“What is it?” Ezo asks, obviously seeing me tense up.
“I’ll just be a second. I need to go talk to my dad.”
This isn’t going to be pretty, and whatever Dad’s mad about, I can’t bear Ezo overhearing.
I hurry away from him and meet my dad halfway across the back lawn.
“What did you do?” Dad demands in a seething whisper. “I just saw Alicia in tears after she talked to you. This is her engagement party for Christ’s sake! For once in your life, couldn’t you manage not to be selfish and think of someone else?”
Wow. I’m not prepared for how much that stings. I blink hard and stare at the ground.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”
I swallow hard and glare up at my father. He’s a good-looking man, tall, with broad shoulders, a wide jaw, and aristocratic looking salt and pepper hair always cut so neat.
He was always an exacting, demanding father, never satisfied with the mix of B’s and A’s on my report cards. He endlessly berated me to try harder, to study more, to be more self-disciplined (aka, not to be so chubby). To be more like my little sister, who did all of those things as naturally as breathing.
“Did you come here just to make a fool of me?”
How can he— “Dad, what? No, I just—”
“You just have to be the center of attention, don’t you? Well, not today. It stops here. I coddled you too long when you were a child but you’re a grown woman now, for God’s sake. I won’t have you showing up and spoiling a perfectly good party where everyone was having a lovely time. You can leave now. And consider yourself disinvited from the wedding.”
I nod, shame and humiliation choking me. I barely manage the words, “I’m going,” before I turn away from him, hot tears spilling down my cheeks.
Ezo is striding towards me in the distance but I can’t face him right now. I just need a second to get my shit together. I need to be alone.
I hurry towards the house, all but running, but before I get there, I detour right and yank open the sliding door to the pool house.
I rush inside and close the door behind me. Then I bend over and let the tears fall.
Jesus, why do I let that man still get to me? He used to say cruel shit to me all the time when I was a teenager but in the last few years we’ve been civil. So I just wasn’t expecting it. I used to know to have my guard up around him but I didn’t shield myself well enough today and every one of his words pierced deep.
I swipe at my tears angrily and stand up. And then let out a little shriek.
Because Brian is standing in the other corner of the pool house, smoking a cigarette.
“Have a run in with the judge?” he asks with a lazy drawl, sucking deep on his cigarette and then blowing out a puff of smoke.
“Since when do you smoke?” It’s stupid, but it’s all I can think to ask.
He lets out a bitter chortle. “Since I got engaged to your perfect fucking sister and she transformed into a nagging bitch who makes my sphincter coil every time I hear her shrill voice.”
He drops the cigarette onto the carpet and stomps it out with the toe of his fancy shoe. He’s dressed in a suit, the thread count alone belying the fact that my sister bought it for him.
“If you hate her so much, then why are you still engaged to her?” I don’t recognize the man in front of me. He’s bitter and hard and Brian was a lot of things, many of them not that great, but he wasn’t this.
He laughs harshly and I cringe at the sound. “And kill my career before it even starts? We both know the only way I’m getting a job is through his connections.”
Oh my God, I’m such a stupid girl. Because that shield I should have had up earlier when dealing with my father? It was still down and Brian’s words make it through, even though I swore I’d never let him hurt me again.
“Is that why you stayed with me for so long?” I try hard not to, but my voice still breaks on the words.
Brian just shrugs, neither confirming nor denying that my dad was his entire reason for being with me at all.
“Look, babe,” he says, crossing the room towards me, “that guy you’re with? He’s a total loser. You know that, right?”
How fucking dare he—
“What do you say you and me have one last tumble in the sheets? Just for old time sake? I know how much you always wanted to stick it to your sister.” He gestures to the couch behind him. “This is the perfect opportunity. Come on, babe. Kiss me.”