“I promise not to be this insane once I’m finally there, okay?”
I’ll still be keeping this spreadsheet in perfect order, but I’ll be able to handle a lot more of the details myself once I’m on location. Madi’s call came at a really great time. I need this distraction, and now I can really take the stress off her and Rémy so they can actually enjoy the time before the wedding. Rémy will be interviewing at some schools in the area around the chateau, so they’ll have plenty on their plate.
“Again, Siena,” Madi says, “you’re saving our lives, and we love you for it and for everything you’re doing for us. Which is why I am sorry for what I’m about to tell you.”
“Bring it on.” Like I said, I’m all about making sure she knows I can handle anything she throws at me. Secretly, though, I’m shaking in my matted, fuzzy slippers.
“I had to ship some stuff to my mom’s house, but since I’ll need it before she can fly out—”
I nod. “I can go get it, no problem.”
“No, that’s not what I mean at all. I convinced Jack to drive it down, so he’ll be dropping by around three today.” She grimaces. “I know. It’s Jack. Not ideal. But you can just—”
“I know how to handle Jack by now, Madi.”
“I know you do. I just feel bad he always teases you so much. But I know you can handle anything. It’s why I love you.”
I couldn’t handle getting Amy Stewart through the primaries, even though she was the best choice out there.
But Madi’s at least partially right. I can handle her brother. I’ve had years of practice.
Yeah, it took me a while to get over what happened between us, and yeah, I never told Madi about it, but it’s been seven years now. Seven. That’s a freaking long time. And before anyone tries to convince me that something that happened so long ago shouldn’t be hard to tell your best friend, save your breath. The state of California expunges most driving infractions from your record after three years.Expungesthem. Meaning it’s like they never happened.
Maybe in some ways, that night with Jack was a more serious infraction—like a DUI. Insurance companies hold on to those records for ten years, but everyone knows insurance companies are the devil, so my point stands.
As far as I’m concerned, that whole episode has been wiped from my record. Initially, I didn’t tell Madi because I felt like an idiot, but as time went on and I realized the history I had stepped into, I kept things to myself for Madi’s and Jack’s sakes. How could I ruin the decent terms the two of them had finally come to—and for what? Nothing had come of that night between Jack and me. I didn’t want to do anything to put extra strain on an already strained relationship. I know how important my siblings are to me, and even though Jack’s behavior secretly gutted me, I understand now why he did what he did.
So, the best thing has just been to leave it all behind and pretend it never happened. That’s ancient history, and I never think about it.
Barely ever.
I don’t interact with Jack very often, but being as close as Madi and I are, it’s inevitable that we see each other from time to time, and since neither Jack nor I are the type to make things awkward, it’s been fine. He teases me to get under my skin, just like he teases Madi to get under hers. It’s what Jack Allred does.
As for me? I give as good as I get because that’s whatIdo.
Both of us have dated plenty—that might be an understatement for Jack, from what Madi says—and that’s that. He’s just the hot brother of my best friend who I once (expunged from the record).
After going over a few of the to-do list items for the week, I say goodbye to Madi and Rémy just as their taxi drops them off at their destination.
I hang up with a thousand things on my mind and less than a week to accomplish them. I may have worked hard to giveI got thisvibes to Madi and Rémy on the phone, but the truth is more likeI don’t got this yet—at all—but I will got this very soon or I will die trying to got this.
This beautiful, colorful, tidy spreadsheet will help ensure that happens.
I take stock of my spreadsheet, breathing deeply every time I have to change a cell from blue for André to red for me. Of note, I have now become the person responsible for both the bacheloretteandbachelor parties. Yikes.
But I’m up for the challenge! How hard can it be to plan a bachelor party in France for a bunch of French guys I don’t know?
I minimize the spreadsheet. That is a problem for my future self. Right now, my current self needs to finish changing a plane ticket.
My phone lights up again, and a picture of Amy appears with the name Senator Stewart below. Of course, thanks to me, she’snotSenator Stewart, but I put that name into my phone when I was still a bright-eyed, hopeful campaign manager. I think they call what I did manifesting, and obviously, it’s all a hoax.
The sight of the name strikes actual pain inside me, which I swallow away as I pick up the phone to read the text.
Senator Stewart
Just wanted to say another thank you for all your incredible and hard work on the campaign, Siena. We fought hard, and I’m proud of us.
I swallow again. Apparently, this pain is like reflux. It just refuses to go down. It burns, too, which explains why my eyes sting.
