“Gabriela!” he said, big and boisterous, designed to draw attention—a tactic Alice recognized as the protective shield he used whenever anyone called him on his bullshit. “Is that how it’s going to be?”
Gabi looked to Alice for a cue. Or maybe permission.
No. Alice wanted the fight herself. “Again, Griffin,” Alice said, “what are you doing here?”
Nearby, heads began turning, stopping just before they could gawk.
Griffin got nervous, casting looks around the assembly, obviously searching for allies. Of course, if he’d listened to Alice even for a moment during their time together, he’d have known the truth—there were no allies for him here. There were barely allies for her.
His smile disappeared and he lowered his voice, dipping his head toward her. “I was invited.”
“Not by me.”
“Alice.” He laughed in that patronizing way men did when they were about to gaslight the hell out of a woman. “I would have come even without an invitation. Of course I came. Babe…I wouldn’t have left you alone in this place.”
“She’s not alone,” Gabi said.
“Don’t call me babe,” Alice added.
He ignored Gabi and searched the space, packed with people. “Can we go somewhere? To talk?”
“Hi!” Emily appeared at her elbow, Claudia at a distance. Alice gritted her teeth at her bright greeting—a greeting she would have been so grateful for two months earlier. “Griffin, it’s been a really long time.”
It was soauthentic.Where were Greta and Sam when you needed them? At least they would have treated Griffin like garbage even without knowing the whole story.
“Oh, shit,” Gabi said, softly, immediately understanding.
“It’s really nice to see you,” Emily added.
“No, it’s not,” Alice said.
“It’s not?” Emily’s eyes went wide.
Alice returned her attention to Griffin. “We don’t have anything to talk about.”
Emily’s mouth dropped open. “You don’t?”
Alice turned on her sister. “I didn’t put him on the list.”
“We did,” Emily said.
“Of course.” Alice looked away, across the crowd, to where Greta played young Elisabeth, the perfect hostess, as though her heart hadn’t just been fully broken. She would have noticed the oversight. Rectified it. “I wish someone had asked me.”
“Asked you—” Emily’s brow furrowed. “We thought you—Alice, he’s yourfiancé. Of course he was invited.”
“You haven’t told them?” Gabi interjected.
“Em, maybe we should…” Claudia trailed off, clearly understanding, her hand on Emily’s elbow.
“We’re not together anymore,” Alice reported. It was a kind way of saying it. Less mortifying thanGriffin left me. Alone. With no explanation.
“What?” Emily’s shocked reply was loud enough to summon the interest of a dozen people nearby, all of whom immediately pretended they hadn’t heard.
Alice lowered her voice to a whisper. “Jesus, Emily, I thought you were supposed to be the portrait of subdued balance.”
“You have to admit that’s difficult in this family,” Claudia pointed out, dryly.
“What happened?” Emily asked.