Thorne Princess(114)

“Only with Hera, it was…different. She stayed close. She didn’t want to live far away. She sought my attention and advice actively, so it was easier to form a closer relationship with her. I foolishly believed if I gave you your space, you’d come to me eventually. That we would have a relationship. A part of me even resented you—my own daughter—for your lack of interest in me and my accomplishments. Instead of trying to figure out a way to you, I was waiting for you to find a way to me. I am so sorry. I never meant to cause you harm. I genuinely believed putting you through some tests that would label you a certain way would harm your self-esteem, not elevate it. I trusted in my way with such conviction, I couldn’t imagine, for a moment, a scenario where I could be wrong. I am so sorry, Hallie. If you just give me the chance, I know I can make the situation better. For both of us. Start over fresh.”

Again, I said nothing. It was a lot to process. My gaze was pinned on Hera. She was the only one who hadn’t said anything. A part of me didn’t think she would. Hallmark movies aside, people didn’t usually have epiphanies. Light bulb moments or defining points where they suddenly knew what to say and what to do. And recognizing your own errors was especially hard.

Cautiously, Hera opened her mouth. But instead of an apology, something else entirely came out.

“I hate my life.”

The words rang around the room, seeping into the walls.

“I’ve always hated my life,” she said, sitting a little straighter. “I’ve taken the opposite path from you, Hallie. You were always about making your own mark in the world, living your life as you saw fit, exploring who you are. I only wanted to be a part of the Thorne legacy. I wanted to become someone Mom and Dad would be proud of. But on my way to it, I forgot to figure out who I really was.”

She didn’t look at any of us but continued talking as if in some sort of a trance.

“I went to med school because it looked great on paper. I dated Craig because the story was amazing—childhood sweethearts, ski vacations together from age nine. I stuck around Mom and Dad, even though I missed the East Coast every day. I wanted to be the perfect one. The good one. And I paid a terrible price for it. But I think, out of all the damage I’ve done…” She licked her lips, her eyes glittering unshed tears. “The most awful was that somewhere along the way, I became a horrible person. A person who didn’t care about anything but her image. A monster that fed on its own misery. I’m really sorry, Hallie. You didn’t deserve this. Not the bad treatment, or my doubt, or my attitude. I’d been horrible to you in the past, for no other reason than wanting to be the best and hating the competition. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I let my insecurities ruin everything.”

This was the time to say something important and profound. But I couldn’t find the words. So…I said nothing.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes. I used the time to get used to their presence.

Hera spoke first, wiping at her wet eyes.

“Gosh, this is awkward. Let’s grab something to eat. I didn’t eat any of the private plane food. It looked like it had sat in the fridge for years.”

It put a smile on my face, despite my best efforts.

“Bunny, do you know a place?” Mom asked.

“Well, yes, but it’s vegetarian.”

“All the better.” Dad stood up. “Getting tired of all that red meat.”

I took them to an Indian restaurant, where I ate my weight in Chole, rice, and baked samosas. I enjoyed the food so much I wanted to weep. I hadn’t eaten out in weeks. Maybe months. Fine dining had become a luxury I couldn’t afford.

My family must’ve picked up on the rabid animal vibes, because my dad patted the corners of his mouth clean, pretending like it wasn’t a huge deal that he was here, in this little neighborhood restaurant with no less than three secret service agents watching us.

“You know, you can always get an allowance from us. It doesn’t have to be an extravagant one.”

“No, thank you.” I set my fork down onto the table, too full to breathe. “I won’t take your money, but…” I glanced between the three members of my truly screwed-up family. “I’ll share your company. Maybe. Baby steps and all.”

Hera smiled. “Baby steps.”

“So…” Dad cleared his throat. “Are we going to talk about the kidnapping scare?”

Eh. I hadn’t discussed it with anyone, other than the police for a statement and some follow-up questions. Weirdly—or maybe not so weirdly—I wasn’t even worried about being a target. Traumatized—yes. It was pretty horrible to go through all that. But not scared. I knew the incident had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Ransom. And besides, everyone who took part in the kidnapping operation was locked up and awaiting trial on hefty charges. I heard the DA was stitching up an airtight case against Kozlov.

“It was barely two hours,” I minimized.

“Still,” Dad said. “I cannot imagine what you went through in those hours.”

“It wasn’t the highlight of my life. No.” I became cagey and uncooperative. I knew where the conversation was going.

“Ransom saved the day,” Mom stated. I didn’t reply. “Yet…you decided it was best you part ways with him. How come?”