Page 9 of Reckless Encore

“Don’t say that,” Sophie muttered under her breath. “New stories mean more mentally-scarring information I’ll have to try to forget.”

Maya supposed her sister was right. After a few drinks, the adults lost their filter, and the boring, love-filled stories morphed into the stuff of nightmares.

Sophie leaned close. “Just ask a question or two, grin, and pretend you care about their bullshit.”

“But they tell the same stuff over and over.”

“I’ve sat through this for longer than you have, twerp. Suck it up.” Sophie glanced across the campfire to Tyler, then dropped her gaze just as quickly.

The two of them had been acting strange for a while now. It had started with sneaking around. Whispering behind closed doors. Now it seemed like they weren’t talking at all. Maya didn’t think Tyler had even given them a wave in greeting when they’d arrived this afternoon.

“Are the two of you fighting?” She straightened, blatantly staring in Tyler’s direction.

“Shut up.” Sophie elbowed her in the ribs. “And mind your own damn business.”

Ouch.

She rubbed her side and glared at her bitch of a sister. It wasn’t like she expected to be clued in on whatever secrets the two of them held. Sophie and Tyler had always been best friends teaming up against her. Playing games without her. Scheming and laughing behind her back.

Mitch raised the glass in his hand, the brown liquid swirling inside. “My compliments to Sean and Melody on a great meal tonight.”

The other parents raised their drinks—the champagne flutes, beer bottles, and glinting glasses all soaring high—while her friends scowled, sending an underlying message of boredom.

They all knew the drill.

Tonight’s schedule included the retelling of anything from marriage proposals to weddings and childbirth. Then alcohol would take over, and she and her friends would be dismissed while the stories progressed into disgusting memories no child should ever hear about their parents.

As much as she loved her uncles, she was beyond certain they were once like the boys her father always warned her about. They were only after one thing, and it wasn’t holding hands in the park.

“Aunt Mel.” She raised her chin to see over the fire. They needed to get this ball rolling. “How come you never talk about your wedding?”

Ethan snickered, and she cleared her throat to cover the sound.

The adults weren’t the only ones with traditions. Over the years, her friends had determined which stories were the most likely to encourage their parents to drink, in return, making the story session shorter.

“Haven’t we already told this one?” Melody asked.

Yes. This tale of heartbreak and drama had been repeated too many times to count.

“I don’t remember it.” Beth held an innocent expression through the lie. The teen had the ability to fake her mother, Alana’s virtue, while secretly hiding the fact she was more like her scandalous lead-guitarist father, Mitch.

“You have,” Tyler murmured. “But I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

“It’s not the best story.” Melody turned to her husband. “I don’t think we need to share it again.”

“Oh, come on.” Chase threw a pebble into the fire. “There’s a happy ending through the drama. Isn’t that what all the best stories are about?”

Her aunt didn’t look convinced.

“Go on.” Sean clutched his wife’s hand and grinned. “We can look back and laugh at it now.”

“Can we?” Mason muttered. “I sure as shit don’t.”

“Mason,” Sidney chastised. “Not in front of the kids.”

“Please, Aunt Mel.” Sophie held her hands up in prayer. “Just tell it one more time.”

“Okay, okay.” Melody raised her champagne flute and took a long gulp. “It all happened a few weeks before the release of the first Reckless indie album. Stress levels were high, and every time someone spoke, an argument would break out. That’s when your Uncle Sean and I decided it was time to take our first group vacation. The one we’d been talking about for years. We planned everything in seven days, packed our bags, and told your parents to meet us at a resort in the Maldives…”

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