I laughed. “Love my brother to death, but the suits he picked are very… eighties prom? Or coke bender after a funeral.”
I laughed out loud again. Bree did not. For such a beautiful woman, her not-fake face was hideous. “I picked them out.”
“No way! Really?!”
She folded her arms and shifted her weight to one leg. “Yes, Ryder. It’s a traditional wedding, with a traditional aesthetic.”
“That’s true. I’m not so traditional myself. So, really, you did me a favor. I’ll look much better in anything I post in one of my own suits.”
Her smile returned, but sapped of its beauty. “That’s great, Ryder. I’m sure the men following you will think you look good.” She scanned me up and down. “Just please don’t wear anything flashy or inappropriate, like a rainbow pin or bracelet.”
“Rainbow pin? I don’t even own—”
“Unfortunately,if you do, I’ll have to ask you to leave. My brand is family-friendly, and my followers shouldn’t be exposed to anything adult or political on my big day. Okay?”
“Adult?”
“Mm hmm.” Her smile glowed like enriched uranium. “Abunchof moms who follow me let their daughters watch my content. We wouldn’t want children seeing any of that. Right?”
“I…”
Bree reached up on her tippy toes to kiss my cheek, placing her hand on my bicep again. “And thanks again for understanding. Such a good big brother.”
She walked away, leaving me breathless. Adult? Political? I didn’t even… what the actual ever-loving fuck did that even mean?
My head swam, and my stomach roiled. I didn’t want to think about it. If I did, I risked doing something stupid. Like planning to fuck the best man as revenge. I realized I was guilty of the same thing I tried to help Finn stop doing. But a little avoidance is okay to keep emotional explosions at bay.
I answered Connor, Tyler, and Jason’s greetings with a nod. “Sup, guys?” Then I stood there, not listening to them talk, in the middle of my parents’ living room. They all had beers, and I wanted one, but my stomach was queasy. My T-shirt was too tight around my neck, and I was sure the AC was off or broken.
I didn’t want to be in my own fucking parents’ house. I didn’t want to be doing any of the shit I was doing. If I were smart, I’d have told Miles to kick fucking rocks. He didn’t want me in the party? Fine. I’d save myself the gift, dry cleaning bill, and hangover by just not attending the fucking wedding at all. My jaw was tight, and my ears rang. I excused myself in search of a beer.
“Hey, bud!” My dad’s face lit up when he saw me. “When did you get here?”
He was in the kitchen, putting away a plate he had just dried. Before I could answer, my mom walked in, carrying several empty, dirty bowls of chips and dip.
“Oh, Ryder, Aunt Mindy is looking for you.” After handing my dad the bowls to rinse, she gave me a hug and a kiss. “I told you her nephew is applying to med school? Mind giving her some tips for him?”
I inhaled through my nose. I’d always found the faux-floral scent of my mom’s hair products calming. “Sure thing. Not that I’d have much advice to give. Other than making sure he’s studying for the MCATs harder than he thinks he needs to.”
“That’s perfect, hon.” She rubbed my arm, close to where Bree had, but it felt like a scrubbing brush washing away filth.
My dad hugged me after drying his hands, saying, “I think she just wants us to know she’ll have a doctor on her side of the family, too. Always a one-upper.”
My mom whacked my dad’s arm. “Don’t let your brother hear you talking about his wife that way. She’s just proud. And has every right to be. She was the same way when Ryder was applying.”
My dad rolled his eyes. “She was one-upping someone else!”
As the three of us laughed, Lena walked into the kitchen, talking on her phone. She gave me a hug and a kiss without missing a beat in her conversation. “Yeah… okay… just come here first then… okay… love you too… bye.”
“Is Spence coming over?” my mom asked, referring to Lena’s boyfriend.
“Yeah, later. Kinda shitty Miles didn’t invite him to the stag night.”
“I don’t think Miles had anything to do with the guest list, Lee,” my dad said.
“Oh, I’mwellaware.” Lena rolled her eyes so hard they fluttered. Her voice dropped to an angry whisper. “She’s only making him have this stupid stag night forcontent,” she said with air quotes. “I can’t wait for the whole wedding to be over.”
My mom said, “You’re not wrong, but let’s try to put on a happy face and enjoy the next two days as best we can.”
