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Chapter 13
MyhandshookasI applied mascara, and I left a huge black streak on my cheek.
“Argh!” I exclaimed.
Amy laid a gentle hand on my arm. “I know you’re nervous about being around my parents. They’re . . . scary. But it’s not your own family. And you can leave whenever you want.”
I nodded, hoping she wouldn’t see through me. I didn’t care about her parents. In fact, I was more than happy to let them have a piece of my mind. They tore Amy down for years, and I wasn’t able to say anything. I had a lot of ammunition built up from our years of friendship, and I was ready to let the bombs drop.
But I was actually worried about being with Scott and Amy for an extended period of time, especially in front of his parents. He didn’t seem to care nearly as much as I did, but I didn’t want to mess with Amy’s fragile feelings and newly repaired relationship with Scott.
She rubbed my back and went back to doing her hair. She had chosen a fitted silver cocktail dress with a square neckline, which she accentuated with an elegant pearl necklace. She fixed her long brown hair into loose curls and wore strappy silver heels. I had chosen a deep blue cocktail dress that emphasized my eyes and swept my hair into a low bun. Amy lent me a gorgeous necklace with blue stones that matched perfectly, and I had a cute pair of tan stilettos that finished the look. I couldn’t wait to see the look on Scott’s face when he saw me all dressed up.
Lucas poked his head in, wearing a nicely fitted gray suit and black tie.
“Look at you! Nice suit,” I commented.
“Thanks,” he said, smoothing his tie. “It’s the same one from Hannah’s wedding.”
“Yes, it is,” Amy said with a twinkle in her eye.
“I do not need you two reminiscing right now,” I interjected. Better to cut them off early before they got too annoying. They had not been heeding my warnings when it came to PDA. “Are we almost ready to go?”
Lucas checked his watch. “Yeah, it’s nearly four thirty.”
I quickly finished my makeup and looked myself over one last time. “I’ll bring my own car, so I can bail in case things get ugly.”
Amy nodded. “I get it.”
We gathered our things and headed to our cars. I followed Lucas and Amy down the coast. It was a slightly cloudy day, especially so by the water. I hoped that wasn’t some kind of cliche foreshadowing for our evening. To put my mind at ease, I called Scott on my way to the house.
“Hey,” he said in a hushed tone. “I’m at my parents’ house already. What’s up?”
So much for making me feel better. “Already? Why do you keep trying to make Amy look bad by showing up early?”
He chuckled. “I never thought of it that way. I had nothing else to do, so I figured I shouldn’t delay the inevitable.”
“I was hoping for some kind of reassurance that you wouldn’t do anything ridiculous while I’m there. I really don’t want Amy finding out tonight.”
He sighed. “Everything will be fine.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
He huffed a laugh under his breath. “And that’s all you’re going to get. I’ll see you soon.”
“You’re so annoying. Bye.”
I hung up and tried to relax by blasting Britney Spears, remembering the choreography I spent my entire childhood determined to memorize. I was born in the wrong decade. I should have been a teenager instead of a little kid in the early 2000s. A few years ago, the boy band Rivera had tried to emulate the skill of those iconic pop stars, but they were no match for the smooth moves and tunes of the original boy bands. My poor parents endured hours of “performances” of me perfecting the moves Britney and *NSYNC had danced in their music videos and performances. Looking back, I’m not sure why they didn’t object to the . . .maturemoves I was doing. But I didn’t know any better.
I finally pulled into the giant circular driveway behind Amy and Lucas, complete with an enormous fountain in the center. We got out of our cars and headed to the giant wrought iron front door, which Amy knocked on with confidence.
Marta opened the door and squeezed Amy into a giant hug. It dawned on me that she hadn’t seen Amy in a few months, either. Marta, the sweet housekeeper who was the main reason Amy and Scott were good people, was their nanny growing up. They spent more time with Marta than with their own parents. After Scott and Amy moved out, the Kings kept her on for cleaning and cooking.
“Ms. Amethyst, I am so happy to see you,” she exclaimed.
Amy’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m happy to see you too, Marta.”
Marta turned to Lucas and squeezed him just as tight. “I’m so happy for you and my Amy.”
