Present…
“JEN’S GOOD AT WHAT SHE does, Amelia,” Katherine assures, placing her hand on Amelia’s arm for comfort. “She’s been planning weddings for years. She came so highly recommended.”
Amelia has been stressing about this and that since we all arrived at the resort. To the point that if she continues the way she’s going, she’ll be a basket case when the time comes to repeat her vows.
Not to mention, if she doesn’t stop stressing soon, Averie’s eyes may roll out of her head.
Katherine’s gaze comes to mine, taking my attention from Averie staring at her cell phone and ignoring the rest of us—namely me.
She asks, “Jaxson, what do you think?”
“I think your mom’s right,” I concur with Katherine. Amelia looks up from her untouched salad and smiles small. “You don’t have anything to worry about. You’ve done all you can and the rest will go as it’s supposed to,” I go on. “This time is yours. And if something isn’t going to your plan or doesn’t feel right, you’re paying for the power to change it.”
Amelia nods, looking down to her lap. Her lips tip at the ends but she has nothing to say.
With Averie at one side and Amelia at the other, I’ve only just realized the two haven’t spoken a single word. Not in the car ride over and not through lunch. Amelia has kept her focus mainly to her mother. Averie, to that fucking phone.
Mason was right. Averie doesn’t want to be here. At all. I get the two are at ends, but this is ridiculous.
Turning my attention to Averie, I clear my throat. Lifting only her eyes, she looks at me and fidgets in her seat.
“That’s my phone!” Amelia cries, bending to the floor for her ringing bag.
Averie sighs, but continues flipping through her cell. Katherine watches intently as Amelia frowns.
“It’s Jen,” she tells the table before answering. “I need to take this.”
“Go on,” I excuse.
Before Amelia can get so much as a complete ‘hello’ out, the echoing earpiece fills the space around the table. Amelia’s frown deepens.
With tears in her eyes, she stands and incredulously asks, “How’s that possible?”
The rambling from the other end continues, Katherine and I share a look. Averie shifts her eyes to her sister, but doesn’t make the effort to give her full attention.
“No. No. No! This isn’t happening,” Amelia charges, tossing her napkin to the table. “We paid for the Callum suite! The Traymon has only one entrance, and it’s all the way in the back of the building!”
Jen powers through Amelia’s hurt. Amelia listens intently as tears start to form.
Christ, but a bride-to-be can only take so much.
“I don’t care!” Amelia shrieks and others dining turn their attention our way.
Averie sits up in her chair, narrowing her eyes. She’s either embarrassed or annoyed at Amelia’s outburst. Katherine shakes her head at Averie, which thankfully keeps her quiet.
Amelia tilts her head, taking in the ceiling before closing her eyes. She releases a heavily burdened breath and bids, “Okay. Call me after you talk to them. Thanks.”
“Honey, what is it?” Katherine queries, her brows furrowed.
Amelia drops her phone in her bag, wipes her eyes, and takes her seat at the table.
Pushing the plate to the center, she holds her head in her hands and tells the white tablecloth, “They double-booked my wedding room this weekend. Seems I was second to deposit, which means I don’t get the hall Brayden and I planned.”
“What’s the Traymon?” Katherine queries.
“The smaller room.”
“Oh,” Katherine replies. Doing her motherly best to cheer her daughter up, she states, “Well, we’ll make it work. We’ll figure out what to do.”
“No!” Amelia cries. “The Traymon has no windows! None! What’s a wedding without light?”
“A dark wedding,” Averie chimes low, causing all heads to turn to her.
Christ.
I used to wish for a sibling, anyone to share my childhood memories with. Through my years of being subjected to these two, I learned to be thankful I went at it alone.
With Katherine staring at Averie in expectation and Amelia downright scowling, Averie says, “I’m just sayin’. A change of room is hardly anything to worry about right now.”
“You would say that,” Amelia counters with disdain. “Because you don’t care.”
Katherine interjects the escalating feud with, “Averie’s not wrong, Amelia. So, we change rooms if we have to. We’ll figure this out.”
Amelia, still pissed at Averie’s lack of interest, tosses her napkin to the table and stands. The chair skids out, nearly knocking the waiter behind her over. She bends to grab her bag and tosses it over her shoulder.
“I’m going to use the ladies’ room,” Amelia tells us. She turns to me, asking, “Can you take me back to the house after? I need to talk to Brayden.”
Nodding, I give, “Anything.”
Katherine stands with much less dramatics, and says, “I’ll go with you.”
I’m left with the fucking brat.
Once the two are out of sight, I turn to Averie and am ignored. Her thumb flips through the screen of her phone, and she smiles at whatever she finds so entertaining.
“Averie,” I call, pissed but managing my tone.
Still, though. I’m ignored.
Grabbing her phone, I toss it to the other end of the table. Far enough, she’d have to get up and walk to get it back. The side of the screen hits a glass of water, thankfully not shattering the glass or phone to bits.
Matching my ire, Averie’s brows draw together. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Stop this shit,” I order.
“Oh, so you’re talking to me now?” she snaps.
Angry, I level her with a look of disdain. “You see my lips moving?”
“Give me my goddamn phone, Jaxson,” she protests—loudly.
“Lower your voice,” I hiss. “What’s the matter with you?”
“What’s the matter with me? Are you kidding?”
“Stop it,” I harsh out.
“Fuck you.”
There’s an idea.
“You’re sulking,” I observe. “You’re pissed at me, and you’re taking it out on your family.”
“I’m…” Averie stops, visibly ready to come apart. “I’m not sulking, Jaxson. I’m over it.”
“The fuck you are.”
“We’re done, remember? Isn’t that what you told me?”
“This isn’t about us,” I agree. “You don’t want to be here, to take part in your sister’s happiness. Whatever. But grow up, Averie.”
“Again, fuck you,” she sneers.
“Never mind,” I say to myself. “You’re not worth the effort.”
Averie winces. I won’t take back what I said. I can’t get baited back into any kind of exchange with her. I know myself, and if she asked for it, I’d give her another chance to hurt me again.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrows her eyes to mine. “How nice of you to be here for Amelia, Jax. I appreciate your enthusiasm to work your way through the Dyer sisters. But this one doesn’t need you.”
That was low. Lower than I’d ever expect Averie to venture.
“You do need me,” I clip. “You’re just too stubborn to understand why.”
“The hell I do!”
Fuck this.
Pushing my chair back, I stand and pull out my wallet. I throw enough cash on the table to cover the tab, tip, and the hassle we’ve caused.
Reaching to Averie’s phone, I slide it into my suit pocket. Her pink lips are thin and the vein in her temple is pulsing to the grind of her teeth.
Grabbing her arm, I maneuver her up and around the table, where I place her directly in front of me. She gasps at my front leaning against her back. Amelia and Katherine are headed our way, so I do this quickly.
“Stop your shit, Averie,” I clip, and she starts to say something so I cut her off. “As shocking as this may be, this week isn’t about us. To add, it isn’t about you at all.”
“You’re an asshole,” she seethes, grabbing her purse.
“And you’re selfish and alone,” I clip, the words coming too fast to stop them.
Averie turns, her expression hurt. “Thank you for that.”
Fuck.
“I didn’t mean—“
Righting her mental armor, she expresses, “I’d forgotten just how goddamn cruel you can be.”
“Stop. I really—“
“Goodbye, Jaxson,” she quietly bids, walking past me to get to the front door.
Fucking hell.
I’m an ass.