Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84322 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 422(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“Oh, man, do I need this,” Aunt Laura said once she was settled in her chair. She stretched out her toes where they rested in the sand, leaning back with a wide smile on her face. And when one of the servers hired for the welcome party delivered her a piña colada with a little orange umbrella in it, she lit up like the Fourth of July.
I smiled, and it was the first real smile I’d felt stretch my lips in days. “I’m really glad you’re here,” I told her, and I meant every word. I didn’t realize how lonely I had been in a house full of people, how isolated I’d felt — not until she held me in her arms.
“Me, too, Jazzy Girl.” She made an exaggerated ahhh noise after her first sip of her drink, and then she frowned. “Where’s Jacob?”
I was thankful for the aviators covering my eyes when she asked that question, because I knew they’d have given me away. Thankfully, I didn’t have time to answer before Morgan bounded over and wrapped Aunt Laura in a giant hug.
“You made it!”
“The party has arrived,” my aunt said, thrusting her drink into the air before taking a big sip.
“Does that mean you’ll take shots with me later?”
Aunt Laura clicked her tongue. “You’ve got a wedding tomorrow, little girl. I’m not going to be the one responsible for dark bags under your eyes after a day of binge drinking.”
“Excuses, excuses,” Morgan teased, but then she opened the lid of her customized white Thermos that said bride in delicate script on the side, showing the contents to both me and my aunt. “Just water for me today,” she whispered, holding her finger to her lips once she’d replaced the lid.
Aunt Laura cheersed her, and then Morgan reached down for my hand. “Walk with me? I have some things to go over for tomorrow.”
It was a normal request, seeing as how it was the day before her wedding and I was the maid of honor. But the way she said it, the way her lips twisted to the side as she stretched out her hand for mine had my stomach dropping.
“Sure,” I answered, taking her hand to help me up. I assured Aunt Laura I’d be back, and she arched a brow, sipping her piña colada in a way that told me I wasn’t going to get away without answering the question she’d asked me before Morgan slid in to save me.
Once I was up, Morgan threaded her arm through mine, and we walked toward the water, turning to the left once we hit the edge of it. The sea lapped at our bare feet as we walked, and once we were far enough away from the wedding party and all her out-of-town guests, she let out a long sigh.
“I hate having conversations like this.”
I chuckled. “Uh-oh. Am I fired? Are you giving my job to Azra?”
It was a joke, but I didn’t miss the hurt in Morgan’s expression when she turned to me. “I would never. Is that what this is about? Are you feeling threatened by her? I love her, Jazzy, but she’s not you. You’re my best friend in the whole world.”
“Uh… I’m not threatened by Azra,” I lied, but it came out so easily and effortlessly that I even convinced myself a little. “I was joking. But clearly, you’re not. So, what’s going on?”
She sighed, watching her feet as we walked. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, and honestly, I don’t really have the mental capacity to go over it right now — not with my wedding tomorrow. But Jacob isn’t here, and I can tell Azra makes you uncomfortable, and you and my brother keep looking at each other like the other one is responsible for poisoning your puppy.”
I gulped, heart racing in my chest more and more with every word she said.
She could see right through me.
Morgan pulled us to a stop, folding her arms across her chest. “I know I’ve been pushing you two to be friends, you and Ty,” she said, shaking her head like this was all her fault. “And I’m sorry for that. I guess I just really hoped you guys could put the past behind you and have a friendship. I wanted what we had when we were kids.” She laughed under her breath. “Silly, I know.”
My heart squeezed. “It’s not silly, Morgan,” I assured her.
“Well, regardless, I can tell there’s still bad blood between you two. And maybe part of that is my fault. I don’t know…” She blew out a breath, and I waited for her to go on down that path, to bring up what happened after my mom left, after Tyler and I crossed that line that we could never uncross.
But she didn’t.
She shoved her sunglasses up into her short hair, leaving them on her head so I could see her eyes.