“November of my senior year, I began dating Isaac. He may have been the football star to everyone else, but to me, he was just Isaac. Over Christmas break, he visited and won over Marco and Karen’s approval within minutes. Tasha had graduated and was living at home while looking for a job.”
“Is that when he slept with her?”
“No, I’ve looked back at that weekend a million times, and I don’t think it started then. At least not for him. She is a different story. Isaac and I went back to school and things were good between us. It was slowly progressing, and he didn’t seem to mind. But there was a one-eighty shift with Tasha. She suddenly became interested in being a real sister. I welcomed her visits, our calls to each other became more frequent, and the kinks in our relationship disappeared. Isaac and I were getting more serious, and because of this, when she visited, it was often the three of us. She seemed happy for me.
“That’s why it was odd she insisted on coming Valentine’s weekend, knowing I had plans with him. The first night out at a bar, she hooked up with a friend of his. We all went back to my apartment, and Isaac and I went to bed immediately.”
The knot in my stomach coils tighter at the image of her in bed with another man. Regardless of the years that have passed, the thought sends my blood pressure spiking.
“Sweetie, you need to take a breath.” Her fingers sift through my hair, urging my face to hers. “Maybe I should skip this part.”
“Is this the part where your sister fucks your boyfriend?”
“Not him.”
I catch onto her meaning. “She fucked the other dude?”
“She did, and she did it loudly, clearly enjoying herself, leaving no room for misunderstanding. Isaac froze and curled me into him. I thought it was a sweet gesture and he was protecting me from the embarrassment of hearing people going at it in my living room. Later, I found out it was her laying the groundwork.”
“I not sure you need to tell me the rest. It’s coming together in my head. She used her body to get to him.”
“I guess.” She nods slowly. “Whatever it was worked. The next month, I threw myself into rehearsals and preparations for my final performance. My schedule was grueling. I barely had time to eat or study, and Isaac understood.”
“That photo in your room?”
“Yes, that was the one. Everything was perfect. With the stress of the show off of my shoulders, I was ready to take the next steps with Isaac, too. I walked out of the performing arts center and found my family with Isaac. The moment Tasha saw me, she took his hand, leaned into him affectionately, and kissed him. I can still picture the look of satisfaction and conquest on her face.”
“What the hell did your parents do?”
“Nothing. Tasha weaved a web of lies, and they bought into it. They thought Isaac and I had decided we were better off as friends and I’d played matchmaker.”
“They believed that bullshit lie?”
“She was very convincing.”
“Parents aren’t that stupid, especially Marco Bindel.”
“I’ll rephrase. They believed what they wanted to. But my devastation was too blatant to ignore. In the interest of not causing a scene, Karen tried to keep the peace. I walked away without a word. It was almost a full day before she showed at my apartment. She took one glance at my bloodshot eyes, swollen cheeks, and trembling body, and for a split second, the compassion of the mom I loved was there. Then she vanished. She tried to convince me to overlook the issue and move on.”
“The issue? Which one?”
“All of them.”
“She wanted you to let it go?”
“She didn’t want it; she demanded it.”
“What the actual fuck is that?”
“Turns out my years away from home and absence from their everyday lives had left me in the dark about a lot of changes in my family. They’d caught political fever. Everything was about moving Marco into the spotlight. Family feuds were frowned upon.”
“They expected you to eat shit and be fine with it?”
“Isaac’s upcoming position in the draft and his growing popularity was a plus to Marco’s image. Karen had long since nailed the role as an executive wife. Now she was transitioning into the politician’s wife. I was told in very certain terms to get onboard.”
“I hope you told them to fuck themselves.”
She grins, the first genuine smile I’ve seen since we got to this room. “It took a while and a ton of planning, but eventually, I told them to fuck themselves.”
I shift her in my lap, hoping she blew apart this shitshow. “Looking forward to hearing this and hoping it includes an ass-kicking at some point.”
She giggles, her face brightening. “I gave myself two days of a pity party. Then I switched into gear. They spread their story back in Virginia of me introducing Tasha and Isaac. Since we had openly dated at school, my friends and his knew the truth. There were awkward moments, but my friends stepped in. I was never alone on campus and my social life took a major hit, but it was by choice.”
“What happened to the man that called his daughter and relied on her advice?”
“That was the odd thing. After the Tasha and Isaac betrayal, Marco called and apologized.”
“He apologized?”
“Yes, he was sorry for what happened and told me repeatedly how proud he was of my life. Our calls resumed, though not as frequently, but each time he’d emphasize he loved me.”
“And Karen?”
“Her contact was more infrequent, and she continued to push my participation in the campaign.”
“Contradictory actions.”
“Exactly, and I didn’t trust it. There was always a calculated dig aimed at me. My instincts were alert. I accepted a spot on a group traveling to Paris to study dance for the summer. During my years in
