"I…I love him," I whisper to Vanessa.
"Oh, girl, I know," she says, laughing. "It's written all over your face."
"Tye doesn't know yet." I scowl. "He thinks we're just sleeping together." I was mad at him last night, so I ignored his call. On the off chance he wasn't calling to apologize, there's no way I was going to listen to him complain and try to talk me out of being with Sidney.
"Are you going to tell him?"
"I guess. I mean, I have to tell him, right?" At this point, it's probably inevitable.
"Yeah, I think so," she says, making me groan.
"Why did I know you were going to say that?"
"It won't be so bad." The way her lips twitch tells me that even she knows that's not true. Tye is going to be dramatic, unreasonable, and really freaking annoying.
"I'm probably going to have to yell at him."
Vanessa laughs and then sobers because she knows I'm right. "Would it be selfish of me to ask you to do it before the wedding? God," she groans immediately, covering her eyes with her hands. "That is so selfish, isn't it? I'm pushing you, and it's not my business to give you a deadline. It's just…I know your brother, and he's worried. We have three hundred people coming to the wedding. He can't be a moody pain in front of three hundred people."
"What? No!" I peel her hands away from her face. "It's yourwedding. Of course you're allowed to want him focused on it, Vanessa. I would never, ever want to take his attention from it. Are you kidding me? He's dying to marry you. There is no wayI'm going to let him mess it up by being butthurt about what Sidney and I are doing. I'll kill him first."
She cracks a smile. "Thank you. If you need me to help kill him after the wedding, sign me up."
"I'll keep that in mind." I gulp. "I might need reinforcements."
"I've got your back."
I know she means it. She always has my back.
I can't wait until she's my sister.
"I don't have to tolerate this, Briggs!" my mother says suddenly, jumping to her feet.
Vanessa and I both turn to gape as Briggs hauls himself upright.
"That's your call," my brother says, staring her down. "But you're done taking your shit out on Hattie. If you want to be at Tye's wedding, you'll do what I said. Otherwise, don't bother showing up. You won't be allowed in."
She scowls at him before her bottom lip quivers. I watch, not entirely shocked, when she bursts into tears and then flees from the box. That's usually how things end between her and my brothers. They put their foot down, and she cries.
Honestly, it's exhausting. But something feels different this time.Briggslooks different this time. And so did my mom.
What the crap is going on?
I wait until the door slams behind her before turning to Briggs. "What is she supposed to do?"
"What?" he asks.
"You told her that she can't come to Tye's wedding if she doesn't do what you said. What is she supposed to do, Briggs?"
"Don't worry about it," he mutters, raking a hand down his face.
I narrow my eyes at him. "What aren't you telling me?"
"Hattie, let it go," he growls, his eyes locked on my face.
Any other day of the week, I probably would. My brothers are my heroes. They've been protecting and defending me from her and all the shit that comes my way for most of my life. But the frustrated look on his face screams that he knows something I don't, and I refuse to be protected from the truth.
"No," I say softly, shaking my head, "I don't think I will. Not this time. What aren't you telling me?"
