Page 1 of Crash

PROLOGUE

VIVI

“Your cousin and aunt think they are special because Sandra is marrying that rich man. Now they are going to act even more superior.” I only listen to my father with half an ear as I look through the curtains waiting for my ride, eager to get out of this hell for the next four days.

Yes, my favorite cousin is marrying into a rich family. No, she does not think she’s superior. Yes, my father is an asshole.

“I don’t know why we have to go, or why they want you at this wedding. What do they need you for? It’s bad luck. Your aunt won’t be so arrogant when this white man dumps her daughter. I give it two years, and I’ll be there to rub it in since she’s always sticking her nose in my business. I don’t have the money for this. Not with you here taking up space and food, wasting money on college.”

Other than the gas he’ll have to spend to drive to Martha’s Vineyard, everything else is paid for, from his meals to the very nice hotel accommodations. I agree with my father on one thing. I wish neither he nor my mother was going.

“If they want you there so badly, they can support you.”

There wasn’t any doubt that they would. I turn to gaze at him, standing there, barely five and a half feet tall, both hands on his hips. His lips are snarling. And as usual, his face is angry.

Always angry, with sharp words on his tongue aimed to destroy my self-esteem. If I’m not the target, it’s my mother, who committed the sin of birthing a daughter and was then informed she would never be able to bear more children.

Relief floods my body when I see the silver Toyota Sienna pull into the driveway. I grab my suitcase, ready to make my escape, but my father takes it out of my hands. Not to carry it for me, but to make a point.

“I did not tell you to go anywhere, girl.” He tosses the bag back on the floor. I lean down, pick it up, and throw the strap over my shoulder.

We’ve already had this discussion. He knew I would be leaving today and that my cousin Tash and her husband Chris would be picking me up. My father and mother would arrive tomorrow, giving me a brief reprieve from them.

Thankfully, there is a loud knock on the door. Uncaring about my father’s antics at this point, I walk to the door and let Chris inside. He offers my father his hand, and he takes it.

“You ready to go, Vivi? Tash and the kids are in the car. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ixon,” he says to my father. “Is your mother here? I want to say hello.”

“She’s in the bedroom, laying down,” I tell Chris. Of course, she’s home but leaving me to deal with my father on my own. Typical.

“Your wife is too good to come to greet her uncle? All women are the same. You need to teach her respect,” my father says to Chris

“My wife is an adult who doesn’t need me to teach her a thing. Let’s go, Vivi.” Chris doesn’t give my father any more time to talk. He takes the suitcase from me and we both get the hell out of the house.

“Oh my god!”

Tash and Chris both laugh at me.

“You’ve said that about one hundred times since we got here,” Chris says.

“What’s the name of this town?” I ask.

“Vineyard Haven,” Tash says.

We’ve already checked in at a hotel in Edgartown, a beautiful inn right on the beach. The rooms are ours until Sunday, but tomorrow night, all the women are staying at this house and the men are going to the inn. Tash, Chris, and the kids have a suite, while I have a beautiful room with a huge canopy bed with gorgeous and intricate white drapery above it.

“More like rich people haven. Holy cow! And this is their summer home? Are you kidding me?” I’m in awe as I look out the window as Chris drives his van on the circular drive. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t a huge brick mansion right on the beach in Martha’s freakin’ Vineyard. I thought vacation homes were supposed to be smaller than your regular home, but I guess not in this case.

“Do you think we’re dressed okay?” I ask, nervously. I look down at my white two-piece outfit. The skirt is short and form fitting. The top is cropped and exposes a sliver of my torso, which has a thin gold belt around it. Normally, I don’t care about the latest fashion trends and how I look, but for tonight, for some unknown reason, I want to be sexy and confident.

“You look beautiful, sweetie. I’m surprised Sandy agreed to a white party and not a pink party,” Tash says, referencing Sandy’s obsession with the color pink. “Let’s take bets and see how long it will take before my kids get dirt on their clothes.”

Chris opens the van door, and I step out; the sound of the gravel makes a crunching noise beneath my high white wedge shoes. My knees nearly buckle at the thought of walking inside the most beautiful vacation home I’ve ever seen.

Tash and Chris each take the hand of one of their kids, and I’m left to walk alone, but I link my arm through Tash’s. We both audibly gasp when a maid opens the door for us, directing us through the house to the backyard. We each grab champagne flutes along the way, and I’m grateful my father is not here to stop me from drinking. I finish my glass before we reach the French doors leading us outside.

The first floor is huge with high ceilings. The furniture is high end but looks inviting. There are pictures of the Clark family all along the walls on the first floor, from formal pictures to random shots taken at various stages of their lives. There’s a recent picture of the entire family, including Sandy, taken last Christmas. Everyone is color coordinated and wearing wide smiles.

I quickly check out the happy family, making sure to overlook the only Clark I find distasteful. Luke Clark. The youngest brother and the biggest asshole in the family.

---