Page 33 of Uncovering Love: The Wedding

IT’S KIND OF LATE, BUTMelissa answers my text when I tell her I’m coming over. A few minutes later I pull my car to the curb of their single family home. The neighborhood is cute, row after row of perfect little cookie cutter homes with low maintenance desert landscapes. Even without the house number, I can differentiate my sister’s from the others by the little flag stand at the walkway. She changes it out with different designs to go along with the holiday or time of year. I tease her because, living in Arizona, we don’t really get seasons. What we get is nice weather for some months and then sweltering heat for the rest of the year. She doesn’t care though, and this month’s flag is patterned in blossoming tulips to welcome spring.

Before I can knock or let myself in, my sister opens the door. Her belly separates us farther than I like, but she pulls me inside and hugs me anyway. “Oh, Evie,” she says and it’s then I realize I’m crying.

My niece’s laughter floats from down the hall and I ease out of her embrace, wiping the tears from my face.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really, but I think I should. Where’s Drew?”

“Putting Claire to bed. Or rather, trying to.” When I raise my eyebrows—it’s almost ten o’clock—Mel just rolls her eyes and walks past me toward the kitchen. “She’s wound up and won’t stay in her bed. This is like the tenth try. Must be the full moon. Brings out the crazy in everyone.”

“You think she’d give up by now. Or you could build her a cage,” I suggest, sliding onto one of the barstools.

“Putting an eighteen month old in a cage is frowned upon. Though I won’t lie, it’s tempting. That girl is incredibly tenacious. Also, I think she thrives on her parents’ exhaustion.” My sister flicks on the water at the sink and resumes scrubbing a pile of dirty dishes.

“Let me do that for you.” I stand, but she narrows her death stare on me so I plop my butt back in the chair.

“I’m pregnant, not disabled.” She rubs the rough end of the sponge over the Teflon pan and raises one eyebrow. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”

I wring my hands together atop the counter and bite the inside of my cheek when I consider my argument with Tate. We never fight like that. Ever. “Can I stay here tonight?” I try to get the words out as evenly as I can. Maybe not well enough.

Melissa flicks the faucet off, dries her hands, and comes around the kitchen island to take the seat beside mine. “You know you can, but why would you need to? Did Tate do something to you? Did he hurt you?”

“Yes.” I nod, but when her eyes widen with alarm I shake my head. “No. Not the way you think. It’s just that he lied to me and now I don’t know what to believe anymore.” Her face falls and she nods because she gets it. She more than gets it. “Shit. How did our lives get so complicated?” I wonder in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know, little sister. I don’t know.”

“I think she’s down for the count! I say we celebrate ... Oh, hey, Evie. I didn’t know you were stopping by.” Drew stands at the entrance to the kitchen, his eyes darting between me and Melissa. “Shit. I know that look.” He comes over to kiss Mel’s cheek and then leaves a peck on the top of my head before setting the video baby monitor on the counter between us. “I’m on it.” He winks, pulls his keys from the little dish on the counter, and heads toward the door that leads to their garage.

“Wha—?” I can hardly get out the question before he turns back to grin at Melissa.

“Ice cream. Chocolate. Really, anything decadent.” He raises his brows and then winks before meeting my confused expression. “See! I’ve been at the marriage business for years. I know the look. Don’t worry, I got you. Be back in fifteen.” With that, he closes the door on his way outside.

“If I didn’t want to kill him, I’d hug him right now,” I say.

Melissa nods, her face sour. “That’s how I’ve felt for the past few weeks.” She reaches across and settles her hand over where my fingers rub together nervously. “But you’re not here to discuss me and Drew. Tell me what happened.”

She’s my sister. I love her so much. As much as I want to tell her everything, I can’t bear to bring her any more pain or sorrow so I omit the details of my night that relate to Amelia. Anger and frustration resurface afresh when I recount my run-in with Lindsay. Repeating her words to me in the locker room only cements my suspicion that she’s not to be trusted. Melissa nods, listens, and gasps at all the right parts, but when I finish, slumping into my chair with defeat, she levels me with the big sister line of questioning.

“You think there’s something there with his ex? He’d really go back to her?” Her eyebrows lift when I open my mouth and I stop to really consider my answers.

“No. I don’t. Not really. But she’s a sneaky little bitch. I don’t trust her.”

“As you shouldn’t. Tate’s one of the nice ones. Women are going to want him. Always. That doesn’t stop when you put a ring on it. But if he’s not interested, you have nothing to worry about.”

“I know that. I do. But how could he not tell me she was at their party? It’s a pretty big fucking detail.”

“Girl. Really? You going to play off the fact you couldn’t even walk last night? Did you even make it home without passing out? When was he gonna tell you? Not saying that he shouldn’t have. He should. But I doubt those would be his first words to your drunk ass.”

“I made it home.” Kind of. Sort of. I think I passed out in the car, but I was awake when Carly and Kate dropped me at home. My anger at Tate gradually fades when I remember how sweet he was taking care of me, and not at all mad even though he did request we mutually keep strippers out of our parties. “Shit.”I took all my frustrations from my day out on him. My head drops into my hands and Melissa rubs my back.

“It’s this thing with Drew and me, isn’t it?”

It’s not helping, but I don’t confess that aloud. “No.” I lift my head to meet my sister’s concerned stare.

“You can’t let someone else’s issues cause trouble for your own relationship, Evie. Tate loves you. Just because my life is falling apart doesn’t mean yours has to. Marry the man. Beat the odds. Prove the haters wrong.”

“It’s just that I still can’t believe he could do this to you. And if Drew can, then Tate ...”

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