She laughed again and looked down at her phone.
What did being a good influence on Miles mean? If anything, he influencedmethroughout our whole lives. And I liked to think of myself as an upstanding guy who tries to do the right thing, but something told me our morals weren’t the same.
“Oh myfuckinggod!” Bree screeched a few minutes later.
It scared the shit out of me, and I worried something had happened. “What!? What—”
Her laugh was high-pitched and nasal. “Look at what Alissa posted tonight!”
Her phone entered my field of vision, removing much of the road. There was maybe an image of a woman, but I wasn't looking, and it was gone before I could even try.
“Can you believe that? Oh my god, she’s such a stupid whore.” Bree laughed. “But the caption is the best, ‘Lookin’ good for my bestie. Can’t wait for the big day tomorrow, girl! GB you and Miles,’ with like seven prayer hands.” She laughed again.
“You scared the shit outta me,” I said. “Who’s Alissa?”
Neither of us looked at the other. “One of my bridesmaids. But for real?Looking good?” She laughed. “God,she’s so stupid. And she looked ugly tonight, anyway.”
I didn’t know what to say.Why did you make her a bridesmaid if she’s a stupid, ugly whore,felt out of place.
“Thank God she’ll be using my stylist tomorrow. Can you even imagine?” I couldn’t, but said nothing. “I just feel like everything tonight was perfect, but also absolute shit. The food sucked, the servers were ugly, and had no idea what they were doing. You know? And it just looked chintzy. At least the sister doesn’t have blue hair. She’s so the type.”
I couldn’t picture Lena with anything except her light brown hair and didn’t understand why Bree thought she’d dye it. “Uh…”
I didn’t know if she was talking to her passed-out sister or me, the guy she barely knew. Or maybe she thought she knew me? I was a good influence after all. Maybe she was just wasted, and it didn’t matter. Then again, she wasn’t talking to me as much as at me.
She laughed, then groaned, startling me again. “Why is it so hard for them to put in a little effort? I’m already gonna have to retouch their skin and make Gina’s slutty skirt longer.” I glanced over to see her zooming in on a picture. “It’s hard enough getting brand deals from moral companies, you know? And if this deal doesn’t go through, I’ll be screwed. I thought for sure the wedding would be sponsored. That’s why I needed you up there.” She put her phone down and huffed. “God, she’s such a trashy piece of shit.”
The hair on my neck stood up. “What do you mean?”
She cracked the window. “At least some of the guys looked hot. Don’t know what I’ll do about Connor. He’s so hot, butsotrashy with that hair.” She looked at me. “You looked good, Finn. But you always do. Picture perfect.”
I didn’t take my eyes off the road. “What did you mean you needed me up there?”
“You know what I mean, silly.”
“No, I don’t. Sorry.”
Bree giggled and hit me, saying, “Miles couldn’t have afruitcakeas his best man!”
“What are you talking about?” My gut clenched. “Do you mean Ryder?”
“Of course! Could you imagine that sissy little bitch being in my bridal party, much less thebest man?”
As Bree cackled, images of Ryder on his motorcycle, his hairy chest in the Florida sun, and sweat rolling off his face as he fucked me flashed through my mind.
“Excuse me?” It took genuine effort to focus on the road, and not the red filling my vision.
“I know, right? It’s such a disgrace how that family tolerates it so much. But they’re a bunch of heathens, too. As soon as the wedding’s over, I’m putting them all on a strict info diet. I would’ve already, but Miles needs to grow a spine.”
My chest felt like it would explode again. “Wait, wait, wait. Miles removed Ryder? Or did you tell him to? Because he’s gay, or…”
She chuckled and patted my arm. “You’re just a pretty face with nothing going on up there, aren’t you?” She laughed again. “You should’ve seen his face when Miles told him. Fucking priceless! Honestly, it was worth Miles being a whiny little bitch about it.”
Instead of slamming on the brakes and letting her face smash into the dashboard, I said, “What did Ryder say?”
“Not much, you know how queers are.” Bree flailed her hand in a circle. “Blah blah blah, he’s hurt, but it’s about business, blah blah blah.” She laughed. “He’s girlier than the sister.”
Bree kept talking, but I stopped listening. Ryder knew he was being kicked out for being gay? Not because he was too busy, but because of who he was as a person? Why didn’t he tell me? I was his boyfriend. He had months. If he’d been upfront abouteverything, I would’ve understood. More than understood. I would’ve shown up at the wedding in a jockstrap and a rainbow-flag cape. But he didn’t. He also never told me about what his family…fuck.
