Treat Me (One Night with Sole Regret #8)(66)

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. She sat in the car weighing her options. If Tina attacked her again, what would she do? A sharp knock on her window startled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up at her sister's smiling face. Funny how she found that friendly grin far more terrifying than Tina's face twisted in rage.

"We need to talk," Tina called through the glass.

"I don't want to fight with you, Tina."

"I don't want to fight with you either."

Sure she didn't. As soon as Amanda got out of the car, she was sure to get her eyes scratched out and her hair ripped from its roots.

"I just want to talk," Tina said.

Amanda glanced in her rearview mirror, but the SUV was too close to her rear bumper for her to see inside the hulking vehicle. "Is Julie with you?"

"No, she's with Mom. Can we talk?"

"I can hear you just fine," Amanda said loudly. "We can talk like this."

Tina laughed. "Are you seriously scared of me, big sis?"

Amanda narrowed her eyes and opened her car door. If Tina wanted a fight, she was going to get a fight. But Amanda wasn't going to start it. She closed the door and leaned against the overwarm metal, crossing her arms in front of her chest.



       
         
       
        

"Why did you come here?" Amanda asked.

"You have to break up with Jacob."

Amanda rolled her eyes. "I'm not breaking up with him, Tina. I don't care about your feelings on the matter."

"Do you care about Julie's feelings?"

Amanda scowled. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you think she'll feel bad if the reason her mommy is always crying is because her backstabbing whore of a sister is fucking her father?"

Amanda's jaw hardened. "You wouldn't do that to her."

"And won't you feel terrible when Jacob doesn't get to see Julie because-I don't know-she's too sick to get out of bed during his visitation weekends."

"You can't keep them apart, Tina."

"I can't? Are you sure about that?"

"It would destroy him." And Amanda obviously wasn't the only one who realized that.

Tina smiled coldly. "And won't Jacob feel horrendous when he realizes the reason he's not allowed any happiness is because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants again."

Could anyone really be that cruel? What did Tina want from him? "He doesn't love you, Tina. Just let him go."

"You're going to break up with him," Tina said. "You're going to do it tonight in person at Jack's Grill so I can make sure it's done. And you're not going to mention that I had anything to do with your decision."

"I'm not."

Tina shrugged. "I guess you don't care if you destroy our entire family. Making your niece hate you will be easy. It might take a little more effort to get Mom and Dad to disown you, but I don't doubt I can do it." Tina tapped her jaw with one finger as her gaze focused upward. "So, should I tell Mom about your fling first? She's always thought you were a good person. This slut move is sure to change her opinion of her darling daughter. Or maybe I should go crying to Daddy first and let him tell Mom. Daddy never really liked you anyway."

"Why would you do any of this? Why do you care so much that I'm with Jacob?"

Tina didn't answer her questions. Instead she said, "So are you going to do as I ask and break up with him?"

"No!" Amanda said. "I'm not breaking up with him just because you can't stand that he's with me. Jacob is worth any shit you can throw at me, Tina. Do your worst."

Amanda shoved Tina aside and headed for her front door. Her hands were shaking so bad she dropped her keys twice on her way up the brick path.

"Having him between your thighs is worth your parents hating you?" 

Amanda figured they'd get over it pretty quickly. They were the type of parents who forgave their children, though Amanda didn't really think there was anything to forgive. She'd fallen in love with someone they didn't particularly care for-they still believed he was a horrible man who'd done their youngest daughter wrong-but if they saw how good she and Jacob were together, they'd eventually understand. Maybe.

"Is he worth your niece turning against you?" Tina called after her. "I'll find a new babysitter for her. You'll never see her."

Amanda stopped in her tracks. Tina wouldn't really manipulate her four-year-old daughter to get what she wanted, would she?

"I wonder if Jacob thinks you're worth losing his daughter's devotion over. Maybe he's willing to risk it. And by the time he realizes how much Julie despises him, it will be too late to fix their relationship."