Page 18 of Bound and Blitzed

I want to clean up my reputation and know that I can be a good guy who does the right thing. And she wants a visa.

It should be simple, right?

When I step out of the shower, I note the screen of my phone lighting up with a ton of incoming messages.

Frowning, I pick up the phone.

Cohen

Yo, you fucking dead? What’s going on?

Raia

Are you coming to dinner tonight?

Shit. I wince. I forgot about that. We were supposed to meet at Mom and Dad’s at 6 p.m. to have dinner with our grandparents and closest family members.

Mom

Avery, are you okay? I haven’t heard from you…

Raia

Do you think I should wear white or ivory?

Sorry! That was for Faye.

Where are you?

Grandpa

Avery, pick up your mother’s phone calls.

I note the three missed calls from Mom and swear. I can picture the disappointment in Grandpa’s face. Not that he’d ever tell me but still, I see it, sense it. Hell, some holidays, I can even taste the sourness of it mixed in my beer.

Sinking down to the closed toilet seat, I punch Mom’s name and lift the phone to my ear.

“Where the hell are you?” my sister answers.

“Hey!” I keep my voice sunny. Light.

“Hey?”

I clear my throat. “Sorry about dinner. Something came up.”

“Yeah? What?” Raia presses. “If you’re on your way, you’ll make it in time for Uncle Jim to give Brooks a hard time.”

I snort, knowing how much my uncle loves to rag on my cousin’s boyfriend, especially since he’s Raia’s ex.

“I’m in Austin,” I admit.

“Texas?” she screeches.

I pull in a deep breath and screw my eyes closed. I’m about to do something unforgivable. I’m about to lie to my sister after spending the past year trying to mend our relationship. Not that there was ever truly a rift. It’s more that we grew in two different directions and by the time I realized it, there was a chasm between us. But now, things are good. She and Cohen are happy, and I love my relationship with them both.

I trust them.

And yet… I look at the closed bathroom door. Can I pull out of the agreement I came to with Valentina? After I made the proposal, knocked on her door this morning, and booked the flights to Austin?

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