AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And it’s definitely not what my sister would usually go for. The past few years she’s been more and more interested in her social status and Jeremy seemed to share those feelings. But I guess they both wanted something simpler for their wedding.
When Emily announced that they were getting married in Florida, I assumed it’d be in Naples, close to our family home. But no, they wanted something even more secluded; the thought behind it was to merge the two families together, so everyone could get to know one another.
I’m fooling everyone, and for what?
“Where is that mind of yours, Carol?” Brian pushes me lightly toward the car, his hand leaving a burning mark behind.
“Just preparing, mentally.” I can almost imagine my mother’s look of horror when she sees my date. Perhaps I should have given her a heads-up after all, but Brian was right. Right up till the last moment, I was second-guessing my decision but, in the end, my need for both a date and revenge prevailed.
Brian slips in next to me capturing my hand in his, resting them both on my leg. He used to do that a lot back then, one hand on the wheel, and the other roaming from my knee to my thigh.
I rest my head on his shoulder, the smell of his cologne filling my nostrils and he slightly turns toward me, his lips hovering over my hair, breathing deeply. I hate how comforting this feels, and how fast my heart starts to beat to his tune.
I can’t lose my cool now. “You didn’t answer my question,” I remind him.
He looks at me confused.
“The car, Brian. What’s with this luxury all of a sudden.”
It doesn’t make sense for his friend to be in such a financial bind and then to spend money like this, just to butter me up. “He’s already agreed to pay me. Is there something else going on?”
The only other explanation is that he knows exactly what’s going on with the company’s finances and this is all a ploy to make me help him cover it.
“He’s just grateful for the help.” Brian’s eyes are locked on the rearview mirror now, a sign he’s lying. No matter how tough and composed he wants to look, some things he simply cannot do face to face.
I’m done with lies and hidden truths but if what he has to say will ruin this trip, I don’t want to hear it now. On Monday, sure.
The streets are crowded with people, and the midday traffic is as bad as ever but, thankfully, the drive to the resort is a short one. It’s crazy how fast the scenery changes from similar-looking grayish houses and treelined streets to a tropical paradise.
Palms seem to form a new pathway and the bland colors of the city fade away as the car makes one more turn, before reaching the resort gates.
“Your sister’s got taste,” Brian murmurs.
The gate closes behind us, almost disappearing among the trees and bushes around it. Yes, it looks like a completely different place.
Paul stops in front of the hotel’s entrance and rushes to hand over our luggage.
“Thank you, Paul,” I murmur, and I’m gifted a bright smile in return.
“I’m at your service—”
“We won’t be needing you anymore,” Brian moves to stand almost between us, failing to hide Paul’s confused expression. “We leave on Monday at noon. Be here half an hour before that.”
Paul gulps and then nods, slowly moving away from us. The nervousness fades as he opens the driver’s door. He flashes me another bright smile and gets inside, disappearing into the greenery.
“What was that about?” I point my hand to where Paul was just seconds ago.
“Nothing. Andrew arranged for us to have him at hand if we needed to move around but I realized…” his voice trails off as he looks at me with a mixture of anger and jealousy on his face. “That we won’t have time for that. We are supposed to be hanging out with your family all day and it’s a shame to keep the poor boy on standby.”
I snort. This is going to be easier than I thought. He looks—and feels—interested in me, the way he used to be back then. Even before he asked me out, during those months that I was tortured by my own feelings for him, he’d make sure to change seats whenever someone tried to strike up a conversation with me. That satisfaction I felt every time—that confirmation that he wanted me—pales in comparison to the one I feel now.
“Carol!” My mom’s cheerful call breaks my inner monologue. She’s wearing a beautiful, long black dress with red and orange flower patterns, and has her blond curls tamed in a tight knot on top of her head. Her sandals click on the stone steps as she approaches us but I’m sure she hasn’t noticed who’s with me yet.
Her sudden embrace almost knocks me to the ground, but I wrap my arms around her waist, holding her just as tightly.
“I can’t believe it takes a wedding to see my daughter again,” she says in a muffled voice.
“You saw me this morning, Mom.” The calls have turned into video calls over the last few days. Sensing that something was off, she wanted to look at me, hoping that that would make me confess to what was really going on.
