Page 90 of Tennessee Trouble

I nod, taking her compliment and wishing that it didn’t feel hollow. I know she means it, from deep down in her heart. It’s my heart that is having a hard time absorbing it. Or should I say the pieces of my heart. The ones that are scattered a mile wide after the new knowledge of Brandt’s backstabbing.

“The hard part of this is that no matter what happens, this cocktail is always going to make me think of him. There’s no way to untether the two.”

“Even when it’s the winner of the SLOSH Best Original Cocktail?”

“Even then.” I huff out a breath, trying not to sigh. Brandt doesn’t deserve a sigh. “I just…I can’t believe he didn’t tell me. We told each other everything. Or well, I thought we did.”

“And you really don’t believe it wasn’t done maliciously?” Kyra asks. This is at least the third time she’s questioned my thought process.

“That’s not exactly something you just forget to tell someone, Kay.”

“Ehhhh, I dunno,” Rylan chimes in. “That sounds exactly like something I would do. Especially if I was trying to find the exact right time to bring it up, and there’s never a perfect moment, so then it just slips your mind because everything else is more important.”

“No one asked you.”

“I am aware that you do not like my opinion about this, Lindee,” he continues, unfazed by my comeback in the way only an older brother can be. “But, I am a guy; I understand how they think. Not to mention⁠—”

“If you tell me one more time that you and he got to be buddy-buddy for like six seconds and therefore you just don’t think he’s capable, I will kill you where you stand.”

“There’s too many witnesses here. Wait until we’re home and you can poison him more discreetly,” Mikayla comments, chiming in suddenly.

“Wow, the two of you…just wow…” Rylan raises his hands in surrender.

“Lindee is right, you know. You need to stop defending him.”

Well, wonders never cease. Mikayla is on my side. Hearing the words Lindee is right coming from her might mean more than actually winning this award. Okay, not more…but it’s tied.

“Thanks, Mikayla.”

“Now, had you listened to me when I told you that he was using you, we wouldn’t be in this situation. I told you that this wasn’t going to end well, that he was after something, and here we are.”

Well, that didn’t last long.

“Mickey, isn’t there a statute of limitations or something in the girl code that says you have to wait a certain amount of time to be self-righteous over a breakup?”

Declan hands me a drink from the tray he’s carrying, smiling softly and giving me a brotherly I got you nod. At least someone does.

“Don’t call me that. And a statute of limitations is a law that sets a maximum time limit, not a minimum.” She takes a drink from him, immediately taking a sip. “What is this?”

“A Rocky Top Double, duh,” he answers, his perfect smile never slipping.

“There is usually a grace period for I told you so’s, though,” Kyra hisses toward our older sister, grabbing her own drink.

Pursing her lips, Mikayla takes another sip, shrugging as if to say she doesn’t care. Because she doesn’t. Her first words when I told her what happened were, “I knew it,” and she hasn’t let up since.

Fuck, I hate when she’s right.

The group in front of us disperses to the tablets set up in a long row on tables in front of the stage. It’s almost time to cast my vote.

I look around, wishing that they had one of the screens in here programmed to show voting results. Then again, watching those numbers change and adjust like it’s election night all over again might not have been what my anxiety needs.

“Our turn!” Kyra squeals.

Grabbing my arm, she yanks me toward the tablets, her giddiness starting to become infectious. The sunshine and joy radiating off her starts to wiggle its way into the cracks left in me, pushing past the hurt. She’s right—this is my moment. I should enjoy it.

I tap on the tablet, quickly entering my email address to register my vote. The screen flips, showing off the top two finalists in our category. I absentmindedly tap next on the screen, moving to the description of the Rocky Top Double. One that I know by heart. I don’t need to read it to know my vote. Hitting next again, we move on to Brandt’s entry, and I move to hit the next button again as quickly as I can, not wanting to spend any more time acknowledging him or his drink than I have to. Then the name catches my eye.

Cherry Luna.