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There’s every sign that Haven still hates my guts for some high school crime that I wasn’t aware I committed. Sure, we hooked up at a party but that was her idea. We never talked at school and I barely knew her. She seemed cool but something went haywire in the days that followed. More than once I tried to talk to her but all she did was stomp around, shoot red hot lasers from her eyes and behave like I was a carrier of smallpox.
Maybe Haven would have come around eventually and allowed me to apologize for whatever I’d done to piss her off. It really doesn’t sit right with me when I’m hated. I thought I could win her over, maybe take her out on a real date if she’d let me.
But then came that awful tragedy with her twin sister and a whole lot of shit blew up at once. On the rare times we’ve crossed paths, Haven looks right through me. We’re just two strangers who know some of the same people and got each other off at a party once. And now a freaking decade has gone by since high school.
Maybe a wedding is a good time to break the ice. Haven is unlikely to have a tantrum today, even if she is a Marchenko. The name attached to that family is notorious for some damn gory reasons. Haven has spent the years since high school neck deep in her family’s east side criminal empire. Saying the wrong thing might earn me a hammer to the head and I’d rather not deal with that. My head’s been through enough.
Charlotte waits for my answer.
I don’t want to say no to her.
What could go wrong? It’s just a brief walk down the aisle. Maybe a couple of words of tense conversation.
Anyway, there’s always the possibility that some time with Haven could be interesting. I’m a big fan of making things interesting.
“Char, you’ll need to check with Tess first. She’s the bride.”
Charlotte claps her hands and bounces. “Tessie doesn’t care. I already asked. She laughed and said I need to ask for your permission but if it’s all right with you then it’s all right with her. By the way, why didn’t you bring a date? I heard Mother and Auntie Alta talking about it.”
I rub my jaw and pretend to give the matter intense thought. “I guess nobody wants to be seen with me. Really wish I hadn’t been reminded of that. Now I’m sad.”
“Bullshit,” says the ten-year-old.
“Sheesh, kid. Are you just trying out all the cuss words today?”
“Itisbullshit, Conner. Everyone wants to be seen with the quarterback of the Emerald City Cyclones.”
This is true. Irritating at times, but true.
But I didn’t bother to find a date today because I didn’t want to. I don’t bring dates to family events. My interest is easy to spark, impossible to keep. I like having a good time and I make sure to seek out people who also like having a good time. Anything deeper than that has always felt out of reach. Doubt that will ever change.
“Yeah, I’m all kinds of popular. By the way, did you happen to run into your big brother lately?”
She nods. “I saw Micah outside in the garden a little while ago. The one with all the palm trees and huge flowers. There are so many gardens here. I think he was hiding from Mother. Did he and Tessie really hate each other when they were kids?”
“They definitely weren’t friends.” An understatement. They couldn’t fucking stand each other when we were growing up. “Why do you ask?”
She scrunches up her nose. “Because I hate Benny Cortland. He’s the rudest boy in my class and he gets the other kids to call me Saint Charlotte just because he’s mad that I beat him in the spelling bee. He’s totally gross and he never wipes his mouth and I definitely donotwant to marry him.”
She’s being completely serious right now so I stifle a smile.
“Don’t lose any sleep over Benny Cortland. He doesn’t stand a chance with you.”
“You’re right. He doesn’t.” Satisfied, she flings the door open.
Matilda’s voice comes wafting from down the hall. She’s complaining to someone that there is a glare in the ballroom and something must absolutely be done at once to control the sunlight.
Charlotte winces and drops her voice to a whisper. “I don’t want Mother to see me right now. She’ll be angry that I’m not wearing my flower crown but I kept sneezing so Tess and Dani said I don’t need to wear it if I don’t want to.”
“Tess and Dani know best. How about I’ll stand lookout so you can escape?”
She beams. “Thanks, Conner. I really hope Haven doesn’t hurt you today. Please be careful.”
“Luckily I’m pretty indestructible.” I poke my head out and check out the hallway. “Coast is clear. No Matilda. Make a run for it.”
Charlotte daintily lifts the hem of her yellow dress and scampers down the corridor. She barely misses smacking into Alta, who rounds the corner with her glass newly filled. Gage’s mother glances at me with supreme disinterest as she passes.
I wave at her. “Nice day for a wedding, Auntie Alta.”
