“He’s the top fucking dog on GrippaPeen.com, and that’s not enough for him, the asshole,” Chandler says. “Should’ve known I couldn’t even ask him for a favorfor his sister. He has to ruin everyone else’s—hey.Hey. Let me go, you dickwad.”
“Only doing this so Emma doesn’t hit you again and get arrested,” Lucky says as he hauls Chandler back from the trellis. “And the only reason I’m not hitting you forselling the fucking shopis because then I’d have to patch you up and that would piss me off.”
The minister’s standing there as a wall between the rest of the wedding party and Dad, Uncle Owen, and me, watching all of us like we’re the best reality TV show he’s ever seen.
Addison is cackling behind me, the fucking gossip.
I slowly become aware of the fact that there are phones pointed at me from all directions. Wedding guests. Family. Onlookers from the beach who stopped to see a wedding and gotsomuch more.
And that’s it.
Game over.
My face will be on the news within the next hour. If it’s not Addison, it’ll be someone else.
You don’t get to be the highest-paidfaceless artiston a site like GrippaPeen without the world wanting to know who you really are.
And they’re all about to find out.
“You told me you were a model,” Laney whispers. “I didn’t think you meant—that’s a lot different from—oh my god.”
It’s not just my shame I’m feeling.
It’s hers. Hers by association.
Date the bad boy in town? Thefunguy who has his act together after struggles in school? Sure.
Date a porn star, even if he’s a solo act?
There are some things Kingstons don’t do.
And the absolute wrecked horror on her face while Sabrina stands next to her, tears streaming down her face over her own ruined dreams, is too much.
So I say the only thing I can think of. “Once a disappointment, always a disappointment. Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Oh my god, youdick,” Sabrina says.
This time to me.
Probably well-deserved.
“Oh, god,” Emma says, and then something even worse than tears in her eyes happens.
Emma, the sunshiniest sunshine in all of Snaggletooth Creek, starts sobbing.
Sabrina lunges for her.
Laney too.
Claire follows, almost plowing over Dad, who’s also rushing to get to Emma.
And I don’t.
I don’t know how to fix this for her, and I can’t stand the fact that she’s losing her dreams because she stuck up for me.
I love my sister.
She’s one of my favorite people in the world.
