“Very nice gesture,” I agree flatly.
Kyle looks at us again.
“So you two are okay, right?” he asks us both. “I thought you were finally getting along on this trip.”
“What makes you think that?” I blurt out with a guilt-ridden response.
“Because we’re in the home stretch of this trip and you haven’t killed my best friend,” Kyle laughs. “Plus, Uncle Zee said when he spoke to you about some issue with his breakfast, you two were together.”
“Because you forced us to work together!” I exclaim.
“Go take some photos with your beautiful bride,” Brick interjects, basically silencing me before I spill the beans. “It’s your wedding day and all you should be focused on is Dee Dee. Your sister and I are just fine.”
No, we’re not.
Brick has been acting oddly distant all day, and I can only assume it’s because this thing between us is winding down. Maybe he wants to sleep with the woman in the slinky silver dress, or maybe I need to stop driving myself crazy with all the maybes and just enjoy the rest of the night with my family. My brother only gets married once (hopefully).
The night is filled with laughter, music and champagne as each guest toasts to Kyle and Dena. Even Dena’s parents seemed to have turned a corner and were being wonderful with my brother. I hope this isn’t just a drunk moment for them and that they will finally accept Kyle as part of their family, but only time will tell. But even if they never say another kind word to him, I believe that Kyle and Dena have a firm foundation to weather any storm. I wish I was so lucky.
About an hour into the reception, I’m good and drunk, and Tre catches me at the dessert table. We haven’t chatted much since we’ve landed on the island, so I’m mindful to be polite. This is Kyle’s work friend, after all.
“You want to dance, Kaya?”
“Oh, I can’t right now. Between this hot suit and those drinks, I’m burning up. I need to cool off.”
“Understood. I’ll catch you on the dance floor next time?”
“Yep, next time.”
I take a small time out to grab some air, take off my tuxedo jacket because I have a silk white camisole underneath, and sit on an ornate stone bench that faces the lagoon. I just finished an awkward dance with Mr. Solomon that only reminds me to check my bank account balance to see if my paycheck has finally cleared.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see my monthly earnings there and I’m signing out of the banking app when my phone rings. I roll my eyes once I see who it is. If he ever paid attention to anything I said, he would realize that I’m at Kyle’s wedding.
I’m drunk though.
Or at least I’m almost at drunk status.
So I decide to pick up the phone and cuss him out once and for all. This avoidance thing with Elijah isn’t giving me my desired result. He needs to be told off.
“What?” is how I curtly answer the phone.
“Hey, babe.”
“Seriously?”
“Can we talk?”
“No, we can’t talk. I’m in another freakin’ country at my brother’s wedding.”
“Oh, damn, that’s right.”
I can hear a lot of noise in the background on his end of the call. It sounds like he’s on a busy street or highway, which piques my curiosity.
“Where are you?”
“I’m at work.”
“Oh, that’s right, you’realwaysat work,” I say sarcastically. “You’re not supposed to be on your phone when you’re walking the beat. If that’s even what you’re doing.”
