Saving Dallas 2 Making the Cut(59)

“So, Luke has done this before?” I asked, suddenly not hungry. I remembered the time that Red told me, “the next girl that broke his heart would eat through a straw.” Did he hurt someone else over a woman that broke his heart?

Red shook her head, trying to swallow her food quickly, like she was anxious to speak, probably afraid someone would butt in. “Not over a woman. He dated this one chick, but we all hated her. Not that we particularly liked you in the beginning, but you grew on us.” Well, that was reassuring. “Luke has been in love with you for a while. Everyone knew it. It almost killed him to come back here and run shit. He would call Regg everyday checking in. It was easier for Regg to tell him you weren’t seeing anyone. We all knew you weren’t very happy. If you were, you would have taken the guy out more places or spent more time with him. It seemed like when you were drunk was the only time you even called for his company.” I blushed, embarrassed that everyone at this table knew when I had sex. “Oh don’t be shy about it. Jeff was hot,” Red said, taking a bite of bacon.

“So, let me get this straight. You all knew about me? Everything I did? Everywhere I went?” I asked, feeling like I might vomit all over the table.

“Honey, you are the most unobservant person on the planet. Kev hated when you went shopping, and since I love shopping, we were nominated to go,” Jenn informed me. Dangling her wristbands in front of me-a purchase made from a boutique that I frequented.

“I started to anonymously send you spa gifts so we could all go enjoy the day, but Luke has connections there so we couldn’t.” Texas said, in between bites of toast.

“We all vicariously lived through you. It was kinda fun, but it’s more fun having you here with us,” Red said, placing a hand on mine.

“Does anyone else at this table find this the least bit fucked up?” I asked, taking turns looking at all of them.

“I think it’s fucked up,” Brooklyn agreed, pulling a flask from her purse and pouring what I assumed was vodka into her orange juice.

“Well, I didn’t even know you existed. Buck doesn’t tell me anything,” Baby squeaked, her lower lip stuck out in an exaggerated pout.

“That’s just to protect you. You would have fan girled on her,” Jenn said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Just like I did that night in Shenanigans,” she said pretending to choke on her drink, then throwing her face in her hands in a dramatic gesture, just as she had done when I first met her. “You are Dallas Knox? I had no idea!” The table burst with laughter, and it even made me smile a little.

“Now do you see why I fucking hate you so much?” The laughter stopped as every eye in the room fell on Maddie. “You stole my life, my father and now my family.”

“Maddie,“ Red said reaching her hand across the small table to her. Maddie jerked it back.

“Shut up, Red. I’m tired of you always defending her. I’ll say whatever the fuck I want.” Red bit her lip and pulled her hand back, I could tell she was trying to keep her mouth shut; not something Red was very good at. “You come in here acting like the damsel in distress, falling out and crying over shit. You don’t know what life is really like. You have been pampered your whole fucking life, and now you want to come in my world and play fucking house? After you have taken everything from me, you want to take all I have left?”

I stared at Maddie. I had nothing to say, not a leg to stand on. She was right. I didn’t want to imagine the hell she had been through at my expense.

“You are not my sister, Dallas Knox. You are just some snotty bitch who LLC wanted and couldn’t have.”

“Dammit, Maddie, that’s enough!” Red said, standing up and squaring off with Maddie from across the table.

“What? Oh, you want me to shut up now? Tell our lovely Dallas whose words those were. Tell her how you all used to laugh at her when we got together,” Maddie said, sneering at me. She was enjoying watching me suffer.

“That was before,” Red said in a low voice, not bothering to look at me.

“Before what? Huh? Before Luke offered all of you money to tolerate her?” My eyes shot to the guilty faces around the table. Everyone but Brooklyn, who was staring at Maddie like she had three eyes, found something other than me to look at.

“Bravo,” Brooklyn said clapping and standing up. The fight in Maddie seemed to dissipate, just a little, as Brooklyn got to her feet. Now all eyes were on her. “Good job, you little shit starter. I must say that I am proud of you. Of all the bitches at this table, including you,” Brooklyn said, pointing at Red, “You are the only one who has balls enough to stand up and say something. It doesn’t matter that you are being a selfish, immature little cunt about it all. At least you aren’t going behind her back saying this shit. Sit down and let me tell all of you something.”