Annabel
“Annabel!” My younger cousin Brittany runs up to me in the fruit aisle at the farmer’s market in Ravensreach.
“Hey, Britt–I didn’t know you were here this weekend.” I pull her in for a quick hug. Brittany’s father is a lawyer in Manhattan and rarely makes time to visit the family cottage on the coast. “Your mom usually calls me when she’s going to be here.”
“Oh, my parents aren’t here with me. Actually, they’re mad at me right now.” Her stormy navy irises hang on mine. “They didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?” I lift a shiny apple from the bin and turn it in my palm.
“I got married last weekend. Eloped.”
“What?!” I nearly drop the apple. Brittany isn’t even twenty–my uncle is probably fuming. “To who? What about college?”
“I’m still going to Barnard–my new husband is very supportive of my career goals.” She lifts her palm as she speaks, a small pear-shaped diamond sparkles from her ring finger.
“Well, who’s the lucky guy?”
“Someone you know, actually.” She’s nearly bubbling with excitement.
“Really?” I frown, at a loss about who she might mean. There are eight years separating Brittany and myself–I can’t think of anyone her age that it could be.
“Jonathan.” She grins, eyes sparkling with joy.
“J-Jonathan Grey?”
“The one and only.” Her eyes dart to her ring with a soft smile. “He’s so sweet to me–I’ve known him my whole life, I’ve had a crush on him for years, but he never gave me the time of day until we ran into each other in the city–”
“But he’s ten years older than you,” I can’t keep the annoyance from my tone.
“Yes–well, that’s why Daddy is mad.” A pout turns her lips. “Age is only a number anyway–Jonathan is good to me. He sends me flowers and takes me out to nice dinners in the city–he spoils me.”
“Hm.” A ball of pain is lodged in my throat, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. “How long have you been… dating?” I think back on the last time I saw Jonathan, his frustration and anger at me. Had they already connected at that point? Or is it our argument that sent him running to her?
“We ran into each other last month–he gave me his number and said if I needed anything that I should reach out to him. Isn’t that sweet?”
I don’t respond. I don’t have the words. I feel like my heart has been hallowed out. How could he do this after everything?
“Oh–Annabel–please don’t be mad at me. I know you and Jonathan are close. I thought maybe he would tell you about our news–”
“We haven’t spoken in a while,” I whisper.
Brittany’s eyes dart up and down my form. “Well, Ithought you’d be happy for us–I love him so much, Annabel. More than I’ve ever loved anything, and he loves me too.”
I nod, try to swallow the pain down, but it remains stuck in my throat. “I’m happy for you.” I force a smile. “So happy. For you both. I–I’m just surprised is all.”
“I think I’m still in shock too. It all happened so fast. But when you know, you know, right? And Jonathan feels like home, I still remember when I was a little kid and fell off my bike one summer and he carried me all the way home. My knee was bleeding and I was crying hot tears and when he set me down, he wiped at my cheeks and said I would have the coolest scar. Then he kissed my scraped knuckles and helped me put Band-Aids on my knee and… oh Annabel, I think I loved him even then.”
I have to suppress a groan.
“Well, Calum will be worried, I should get going. I’m so happy for you, Brittany.” I move in to give her a hug.
“Maybe we could do dinner together some night–I have to be back in the city by Monday for classes but the four of us would have so much fun together.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I lie.
She gives me one last hug before turning in the direction of the flowers. As I walk away all I can think is that I dodged a bullet running into Brittany alone–if Jonathan had been with her… I can’t even imagine.
I spend the next ten minutes walking back to Holiday House with my heart throbbing in my throat. I have to resist stopping on the sidewalk to lose my stomach. By the time I reach the cottage, my anger has reached a fever pitch. I’m practically vibrating with Jonathan’s betrayal. He’s using my cousin to hurt me, to get revenge. He could never love her, not after everything he said about us. I knew he was hurt, I knew his pain cut deep, but I never thought he would stoop so lowas to marry someone in my own family just to get under my skin.
