Page 47 of Mark

I laugh at the enthusiasm. Nanna has that effect on most people. “Is she still in there?”

“Yeah. She’s with my dad and a couple of my uncles doing shots right now. I hope you aren’t attached because we’ve all taken a liking to her.”

“She has that effect on mostly everyone. They either love her or wish her ticker would stop ticking.”

She stretches out on the lounger with a contented sigh. “I assume you agreed to go to the wedding.”

What? How did she know?

She wasn’t anywhere near us when I was talking with my parents. Or I wasn’t aware she was.

“How did you…”

“I’m a Carter,” she replies, like that answers everything. “Plus, it makes sense that they’d pull away from their family at some point today to find you. I thought it would have been sooner but your sister has them firmly wrapped around her little finger.”

“That’s one way to put it,” I admit.

“So what did you decide?”

“I haven’t. If I go, I’ll be setting myself up to deal with the remarks and pitying looks. Esther will get what she wants then. If I don’t go, everyone will be bent out of shape over it and will accuse me of sabotaging their wedding. Either way, I’m the villain in this story. I desperately want to call my best friend because she’d know what to do.”

“I’ve met villains, so trust me when I tell you, you aren’t one. You’re more like Simba before he found his roar.”

I glance at her. “I’m pretty sure you mean that as a compliment but all I can picture is a tiny cub who thought he could bite off more than he could chew.”

“It’s meant to be neither an insult or a compliment. You are still finding your roar. And like Simba, you are being pushed in a direction you aren’t ready to go.”

“Okay,” I respond, still not following her logic or reason.

“It’s probably a shit analogy, but Simba faced a lot when he was forced to run away. He came out stronger. Wiser. So will you.”

“He found his roar,” I muse, understanding her.

Simba never wanted to leave his mum or his pride. Shame, guilt and fear made him run. And the words of his psycho uncle. It makes me look at my situation a little bit differently. Because this morning, I was ready to run. I was ready to cut my family out of my life because I gave up hoping they’d believe me. Just like Simba didn’t trust his mum and pride would believe him. And allbecause my sister is spouting off a different version of events to people.

“And finally realised his uncle was full of shit,” she finishes. “I’m not sure what your sister’s end game is. She seems like the sort of person to push you away to make people hate you, or maybe she wants you to be at the wedding so she can gloat one last time.”

“Honestly?” I breathe out. “I have no clue either. I just wish I didn’t feel alone when I’m around them.”

“You have your nan,” she reminds me.

“Who has the attention span of Dory the fish. Plus, I don’t want her getting in the middle all the time. It will put a wedge between them and I don’t want that. It’s why I wanted my friend Summer to come. At least then I wouldn’t feel so alone.”

“Take Mark. He owes you.”

“Take me where?” Mark questions, startling me.

“Holy sugar, where did you come from?” I breathe, my heart racing.

“She’s awake,” he points out. “And her dad wants her back.”

I gaze down at the beautiful little girl. “Take Mark,” she orders.

“Again, where am I supposed to be going, because if no one has noticed, we are in the middle of the ocean.”

“You are going to be her date for her sister’s wedding,” Hayden orders.

“No, he isn’t,” I state as he replies, “No, I’m not.”

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