relationship was with her mother—a woman who doted on her four sons.
“Hey, Paige,” a familiar voice called out from behind her. She glanced up in time to see the Love brother she’d gone to school with come up behind her and pull her ponytail. “Good to see ya, ugly.”
Dominic Love was the black sheep in the rambunctious group of brothers, and the one she identified with the most. She jumped up and gave him a big hug. She’d never made the mistake of falling for him, even though they had hooked up a few times their senior year.
He held onto her, and then gave her an ostentatious kiss on the lips before releasing her. His dark eyes seemed flat despite his enthusiastic greeting. “Taking your meds, right?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
He rolled his eyes and smacked her ass, then wandered off without answering. She glanced at Angelique and caught the girl staring after her brother.
Paige sighed and flopped back in her seat. She picked up her refilled wine glass and held it up. “Here’s to you, Leslie. Here’s to your weekend and your dream wedding.”
Leslie smiled and chose, Paige knew, to ignore the tone of her voice and clinked her glass. Angelique did the same. “So,” Paige said, after sucking back half the bolus of alcohol. “What’re my duties as maid of honor, anyway?”
Angelique and Leslie exchanged a glance. Paige felt her face heating up.
“Um, hon, since you never actually attended any of the planning weekends I invited you to—”
“Uh, hello? I was working?” Paige sipped, not willing to accept that she was mad over such a stupid thing.
“Anyway,” Leslie said, patting her hand, calm, cool, and collected as usual. “Angel’s my maid of honor, so you don’t have to do anything but show up at the brunch on time with that hot hunk of a fiancé, and make sure your dress actually fits. You know, since you never came home to try it on and all.”
Paige rose, fury filling her as she stared down at her always-better-at-everything little sister. The little blonde girl who’d been the apple of her mother’s eye, the pretty one to her smart one, the girl she loved and hated with equal measure in ways she couldn’t even explain to herself.
“Now don’t be that way,” Leslie insisted, sipping her wine. Her Mister Perfect Banker Hubby appeared as if sensing her stress. She leaned back into him when he put his hands on her shoulders.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of making a scene over something that I don’t really care about. Don’t worry. Hi, Robbie,” she said, acknowledging her future brother-in-law.
“Good to see you made it, Paige,” he said, his handsome face neutral.
“God, what part of ‘it was the fog’ don’t you people believe?” She stomped her foot, then winced at her own childishness. That was the thing about coming home, she mused. It always had the power to send her spiraling backward into her childhood, plunking her straight into old behaviors and bullshit. “Never mind. I don’t care.” She looked around for Joey, willing him at her side.
“I need to go find . . .” She backed away from the table, the sight of her sister and her wonderful future life represented by her amazing future husband making Paige’s throat close up with jealousy.
Leslie waved her away and leaned over to say something to Angelique. They both glanced at her with expressions that were both familiar and depressing.
Paige sighed and turned away, clutching her wine glass, her vision blurry. She swiped at her eyes. “I fucking hate it here,” she said under her breath as she wandered over to a table full of Love brothers and her very own fake fiancé. She put a hand on Joey’s shoulder. Without looking at her, he leaned over and kissed her knuckles in the sort of practiced way of long-time couples.
“Hey, we like this one, Paige,” Dom said, slapping Joey on the shoulder. “Nice choice.”
“Yeah, thanks,” she said, then emptied her wine glass
“Hey, Paige,” a familiar voice called out from behind her. She glanced up in time to see the Love brother she’d gone to school with come up behind her and pull her ponytail. “Good to see ya, ugly.”
Dominic Love was the black sheep in the rambunctious group of brothers, and the one she identified with the most. She jumped up and gave him a big hug. She’d never made the mistake of falling for him, even though they had hooked up a few times their senior year.
He held onto her, and then gave her an ostentatious kiss on the lips before releasing her. His dark eyes seemed flat despite his enthusiastic greeting. “Taking your meds, right?” she asked, her hands on her hips.
He rolled his eyes and smacked her ass, then wandered off without answering. She glanced at Angelique and caught the girl staring after her brother.
Paige sighed and flopped back in her seat. She picked up her refilled wine glass and held it up. “Here’s to you, Leslie. Here’s to your weekend and your dream wedding.”
Leslie smiled and chose, Paige knew, to ignore the tone of her voice and clinked her glass. Angelique did the same. “So,” Paige said, after sucking back half the bolus of alcohol. “What’re my duties as maid of honor, anyway?”
Angelique and Leslie exchanged a glance. Paige felt her face heating up.
“Um, hon, since you never actually attended any of the planning weekends I invited you to—”
“Uh, hello? I was working?” Paige sipped, not willing to accept that she was mad over such a stupid thing.
“Anyway,” Leslie said, patting her hand, calm, cool, and collected as usual. “Angel’s my maid of honor, so you don’t have to do anything but show up at the brunch on time with that hot hunk of a fiancé, and make sure your dress actually fits. You know, since you never came home to try it on and all.”
Paige rose, fury filling her as she stared down at her always-better-at-everything little sister. The little blonde girl who’d been the apple of her mother’s eye, the pretty one to her smart one, the girl she loved and hated with equal measure in ways she couldn’t even explain to herself.
“Now don’t be that way,” Leslie insisted, sipping her wine. Her Mister Perfect Banker Hubby appeared as if sensing her stress. She leaned back into him when he put his hands on her shoulders.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of making a scene over something that I don’t really care about. Don’t worry. Hi, Robbie,” she said, acknowledging her future brother-in-law.
“Good to see you made it, Paige,” he said, his handsome face neutral.
“God, what part of ‘it was the fog’ don’t you people believe?” She stomped her foot, then winced at her own childishness. That was the thing about coming home, she mused. It always had the power to send her spiraling backward into her childhood, plunking her straight into old behaviors and bullshit. “Never mind. I don’t care.” She looked around for Joey, willing him at her side.
“I need to go find . . .” She backed away from the table, the sight of her sister and her wonderful future life represented by her amazing future husband making Paige’s throat close up with jealousy.
Leslie waved her away and leaned over to say something to Angelique. They both glanced at her with expressions that were both familiar and depressing.
Paige sighed and turned away, clutching her wine glass, her vision blurry. She swiped at her eyes. “I fucking hate it here,” she said under her breath as she wandered over to a table full of Love brothers and her very own fake fiancé. She put a hand on Joey’s shoulder. Without looking at her, he leaned over and kissed her knuckles in the sort of practiced way of long-time couples.
“Hey, we like this one, Paige,” Dom said, slapping Joey on the shoulder. “Nice choice.”
“Yeah, thanks,” she said, then emptied her wine glass
Similar Books
