Page 57 of Beached Wedding

Oh, frig. The photo from Margorie of me and Fox hugging had come through.

I clicked off the phone and glanced with dread around the room, trying to think how I would defend myself, but everyone was watching Fliss kick into her flip-flops, completely misinterpreting her tantrum.

“It’s one hour to the airport,” Whitney said with tested patience. “You said you didn’t want to go kayaking.”

“It’s too late to go out walking around,” Mom said. “It’s dark. Practically your bedtime.”

“The four-year-old is still up!” Fliss pointed at Ryan where he was playing Go Fish at the table with Eddie and Oliver.

“I’ll go with her,” I said, snatching up my bag.

Fliss’s teeth lined up against her tight bottom lip, as though she wanted to tell me to eff-off, but after a quick glance at Ryan, she stormed out without saying it.

I jammed my feet into my sandals and hurried after her.

Fliss stayed where the path was paved and lit. Bugs fluttered against the lights overhead and a couple of teenagers were goofing around on the tennis courts. A tiger-striped cat saw us coming and shot into the shelter of a nearby shrub.

“I know what it looks like. That’s not what it was,” I said as I came alongside her.

Fliss threw me a look of pity. “I’m so sick of being treated like a little kid who doesn’t understand what’s going on or have any choice about anything.”

“I know you’re upset about your mom and Oliver. I’m sorry I went out tonight instead of hanging out with you. Do you want to talk about it?”

“And say what? She’s going to marry him whether I want her to or not.”

“Are you mad that she’s getting married or that she didn’t talk to you about it first?”

“I don’t know!”

“Well, at least let her tell you how she thinks it will be. Then you can tell her what you’re worried about.”

“Sure, I’ll go on a super fun car ride tomorrow to the airport so Mom can tell me how great Oliver is. Can’t you get Izzy with the helicopter? This is all really fucking stupid.” She plopped onto a bench.

I ignored the curse. Truth is, I never stopped her from swearing and barely filtered my own language around her. Hadn’t for years. I sat down beside her.

“I heard Mom tell Oliver that she told you to go to bed with Fox and get it over with. Have you?”

“What? No. And I won’t.” That felt like a lie as I said it. Because I wanted to. Not as revenge or rebound, but because I wanted to. Oh gawd.

I tried not to let that realization show on my face as Fliss chewed her nail and stared at me so hard, I felt the heat of it against my skin.

“I was really scared for him tonight,” I admitted, experiencing a fresh shiver in my chest. “It made me realize how much I care about him.”

“So what are you going to do?” She sounded both belligerent and anxious.

“Nothing,” I said, and feared it was another lie.

Fliss wanted reassurance that Auntie Ashley would be there for her through this latest upheaval in her life. I wanted to be there for her. Love wasn’t selfish, I reminded myself. My needs didn’t matter. They never had.

“I— Being with Fox is impossible.” I was reminding myself as much her. “He’s not just the best friend of my ex-fiancé. They’re business partners. They own a house together.”

“It’d be like having an affair with a married man. Like you caused their divorce.” Fliss said it gravely. It wasn’t a joke. Then her face crumpled a little. “I don’t even get why mom wants to get married. Sure, have a boyfriend. Have sex. I don’t care. But why make us all live together and everything?”

“You’re sounding a little like Grandma.”

“Harsh. Why didyouwant to get married, though? Just so you could move away? Did you even love Shane? Because now you’re into Fox. It’s very Twilight.”

“Why are you so mean?”

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