“Just own it,” Casey said, behind her smilingteeth.
And then they came, flocking to us from all directions, offering up handshakes and good wishes on our wedding. Typically when fans rushed me, Casey was cast aside like an afterthought, but not today. This time she was front and center and loving every second of it. Thanks to Tony’s video, I wasn’t the only famous one in our relationship. Not when the girl in the yellow bikini was in thehouse.
* * *
As we waitedfor the security gates to open into my parents’ house, Emma pulled upbesideus.
“Well, if it isn’t our very own superheroes,” she said. “Very cool rescueatsea.”
“It was nowhere near that cool in person,” Ianswered.
“Deny all you want, but Casey’s bikini has its own Instagramaccount.”
“HA!” Casey blurted out, high-fiving me. “That’s what I’m talkingabout!”
“You were looking good, girl,” my sister complimentedCasey.
“Are you guys just getting here? I though we were going tobelate.”
I glanced into her car for Finn but found only an empty passenger seat. Maybe she was referring to her and the baby, but then she rolled down the window to reveal Finn sitting in the backseat withIndiana.
“Emma?” I chastised her. “You don’t even allow him in thefrontseat?”
“What?” My sister shrugged. “The baby wascrying.”
“Dude, I swear,” I said, eyeing Finn in the back. “She might as well strap you in to your very own bigboyseat.”
Finn flipped me off with a smirk stamped onhisface.
The gate opened, and we drove up to the house. Emma honked to let our parents know we were all there. They came out, followed by Grace and a tall, spiky-haired kid I’d never seen before. Glancing over at Emma, she read my mind and whispered, “Boyfriend.”
“No,” I gasped. Not Grace! “She’s too young for aboyfriend.”
“She’sseventeen.”
“Seriously?” I asked in surprise, as I started doing the math in my head. Damn. Emma was right. Grace was actually seventeen. Who knew? I scanned the boyfriend. I didn’t like him on principle alone. “What’s with thebluehair?”
“I don’t know. I assume hedyedit.”
“Really?” I asked, all sarcasm. “He didn’t come out of the wombthatway?”
Emma turned off her engine. “Since when are you an overprotectivebrother?”
“Since she started datingthat. Why would he want to spike his hair all over his head? He looks like a seaurchin.”
My sister rolled her eyes. “He looks worse than heactuallyis.”
“Oh, really? Would you let him holdyourbaby?”
Emma recoiled. “Are youcrazy?”
“Yeah, that’s what Ithought.”
Finn opened her door and offered his hand. Climbing out, she pulled him to her and kissed him. Emma wasn’t one to openly flaunt her relationship, but there had definitely been a change in her since meeting Finn and giving birth to Indiana. She smiled with her eyes now, something I hadn’t seen her do since she was a child. I wondered if the difference was only due to Finn and the baby or if she’d been seeking professional help. She’d mentioned the idea to me once, but we’d never discussed it since. Now I was left wondering if therapy had helped lift the weight off hershoulders.
Damn, I was jealous. Why hadn’t therapy had the same affect on me? Probably because I’d never really given it the chance to work. At the first sign of strife, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. And now I was being tormented by my demons while she was moving forward with the sunniest of dispositions. If Emma, the most inflexible person I knew, could find peace and a renewed sense of calm, maybe I needed to reevaluate my own progress. The nightmares were getting more intense, and I was left trying to stay a step ahead of something that was so much bigger than I was. Eventually I’d beswallowedup.
“They’re adorable, aren’t they?” Casey asked, following my gaze. She too was watching Emma and Finn’s public display of affection, and it was making herswoon.
