AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter!” Britt chimes in. “I want you to be my sister-in-law, so can we skip all this nonsense and just get to the good part!”
“Sister-in-law? You want Jackson?!” I breathe out in excitement. I never knew this. Though I’m new to the group, I never saw the connection between Francesca and Jackson. “Oh, do tell! Jackson? Girl, you could be a WAG!”
She laughs me off. “I’m in the industry. It’s the last thing I want to be a part of.”
“Mhm. But years of pining for him don’t just evaporate overnight.” Britt laughs, happily teasing her.
I should be spending the weekend in bed with my new fiancé. But no. Steve said he was going away for a work conference, and I was not going to sit in that apartment alone for days. I came back toChristmas for the weekend to spend time with my sister. And when she knew I was coming to town, we threw together a small girls’ night.
It’s only ever been the five of us, but I feel I need them right now. I know saying yes to Steve’s proposal was not the right thing for me to do. I don’t see a future with him. I was never that little girl who daydreamed about her wedding. I never wore frilly dresses and pink shoes or worried about my hair and makeup. I was too busy surviving and counting down the days until I could leave that house.
Once Chelsea left for college, it became harder. I became Mom’s shoulder to cry on and it cemented my choice to never get married. Why go through all of that when it’s clearly nothing but heartbreak? Why put in work on making a relationship thrive when it’s only one-sided? Why give someone the chance to break your spirit by not committing to you or the relationship?
Even watching Chelsea and Adam shows me love is not perfect. I love them together, but their story is a tragedy waiting to happen. And the tragedy is themnotbeing together. Because they really do love each other.
But me? I don’t love Steve.
“Am I leading him on?” The girls are staring at me, wide-eyed, and I realize my musings had me drifting from their conversation and I just blurted out my failed relationship as my choice for dinner.
“Yes!” Britt throws her hands into the air and tosses her head back. “We are doing thistonight!” She claps her hands, jumps from the chair, and runs for the kitchen. “Girls! I was prepared for this.Operation Dump Steveis in full effect!”
We giggle at her shouts from the kitchen and my eyes grow wide as I see her walk back into the living room, arms carrying four wine bottles.
She proceeds to pass one out to each of us. “By the time these are empty, you’ll be a single woman. I’m sure of it.”
Laughing, I reply, “We may also be alcoholics.” She waves me off, but I continue. “I know none of you like h-”
“It’s not about us.Youdon’t like him.”
Pausing, I stare at my sister. She’s right. After finding those text messages, I knew he was seeing someone else. How far it went, I have no idea. But I can’t repeat this again. I can’t repeat what my mom went through. It always feels like Steve is hiding something. “How do I get out of it?” I whisper the words and slump in my chair.
“He cheated on you. There’s nothing to get out of,” Chelsea replies dryly, and the girls go nuts.
“I can’t prove it, but-”
“No. You have texts that show he was talking to another woman. A man who wants you will not be looking at another. End of story.”
She’s right. I sag in my chair, and Britt comes to my side, taking my hand with hers. “You throw that ring back and tell him to fuck off! If I had known all this, I would have caused a huge scene at that restaurant!”
“Britt!”
“I know, I know.” She grabs the bottle from the table and refills our glasses. “So, the simple answer to your question? How do you get out of it? You tell him you’re in love with someone else.”
Another pause heard around the world. I keenly watch my sister, who looks like she has more to say.
“In love with someone else? Girl, you better start talking.” Glancing at Francesca, this is where I start to sweat. If I mention her brother, she could think I’m a real jerk. Agreeing to marry someone else while secretly lusting after another? Who does that? I’m as bad as my father right now, stringing someone along when I don’t really want them. And there’s definitely no way I’m spilling the beans on one of the hottest nights of my life.
When, in actuality, I was the only one who was present.
“So I’m going to go out on a ledge here and say something that may be crossing the line. But we’re friends, and good friends, and close to being family, so I’m just going to say it.” Listening to Francesca speak, I quickly guzzle the last of the wine in my glass and hold it out for more. Without missing a beat, Britt pours while Francesca continues. “I know you’ve got a thing for my brother and-”
When I try to cut her off, she holds up her hand to stop me and Ishut my mouth. “Because I know he has a thing for you.” I swallow hard and my heart races. “I love Billy more than any of my other brothers,” she points at everyone in the room, “and if anyone tells the others I said that I’ll deny it to the end!” She pauses, allowing us our giggles and then adds, “But Billy has big demons, Adley. And by your writing, I know you know. We all read your book, girl, and I don’t think any of us had a thought it wasn’t partly true.”
Dropping my head, my hand twists at my shirt as my other holds my glass to the point of breaking. “Can I ask a personal question?” Francesca asks, quietly. “Did you sleep with my brother?”
Gasping, I look at her, and my eyes tear. I’ve held this in for so long, and I want someone other than just myself to know about that night. I need to know it was real, that what I felt was real. That there is love and true intimacy like what I felt, but I also need someone to know about the drinking, the drugs.
