“Go somewhere,” I warned.
“Why are you acting like this?” Blake asked. “What’s up with you?”
“Don’t you still have to choose a wedding date?” I sliced a tomato. “Maybe you need to worry about that, and not who I’m fucking.”
She smacked my shoulder. “Whatever. Fuck this wedding,” she snapped. The pastor and his wife glanced over at us. “Sorry, Pastor.” Blake mouthed an apology to my mother and Lennox before turning to me. “I’m done talking about it. No amount of forced meetings, stupid bridal checklists, and Bliss’ sad eyes will change that.”
I snickered, satisfied that I managed to distract Blake from my business. “Right. Because everyone’s wrong for wanting you to actually set a date and make it happen,” I teased. “Do you even want to get married? I mean, because you definitely don’t act like a blushing bride-to-be.”
“Because I’m not,” she shot back. “I want to be Lennox’s wife. I don’t care about the wedding. And fuck—” Blake tugged at her shirt. “Forgetyou.” She stalked off, grumbling curses all the way to the living room.
Breakfast was served sometime around ten, after a twenty-minute grace-slash-sermon from the Pastor. Like every meal at the house, chatter was loud and lively. Aside from the unfortunate incident that morning and the continued silent treatment from Demi, I enjoyed being with my family. In less than a week’s time, Charlye would officially be my sister. And watching how happy she made my brother, made all the wedding insanity worth it.
While Pastor grilled all of us about the status of our relationship with God, I tried to focus on my food, not Demi. But I couldn’t stop myself from looking at her. For all intents and purposes, she seemed normal. She laughed at all of Asa’s jokes, smiled at all the right points in the conversation, and gave everybody her undivided attention when they spoke to her directly. Yet, she still hadn’t even acknowledged my presence. And she didn’t even eat my pancakes.
Chastity leaned over and whispered to me, “I’m so sorry about earlier.”
I squeezed her hand. “Stop apologizing. We’re good.”
On the other side of the table, Demi tossed back her mimosa and slammed the glass on the table.
“Sis, are you okay?” Dallas asked.
“I’m fine,” Demi told her, biting into her biscuit.
“Maybe we could talk?” Chastity asked me. “I really could use an ear.”
Demi finally met my gaze.A hard glare is better than nothing. I smirked. Because it was clear to me now. Demi was jealous.
“Are you busy this afternoon?” Chastity asked, oblivious to everything around her. “We could go for coffee?”
Clearing her throat, Demi poured another glass of champagne—no orange juice—and drained it.
Blake shot her a concerned look. “What are you going through, Demi?”
Demi gripped her butter knife. “Nothing.”
“I’ll take this, sis.” Dallas tugged the knife out of Demi’s palm and handed her a spoon. “Try the yogurt.”
When the pastor pulled out his Bible and launched into a Sunday School lesson, Pop cleared his throat.
Ma stood, catching the signal. “Breakfast was good as always, Duke. Thank you.” She squeezed my shoulder. “Pastor, it’s an honor to have you here. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to let me know.” She glanced at her watch. “Unfortunately, we’ll have to cut the lesson short, because we have scheduled a family meeting in the—”
“Family meeting?” Asa asked. “What for?”
“Because I said so.” Ma flashed her patented you-better-not-interrupt-me-again-in-front-of-company smile. “In your father’s study.”
Pop excused himself, grabbed another piece of bacon and exited the room. Blake practically sprinted out of the room before she remembered Lennox was there. She peeked her head around the corner and beckoned him with her forefinger. The rest of us, followed my mother into the study.
Once we all crowded into the room, Ma glanced at Pop. “I wish you’d given me a little more notice, honey. What was that?”
Pop shrugged. “You know it was time, Bae.”
“So, there’s no meeting?” Asa asked.
Blake popped Asa in the back of his head. “No, fool. Are you hungover? You’ve been out of it all morning.”
“Back up, Blake.” Asa said, shoving Blake away from him and into Lennox’s lap.
