Page 88 of Ecstasy
A fucking wedding band.
They’re already married.
What the fuck?
“What the fuck?” I can’t stop the words from tumbling out.
Beside me, Eli brushes his arm against mine casually in a sort of silent warning, I guess, but I don’t give a shit. He doesn’t know my mom. He probably doesn’t really understand what’s happening right now, so I spell it out for him, refusing to take my mom’s hand.
“When did you get married? I thought this was an engagement party. A chance for everyone to meet Cory,beforeyou went and married him?” The chatter of voices at my back has grown quieter, and Mom glances nervously over my shoulder, fiddling with the neck of her pale pink satin shirt, to match her stupidweddingcake.
“Zara, I told you to come early specifically so—”
But I don’t let her finish. “You couldn’t have told me before today?”
Mom swallows, twirls her necklace between her fingers.
My stomach churns. “You lied to me!” Mom getting married a fourth time was bullshit enough, but this shit… “You fucking kept this from me!”
“Sorry, Miss…?” Eli says quickly and then trails off, uncertain if Mom shares my last name. Ha. I have my father’s last name. That was three husbands ago, apparently.
Mom swallows again, glances up at Eli and brushes her pale blonde hair over one shoulder. It’s just past shoulder-length and beautiful, just like Mom herself. She’s got the same pale skin as me, but her eyes are bigger, a lighter shade of blue, and she’s petite and well put together and I’m not surprised at all that she keeps convincing men to marry her but for fuck’s sake.
She fucking lied.
“Mrs. Rushing.”
My gut clenches. Cory’s last name. Of course.
“Unbelievable,” I mutter, not done with this. She lied to me. And yeah, sure, I lie to her too but I’m the fucking kid. I shake my head, run my hand over the bun I threw my messy hair into. “This has got to be bad for business, huh, Mom? Always changing your name on the real estate billboards?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Rushing,” Eli continues, ignoring me, “but last night I kept your daughter out too late.” He averts his eyes, making a good show of his bullshit apology. “That’s why we were running late. Congratulations on your marriage.”
Mom looks from me to him warily as I hear someone call her name from behind us. “Zoe! Oh my gosh, Cory just told me!”
“I’m sorry, Zara,” Mom whispers quickly, smoothing down her blouse and looking over my shoulder again at whoever the hell it is that’s rushing over here, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor. “I wanted to tell you this morning.” Mom pastes a smile on her face. “I thought you’d be happy for me.” And then she pushes past me and I turn to see her get thrown into a bear hug by a large lady with curly highlighted hair and a glass of champagne in one hand.
My cousin Jessica is still by the cake, and I see her grab a small plate and a fork. I wonder how long it’ll take her to dive into it. If she can hold off until after Mom makes this stupid fucking wedding announcement. Jessica is always the first in line to eat free food.
Today, I kind of hope she destroys that fucking cake.
It would serve my mother right.
I want to get out of here.
I don’t even know why I came in the first place.
I turn to Eli, who is quiet at my side. People are hovering around the banquet table as waiters in white set down plates of scrambled eggs, French toast, and a bowl of what is probably spiked punch.
“I’m ready to leave,” I announce. I look down at my ballet flats, eager to grab the pill I shoved in there before I left the bathroom.
I glance up at Eli, into those green eyes, and I’m thinking back to last night. To him in the doorway. To me, waking up in his room.
To how he set down a glass of water on the island, right in front of me, before he went upstairs to change.
To howheremembered today was my mother’s fucking engagement party.
He offers me a small smile, glancing over my head at the party. Music starts to play,Die for Meby Post Malone and wow. Just fucking wow.
