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Ava glared inches from my face. “Where are yougoing? Jesus, Petra!Photos! Remember?” I blinked, clueless and uncaring about her needs. “Damn it. You have to takepictureswith the wedding party, dumbass.”
My slow smile was all teeth. Ava let go of my arm and rapidly took a step back.
I pitched my voice quiet and super sweet. “Fuck with me and I’ll accidentally spill shit all over that overpriced bit of fabric that makes you look like a specialty hooker.”
She hissed, “You wouldn’tdare. Mom wouldkillyou.”
“Wrong. Unlikeyou, I can afford to reimburse her.” I let my eyes take in the custom gown with way too much sparkle for a grown woman to be seen wearing in public. “Now that we understand one another...”
“You’re such abitch, Petra.”
“Yes. Yes, I am. You havethirty minutesof my time. After that, I don’t know you. I won’t make any fake speeches. I’ll get drunk and happily close this chapter of my life. Got it?”
Her mouth pinched hard but she knew I meant what I said.
I glanced at the guests exploring the venue and standing in line at the multiple bars with extreme envy.Lucky bastards.
I swept past her toward the small courtyard where the bridal party gathered with the photographer and my mom.
She sputtered and mumbled angrily under her breath.
“Better chill the fuck out, Ava. You somad. Those red splotches will look likeshitin your pictures.”
My biting inner monologues were the only thing that kept me from bitch-slapping people who annoyed me daily.
No one realized how close I was to the edge most of the time and no one kept me dangling over that abyss more than my own family.
I approached the group and crossed my arms, waiting for stage two of the cunt carnival to start.
Ava breathed deeply several times before joining us. She made a point of slipping her arm around Kevin’s waist before cutting her eyes at me like it wouldwoundme or something.
I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing. Into my hand, I coughed, “Juvenile.”
Appearing at my side, my mother whispered sternly, “Petra, darling.”
“Ohalright. For you.”
Lifting her head, she murmured, “Chin up, fake smile, and pretend you don’t want to wrap your fingers around her throat.”
“You’re as happy as I am to get this over with,” I told her.
“Happier, sweetheart. She moved out two days ago.”
We stood whispering and laughing together while Ava barked orders at the poor man forced to take pictures of this disaster.
Then my ungrateful little sister snapped her fingers in our direction. I waited for Mom to stop her head from exploding.
The two of us stared at her without a word and Ava blushed four shades of red.
“Sorry,” she mumbled finally. “Gorgio wants us to gather in front of the entrance.”
“There you go, darling,” Mom said. “Big girl words.”
It was the beginning of the longest half hour of my life. By the timewe were done, I figured I’d look like Nicholson in the firstBatmanmovie.
Sweet baby Jesus.
The rest of the bridal party giggled and flashed extra bright smiles as they gushed over the bride and groom.
