twisting inside me. Dad was trying so hard to bridge this gap, but sometimes it only made things worse.
I walked into the kitchen, trying to shake off the heaviness. Stacey was already there, sitting at the kitchen island with a plate of breakfast in front of her, scrolling through her phone. She glanced up, giving me a brief, unreadable look. Just as I was about to cook myself something, Stacey let out a heavy sigh and picked up an extra serving of scrambled eggs, pushing the plate toward me. “Here,” she mumbled, almost grudgingly. “I made extra.”
I raised an eyebrow, not moving to take it. “No, thanks.”.
She narrowed her eyes, irritation flickering in her gaze, but she put on a tight smile. “Fine. I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have… meddled yesterday.”
“Yesterday? Stacey, you’ve been meddling since the moment I moved here.”
Her face hardened, and for a second, I saw that familiar glint of hostility. She shoved her plate aside, dropping the pretense of politeness. “What the hell is your problem, Betty? Bitch.”
“There she is. The real Stacey. Don’t pretend we’re sisters.”
She dropped her gaze for a second, fidgeting with her fork. “Look, I’m done with all this drama, okay? You can have Marcus or whatever—I’m not getting in your way. Just leave me out of it.”
She sounded like she was truly tired of the games but I couldn’t bring myself to believe her entirely. “Doing it for me, huh?” I said sarcastically, crossing my arms.
“Not for you.” She sighed. “For my mom. And for your dad. I’m really sorry, okay?”
Dad and Jeanette walked in, surprised to find us both there. Dad’s eyes lit up with surprise and, maybe, hope. “Girls, heading to campus so early?”
“Yeah,” Stacey replied. “I promised Brent I’d watch his tryout.” The words hit me like a punch. How had I forgotten about that? And had Brent invited Stacey? The same Brent who had always been my best friend, who had known how much this all meant to me?
Dad’s voice cut through my thoughts, sounding pleased. “Great! I have some free time this morning. I’ll drive you both to campus.”