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“It really is.” Not only was I hoping it would open the door to some sort of career involving music, but now it also seemed critical in buying some time to figure out what else I could do with regard to grad school. If only he would stick up for me and what I wanted.
“Your mother may not listen to me; however it might help if Brian weighed in, given that he’s the best one to talk her into anything. Now go out and try to enjoy the rest of your party.”
Hope flared for the first time since this entire conversation had started, and I set off from the home office with a purpose in mind. My dad was right in that my older brother Brian was the one person who might have some influence over my mother.
Even though he was technically my half-brother since we had different fathers, and he was eleven years my senior, we were closer than a lot of other siblings might be, and I loved him dearly. Brian always had an uncanny ability to read our mother and figure out the best way to manage her. But after our mandatory family pictures on the lawn earlier, he’d disappeared with his girlfriend, Sasha. I hadn’t seen either of them since. Perhaps they were enjoying a moment of privacy. I hated to interrupt, but desperate times called for frantic sisterly interruptions such as this. Taking out my phone, I fired off a quick text:
“SOS, need to talk about Mom.”
Wishing I was in sneakers instead of these three-inch heels, I tried not to appear too panicked in trying to locate Brian as I navigated through a house full of guests. It wasn’t like him to leave without saying goodbye, so I hoped he’d come find me soon or at least respond to my text. He would definitely know what to do; he was a fixer who nothing ever seemed to rattle. Yep, if I could find my brother, I might have a chance at working this all out by the time my head hit the pillow tonight.
My eyes scanned the lawn and when I saw Brian walking toward me, my relief was immediate. Then I noted the distress on his face. “What’s wrong?”
He attempted a half-hearted smile despite whatever was happening. “Nothing. Sasha had to leave to take care of a work crisis.”
He was lying. Something had happened and he obviously wasn’t going to tell me what. It wasn’t in his character to do so, and with it being my party, there was no way I’d get it out of him. Even though selfishly I could use his help with my predicament, I didn’t hesitate to tell him what he needed to hear. “You should go help her then.”
His face looked hopeful, speaking volumes about his true feelings. Then he shook his head. “This is your graduation party. Plus I got your text. What’s happening with Mom that you need my help?”
Putting my hand on his arm, I swallowed hard, willing myself not to say a word about my dilemma. He may not want to confide the real issue, but I wasn’t going to make him suffer along with me during the remainder of the party. “Nothing that’s a big deal and I’m bailing to go out with my friends as soon as I can, so please don’t feel like you need to stay a minute longer.”
Relief flooded his features. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
He kissed my forehead and then quickly flew out the front door toward his car.
I was screwed. Without my father’s support or Brian’s, I had nothing except the stark reality that I would have no choice but to succumb to my mother’s wishes. Even if I went back to LA intent on getting a paying job, I wouldn’t be able to work full time and also do the internship. Maybe I could moonlight as a waitress or bartender on the weekends, though even then, things were expensive.
Plastering a smile on my face, I wondered how I could pull off the last hour of my party and headed to the bar for some liquid reserve. But, unfortunately, Rebecca, my eldest brother Ben’s wife, had the keen ability of a predator to sense weakness in a herd—even from across the room. She came over to me with a drink in hand. I wasn’t often her target, but today evidently wasn’t done kicking my ass.
“When do you return to LA, Kenzie?”
I quirked a brow at her attempt at normal conversation but had no choice except to proceed in order to remain polite. “On Monday.”
“Ah, I bet you’re anxious to get packed up and moved back here.”
I sucked in a breath, realizing she’d also been privy to my mother’s plan. Just how many people had been told before I’d found out?
She sipped her drink, looking smug. “I wonder why is it that you wish to stay in LA anyhow. Could it be for the same person who had you moving out there in the first place? You know it’ll probably be a nice reprieve for him not to have to babysit you any longer.”
As often as I had envisioned a scenario where I could be cool and have amazing comebacks to her snide comments, it had yet to actually happen. Instead, I flushed at her implication that my reason for moving and staying in Los Angeles was because my long-time crush lived there.
“Why, hello, Colby. Were your ears burning?” Rebecca’s grin was diabolical. She’d clearly seen him come up behind me.
Shit. She’d completely set me up. Turning around slowly, I saw the object of my thoughts since age six, when I’d discovered how ‘dreamy’ the next-door neighbor boy was: Colby Singer. I felt the flush deepen. We’d cultivated a great friendship over the four years since I’d moved out to LA and for the most part, I was comfortable around him, but I certainly didn’t want him witnessing this exchange. Especially since it revolved around him.
His gaze narrowed, and he immediately dismissed Rebecca, focusing on me instead. “Everything okay?”
Standing over six feet tall, with the toned body of an athlete under his suit and a devastatingly handsome baby face, he definitely earned the appreciative looks women gave him. Unfortunately his nearness didn’t do anything for my verbal abilities however.
All it took was my hesitation for Rebecca to jump right in. “I was posing the question as to what or who in the world inspired her to move to LA, of all places, for school…” She let the obvious implication hang out there.
If he hadn’t heard her before, he definitely wasn’t going to miss her insinuation now. Was it possible to want to run out of a room, burst into tears and envision throat-punching someone all at the same time? Because all three scenarios were churning in my mind. Now more than anything, I wished so badly to appear cool and collected in front of Colby, but instead I proved myself zero for two when it came to confrontation amongst my family. So I did what I seemed to do best in their company: I completely shut down. Unfortunately, Colby was not only there to see it, but he also reinforced Rebecca’s babysitter comment by speaking up for me.
“She moved to LA because she received a full athletic scholarship. As if that wasn’t enough, she got the added bonus of being three thousand miles away from you, Rebecca.”
Not to be outdone, she fired back. “You’re awfully judgey for a man who’s probably slept his way through half the women in Southern California.”
