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The bride and groom take the opportunity to kiss goodbye before a day of forced separation. With Winter and Logan distracted, I seize the moment and return the teasing favor to Summer.
I pull her behind a corner and press her against the wall. It’s a risky move. Anyone could walk by and spot us, but the danger of being caught makes it all the more exciting. I lean in closer, my lips a breath away from hers. I sneak a hand onto her neck, my thumb caressing the skin behind her ear in that way I discovered makes her moan every single time. She has to bite her lip not to now.
Aha, before starting to play the game, she should’ve remembered I practically invented it.
Never kissing her, I whisper, “I guess I’ll see you later,” and walk away toward the elevators just as Logan and Winter break their kiss. Tucker still hasn’t returned, and Logan and I agree to wait for him.
Summer turns the corner after me and follows her sister into the first available elevator, looking adorably flustered: swollen lips, pink cheeks, and big eyes filled with desire.
I’m congratulating myself for winning this round when she, eyes never leaving mine, slowly tilts her head backward in a seductive gesture while her hands reach up to untie her ponytail. Her long hair cascades down her shoulders in a mesmerizing effect just as her lips part a little. It’s a show, all for my benefit. One second before she disappears behind the elevator doors, her parted lips curl up in an evil little grin, leaving me burning in hell.
12
SUMMER
The phantom of Archie’s lips is still on mine as I enter my room, and he hasn’t even kissed me. The way he pressed me against the wall left my body itching all over, and the worst part is I will have to wait all day to scratch.
To relax the lust a little, I spend forever in the shower and, when I exit, I style my hair in a braid while it’s still damp. When we were kids, Winter and I learned this is the most effective hairstyle to go riding with. Leaving your hair loose to catch the wind at a gallop might be scenic, but brushing the knots afterward is a total bitch. Not worth the spectacle.
For the same reason, I wear a pair of stretch jeans, a comfy J. Crew V-neck sweater, and sporty ankle boots—the best alternative to proper riding boots. To go horse riding, it’s always best to wear shoes with small heels so they catch on the stirrups and my feet won’t slip through.
Lana preemptively texted us hens to come to the bachelorette in sporty casual clothes, and I hope everyone listened. A riding ground might seem like an odd location to host a bachelorette party. But since coming back from Thailand, my sister hasn’t stopped complaining about how we never go riding any more since Grandpa passed. So, Lana and I thought this would be the perfect occasion. Not to mention that hairy, four-legged studs will make Winter happier than any stripper ever could.
I finish getting ready well before the designated departure hour, but wait until the very last second to exit my room. Today, I won’t be able to avoid bumping into Daria and Susan and Martha, or my bitchy cousins, but at least the sanctimonious aunts won’t be at the bachelorette. Still, I’ll try to delay the inevitable as much as I can. And I plan to cut the interactions to as short as possible.
Gosh, I need another coffee. I brew myself a cup, smiling as I remember doing the same for Archie a few hours ago. When I’m out of time and excuses to stay hidden in my room, I move down to the lobby.
The bachelorette party bus is already waiting outside and hard to miss. The vehicle is thirty feet long and painted in a rather distinctive bubble-gum pink. Lana outdid herself. I would’ve never thought of renting something so obnoxiously fun. Heck, I didn’t even know they made pink buses.
A familiar pang of regret twists my chest, and for a moment I cannot breathe, remembering how I stabbed Lana in the back, mourning the lost trust and the friendship that will never be the same, even after she’s forgiven me. My face heats with shame like it does whenever I think about Johnathan and the affair. I hate what I did; I’d give anything to go back in time and change it. But I can’t. The guilt will haunt me until I die. All I can do is own my mistakes, take the lesson home, and do better in the future.
Just as these thoughts writhe furiously inside my head, I lift my gaze and meet Daria’s cold stare for the first time since The Mistake. Her mouth curls up in a vicious smile, while she gives me a brief, one-handed wave, saying, “Oh, so you’re really here. Haven’t seen you around much.”
Susan is at her side, foaming at the mouth to see how I’ll react.
I could wave back and disappear inside the bus, but what’s the point? I can’t avoid them forever.
Time to face the music.
I walk straight to them, closing the short distance between us.
“Hi, Daria.” I nod at her and then at Susan. “Susy.”
Both nod back, half-surprised, half-curious as if I were an animal in a zoo and they were trying to guess my next move.
Daria can’t help herself—she was never the stay-quiet type—and speaks first. “Long time no see.”
“I know,” I say. “And I’m sorry. I wanted to apologize to both of you for disappearing, but after what happened, I was too ashamed to face anyone.”
Daria seems surprised at my words, but her gaze doesn’t get any less chilly. She also isn’t the forgiving type. Even if we don’t stand a chance of ever being anything more than casual acquaintances, I still owe her an apology. And I don’t know, having Archie not look at me as if I’m disgusting or somehow damaged has made me feel stronger, giving me the backbone to say what I’m about to say. “I did an unforgivable thing; I knew how you felt about cheating and I was too much of a coward to confront you.”
“Fair enough,” she says. “And what’s changed now?”
“Nothing,” I say. “I’ve had time to reflect on my actions and realize that I need to take responsibility for the pain I caused. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I hope you can see that I’m sincere in my apology.”
“Yeah, well, apology accepted, Summer.” Daria shrugs in a way that tells me,“You can apologize all you want; we’re never going to be friends again.”
“I just want to avoid any drama for my sister’s sake. No matter what you think about me, this is her wedding, and I don’t want her to worry or feel obligated to come to my rescue.”
