AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Fucking hell, you’re so damn responsive. No wonder I’m losing my mind."
She jerks her gaze to mine, a crease appearing between her eyelids. "What did you—"
I interrupt her, mainly because I want to pretend I didn’t say those words aloud. Because accepting I’m vulnerable is one thing, but sharing that with anyone else? That’s out of character for me. More than I care to admit. It’s something I don’t want to examine closely. So instead, I bend my knees and peer into her eyes. "You’ll meet me after the wedding in the bathroom on the second floor."
Her gaze widens. "What?"
"Didn’t you hear me? Are you deaf? Bathroom. Second floor. After the wedding. You get me?"
She swallows, then nods.
"Say it aloud."
"Yes, I’ll meet you after the wedding in the bathroom on the second floor," she snaps.
"Good." I straighten. Then glance toward where Hunter and the officiant are deep in discussion. "Shall we?"
* * *
"Zara, you look—" I shake my head. For once, I’m at a loss for words. "You look beautiful." I lean forward and kiss her cheek. "I’m sorry Mum and Dad chose not to attend."
Yep, Zara invited our parents, but they chose not to attend. Their excuse? The shop they run couldn’t be shut for the day. Bad for business. And retail is so competitive. Their edge over the supermarkets is that they stay open 24/7, 365 days a year. One of them is always there. Yada, yada. Nothing we hadn’t heard growing up. All the time. Sometimes, I’m sure they didn’t notice when Zara and I left home, they were so busy building up their little corner-shop business. You’d think their daughter’s wedding would be more important than keeping the store open, but apparently, not.
She raises a shoulder. "They did message me to say I’m most welcome to visit and bring my new husband with me."
Her features are composed. My sister’s a trooper, and a consummate PR professional. She’s aware of the media being here, and all of her friends, so she’s not going to let her expression betray her feelings. But she’s unable to shutter the hurt look in her eyes.
I tuck her hand through the crook of my arm. "It’s not that they don’t love you."
"They weren’t happy about me becoming a teenage mother, and then turning my back on the legal profession to pursue what I love," she murmurs.
"They did support you, though. They were ready to adopt Olly as their own."
Olly was Zara’s little boy; she lost him when he was three.
"Not that I’d have allowed it." She shifts her weight from foot to foot. "You’re right, though. When all is said and done, they didn’t disown me. They were there for me when I needed them most. They’re just not happy with my life choices, that’s all."
I search her features. "Will you go visit them with Hunter?"
"When he’s won the election and becomes Prime Minister." She rolls her eyes. "He’ll probably be good enough for them as a son-in-law then."
We both laugh. She’s not kidding. My parents might be hardworking, working-class folks with not much working capital of their own, but they’re notoriously uppity when it comes to intellectual capital. It’s why they encouraged me to accept the scholarship at the private boys’ school. And why they were so proud of Zara when she chose to be a lawyer. And also, why they were so disappointed when she moved away from the legal profession.
They didn’t put up too much of a fuss when I told them about my becoming a cricketer. They’d have much preferred I become a banker, but becoming an athlete, apparently, wasn’t too far behind. Not that I’d given them a choice in the matter. Since the day I stepped on a cricket pitch, nothing else existed for me. Oh, I enjoy football—who doesn’t? But I enjoy the intellectual challenge that comes with playing cricket. In that sense, their conditioning rubbed off on me, and there’s not much I can do about it. When it comes to cricket, the game chose me, so I was helpless in front of its seductiveness… As much as I’m defenseless when it comes to a certain green-eyed, blonde-haired siren.
Footsteps sound. And the object of my thoughts reaches us. "We’re ready for you." Abby addresses her remark at Zara.
"Thanks, Abby." Zara smiles at Abby, who turns and leaves. She didn’t acknowledge me at all, which is to be expected, given how derisive I’ve been toward her. Indeed, it’s the kind of response I’d hoped to elicit from her. So why does that piss me off? I glower in her wake.
"What’s that all about?" Zara nods in Abby’s direction. "Something up with the two of you?"
I scoff. "Nothing's up between us."
“Hmm, it’s not like you to protest with such vehemence.” She scans my features. "Or wait…" She stills. "Maybe you actually feel something for this girl. Is that why you prefer to trade smoldering glances with her than act on what you’re feeling?"
"Smoldering glances?" I shake my head. "Just because you’re in love doesn’t mean the entire world has to follow suit."
"Aha!" She smiles. "So, youarefalling for her?"
