She put the cigarette out after only a few puffs and deposited it in Dad's trash bins on our way past the garage to the front door. Linking her arm through mine, we entered the crowded house together.
"Sweetheart, you look lovely," Dad greeted me, sweeping me up in a bear hug.
"Thanks, Daddy. Olivia waved her magic wand and this is what we got. The spell will be lifted by midnight and I'll return to my normal reclusive self."
He laughed, ruffling my hair. Olivia glared at him playfully before smoothing it back in place. "Careful. My magic only stretches so far."
"Holy cannoli. Is that Nicole?"
"Can't be. That girl actually looks like a girl." If Zach and Tony weren't my brothers, their smart-ass remarks would get them a kick in the ass. I would let Olivia do it though. I wouldn't want to ruin my cute shoes.
"Har - har. You two are so funny."
Tony whistled as he stepped closer, looking me over like a new car. "Hear that? She sounds like our sister. I guess she kinda looks like her too. I think we need to mess her up a little to make sure."
Olivia stepped between us, not willing to let sibling shenanigans ruin her work. "Touch her hair and you'll be singing soprano for a week. Got me?"
Tony's eyes sparkled like they always had when Olivia spoke to him. He stepped closer, invading her personal space. "The pain might just be worth it, coming from you," he murmured.
They stood chest to chest. "You would like that, wouldn't you?" Olivia's hand slid provocatively across Tony's shoulder. "Maybe we can try it out sometime," she whispered into his ear. She turned her head, practically offering Tony her lips. He looked hypnotized and leaned in to take what he had always wanted. "Or not," she added, stepping away from him. "I need a drink. How about you, Nic?"
Zachary roared with laughter as Olivia and I walked away. "You dumb bastard. How many times are you gonna fall for that?" He licked his finger and shoved it in Tony's ear, causing Tony to attempt to put him in a headlock. Before I knew it, my dad walked over quickly and separated them, slapping each one on the head. My brothers would never grow up. They were both older than me and still had to be treated like a couple of teenagers.
Olivia and I made our way to the patio where Mom stood off to the side of the makeshift bar, chatting with her best friend, Eloise. They had been friends since we were kids, and my brothers and Eloise's boys played soccer together. Her sons spent as much time at our house as they did their own growing up. Mom and Eloise liked to joke that they shared custody of them all.
"Nicole, you look lovely," Mom said, pulling me in for a hug before passing me to Eloise, who also gave me a hug. Being the only girl among five boys had ensured that I was treated differently. Eloise always considered me the daughter she never had. She loved taking me shopping when I was younger and designated at least one day a month as "girl time." She was worth admiring since her husband walked out on her and the boys ten years ago and she finished raising them on her own. To this day, their sons Ryan and Hunter hadn't forgiven their father for hurting their mom.
"Hey, Eloise. How's the gardening going?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't ask. Whatever possessed me to think I'd have a green thumb when I can't even keep a houseplant alive is beyond me."
"Maybe you should hire a hot young landscaper to help you out," Olivia piped in, winking outrageously as she poured herself a glass of wine. "Or give up gardening altogether and just hire yourself a pool boy."
Mom and I both laughed when Eloise blushed brightly. She had never recovered from her husband's betrayal. We had all been trying to nudge her into the dating pool for years.
"I'd have to get a pool first," she finally tittered.
"That's just a technicality," Olivia laughed, taking a sip of her wine.
The patio became crowded as more of the party guests made their way to the bar.
"Hey, look who it is." My ears perked up at the sound of my brother Riley's voice. I was about to turn around, thinking that he had been talking to me. "You might need to take off your shirt for us," he laughed. "You know, give us a little flex."
An achingly familiar laugh drifted my way. I shot daggers at Olivia, who was suddenly too busy to look at me. Surely she wouldn't do this to me. As my friend, she should automatically be on my side when something went wrong with a guy. Just like I'd do for her. It was the friendship code.
"Hey, Riley, it's good to see you again."
"You too, Alec."
Chapter Twenty
The hole in my heart that had been held together by a haphazard Band-Aid felt like it was bleeding.
"And who is this pretty lady?" Riley asked.
And he brought a fucking date? I was in hell. Maybe this was his way of showing he was over me, or she could be a buffer to make sure I didn't try to beg him to take me back. Evidently, he didn't realize I couldn't have begged him even if I wanted to. There was no way I could handle the rejection again. I couldn't take the pain.
The only way I could save face would be to turn around and show him I was the one who was over him. Paste a brilliant smile on my face for him and his slut date. My nonchalance would be enough to prove I was fine. First, I needed to believe all that bullshit myself. Convince my face to accept a smile. Plead with my eyes to not betray me. Channel all the inner help I could muster.