Page 81 of Unraveled

“So-called wedding?” Dad asked.

“Yes,” Bridgette snapped at him. “This wedding that my daughterthinksis a good idea.”

“Bridge, stop,” Jenna hissed as she came to take the second cake from her hands, only receiving a heated glare from her best friend.

“Mom, please,” Izzy whispered, looking like she wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground.

“No, Isabel. I’ve had enough. You’re too young to get married. I refuse to support it.”

“But you gave us your blessing before.” Tears sparkled at the corners of her eyes, and Tucker walked up, placing his arm around her.

Bridgette just glared. “I take it back.”

“Why?” Tucker’s low voice boomed through the quiet air, though he barely raised it.

“I just said why. You’re too young.”

Izzy shook her head. “We had this argument the last time. If you’re taking back your blessing, I deserve a better reason than that.”

Bridgette closed her eyes, her hands fisting at her sides. “Don’t ask me for one. I can’t give it to you. You’re just too young to get married.”

“Why?” Izzy demanded.

“Bridge.” Blake approached. “Calm down, okay? This isn’t the right time. You and Izzy should talk about this later.”

The look she sent back to her brother was a mixture of fire and ice. “Itislater. I’ve kept my mouth shut about it for weeks. Just like I’ve kept my mouth shut on just about everything since I got back. Like I’m not allowed a voice with my children’s lives anymore. My daughters push me away at every turn, and I’m forced to bend to their wills just to get a semblance of being in their lives again. I agreed before, but I won’t be bullied on it anymore. This wedding is a mistake, and I don’t understand how not one,single,person here besides me can’t agree.”

Jenna went to stand beside Blake. “This is not the time or the place. Stop it. You’re embarrassing both Izzy and yourself,” she whispered.

“I’ll stop it when everyone stops talking about it like I’m going to let it happen,” Bridgette hissed.

“God, Mom, just what do you have against it?” Izzy cried, throwing her arms in the air before tucking them under her chest.

“I’m against you getting hurt!”

“And why will she? Why are you so sure she’s going to get hurt?” Jenna pressed.

“Becauseyour sonhas made a mess of her life already, and it’s just going to get worse the deeper they get.”

Jenna reeled back.

“Bridgette, watch where you’re going with this,” Blake warned.

It was like a train wreck you couldn’t look away from even if you wanted to. I watched as Chuck came up andput his arms around Jenna. “No, Blake. Let’s hear it. She’s already created a scene. Let’s hear what she has to say. What she’s been holding back since Izzy and Tucker first told us they were engaged.”

Blake shot him a look, clearly worried for his sister.

Bridgette hesitated as Aunt Helen and Uncle Stef walked up to stand by Chuck and Jenna, and Izzy leaned into Tucker, visibly drinking in his support. Annie and Jet came up next to flank them at their sides.

“Go on, Bridgette. Say it. Let it out,” Chuck barked.

Aunt Helen sucked in a breath.

Bridgette sighed, and her nostrils flared as she breathed. “You really want to hear it?”

“I do.” Chuck leveled her with a narrowed stare, his expression daring her to say it.

“Fine. If you really want to know, I don’t want my daughter to end up in a marriage she’s going to regret. She and Tucker have been through hell. Between the pregnancy and the accident and her apparent PTSD she didn’t think I needed to know about.”

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