Page 45 of Modern Persuasion

"Fucking Elizabeth," Mary said and searched in the cooler for a bottle of water. "I think she is trying to turn Dave against Emma. Elizabeth and Dave dated until Emma came home after college. When Emma came home, he started paying attention to Emma and ignoring Elizabeth. He has been here flirting with Elizabeth again, so now Elizabeth wants to make sure Emma can't take him away again."

As we sat back down, I watched as Mary exchanged Emma's beer with the bottle of water. She thrust the beer back at Elizabeth but said nothing. When Elizabeth refused to take it, Mary just let it fall into Elizabeth's lap. The beer spilled and splattered from the bottle covering Elizabeth's dress with beer.

"Fuck you," Elizabeth hissed at her youngest sister.

"No, fuck you," Mary said.

Emma was too drunk to notice any of it but quickly had her own drunken meltdown where she told all of her family off. Everyone was shocked and started talking at once. I watched Emma as she stormed off. I remembered how frank and honest she got when she was drunk. We probably would have danced around our feeling for months if we hadn't gotten drunk together. Now I had my chance to get her to be honest with me. I left the table in time to see Emma leaving the house. I followed her outside and down the street.

"Emma, wait!" I called out when I was close enough.

She stopped and let me catch up.

"You shouldn't walk home alone at night. You could get hit by a car, or who knows what else. Let me walk with you."

"What the fuck do you care for? It's not like I mean anything to you anymore."

"That's not fair. I would feel much better if you let me walk with you. You do realize you're drunk? I mean, you can't even seem to walk right now."

"Whatever."

We walked alone in silence for a while. I tried to decide what I should say next. She stumbled every so often, and I had to take her arm to keep her from falling.

"I decided to come at the last minute. Seth wanted me to come. I should have spoken to you about it first. I'm sorry I just showed up," I said.

"They'll make sure you enjoy yourself."

The way she said it, combined with her reaction at dinner, made me wonder why she kept coming out here every summer.

"Do you not like it out here?" I asked.

"I love it out here. I just happen to not like my family much at the moment."

"Was it this bad when we were at college?"

"I don't remember it being this bad before I left, but I was grieving my mother's death. When I got home, it was like this."

"Dealing with your father is why you are always prepared for a crisis, isn't it?"

"Probably."

"You were amazing in Chicago. I really am sorry I was so nasty to you. Louisa pretty much worships you now that you saved her."

Dave pulled up in a car next to us. Just when I thought I could have a moment alone with Emma, Dave ruined it.

"I thought you could use a ride," Dave said with a look of smug satisfaction.

After the role he played in getting Emma drunk, I was angry that he had the nerve to swoop in to keep her safe. It angered me that she probably was safer in the car with him than walking with me. It angered me that Emma didn't notice the game he was playing. The look on his face, the one that made it clear he knew he was winning, made me want to punch him.

"You are probably safer in the car," I said, leading Emma to the passenger side door and opening it.

"Thank you, Fredrick," she said.

"Emma, come to the fireworks tomorrow night. Promise me you won't punish yourself because you're tired of your father's behavior," I said.

She smiled at me before she closed the door. It was the smile I wanted to see. Maybe Dave wasn't winning? As the car pulled away, I was angry only at myself for having given her up so easily, again.

After that, Dave seemed to be attached to Emma's hip. At the beach the following evening, he was there, by her side and making her laugh. When she moved, he followed her. I was sure she didn't understand what had happened last night and still doesn't know Dave's role in it. It angered me that she seemed to want to be with him.