“Oh, nothing, just a little bonding time with my soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
Vivienne’s eyes stay unblinking as I glare at Audrey for the blatant teasing.
“What? Are you jealous?” she taunts.
I don’t have the time to respond when Anya cuts into our stare-off. “Mom, when are we going to see the pretty dresses?” she asks in that cute voice of hers.
My mother turns to Audrey, who then turns to Vivienne. “Anything specific you have in mind in terms of dresses? I can ask my personal assistant to pull some things out before we get there.”
Vivienne smiles, gulping down her sudden nervousness. “I’m not too sure, actually. I haven’t thought that far.”
“Well, that’s fine. We can always—”
“A work emergency came up. We won’t be able to attend anymore.” I but in before Audrey finishes her sentence.
Her head snaps in my direction, and the sequins on her sweater practically pop off, each one striking me from the force of her anger.
“Yourwork emergencycan wait, Nate,” she says in air quotes like she knows I’m lying.
To be fair, it isn’t a complete lie—a thousand things are waiting for me when I get back to New York City. Usually, I’d push these things aside for my family, but this doesn’t feel right anymore. Our charade has gone on for way too long, and I can’t keep witnessing something that’s out of my reach.
“We can always swing by another time,” Vivienne offers instead, though the disappointment in her eyes is obvious. “I have work to do in the lab as well, but I’m sure we’ll be back."
Doting fiancée who’ll miss the in-laws—I’d say she’s playing her part right, but from our conversation last night, I feel like she’s being sincere. She loves them as much as they love her.
My mom clutches onto Vivienne’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. “It really was a pleasure getting to know you. Don’t be a stranger, okay? You’re welcome here any time, whether Nate is with you or not. You’re part of the family now.”
Brown eyes well up with emotion, and I look away.
A part of me knows the reason, but I’m not willing to acknowledge it. It’s selfish of me to take her away from the one thing she’s been missing for nearly a decade, but my sanity can’t take it anymore.
Thankfully, my misery ends when Audrey makes the first move to get up. Everyone follows suit, gathering by the front door as the girls exchange hugs, kisses, and giggles.
And just like that, we’re back down to two—Vivienne and I, alone in my car once again.
I turn the radio on as we drive off, needing to fill the silence between us. Country music soon plays, and it’s only because I hate the sound so much that I leave it on.
One torture traded for another.
“So…is country your favorite genre?” Vivienne asks not long into our drive.
I don’t hesitate. “Absolutely not.”
“Then how come it’s all you listen to?”
I still—it’s an observation phrased as a question, and that by itself is deadly. The girl sitting next to me is more in tune with me than I thought. But looking too deeply into it isn’t going to do me any good, so I move on to the next topic of conversation that I can think of.
“Anything you’re looking forward to next week?”
She takes a deep breath, looking out the window as she answers. “I guess, I’m looking forward to working on my chemistry—see if the chemicals are willing to cooperate this time…”
A long pause follows, as though she's contemplating saying the words on the tip of her tongue.
“Honestly, after spending time with your family, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone when we get back home. Maybe I’ll pass by Margaret and Phil’s house—surprise them for breakfast. Sutton, Evelyn, and I do this game night every month, so that should be fun.”
“That sounds exciting,” I say it dryly, even though I’d like to ask her more.
“Yeah…” She trails off. “What about you?” Vivienne fires the question back, and when she turns, our eyes lock.
