Page 73 of The Pucker and the Princess
Mom clears her throat, reclaiming everyone’s attention. “It appears we’ll have to make some changes to the plans for our Christmas celebrations this week if we want to include everyone.” Gabby rolls her eyes at this pronouncement, and Ibite my cheek to try to keep my smile in check. From the glare Mom levels at me, I obviously don’t succeed. “There are a few other things I’d planned for us to do in these few, short days, so we’ll have to cram everything in instead of being able to spread it out. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know of the events that cannot be shifted.” She sniffs. “Tomorrow evening, we’re all invited to the engagement party for Peter Jacobs and Anna Hart.”
My mouth goes dry at this pronouncement, and I stare at Mom in shock.
“What?” Gabby protests. “Mom, you can’t be serious.”
Brows pinched, Lance looks between Mom and me, and I duck my head, busying myself with picking up the blocks and putting them back in their basket. “Yeah, Mom,” Lance says, and I feel his eyes on me. I refuse to look at him, though. “That seems …”
“Nonsense,” Mom pronounces. “Why wouldn’t we go? He’s a longtime employee of Kane and Sons and has been nearly an additional family member for years.”
“Yeah,” Lance drawls, “because?—”
But Mom cuts him off. “It would be the height of rudeness not to attend. I know he and Marissa have … history”—I can’t contain my snort at that characterization of my relationship with Peter—“but Marissa broke up with him years ago. I can’t think of any good reason why we shouldn’t be happy for him to have moved on and found someone he wants to build a life with.”
“Seriously, Mom?” Gabby starts. “Youseriouslycan’t think ofanyreason?”
Looking up, I plaster a smile on my face. “Thank y’all for sticking up for me,” I say to Lance and Gabby.Seriously. You have no idea how much I appreciate it even if we all know it won’t matter in the end. “But Mom’s right. Peter and I are ancient history. We should be able to be happy for him to move on.”
With those words, I dump the last of the blocks in to the basket, stand, and head for the stairs. “Sorry. I need to go to the bathroom.”
I take the stairs two at a time, waiting until I close and lock the door of the bathroom before letting my arrested thoughts run free. I sit on the closed toilet and bury my face in my hands.
Peter found someone he wants to build a life with, huh? Good for him I guess.
God, what an asshole. Ibeggedhim to propose for years. I wanted nothing more than to have what he’s now apparently ready for with this Anna foryears.
What does she have that I don’t? Why does she deserve a proposal and an engagement party and a wedding? When all I got was a shut-up ring and an offer to elope in Vegas.
“I’m such an idiot,” I mutter to myself. And I am. For staying with Peter for too long. And now—when my life is finally going well, when I’ve finally broken free of assholes who don’t appreciate me and finding someone who does—for being upset that Peter’s engaged.
I can’t let on that I’m bothered, though. Not to my family. Anddefinitelynot to Peter.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Dozer
In some ways,coming home after being on the road for a week is worse now than when Marissa wasn’t talking to me. Obviously it’s notworse,exactly. It’s just difficult in a new way that I’m not used to.
Ever since we met, she’s been here when I’ve gotten home. Even when we weren’t talking, I knew she was in the building. It’s a weird feeling knowing that she’s thousands of miles away when I’m here.
I normally go home for Christmas, but this year I sent my parents a Christmas cruise for their gift. Mom’s always talked about wanting to do one, thinking it sounds magical. I hope it is. She’s emailed me a few times, telling me how much fun they’re having, and gushing over what a wonderful Christmas present it is. I’m glad someone’s having a good time this week, at least.
I scroll mindlessly through all the streaming services I have, starting a movie and stopping it because I think Marissa might like it and I want to watch it with her. Flipping to the sportsrecaps but then turning them off because the sportscasters are annoying me tonight.
Standing, I turn the TV off and pace my living room. I’m antsy. I have all this pent up energy, and I don’t know what to do with it.
Since what I really want to do is see Marissa, I do the next best thing. Well, maybe the third or fourth best thing. Because the next best thing would be a video chat. The third best thing would be a phone call. But since I don’t know what her schedule’s like at her parents’ and I don’t want to interrupt anything, I decide to send her a text instead. I type and delete a few variations onI miss you, and instead decide to go for something less needy.
Hope you’re having a good visit with your family
There. It shows I’m thinking of her. Leaves the door open for her to respond when she’s available. And it doesn’t make it sound like I’m going to go crazy if I don’t talk to her soon, which is maybe true but not something she needs to deal with on top of everything.
I know she wasn’t thrilled to be returning home. Her dad kinda sounds like a dick from what she’s told me, though she did seem like she was looking forward to seeing her siblings, especially her sister who she hasn’t seen in quite a while from the sounds of it.
My heart leaps when I see she’s responded right away.
Marissa
Ha. Something like that. Mom just dropped the bomb that my ex is engaged and we’re going to his engagement party tomorrow. So things are, uh, interesting
