I lift a shoulder. “Ask him about that.”
“He’s going into the NHL in less than a year. He’s going to have millions of people trying to suck his dick. You sure enough about his sexuality to trust there won’t be a girl?”
“I’m not worried about it. He’s my best friend.”
But I knew she was right. Why the fuck had I done this?
He’ll be able to move on, get married, and have a normal life, but for the rest of my life, my sister will hold this over my head.
EIGHT
WOLFE
Steph is cartoon-villain evil, and I don’t trust her with my sweet, precious Angel. I barge into the women’s bathroom and know that bitch said some shit. Archangel’s entire face is strained, fighting emotion.
“What did she say to you?” I shove between them, putting my hands on his shoulders.
“The truth,” Steph says from behind me.
“Get the fuck out,” I say to her without looking away from Archangel.
“You cannot come to my wedding if you’re going to speak to?—”
I cut her off. “Leave, or I’ll tell Mark you’re a cheater.”
She seethes, but it seems to do what I wanted. The door slams behind her.
“Do you want to leave?”
“We can’t.” He shakes his head and forces a smile, but his dimples aren’t there so I know it’s not real. “I’m fine.”
He’s not fine.
He’s fighting tears.
“We can go back to the rental and chill. I’ll tell everyone you’re not feeling well.”
He shakes his head. “My mom will never buy it, and she will be livid if I embarrass her in front of the whole family.”
“How is getting sick embarrassing her?”
“Let’s go back to the table before they think we’re fucking in here or something.”
I bar the exit. “Let them think it.”
“What are you trying to accomplish?” He sets his jaw and looks me in the eyes.
“What did she say to you?”
“She’s just being a bitch.”
“I can’t do anything to help if I don’t know what happened.” I don’t know how to get through to him that I want to be here for him.
“There is nothing you can do,” he says it with no emotion, and I hate it. “You’ve gotten to her and probably Mark. You won. It’s fine. You got what you wanted, and no one’s been homophobic yet.” There’s something he’s not saying. “Can we please go back?”
He wipes his eyes, and reluctantly, I lower my arm ““Fine.”
I follow him back to the table, and his family tries to hide it, but they are looking at us like we fucked in the bathroom. Dickbags. I’m going to use that to my advantage. My original intent in all of this was to stand up to his family and stick it to Steph, but more than anything else, I am here to protect Angel. I’d never do anything to hurt him intentionally.
