I go to my mom and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll call you later.” Mark and I hug, and when I get to my dad, I step by him like he’s not even there. As soon as I step into the reception, Alyssa is by my side. I take her hand, give her a twirl, much to everyone’s delight and spread my arm out with my hand pointing toward her while still holding her hand. She’s soaking it all up.
“If I could have your attention please.”
Someone clanks their fork against a glass, and everyone quiets.
“This here is Alyssa Worthington. The only woman I know who would fake an engagement in order to upset another woman. A woman she has deemed to be beneath her.”
Alyssa drops my hand and looks away sheepishly, but I don’t let her get away. I pull her to me and lean in. “You disgust me. I don’t ever want to see you again.” I leave her there in the middle of the room, with people who have no idea what they’re supposed to do or how to act.7LondonI knew being with Max was too good to be true. How could I be so stupid? For a hot second, I thought I could fit in with his crowd. Wrong. Everything was going great until she showed up; Alyssa Worthington, followed by Max’s father and his evil stepmother. I’ll never forget what happened for as long as I live. The embarrassment, the shame. I’ve never felt so low in my life. I don’t see how anyone could ever say to someone what they said to me.
My phone rings in my purse, but I’m too pissed and upset to look at who it is. The regatta should be over by now so it could easily be Max. I have no clue if he won, and right now, I don’t care. All that matters is that I get away from Newport fast.
“Want to talk about it?” Kim asks.
I toss my bags into the trunk of her car and she does the same. “Let’s get on the road first. I want to get away from here.”
We’re both supposed to work at the yacht club tomorrow, but I called and quit. I refuse to be around Max and his yuppie friends and family who think they’re better than everyone else. I have to exclude his mother and Mark from that. Kitty tried to get me to stay for the rest of the race, but I couldn’t stomach being around Alyssa and hearing her talk about how Max proposed to her last night, followed by an extravagant night she’s too ladylike to talk about. It took all I had not to rip her fake hair extensions out and smack her in the face with them. I’m not a violent person, but being around her enraged me. I’d give anything to put her in her place one good time.
Once Kim and I are in her car and on the highway, I breathe a sigh of relief. I want to forget everything that just happened. Getting away for a few days will help. Who knows, I might decide to stay away a lot longer than that.
“All right, London, spill. If I quit my job for you, the least you can do is tell me what happened.” She glances over at me, her eyes sad. It takes all I have not to break down. I can’t give Alyssa and Max’s bitch of a stepmother and father the satisfaction. Even though they can’t see the damage they did to me. Why do I even care? The answer’s simple…I fell in love.
Her pitying stare makes my heart hurt worse. I turn toward the window and peer out, ignoring my reflection in the glass. I hate myself for being weak, for falling for a guy I knew was bad news. My phone rings again, but I reach into my purse to shut it off.
“What happened at the regatta, London? You were so happy when you left.”
I scoff. “Yeah, until Alyssa Worthington shows up parading around with a ten-pound engagement ring on her finger. Apparently, Max was with her last night.”
Kim gasps. “Seriously? What an asshole.”
The anger comes back with a vengeance. “Oh, and that’s not all.” Clenching my fists, I turn to her, my cheeks hotter than fire. “His dad had the gall to say I was nothing but a minimum wage waitress used as a fuck buddy to quell his son’s needs before walking down the aisle.”
Kim’s mouth gapes. “Holy shit. I’d love to ram a hot ass poker up his ass and say it quells my need to punish him for being a dick. What kind of man says that crap to someone?”
“A man like Sheldon Richmond,” I say through gritted teeth. Tears form in my eyes. They burn, but I refuse to let them fall. “Things were going great there for a while. I was sitting with Kitty and Mark, drinking mimosas, and having a good time. Max’s mother is so sweet.”