He looked wrecked, just as he had in the pit lane a couple of weeks ago, his skin ashen. But I couldn’t feel sorry for him.
He stumbled over his words. “It wasn’t—it wasn’t my business to tell you. Imre was going to…I tried just then—”
Just then? When I was already here?
“But you’re my…” I turned, shaking my head. He was my absolutely nothing. This proved that. “You should have.”
I bit down the ache and let the anger rise, standing tall. I wasn’t going to get sad. I was going to get angry.“You let me walk in dressed like the bride.”
And now I was about to meet my new step-mother, dressed as if I was trying to show her up.Shite.
He frowned at my new expression, as if taken aback by the swift change in me.
“I told you to wear purple.”
The rage was growing. Something dark and twisting in my stomach, something tightening in my chest, something stinging in my eyes.
“You hid my father’s marriage from me, and your bestexcuse is the dress code?”
A waiter came past and, following my sister’s lead, I grabbed one of the glasses and downed it.
The music picked up, and a whole orchestra was on a boat on the lake.
It made sense why Imre had invited me and why this place was so grand. It wasn’t his house; it was his wedding venue.
Benedek appeared under the arch, calling out in Hungarian, then English, for all the guests to find their seats.
Zoltán stroked my shoulder. I was too stunned to push him off.
“If you want to go, just say the word. I’ll drive you wherever you want.”
I went to speak, but I didn’t know what to say.Was this his apology? A getaway car?
But my sister grabbed my elbow, storming me back into the house. “You know, right?” she said. “We’re going. No one’s setting you up for this shit.”
I pulled free. “I’m not going. I’m going to sit there and smile. I’m going to ask him what the fuck he’s playing at. And then see my nagyi.”
Her eyes closed as if she were in pain. She said through her teeth, “You’re wearingwhite.”
“That’s what they get for not telling me.”
She huffed and grabbed us both another glass before gesturing for Zolt to keep walking with her foot, nearly kicking him out of the way. “Get out of my sight.”
He didn’t. He sat right beside me in the back row as if he could protect me from what he’d trapped me in.
Luca was armed with two drinks and handed me his spare, looking at me with concern.
And I hated it all.
The pity.
The anger.
The silence.
My father was getting married, and I didn’t know.
He found someone he loved, and he hadn’t introduced me to her.
