Page 108 of A Better Place

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

James

After dinner, toasts, cutting the cake and the first dances, they open the reception up to everyone else.

I stand up and reach down to Carly, not saying a word. She places her small hand in mine. I walk her into the middle of the dance floor and pull her body in close as we begin to sway slowly.

“Having fun?”

“I am. Your family, they’re amazing, James. They’ve been really kind.”

“I’m glad. They seem just as smitten with you as I am.”

“You’re smitten?” she teases.

“Oh yeah, baby. That’s one way to put it.”

“Hmm,” she hums and brings my face down to hers for a kiss. Her fingernails drag along the short hairs on the back of my head, and it feels so good, having her hands on me anywhere.

We dance several songs before my dad steps in, asking if he can dance with her. She smiles brightly and steps into his arms immediately. If it were anyone else, I’d protest like I said I would, but seeing my dad and Carly dance together only tugs at my heart.

I take the moment to grab another drink from the bar. After getting a glass of beer, I start to make my way over to our table but am interrupted by a voice I haven’t heard in almost twenty years, a voice I didn’t miss for almost every single day of those years.

I spin around, hoping not to, but knowing who I’m going to see.

“Sugarplum.”

And there it is, the most sickening nickname in all of history, said from the voice of someone who I never want to see again.

“Nicole.”

“Good to see you,” she says, smiling as she extends her arms to me as if she’s going to hug me.

I don’t return the statement. Rather I take a step backward and curl my lip. So many thoughts go through my head, but the first one is I don’t have any desire to be within a football field’s length of her, let alone allow her to touch me.

“Don’t,” I tell her and start to walk away.

She reaches out and grabs my arm.

I turn my head and look at her, yanking my arm back before I storm away from her and into an empty hallway just outside the reception hall, knowing she’ll follow me.

As soon as we’re away from the crowd, I stand facing her, my arms crossed over my chest.

“I can’t believe you. We are not doing this here. Not tonight. Not on what’s supposed to be Emily’s happiest day. Get out.”

“Get out? Why? Don’t I have the right to be here?”

“Are you kidding me right now? Why would you have any right? Why are you even here?”

She trails her disgusting fingernails across my arm, pushing her fake boobs out as she presses in close to me.

“She’s my niece, James,” she says quietly in a voice I’m sure she thinks is sexy. It’s not. It actually makes my dick shrink up and my balls damn near disappear.

“Don’t,” I warn her, taking another step back and grabbing hold of her hand to push her away from me. I don’t even care if it’s with too much force. I want her away from me. Her touch literally churns my stomach.

She takes another step forward, ignoring my demand, and looks quickly beyond my shoulder. I scrunch my eyebrows, about ready to ask her what the hell she’s doing, when she attaches herself to me like a damn octopus. She presses her lips against mine and wraps one leg around me. I push her away at the contact but not quite soon enough.

“Is there a problem here?” I hear Carly’s soft, sweet voice say from behind me. The look on her face so heartbroken; obviously, she’s only seen, not heard.

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