“Emmett, what’s going on?” I huff as I slide into the car.
“Vivian texted me,” he states flatly. “She’s at my house.”
“What do you mean!? Why? How did she get into your house!?” I know something serious is wrong, but I can’t see past my rage that Vivian is texting him this late…from his house.
“She just said she was there and that we needed to come right away,” he answers dismissively as he speeds along.
“Are you crazy!?” I cry, wondering if I heard him correctly. “This could be some kind of set-up! Pull over and ask her to tell you what’s going on before we just barge in there.”
“Ophelia, Bernadette could be home.” He sighs and drags a hand through his hair. “Or maybe she found something that could tell us where she is. I can’t waste any time! Let’s just go.”
“Or maybe Vivian is the reason your sister is missing,” I thunder back. “And all of this is just a ploy to make you disappear, too!”
He ignores me and continues driving. I wish I could do something to make him stop. Everything about this feels like a trap to me, but he just won’t see it. Why is he so blind when it comes to her?
We pull up to the manor and park behind Vivian’s car. It’s strange to see all the windows lit up inside, knowing how little life is actually left here now. But the entire house is still buzzing with the staff, carrying about their usual business as if nothing has changed.
Vivian is curled up on the couch in the sitting room and perks up the moment we come in. Her cheeks are red and wet, and I realize I don’t think I’ve ever seen her cry before.
“What’s going on?” Emmett asks as he rushes towards her. She doesn’t hesitate to throw herself into his arms, making me sick.
“It’s your mom,” she sniffles. “I think something could have happened to her.”
“What? How do you know?” His eyes light up with panic as he hangs on her every word.
“I had borrowed a dress from her a few days ago,” she explains, her voice cracking, “and we had plans for me to meet her here to return it tonight. We were talking just up until a couple of hours ago, but when I got here, she was nowhere to be found. The staff haven’t seen her.”
“Oh god, Emmett…” I groan too harshly. “This is obviously just an attempt for her to get your attention. That doesn’t mean anything! Something could have come up, or maybe she just forgot you were meeting. You can’t just assume something happened to her.”
“Shut up, Ophelia! You don’t even know her!” Vivian hisses at me, her eyes daring me to say another word. But then she softens and turns back to Emmett, like putty in his hands. “I’m telling you…something is off about this. She wouldn’t have just run off without saying anything if we had plans to meet up.”
“What are you doing still hanging out with his mom anyway?” I can’t stop myself from interjecting again. “Jeez, you’re desperate. When are you going to get it, Vivian? Emmett isn’t with you anymore. He’s never going to be yours again.”
“Why did you even bring her with you!?” Vivian asks him with a furrowed brow.
“Because I’m his girlfriend!” I remind her vehemently. “I have every right to be here. You’re the one who shouldn’t be here.”
“Just stop it, you two!” he barks, slicing his hand through the air in a demand for silence. “Vivian…you asked around the house? No one else has seen her?”
She shakes her head, staring off into the corner of the room. “Not since this morning.” But her eyes turn back to his with a desperation that makes me squirm. “I’ve known your mom my whole life, Emmett. She’s not the type to just vanish like this when we had plans. I waited around here for a while and tried to get a hold of her, but she’s not answering any of my texts or calls. This just isn’t like her. I’m afraid something bad has happened.”
“Thanks for calling me,” he says softly, laying her head on his chest to comfort her. I think I might scream, run over, and rip them apart. I know that just a short while ago, it felt like Vivian couldn’t touch what we share together, but it worries me to see him fall for her scheme so easily.
“I can’t believe you’re falling for this bullshit, Emmett!” I shout out, unable to hold my words back. “You said your mom has been acting weird ever since Bernadette went missing. It’s understandable. She’s paranoid about everyone in the town…maybe even including you, Vivian. She has no one to go to for help, and she’s scared for her daughter! Of course, she’s going to do some things that are out of character. This is just a sick and twisted ploy to get Emmett to come running back to you.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she snarls, “so why don’t you just run back to wherever you came from and stop trying to stick your nose in things you know nothing about! You don’t know anything about Jameson, or Emmett, or our families!”
“I know enough to spot some desperate girl grasping at straws to get his attention,” I bite back, refusing to let her make me feel small again. There are plenty of things about Emmett and me she could never understand, and I’m tired of her acting like she has a monopoly on suffering because her privileged life came crashing down.
I want her to fight back so he can see who she really is, but she’s too smart for that. She has Emmett exactly where she wants him, and she’s not going to let him go this time. She breaks down into tears, crashing her head back against his chest. I swear I see her flash a conniving smile over his shoulder, but I can’t be sure if I’m just imagining it or not.
“I’m just upset. You understand, don’t you?” she begs between tears. “Something doesn’t feel right about this! I’m worried about her, Emmett. You know we’ve always been close.”
“I know,” he hums, rubbing her back.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” I explode. Every bone in my body wants to beat her right here in this living room until she shows her true colors. I’m not buying a single word she says.
“Enough, Ophelia!” Emmett scolds, but I’m not backing down.
“Fuck you, Emmett,” I growl. “She’s obviously playing you, and you’re too blind to see it.”
“Some winner of a girlfriend you’ve got there, Emmett,” Vivian scoffs bitterly. “Your sister is missing and now your mom could be, too, and all she cares about is coming in between us.”
“I don’t have to come in between you! There’s nothing to come in between!” I insist in a shrill tone. “It’s over, Vivian! When are you going to get that through your thick skull?”
“It’s not the time for this!” he demands, looking at me with angry, pleading eyes. “Can’t you see she’s upset? Have a heart!”
“You two have some nerve telling me to have a heart considering everything you’ve put me through,” I snap back, my voice dripping with resentment. “But now that it’s your family’s lives that are in danger, you expect everything to stop and revolve around your problems? What about when I was the one in danger! Or when you two were torturing me!”
“Do you have any idea how selfish you sound right now?” Vivian accuses.
The whole room goes dark for a minute. I don’t see or feel anything but rage. I feel like she is just pouncing on any chance to make herself look all sweet, innocent, and sad, while not missing a beat to make me look like a selfish monster. She’s trying to reverse our roles. What’s worse is that I don’t remember Emmett showing me much sympathy when they were together and making my life hell. She apparently has some kind of priority and always will.
Before I know it, I’m shoving her down onto the couch. I’m about to jump on top of her when my feet are lifted from the ground and my whole body is moved backward. Emmett has one arm wrapped around my stomach to restrain me.
“Stop it, Ophelia! Please!” he barks into my ear. “If you’re not going to help, then just go!”
I punch him hard in the arm, just enough to make him put me down. “Can’t you see that’s what she wants?” I shout as I pull down my shirt and blow hair out of my face.
“You heard him, Ophelia,” Vivian says as she pulls herself up from the couch. “Just go.”
At first, I think there’s no way in hell I’ll leave the two of them alone here together like this, but I quickly realize that this is the last place I want to be. I can’t watch another second of her manipulating him. And he’s falling for every bit of it.
“Gladly,” I huff, my face so scrunched and angry I know I must look like a mad woman. “Call me when you realize I was right about her.”
My phone beeps as I storm away from them, hoping Emmett will come after me. But I accept that he’s not going to by the time I reach the end of the driveway. I glance down at the screen and see that it was Malcolm who texted me. I don’t even know what it says, but my mind is already made up. I’m going to see him right now.