Page 79 of Toxic Wishes

“You didn’t know she knew Blake, did you?”

“No, I had no idea. But now that I do know. It makes sense.”

“What does?”

“Her love for certain music, and especially-” he looks down at the ground before looking back up at me. “Those sad eyes every time she makes a wish”

27

Abigail

“Music, when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory.” — Percy Bysshe Shelley

I might as well get drunk. I wasn’t driving, so drinking until I didn’t care sounded like a good idea. Of course, Josh has been mingling with every girl he sees.

Tonight has been splendid.

Not only has my date been preoccupied, but so has Colt. I swear, between him and Josh, I don’t know who’s more of a lady's man. Together, I’m sure the Killian brothers talked to every single woman here. Luckily, Josh sat by me when we ate dinner, and we chatted with two other couples who were friends with Troy. So, I was at least grateful that I didn’t have to feel awkward for one hour while I ate.

I swirl the drink in front of me with my straw. I was on my third drink. I was’t sure if my annoyance was keeping me from getting drunk, but I barely felt a buzz.

We took family photos after the ceremony, but after everyone started putting in their two cents about how each of us should pose and who should stand where, and the thousand retakes, no one noticed I snuck away. Not only was I trying to avoid my cousins, but my whole family. I always was uncomfortable around Naomi’s uncle, but tonight he was giving me dirty looks, and I wasn’t sure if it was because he had a permanent stick stuck up his ass or he was drinking.

He was always a dick growing up, but especially to me, which didn’t shock me. If my parents treated me like shit, why would my aunts and uncles be any different? They were blood-related, after all.

I was scrolling through my phone, pretending to look busy doing something when, in reality, all I was doing was comparing myself to my cousins and sisters in the photos we took at Jenna’s baby shower she posted. If I studied myself, I wasn’t that much different from them. Sure, I was shorter and had curly hair, but I wasn’t ugly. I mean, in a way, I would say I look similar. I was related, at least.

Ugh. You’ll never be as pretty as them.

I slam ones my phone on the table. I don’t know anymore who I look like nor should I care. What I do know is I was ready to leave thirty minutes ago. Perhaps I should tell Josh I don’t feel good, or, I freeze when I get a whiff of his musky cologne. Pine and cedar wood mixed with sweet pear. I stopped turning my straw around in my drink, the second I could feel him close to me. My heart starts to beat faster, and I’m not sure why I am nervous, but I also don’t want to look like a pathetic girl not enjoying herself.

Why couldn’t he spot me talking to a guy or doing something extraordinary?

He sits down at the table across from me. I’m not sure how this table got out here, but it was away from the tent where the dance floor and food were.

“Looks like you are having a blast,” Colt says with a smirk.

I grimace at him. “Weddings aren’t my thing,” I say with a sharp tone. “And you can’t be having too much fun either if you decided to join me,” I began swirling my drink again.

“Ya,” he tips his drink up. “Figured I’d join the club.”

“Don’t you have to drive?” I peer up at him tilting my head to the side. The DJ switches the song from Cupid Shuffle to Uptown Funk.

“Now that I got some food in my system, I’ll be fine. This is my first cocktail, and like you, I’m not a big fan of weddings.”

“Let me rephrase, weddings are fine, I just hate parties. I’ve never been a big partier growing up.”

“What? can't you get jiggy with Bruno Mars?” He smirks.

He makes me want to smile, but I won’t give in to his charm that easily. I’m sure that’s all the girls have been doing all night.

“Please, any other wedding would be more entertaining than this one,” I tell him.

“Ouch. That’s harsh.”

“Sorry, it’s just that,” I tap the black straw in my drink and lean back on my chair. ”Nothing .”

“Well

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