CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
TRISTAN
I watch as Poppy walks away, enjoying the backside view of her in that dress and can’t help thinking how lucky I am to have her in my life. She’s truly been there for me in ways no one else could’ve been. My brother in-law might have been the one to snap me out of it, but Poppy . . . she did more than anyone else.
I blink and refocus my attention noticing Rémy’s woman, Corentina, sauntering toward me. I notice something right off with her in the way she’s smiling and moving slightly different that she’s drunk. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this intoxicated. Before everything with Dimitri went down, at dinners we’d all share, I think the woman only had on glass a wine tops. She wasn’t one for getting tipsy.
“Corentina,” I greet her, giving her a smirk.
“Tristan,” she returns with a beaming smile. “I’m happy to see you were able to join us.”
“Well, I can’t go letting my sister get engaged without me there, now can I?”
“No, no you can’t,” Corentina says and takes a sip of her wine, her eyes roaming the crowd and sighs, I follow her gaze as they land on Poppy. “Poppy is so sweet and we’re all glad you’re with her.” She takes a sip of her wine. “Poppy let everyone know that you were doing okay. I’m glad that you had let her in so you would have someone to talk to and weren’t alone. We all were so worried about you. Everything that happened really threw your siblings for a loop. You’re loved by so many . . . and you’ve definitely caught Poppy’s eye,” she rushes out.
The feeling of betrayal courses through my body. Poppy told them how I was doing? That can’t be right. She knew I didn’t want anyone saying anything to them or anyone else. I didn’t want them to know anything about how I was doing, not until I was ready. They didn’t need to know how bad I was struggling. I kept them out for a reason. I only finally decided to have them in my life again. Why did she have tell them? I thought I could trust her.
“Tristan, you deserve to be happy and Poppy seems to be the person that can do that for you. We’re happy for you,” she slurs interrupting my thoughts. “I wish you two the best. Who knows, maybe we will be planning your engagement party next.” She giggles not sensing the tension rolling off me.
I nod, going along with Corentina’s saying like it’s not a big deal out of respect for my brother. Plus, she’s family and I care for her. I know she’s drunk and I can’t hold this against her. She’s only sharing because she wants me to know all of this. It’s the type of person Corentina is. She’s compassionate and loving. But I don’t know what I want to do with all that’s spewing from her lips. My gut tightens and I try to reign in my emotions. Tonight, is supposed to be about Désirée. I watch as Poppy laughs with my twin and I wonder if she’s talking about me. The two of them are smiling, drinking champagne, and having a good time. Poppy glances in my direction, sees I’m watching her and smiles.
That smile does things to me and maybe that’s why she was able to get me to open up to her and tell her what I was going through. I can't do it anymore. I need to talk to her. Get things straight.
“Excuse me, Corentina, I need to talk to Poppy for a minute.”
“Okay, talk to you later.” She waves me off.
I stalk over to Poppy, interrupting her conversation with my sister. “Excuse me, Des, but I need to talk to Poppy.”
“Sure.” She smiles.
I grasp Poppy by the upper arm and pull her outside to the patio where we can talk alone. I don’t need others to hear our conversation.
“What in the hell did you tell my family? Why did my sister-in-law just tell me that you kept them up to date with how I was doing?” I grind out, coldly.
She just looks at me with surprise, shaking her head.
“I demand you tell me why you betrayed me and reported to my family how I was doing, especially after I told you I didn’t want them to know how I was doing. I didn’t want them to know anything, but here they are, knowing everything because you told them, Poppy.”
Tears well in her eyes and threaten to spill over.
“Were you spying on me for them?” I point my finger at her, “Is what is going on between us all a ruse because you are getting information for them?” I seethe, I’m so mad that she betrayed me like this.
I’m so hurt, I don’t give her a chance to respond. I storm away as Poppy calls out my name. I don’t look back, I can’t. If I do, I might turn around and go back to her. But I can’t. I won’t. I need space and to be alone. Leaving the party, I stalk out to the car and climb in the backseat.
“Home, please.”
The driver nods and I lay my head back against the seat as he drives off. I can’t believe I let her in, and she betrayed me like this . . . with my own family. Hurt consumes my body and I just want to drink it all away.
I arrive at home, and I don’t even bother to undress and go straight to the liquor cabinet. I pull out a bottle of Eagle Rare Double Eagle Very Rare 20-Year-Old Bourbon. I like bourbon but this is one of my favorites. It’s hard to find and when I do find it, it costs fifteen to twenty thousand a bottle. I grab myself a glass and pour a little over two fingers of bourbon on the glass.
I remove my dress coat, throwing it on the chair as I sit on the couch, unbuttoning the collar of my dress shirt, and take a sip of the bourbon. It burns as it goes down and I lower my head as I let the alcohol calm me. I take another sip and wonder if I overreacted.
I look down at my glass and realize I only have another sip left, so I down it, and replay what Corentina said along with Poppy’s reaction to his accusations.
“Poppy let everyone know that you were doing okay.” That’s all that she said Poppy told them. Nothing else, just that I was okay. She didn’t betray me. I didn’t take the time to let her answer me, not that I wanted to listen to her, but she did nothing wrong. She looked at me like I was trying to get her to admit to something she didn’t do. She felt blindsided by my accusations . . . because they weren’t true and that is why she didn’t try to defend herself, there was no need to.
Fuck! I need to talk to her, because I need to apologize and make things right between the two of us. I pull my phone out of my pocket, looking at the time to see if she would be home from the party . . . fuck. I was her ride home, but I’m sure that she was able to find a ride home.
I search for her name in my contacts and go to hit send but stop. Someone is pounding on Poppy’s door. I open the door, my porch light isn’t on, so I stand outside in the darkness and listen.
Poppy’s mom is here . . . and she doesn’t seem to want to listen to Poppy. I’ll stand her quietly until I need to react, because I won’t go back on my word, I will protect her. I stand in the dark, waiting to make a move.