Adjournment (The Fate Series) (28 page)

“I didn’t say scorching.” She begins to laugh.

“It’s a synonym,” I snap.

“Oh I know, and a very lust-filled one at that,” she continues to annoy me.

Paying no more attention to her, I stand next to Morgan.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it…

“You’re thinking about it,” Morgan deadpans.

She turns, stepping in front of me. With an older sister smile she begins to pick pretend pieces of nothing off my dress. Closing my eyes, I shift back and forth in my heels.

“Are your hands cramping?” She begins to breathe with me.

My eyes still closed, I shake my head.

“Nope.” I try to sound convincing.

Yup.

I struggle to straighten my tingly, muscle-strained hands to prove it when her warm hands wrap around one of mine, and she begins to hum as she rubs them. “I can see that. You’re the epitome of relaxed, but I’m bored so it would really be helping me out if I pretended like you needed my help,” she says. I can hear the smile in her serene tone.

I agree, and we stay here waiting in silence for a few minutes.

I forget how motherly Morgan can be.

“Still thinking about it?” She muses.

“Nope,” I grit through my teeth with a tight smile.

I hate standing in front of people. Why did she have to make such a big deal of all of this? It’s their thirty-fifth not twenty-fifth. Why do we have to be different? But more importantly, why did Judith have to open her mouth?

My nerves are climbing higher and higher by the second as we wait at the top of the stairs for our cue that everyone is seated and we can come down.

Taking in another deep breath, I pull my hands away, shaking them in front of me to try and gain feeling in them.

“Better?” Morgan smiles when I open my eyes.

“Yup.” I nod hoping my telltale face won’t give me away.

The truth is, no…

“You’re a bad liar.” She shakes her head at me. I’m about to say something back when we hear quick thuds racing up the steps. My heart rate skyrockets, and I almost have a heart attack as Lexi and Jacob round the landing to make the second flight.

The three of us stand here watching as they gasp for air when they finally reach us. “What is wrong with you two? You could have given me a heart attack,” I whisper harshly at them.

“We just wanted to let you know that…” Lexi stops to swallow as the music starts from below us to signal that we are needed.

“It’s time.” Morgan reaches her hand out. An uneasy feeling begins to wrap itself around me.

“You will be fine.” Jacob pats my arm.

“And we will be sitting right next to you the whole time.” Lexi shoots Jacob a look.

We walk down the steps. Lexi and Jacob following us as they bicker back and forth. “What did I tell you about saying that? You don’t tell someone with anxiety “they’ll be fine”, that’s putting pressure on them to be fine which makes the entire thing worse. It’s like telling someone standing on a ledge to jump,” she snaps.

“Oh. I’m sorry I didn’t know you were a negotiator in your spare time,” Jacob barks.

When we make it to the doors we have to walk through, Grams pushes Lexi and Jacob back into the other room to wait with the guests.

“Lovey…” Grams smiles up at me as she takes my hands. “You look beautiful.” Her eyes begin to tear and so do mine.

Is she really going to not say anything sexual right now?

The door opens to the glass domed atrium that my mother uses as a greenhouse, and Molly and Morgan begin to walk down the path toward the front. Grams spins me around, giving me a firm push forward so I follow them. Her scooter is driving right behind me, hurrying me down the walkway so fast I barely have any time to look at the guests as we walk past them.

I’m amazed I remember to smile.

Just as we get to the front Morgan stops causing the three of us to crash into each other, sending me backwards to land on Grams lap. This is not happening.

Heat begins to engulf my skin.

With a forceful push from Grams I’m back up and step to the side behind Molly. We can hear people gasping and whispering which only makes my skin burn more.

“What is the matter with you two?” I growl through my teeth.

“She stepped on my dress.” Morgan sends Molly a look.

“It wasn’t on purpose.” Molly’s eyes widen.

“Well, maybe if you were watching where you were going more than what Dean looks like in a real suit you wouldn’t have done it in the first place,” Morgan whisper hisses back. “FYI, he looks exactly like Chase,” she says, ending the argument.

Molly gasps. “You look fat in that dress,” she whispers back.

“So do you…
sister
,” Morgan retorts.

Our father is watching us with hooded eyes but only we can see it because everyone turns to look at our mother as she walks to join us. I turn to admire her but Grams kicks me in the back of the knee, Simon lunges forward grabbing me before I fall into Molly.

Thank God no one is looking at us.

Still holding onto his arm I look down at Grams. “Do you need to be put in a home? You could have knocked us all down!” I whisper to her.

“Just look straight!” she snaps back.

Simon shakes his head then presses something into my hand. He steps back to where his seat is between Chase and Dean with Judith at the end.

Turning my hand over, I look back to him with a wide smile. He pats his jacket pocket to signal he has more. I lift my fisted hand to my mouth to fake a coughing fit and shove the peanut butter cup in. Slowly sinking my teeth through it, I hum as the flavors coat my tongue.

Our mother joins us in the front, and everyone but us sits down.

Molly leans back into me.

“You okay?” she whispers.

Lost for a moment in the bliss of the candy I smile. “I’m a ball of joy and excitement right now,” I whisper back.

“Really?” She turns hear head to look at me.

“No, not really! Stop asking, turn around, and leave me alone.” I swallow the deliciousness.

The flavor slowly fades, and my anxiety starts to build again. I want to catch his attention to get another one; I’m just afraid Grams will kick me again. So for now I have nowhere to look but at the back of Molly’s head or if I shift to the left I can see the back of my mother’s head.

My chest feels like an elephant is sitting on it. I try to pay attention to the ceremony, but I can’t stop fidgeting around. Thankfully this is just a vow renewal, and we were promised it wouldn’t be more than twenty minutes.

“Psst.”

Shifting my eyes in Simon’s direction, I see him secretly pass another one to Grams who slips it under my hand when I reach down.

I should have known they would come up with something to keep me calm.

Faking another cough I raise my hand to my mouth to slip the candy in to suck on it.

Oh, heavenly…

“Are you getting sick?” Molly leans back.

“Nope. Dry throat,” I reply.

Her head snaps around, her eyes looking me over. “Yeah, I bet. Maybe it’s from all the peanut butter you’re eating. You’re an addict.” She gives me hard stare before turning back around.

“It’s his fault. He’s supplying them.” I look at Simon whose attention is back on my parents.

“The addict and her enabler,” she whispers to me.

“Psst,” he says again.

My lips curling up I glance at him again. Lifting up his hand, he demonstrates how he’s about to throw it.

He releases it, and midair, Molly reaches out, casually snatching it up and with a quick coughing fit she shoves it in her mouth.

What the hell!

“This is so good,” she mumbles through her chocolate and peanut butter filled mouth as she twists her head to show her sinister smile. 

“You’re the worst sister in the world,” I mutter.

I should let Grams kick her.

“Worst? I am taking temptation away. I literally just downed your drug of choice for you,” she says trying not to laugh.

“That’s fine… He has more.” I square my shoulders off.

He has a whole damn pocket filled with them, and I intend to eat every last one.

Exactly twenty minutes later we take our uncles’ arms and proceed back down the aisle. I only know it’s exact because Simon was running a timer on his phone and kept showing me.

“If that boy doesn’t stop looking at your backside I’m going to toss his ass into the pool, I don’t care what kind of party this is.” My Uncle Sal smiles down at me.

He’s my favorite even if he did toss me into a pool.

“I’ll get his legs, you can get his arms.” I smile back. A widening smile grows under his short beard.

“That’s my girl.” He pats my hand with his free hand.

Once I clear the door, Morgan and Molly grab ahold of my arms, rushing me toward the bar on the side terrace.

What is the hurry?

I told my mother that all these bars were a little overkill but right now I am so happy to see it. Due to its location it won’t be the one everyone is trying to get to first.

“We need three Bailey’s on the rocks.” Molly’s voice is urgent.

A Madness? This can’t be good.

He nods his head and gets to work on her order.

“Actually, make it four,” I hear our mother say as she slips through the long curtains that are currently concealing us from everyone else.

“And you thought having one here was a bad idea.” She presses her lips together in a firm line.

“I’ll have what they are having.” Grams pulls up alongside of Morgan, who is currently scanning through the mass of guests that are following our dad toward the tent.

The bartender stops what he is doing and raises an eyebrow at us.

“Are we sure five is the final number?” He smiles looking around.

“Wait… make it eight.” Morgan holds her hand up to wave over Lexi, Jacob and Tyler as they quickly tiptoe their way down the cobblestone path. He smiles and lines up the glasses while getting back to work. 

“Girl, I was a total wreck the entire time you were up there,” Jacob starts, giving me a hug.

“Yes darling, are you okay?” my mother asks, her voice filled with concern as she takes her drink with a polite smile.

“I am fine, I had these two up there to keep me company.” I give my sisters a look.

It wasn’t really that bad.

“Yeah, that’s what it was.” Molly rolls her eyes.

“I have to say I am starving. The entire time we were up there I thought I could smell food,” my mother admits. 

“Food? Maybe because you didn’t eat today?” I shrug. Trying to change the subject I take my drink and thank the bartender. “What’s with all the Madnesses?”

“To my daughter’s wedding.” Grams lifts her glass up to us then drains the glass.

“Mother, it’s a vow renewal, and you’re supposed to wait for us to toast as well.” My mother shakes her head at Grams.

Grams knows exactly what she’s doing though.

“Oh, I forgot.” She holds her glass out to the bartender. “I’ll need another, please.” Grams sends him a sweet smile with a wink.

“The Madness is for you.” Morgan smiles at me.

That makes me nervous…

“This,” Molly holds a paper in front of me, “is your speech.” She tucks it into the bust of my dress.

Oh… the speech. Where is Simon with the cups? Great, now I even
sound
like an addict.

Moving her hand under my glass, she pushes it up to my lips. “And this,” Molly points to the drink, “is your courage. Now drink up.” She takes a mouthful of hers and coughs a little.

“Wait! To my daughter’s wedding,” Gram says again holding her glass out this time.

“It’s a vow renewal, Mother, and that is your last one.” our mother says again clinking glasses with everyone.

Grams tips it back drinking it a little slower this time.

“You’re trying to get me drunk?” I slam mine back, handing the glass to the bartender, who refills quickly and hands it back.

“You even drink those like your mother,” Grams muses.

“And her grandmother, it seems.” Tyler laughs.

“No, no. Not drunk. More of a… comfortable numb,” Morgan chimes in.

I contemplate it for a brief moment. “That’s actually not a bad idea.” I down another mouthful.

“Well, writing the speech was my idea,” Molly brags.

“The alcohol was mine.” Morgan tips her glass to me.

I figured…

“Just don’t get wasted.” Our mother points at me. “And you two,” she turns her finger to my sisters, “you’re responsible for her.” She takes another drink.

“What is the purpose of Simon then?” Morgan looks at her.

Finishing my drink I hand it back to the bartender, he refills it then hands it back to me.

He’s a great bartender…

Where is Simon? I need my fix.

My candy fix.

I look around unable to spot him.

“Oh, that’s what we need… a drunk Sidney and a horny Simon.” Grams drains her glass. Everyone stands silent looking at her. “Well, it’s a wedding isn’t it? If she drinks enough the power of the wedding will get to her… you’re making her a sure thing.” She points at me.

“Mother…” my mother cuts in.

“Grams, I think I can control myself.” I smile at her drinking more of my Madness.