“Because I don’t want my sister to marry a douchebag.”
Fuck.
Fuck fuckfuck.
That definitely wasn’t supposed to come out of my mouth.
“I don’t mean—” I start, but she cuts me off.
“Honestly, if they’d started dating in the last year, he wouldn’t be who I would’ve picked for her either, but then, there aren’t many people I’d pick for Emma. She’s just toogood. He makes her happy, though. He has for a long time. I know he loves her, and you know she can’t wait to start a family with him, and this isherchoice. Not ours.”
Ours.
I like when she saysours.
She wrinkles her nose again. “And really, in the Tooth, she could do a lot worse.”
“I’d rather be alone than do worse.”
She studies me again, and once again, entirely too closely. “Have you told her how you feel? That it still bothers you?”
“Tensions are high. Weddings are hard. I probably pushed some shit too much in the past few years and did things to him I don’t even remember now. Probably just as much my fault as anyone’s. I won’t ruin this for her because I’m having a wallow fest. I’ll get over it.” I hold out a hand before she can object or use some more logic and reason to tell me that I should say something to Emma. “C’mon, forced date. Let’s go kick ass in this scavenger hunt.”
“You’re right,” she says slowly. “Weddings are hard.”
She slips her hand in mine, her face a study insomething is broken and I can’t fix it, and I feel it again.
Warmth. But not the bad kind that makes me want to shed all of my clothes to get comfortable.
Thegoodkind.
Italsomakes me want to strip off all of my clothes, but for an entirely different reason. Andthisgood kind comes with feeling like I don’t need to strip.
Like I’m okay however I am.
I know it’s a lie. It’s a temporary thing. A vacation fluke that’ll end the minute she finds out what I do in my spare time.
But for this moment, it’s real.
20
Laney
The last timemy life was normal, I was on an airplane, blissfully ignorant of exactly how many complications my best friend’s dream wedding week would bring.
And I should be happy for her—forthem—finally being here.
I should be.
But I can’t quite dig deep enough to force it right now.
Emma’s beaming. She’sglowing. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her so happy as she hugs family and friends on the tiki-torch-lined lanai while she and Chandler make the rounds of greeting everyone.
She was born to be a bride.
And she’ll do great as a wife and a mother too. Having a big family is basically all she’s ever wanted for as long as I’ve known her.
But I wish I didn’t know what Theo just told me.
