Golden Lies - Barbara Freethy [73]
But she was a fool, too. She should have made sure that the connection between Alyssa Chen and David could never be made. She'd slipped up. Now Paige knew about the whole sordid mess. It was embarrassing and awkward, and Victoria dreaded the conversation she knew was coming. Paige would want to talk about the affair, the last thing Victoria cared to discuss with her daughter. Her marriage was personal and private and none of Paige's business.
"Damn you, David," she said aloud. "The least you could do is have the guts to wake up and face this mess you've created."
"Do you really think yelling at him is the best approach?" Paige asked as she entered the room.
"I've run out of other ideas," Victoria retorted, glad to see Paige was alone. She suspected that Riley McAllister was behind her daughter's newfound knowledge, and she resented his intrusion into their lives. "What's wrong?" she asked, noting a flush on her daughter's cheeks.
"I ran into some reporters downstairs."
"You didn't tell them anything, did you?"
"Not really. Martin cut them off at the knees." Victoria nodded approvingly. "He's a very smart businessman. Where is he?"
"He said he'd be by later. How is Dad?"
"I don't know. The same, I guess."
They both glanced down at David, who seemed to be barely breathing. "He sleeps so deeply," Paige murmured. "You're worried, aren't you?"
"I'd feel better if he was awake." Victoria felt Paige's gaze on her face, but she didn't want to look into her daughter's eyes and see the questions there. "Now isn't the time," she muttered.
"I wasn't going to ask."
"Thank you for that."
"But you knew, didn't you?"
"I thought you weren't going to ask."
"I'm sorry. It's just so confusing. I believed our family was so solid, so secure."
"Our family is fine. A few bumps in the road along the way, but nothing more than that." Victoria looked at her daughter's worried face. "We are Hathaways, Paige. And we're survivors. Don't ever forget that."
"I hope Dad hasn't forgotten. What would we do without him?"
"Hopefully, we won't have to find out."
"You still love him a little, don't you?"
"Good heavens, why would you ask that?" "That's not an answer, Mother. Do you still love him?"
"We've been married for thirty-one years. Love isn't that easy to define at my age."
"I don't think it should be that difficult, either."
Some latent motherly instinct made her want to reassure Paige. "Your father and I are not going to split up. We'll never get a divorce, if that's what you're worried about."
"Because you love him, or because you want to be a Hathaway?"
"I am a Hathaway. I'm more a Hathaway than he is. I've worked hard to be one. I won't give it up. I don't care how many women and daughters come out of the woodwork."
"I guess I have my answer."
"No, you don't have your answer." Victoria took a deep breath. "I love him, and I hate him. I can't help it. I'm sure he feels much the same way. We've shared some of the best days of our lives and some of the worst. We understand each other, and yet we don't. We make each other laugh, and we make each other cry."
"I guess that's better than feeling nothing."
"Sometimes I'd rather feel nothing." Victoria stared down at the familiar lines of her husband's face and realized that what she felt was fear. She didn't want to lose David. She didn't want him to die.
"Damn you, David, wake up. Wake up and answer your daughter's questions." She smiled at Paige, and for the first time in a long while there was a connection between them. "I shouldn't be the only one on the hot seat. He has a lot more to answer for than I do."
"That's for sure." Paige put her hand on her father's arm. "Come on, Daddy. Open your eyes. We need you."
"Oh, my God," Victoria whispered as David's eyelids began to flicker. "I think he's trying to wake up." She leaned over in excitement. "David? Can you hear me?"
His eyelids moved. Another blink and she was staring into his brown eyes.
"Jasmine," he said, and then his eyes shut again.
"You bastard," Victoria hissed. "You