Page 44 of It's Complicated

“Kendall, stop it, you’re being mean.”

The evil sister laughs. “Come on, have you seen how she’s come dressed tonight. Does she shop only at goodwill?”

Nothing wrong with shopping at goodwill, I want to yell. But all I can do is stay paralyzed in my stall hoping they won’t discover me. How I wish I was a badass now, someone who wouldn’t have a problem walking out there with her head held high while putting them in their place. But I’ve accepted a long time ago I’m not that person. Get a nickname in grade school, and if you live in a town small enough it’ll follow you until graduation.

I’ve moved away, changed life, changed friends, but sometimes I still feel like the “silent girl” I was back then. So I keep quiet hidden in my stall and listen on as they keep on talking behind my back.

“And have you seen how she walks? Like she has a stick up her—”

“Kendall!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

If I were a different me, I’d walk out there and tell them the stiff walking is for being sore after all the sex Jace and I are having. But… still me. Still silent.

So I endure another few excruciating minutes of sisterly chit-chat, and then they’re out.

I let out a long breath and lean against the stall door. All right, let’s focus on what really matters. Time to go out there and force Jace to have a conversation with me.

18

LORI

Only when I go outside, I find him at the bar surrounded by fake Kardashians. Britney, the maid of honor, grabs her cocktail from the bartender and leaves to rejoin Kirsten and the others, but Kendall doesn’t look like she has any intention to scram.

She picks up her cocktail and sucks on the small straw while staring up at Jace from under her long lashes.

Okay, that’s it. My blood boils and screw Silent Girl, I’m in for my first voluntary confrontation.

No matter that every fiber in my body is itching, begging me not to go. I ignore my prickly nerves and march across the club toward them. Without sparing Kendall a second glance, I insert myself squarely between them, bringing my back flush with Jace’s front. Ignoring his jolt of surprise, I take the arm he’s not leaning on the counter and wrap it around my waist, keeping it in place with my hand. Not content, I reach up with my other hand and sink it in his silky locks, tilting my head backward to plant a soft kiss on his jaw.

Then I level the bride’s sister with a stare and, plastering the most fake-sweet smile on my face accompanied by an equallypretend-saccharine voice, I say, “Hi, Kendall, so nice to see you again. Did you need anything from Jace?”

Her eyes widen in surprise, clearly caught off guard by my sudden boldness. “Oh, no thanks,” Kendall stammers out, clearly caught off guard. “I was just saying hello.”

“Well, hello then,” I say, my smile still in place.

Jace’s arm tightens on my waist, and I relish the pressure.

Kendall gives me a tight-lipped smile and scurries away, her high heels clacking against the tile floor.

Jace’s breath is hot against my ear as he whispers, “That was very subtle.”

I spin in his arms to face him. “Should I have given the lovely sister of the bride free rein to keep hitting on you? I mean, do you like her?”

Something close to rage flares in Jace’s eyes, he drops his arms from my waist and crosses them over his chest. “I don’t like her.”

“What do you like then?”

He shoots me a searing look and, arms still crossed over his chest, he leans forward so that his mouth is level with my ear. “Not. Her,” he purrs, and then he walks away.

I go after him. He’s not going to avoid me tonight.

I grab his arm to stop his retreat and tug, forcing him to face me again. “We’re not done talking.”

His face is an unreadable mask. “You might not be done. But what if I am?”

“Then I guess you’re just going to have to deal with it,” I say, my voice low and steady despite the pounding of my heart. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”

---