Wow, offensive. His dad, yuck. The pregnancy stick, her bad. She’d been wrong there. He was due an apology. Keep perspective. “I’m not confused. You’re overlooking how I feel.” That she loved him, an emotional truth that filled and squeezed her heart.
Given his family dynamics, she wasn’t even surprised Mikah wasn’t handling his relationship with her well. What a bunch of hypocrites. Adult lovers couldn’t share a room, but the patriarch could sleep with a dancer on the side. While his wife and children sat at a table two doors down, acting like the perfect ice hockey family legacy. The Czerskis were all for show. Did they go any deeper? Did Mikah want something more real? She did. “Mikah…”
Mikah’s face softened for half a second. Then he turned and left.
Just left.
The abandonment punched through her, but she couldn’t go after him again, not now. Piper had another crisis behind her, and this one wasn’t about her. Dahlia stood where she’d left her, holding Dodo’s belt and another woman’s sexy panties.
Piper rushed back to her cousin, blocking out her own hurt and compartmentalizing.
Dahlia’s tear-streaked makeup showed her hurt for anyone who chanced by. She took Dahlia’s arm. “Let’s get some privacy.” She led her through the hallway. Revelry sounded back from the main room. Piper took her toward the end of the corridor past the restrooms. Nothing was down here except an emergency exit.
Dahlia carried the belt like a leash. Only instead of leading a Pomeranian, she was dragging Willow’s thong. “I…” Dahlia trailed off.
The G-string picked up bits of lint from the floor like the worst sweeper ever. Piper pulled her gaze away. “You’re going to be okay. They’re the ones who are in the wrong.”
“I shouldn’t have hired Willow.”
“You were helping out a friend. And Dodo’s the one who gave you the ring. He’s at fault.” Piper wasn’t trying to sound harsh. But she wanted Dahlia’s rage focused in the right direction because Dodo was not innocent. “Willow’s disgusting, first cheating with Warren while he was with me, now Dodo while he’s with you.”
Dahlia’s mouth opened then closed. “You knew Willow was a cheat and didn’t tell me?”
“You were dating Dodo and working here.” Piper spoke quickly to get out months’ worth of words she should have shared before. “I didn’t want to put any Applebaum-family-negativity on you.”
“Look how that worked out.” Dahlia pulled off her engagement ring and turned toward the exit. “I need to be alone.”
* * *
Mikah went back to the reception area. Guests were moving to the courtyard to watch fireworks. Blue and white bursts lit up the window, a living demonstration of his world’s truths blowing up. He found his family. His mother and sister stood with his brothers and Francesca. They were chatting away like there was no problem. Couldn’t they sense Dad’s betrayal? Were they that adept at covering for Dad? Did they not care? Or were they clueless? His brain was expanding. His skull would explode if another piece of crap came his way.
“What a scowl.”
Aww, Zee piping in when no one had asked his opinion. How unusual. “Don’t start with me.” Mikah bit the words out as if the wishbone were caught in his throat. What he really wanted to say, fuck off, was one side of the wish. What society allowed was the other.
Dad entered from the main room and melded into a group of older men. He’d make his way here eventually. Mikah didn’t have the stomach to be here when he did. He looked toward the exit. “See you back at my place.” He left.
Mikah drove home with blind focus and strode in. This holiday sucked. He dropped his keys on the entrance table and stood there. Piper’s things were in his bedroom. He was supposed to be unzipping her right now. Today had started out as one of the best mornings of his life. Then the evening brought the shit storm.
Not five minutes later, his brother Zee was coming in the front door. “What happened?”
His chest tightened and the word spewed up. “Dad.”
Zee strode across the marble to the wet bar. He poured two fingers of scotch into two tumblers and handed him one.
Mikah took a bracing drink. There wasn’t enough air in here. He moved over to the sliders and onto the balcony. Moonlight shined on the Colorado River. He and Piper should never have left the apartment.
And the five people he knew best were arriving any second. They were going to polka in here with polite smiles, comment on the event, and talk turkey day plans. He needed a minute. Longer. “How much time do we have until they get back?”
“A little while.” Zee swirled his drink, and the ice clinked against the glass. He sprawled onto the outside chair, his elbows on his knees, his gaze on the liquor. “You know when Dad and I rib you, it’s just…”
Damn, this wasn’t about Zee. He got it. Sometimes he deserved a heaping of smack talk. “That’s not the problem.”
“What is?”
Zee shouldn’t ask what he didn’t want to know. Mikah wasn’t in the mood to coddle anyone. “Dad banging a party guest in one of the back rooms, a Snowers dancer.”
Zee let out a curse. “Not surprised.”