Sydney
I zip up the royal blue dress, which is tight across my bust—but not overly so—and check myself out in the mirror. “What do you think?”
Lena sticks two fingers between her lips and wolf-whistles. “You look hot. Gabe is a dipshit for not gluing himself to your side.” She and I are nearly matching, our dresses slightly different shades.
“That’s what I like to hear. You don’t think it’s too much?” There’s a whole lot of cleavage on display.
“Hell, no. You always downplay yourself, but it’s about time you showed the world how gorgeous you are.”
Most of the time I don’t have the chance to show off my figure or fashion sense. Scrubs don’t do anyone any favors.
“Mom wants me to wear black.”
Lena shrugs. “Black, blue, close enough.” She runs a hand over her hair, which is knotted on the back of her head, checking for stray strands, then she leans over my shoulder and refreshes her lipstick. It’s red, as per usual, and she rocks it. “Who wears black to a wedding anyway? Isn’t that more funereal?”
This draws a laugh from me. “Maybe that’s what tonight is—for the groom. You haven’t met my family yet. I’ll have to thank Jase for letting me borrow you. Did you tell him what we were doing tonight?”
She shakes her head. “Didn’t think you’d appreciate me telling him because of the whole Gabe-ditching-you thing.” Her upper lip curls into a sneer. “And to think, he used to be my favorite.”
“Who, Gabe?” I sigh. “Don’t hold it against him for my sake. I’ve always ranked lower in his priorities than fighting and I shouldn’t have expected that to change. At least, not all at once.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have tripped at the first hurdle, either. Did you tell him how much this meant to you?”
I squirm. “Kind of. I mean, we didn’t have a heart-to-heart but I told him it was a big deal, and I’m sure he knew how much this would bother me.”
“Yeah, but he’s a guy. They’re not exactly known for being intuitive.”
“Wouldn’t it be nice if they were?” I muse.
“Hell, yeah.”
I accessorize with elegant heels and silver jewelry, then check my makeup, satisfied that none of my family members will have grounds to accuse me of not dressing nicely enough. Lena wears a form-fitting dress, which makes her porcelain skin look flawless.
I hook my arm through hers. “I’m going to have the hottest date there. All my male cousins will be so jealous.”
She rolls her eyes. “You don’t have to butter me up. I’m already coming.”
“I know.” I squeeze her hand. “Just don’t change your mind once we get there.”
My family can be overwhelming, to say the least, and I don’t mean that in a good way. We drive to the venue in Lena’s Nissan, because I don’t own a car, having no reason to need one regularly. The wedding is at an upmarket hotel—not because my family is wealthy, but because they’re pretentious—and she pulls up and hands her keys to a valet. Together, we make our way inside.
“Thanks for being amazing,” I say, once again. “I’m not sure I’d be able to endure this without you.”
“You’re very welcome, Syd. But once I get my hands on your boyfriend, he’s going to regret choosing the fight over this.”
Sighing, I say, “I wish you wouldn’t.”
To be honest, I should have just come right out and asked him to choose me over the fight, but I didn’t have the emotional capacity to risk rejection when I was ninety percent sure he’d already decided to say yes and I was exhausted from a long shift.
By design, we arrive only minutes before the ceremony and duck into the back row. The audience are a sea of black and gray, with only a couple of splashes of color. I spy my parents near the front, and Mom gives me a stern look over her shoulder that implies I should have been earlier. As per usual, her inky black hair is bound in an elegant knot and her makeup perfectly complements her skin, which is a shade darker than my own. Her gaze lands on Lena, and one brow jumps up, then she cocks her head. I shake mine, not prepared to hold a silent conversation across a room, and she turns her back.
“Your mom?” Lena guesses.
“That’s her, all right. Can you sense all the motherly vibes she’s giving off?”
Lena snort-laughs, then flushes red, clapping a hand over her mouth. “You don’t get along with her?”
I instantly feel disloyal. The woman gave birth to me, after all, but I’m pretty sure I was a mistake, and ever since then I’ve managed to remain a disappointment.
