Heat floods every inch of my body. My mouth goes dry because I feel the same way. I want to be someone he’s proud of, too.
In order to do that, the truth must be told. It’s the worst possible time, but better to end things now before I’m in so deep I’ll never be able to dig myself out.
“Stone, there’s something—”
But before there’s a chance to finish, the front doors are thrown open and Brittany appears, her phone in hand.
My sister and my entire family—including my grandmother—step inside the bar and yell, “Congratulations!”
Chapter 29
Coco
Oh my God. It couldn’t get any worse than this.
My family. All here. Phones record. Squeals of delight ring in my ears.
My prepper clan sweeps into Sparkle Bar like bad bangs from the ’80s. Luckily, my dad is wearing normal clothes for once, probably because my mother made him, which I’m grateful for.
Hey, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
In fact, I won’t look any horse in the mouth in case it bites my face off.
My mom wraps me in a hug that smells like lavender and mint. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Is this the same woman who said I didn’t have the job that I have? What has this stranger done with my mother?
Meanwhile, Brittany gabs into her phone, arms wide, brow scrunched with determination. “We’re here at Sparkle Bar, where my sister’s celebrating her engagement to Stone Maddox!” She turns to me. “Coco, were you ever going to tell us? Or were you going to let us guess it was your wedding day when you showed up in a white dress, like you did for prom? Except it wasn’t white. It was blue. Remember that?”
She laughs like it’s the funniest thing ever and then adds, “Just kidding. But isn’t this like the time you said you had a boyfriend but it was really a toad?”
“I was three,” I reply, my insides curdling.
Brittany gets right in my face. “Well?”
“Um, uh ...” I start to panic. Can feel the bile surge up the back of my throat. The hot lights, the oxygen-stealing closeness of the crowd, my grandmother insisting Stone give her sugar while he probably wonders why this woman wants sweetener.
My stomach quivers wildly, madly, and I want to run. Worse, though I’m being congratulated, my mother’s expression is accusatory—brows knit, lips pursed. My sister’s expression is triumphant, like somehow I really screwed this up, and all of it makes me wither into a husk on the inside.
I begin to back up. “Um ...”
That’s when Stone’s hand slides across my back, warming my skin through my blouse. He presses firmly, gently, his touch saying a dozen things all at once:I’ve got you. Breathe. Let’s get through this together. I’m not abandoning you.
I glance up at him, and he’s saying something to my dad, but one edge of his mouth twitches as if it’s just for me to see and understand.
Right. I can do this.
I inhale a deep breath and say to my mom, “We were keeping this quiet for a while, but we were going to tell you.”
“Now you can tell the world,” Brittany announces. To the camera, she adds, “To get the exclusive on Stone Maddox’s relationship with my sister, become a member. Members get top-tier access to me and behind-the-scenes bonus content.”
She’s monetizing this?
Before I can argue that my life isn’t for sale, Brittany and Jet zoom away to interview other people in Sparkle Bar, and my mom peppers me with questions about the wedding: What will I wear? When will we dress-shop? Will the wedding be here or in one of his hotels?
Most of my answers are “I’m not sure,” and “We’ll wait and see,” but that doesn’t stop Mom from focusing on me in a way that feels alien. There’s joy and warmth in her eyes, in how she touches my arm, in how proud she seems.
I can’t help but digest this moment, this feeling of standing in the spotlight, for once letting the light hit me.
