It sinks to the floor and keeps going through the sand underneath while she turns back to Chandler.
“This isn’t about Theo sneezing, Chandler,” she says. “It’s about you letting my brother go to jail for you.”
Every cell in my body freezes.
I freeze so hard that I’m actually cold, and I don’t get cold. I canfeelmy blood leaving my body.
Laney makes a choked noise.
I would, but I can’t move.
This is bad.This is bad.
“Babe,what?” Chandler says. “That’s bullshit. Who told you that?”
“Did you?” my sister repeats.
No.
No.
This isn’t happening. If she doesn’t want to marry him,fantastic.
But don’t let it be because of me.
“What did she say?” Charles murmurs behind me.
“Em, I love you, and I’ve tried really hard not to let that fuckup ruin things for us—” Chandler starts, only to be cut off.
Not by Emma, but by Laney clearing her throat.
Loudly.
“Who you callin’ a fuckup, boy?” Uncle Owen says right on the heels of Laney’s interruption.
I manage to make myself move to shovehimback into his seat.
“Did. You. Let. My. Brother. Go. To. Jail. For. You?” Emma repeats.
This time, there’s not a single person in the crowd who didn’t hear her.
Probably not a single person in the crowd whose nuts aren’t shriveling at theyou are in so much fucking trouble you will never climb back out of the pit of trouble in your entire lifetone that Emma uses about a fraction as often as I sneeze.
Which isn’t often.
Chandler looks past her.
Straight at me.
If looks could incinerate a man on the spot, I’d be Ghost Theo hovering over this lanai for a brief minute before peace-ing out to see if souls can fly.
“What thefuckdo you think you’re doing, tellingmy brideshit about—”
“I told her,” Laney interrupts.
Gail gasps.
I choke on my own tongue.Why the fuck?
