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AMELIA
Outside on the patio, a large dining table is set up a few feet away from the pool.
Above it, festoon lights hung in a diagonal pattern, creating a warm ambiance while making it perfect for alfresco dining underneath the stars.
The table is decorated in a black and gold theme, put together nicely to mark the special occasion of Uncle Rocky’s birthday. The tablescape elements are dark, but there is still an elegance to it all. Bottles of wine sit inside chillers. Rows of glasses, china, and cutlery—are positioned to accommodate everyone dining. Running down the center is a gold table runner with pillar candles sitting inside lanterns.
“This is gorgeous,” Jessa praises, taking a seat across from me. She looks absolutely stunning tonight in a black cocktail dress which is perfectly tailored to her body. Her hair is out; long honey brown curls cascading down her open back. Her beautiful features are a mix between her dad and mom, but I see more Uncle Noah in her. “Ava is the queen of hosting.”
“She gets it from Mom,” I say, grinning while Mom acknowledges the compliment a few seats down.
Everyone made an effort to dress up tonight. All the men look dapper in their suits, and the women are just as beautiful in the dresses they’re wearing. Of course, Aunt Adriana being a designer is flawless in the gown she has on.
Austin takes a seat beside me, opening the napkin and placing it on my lap like the perfect gentleman he is. I place my hand on his arm with a smile until my attention is diverted to an annoying giggle. Shifting my glance, Gigi is standing across the table wearing a low-cut yellow dress with a crisscross pattern across her chest, barely covering her perky breasts. The dress itself catches the attention of all the men, including Austin. For someone with a supposed migraine, she looks awfully chirpy while taking a seat across from me. Great, why do I have to look at her all night?
Ava comes to the rescue, suggesting she move a few spots down. Thank fuck. The last thing I want is to have to entertain a liar dressed like a god damn whore.
I need to control myself.
Deep breaths.
This is very unladylike and does nothing to build the resilience I will need to become a lawyer one day. All I need to do is keep my opinions to myself and expressions to a bare minimum.
Andy takes a seat across from me. At least he is fun and will talk me off the ledge if needed. I bow my head, ignoring my pulsating head from today’s misfortunate drinking, wishing I took some Advil when I woke up. I was too busy trying to reassure Austin, forgetting to take care of myself, which will no doubt escalate to something bigger very soon.
As I try my best to control the throb, my eyes glance toward Will, who is standing beside where Gigi sits. He is wearing a dark blue suit, though no tie with a slightly exposed chest beneath the white shirt he wears. I plead with myself to turn away, ignoring how devastatingly handsome he looks.
Yet my eyes are a moth drawn to the flame. The more I admire how sexy he looks, the more my body craves to touch him.
I can almost smell his scent from across the table; masculine, alluring—igniting all my senses. Biting down on my lip, I lower my gaze and take a deep breath, reminding myself of Austin beside me.
Like an annoying child, Gigi begs Will to sit next to her, which he does, giving a quick glance my way only to turn in the opposite direction moments later.
When everyone is seated, the waiters serve the starters as everyone speaks amongst themselves. A few dad jokes are thrown around, and Eric shifts the conversation to something more controversial—his love-hate relationship with bangs. It starts a debate amongst the women of the group, but I choose to keep quiet, not in the mood to converse. My eyes keep unwillingly moving to Will. He appears unaffected by my sitting with Austin, busy whispering something into Gigi’s ear, which makes her laugh.
I bury my jealousy by distracting myself with others, but its lingering presence is unavoidable. Did he sleep with her today? And how many times did they have sex? These questions are like poison running through my veins, and I beg of myself to stop the vicious cycle I’m caught in.
The waiters serve the mains, and when the chicken is placed in front of me, I stab my fork into it—ignoring the burning sensation consuming me. My stomach begins to harden, forcing me to drink the wine in front of me, which is the last thing in the world I want after today. It doesn’t seem to work, making my stomach even more unsettled.
There is a tap of a fork against a glass as Eric insists Uncle Rocky entertain us with a speech. Silence falls over the table as Uncle Rocky stands up with an overbearing grin on his face. “Where do I begin?”
“How about with zipping your fly up?” Nash yells across the table.
Nikki shakes her head in disappointment as everyone laughs. Given that Uncle Rocky does not look embarrassed at all, I take the wink he gives his wife as the reason they were last to dinner. Will flinches across the table while leaning back into his chair, obviously coming to the same realization.
“Firstly, I have to thank Ava and her hot besties for making this happen.”
Ava raises her glass with pride. “You’re welcome, Uncle Rocky!”
Uncle Rocky then raises his glass, staring directly at Will.
“To my son, Will,” he begins, pausing momentarily to then continue, “when I knocked up your Mom in freshman year of college, I never expected to have a son of your intelligence. You make me proud, and I have no doubt that you will fucking slay the business world after today. Sorry, Lex.”
Dad keeps his expression flat, leaning back into his chair with his arm around Mom. He has barely acknowledged Will, and to my knowledge—they have not spoken since being here.
“I am honored to be your father, Will.” He raises his glass again in which Will follows the sentiment, keeping his smile fixed. “And here’s to hoping you give me some grandbabies soon. You up for the challenge, Gigi?”
Uncle Rocky roars with laughter as everyone follows, including Gigi who looks pleased with the attention she is receiving.
