Sadie swats my arm and she releases her first real laugh of the day.
“Stop it. I just needed something to calm my nerves.”
I’m about to ask her if she’d like me to go get her something besides champagne to drink when a female voice interrupts us.
“Oh my god, you’re here! I didn’t think you’d actually come.”
Sadie takes a deep breath and then plasters the fakest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. She turns toward the woman who’s wearing a white dress to greet her.
“Hi, Willow. Of course, I’m here. I texted you and told you I would be.”
Willow waves Sadie off. “Right, right. Of course. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Her sister’s tone is more flippant than sincere, and by the strained smile on Sadie’s face, I know she noticed it too.
“I’m happy to be here. Congratulations. You look beautiful.”
Sadie is too nice for her own good. But the way she says it,I know she means it. Her heart is pure and she loves her siblings, even if they don’t deserve it.
Willow looks over her shoulder, down at the back of her dress. Without so much as a thank you, she turns her head to look at Sadie.
“Thank goodness you did show up. My zipper got stuck and it ripped a little hole near the bottom of my dress. I need you to fix it for me real quick. I don’t need people noticing and thinking I’m trashy for wearing a ripped dress.”
Is she fucking serious? That’s why she’s glad she’s here?
She hasn’t seen Sadie in how long and she has the nerve to demand her to help mere minutes after we get here? I find it hard to believe she doesn’t have a housekeeper or someone else who could’ve helped her with this.
I grind my teeth together to keep from saying something rude and putting Sadie in an even more awkward situation.
Sadie, the angel she is, nods once. “Of course. Let’s go inside.” She squeezes my arm and looks up to me. I squint my eyes and give her my bestare you sure?look and she smiles. “I’ll just be a couple minutes.”
“I’ll be here.”
I watch the two of them weave their way through the people until they make it inside. They aren’t gone for longer than thirty seconds when an older couple, dressed for a ball, walks up to me.
It doesn’t take me long to figure out who they are. The man has a very unimpressed look on his face while the woman on his arm is the spitting image of Sadie. She has the same color hair, minus the purple streaks, and same eyes as her daughter, but they don’t sparkle nearly as much as Sadie’s. Her dad is the first to speak.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Douglas Wilson and this is my wife, Margaret. And you are…”
I set my champagne flute onto the table and reach my hand out to introduce myself. He stares at my hand for amoment, clearly not wanting to take it, but eventually relents and shakes my hand.
“I’m Niko. I’m here with your daughter Sadie. It’s very nice to meet you.”
A lie has never tasted so sour coming out of my mouth. There’s so much I want to say to these two but I know how hard it is for Sadie to be here. I don’t want to make matters worse, so I bite my tongue.
“Hmm.” That’s all he says. No pleasantries. Not a word about his daughter. Just a fucking humming sound. Asshole.
I grip his hand harder because, fuck this guy. We stare at each other, not saying a word.
Sadie’s mom finally speaks, breaking the tension, and her dad releases my hand. I don’t miss the way he shakes it at his side. Good. I hope that fucking hurt.
“We didn’t know Sadie was coming. How long are you in town for?”
I’m not sure how much Sadie wants them to know, so I spare them the details and try to shift the conversation to myself.
“Just the day. I have to be back in Green Bay tonight. I have a meeting in the morning.”
Douglas’s eyebrow lifts. “Meeting? What is it that you do for work? I assume you’re not some hippy yoga instructor like my daughter if you actually have a meeting to attend.”
