Adjournment (The Fate Series) (34 page)

“Your. Sons,” Molly answers swimming over to climb out.

Pointing at Simon who is standing behind us laughing with the other two. “You’re lucky I didn’t have my shoes on,” I threaten him.

“Why? Would you throw them at me?” he mocks me. “Oh, no, you wouldn’t because you’re in control.” He follows his brothers out the gate.

“The next time my hands come close to his neck I am going to strangle him, Judith!” I lift my hands in a choking motion at her.

“Agreed,” Molly chimes in.

“Ladies, and I say that loosely… Don’t even think about walking through the house like that. Take the back steps,” our mother says.

“I fucking hate those guys,” Morgan mutters to us as we wring out our dresses.

Gathering the bottoms we hurry toward the house and up the stairs to get changed.

“I am going to dry my hair and then we are going to have that meeting about retaliation,” Molly says walking through the lounge to her room without stripping down on the deck.

Morgan and I follow her through since there are too many people around to change out there. Once we make it into the dark hall, I start to pull the soaking wet dress off when a light coming from under my door stops me. I slowly open it to see Lexi sitting in the middle of my bed with a glass and a bottle of something. 

“You know you shouldn’t drink alone,” I say, closing my door behind me.

“I’m not, I saw what happened to you,” she says, holding out the bottle.

Taking a sip, I walk into my bathroom to dry my hair.

“I need to tell you something,” she says with a hesitant laugh.

“Is it rude to say I don’t care at the moment?” I sigh and turn on the dryer.

It is… I just don’t care anymore though.

Standing in the doorway she yells over the noise of the dryer. “Normally, yes, I’ll let it slide tonight though and just tell you.”

Oh, how kind of her.

She turns, walks away and continues to yell to me from the other room where I can’t hear her now so I just uh huh the entire time. I finish drying my hair then walk back into the room so I can redo it quick. Still pretending like I’m listening, I agree with everything she says.

I’m really replaying what just happened as I try to think of some way to get back at him.

“You know what?” I ask, looking up at her in the mirror. “I think I’m going to kill him with kindness.” I nod. “Yes, that’s my course of action. I’m not going to retaliate… well, not tonight. I’ll wait until he isn’t expecting it.” I point at her. “Then, BAM! He won’t know what hit him.”

“Are you even listening to me?” she says sitting on the bed.

Not at all.

“Yes, I heard you… but the bigger question is; how am I going to get back at him? What would he not expect from me? Do you know he told me that I remind him of my mother? Me of all people! You know how hard I work to be nothing like her, and he has the audacity to tell me I remind him of her!” I shout while doing my makeup. “I mean what kind of a dick thing is that to say to someone you haven’t really seen in years.” I slam the makeup against the top of the vanity.

“Well, you are kind of like her,” she mumbles taking a drink from the bottle.

Widening my eyes, I turn around to face her.

“Look me in the eyes and say that again,” I dare her.

The light knocking at my door takes the attention off her, and I get up to answer since I know it’s my sisters.

“Hey so we kind of… sort of… knew this might happen. Well, not this but something like this so we brought back-up dresses.” Molly lifts the dresses up.

The only quality that this dress shares with the old one is the color because this dress is much different from the original. This dress screams Morgan and there is nothing sweet about it. Giving a hard swallow, I look over the backless satin haltered dress with its plunging neck and long jeweled chain that hangs from the nape of the neck where the dress comes together then travels all the way down the center to what looks like just about where my hips will be. A diamond crusted clasp sits at the top of a long slit and looks as though it’s the only thing holding the front and back together.

“You don’t expect me to wear that.” I step back, laughing but not in a humored way.

“Not just you, I made them for each of us. It is a wedding, and we do have to match.” Morgan hands me mine.

“Are we trying to give them heart attacks? I can’t wear this.” I give a nervous laugh. I’m in disbelief of this dress they are expecting me to showcase.

“If it comes to that, than yes and yes you can,” Molly says in an aggravated tone.

She tosses a roll of tape onto the bed before she and Morgan begin to change.

“I’m not comfortable with this plan.” I run my eyes over the gown.

“Do you have a better one?” Lexi smirks from the bed.

Shaking my head, I anxiously chew on my bottom lip.

I wish I could come up with a better one though.

“Relax, Mom has already given her approval.” Morgan tries to offer me some comfort.

I’ll refrain from telling her that isn’t what I was worried about.

“My shoes are in the bushes outside,” I point out.

Holding up a finger Molly pulls a new pair of shoes from a piece of her luggage. “We packed extra just in case they were ruined as well.” She hands them to me.

Holding the dress out in front of myself I look down at the attire and cautiously turn to go into the bathroom to slip mine on even though I’m still not completely sure of this plan.

That material is smooth and cool as it glides along my skin and thanks to the clinginess of the dress, underwear is not an option. Clasping the chain I let go and feel it fall into place down the center of my back and bend over to slide on the five inch strappy heels they brought and fasten them around my ankle. I stand up to give myself a onceover. 

Oh, I really can’t do this; not even the old me could do this.

It’s not the dress that makes me nervous, it’s Simon seeing me in the dress that’s bringing on anxiety, or more so my reaction to him seeing me in the dress, I should say. In the other gown I was confident and comfortable because I was covered, in this… I’m exposed and being thrown into the lion’s den unarmed. I open the door doing a slow turn as I step out. The look on Lexi’s face is priceless.

“Oh, yes, I want one.” She gets up to stalk around me. “I can’t wait to see the look on his stupid, arrogant face when he sees you. This is a revenge gown, it’s playful and sexy all wrapped up and sealed with a kiss of death.” She grins, looking me over.

Her description makes me laugh and stand a little taller as a sense of calm settles into me.

“How do I keep this from moving?” I pull at the sides of the dress that with the slightest movement will reveal anything and everything.

“That’s what the tape is for, darling.” Molly eagerly begins to stick tape on my skin while pressing the dress onto the other side of the tape to hold it into place.

“The dress won’t shift at the waist because it’s fitted for you. Unless you want it to that is.” Morgan wiggles her eyebrows giving a small giggle.

Rolling my eyes at her, she continues.

“Just be careful of the clasp. It’s the only thing that holds this to your waist,” she points out.

I feel like at the stroke of midnight the dress is going to come undone if I’m not careful.

“I didn’t think it was possible but Morgan you’ve made an even more frustrating dress. How am I supposed to dance, or do anything in this?” I look at her.

“I didn’t design it to be danced in.” She gives a loud deep laugh as she walks out of my room.

She sounds like an evil witch.

It’s around eleven by the time we make our way back but the guests are still partying strong outside. We decide to head straight for the tent, not wanting to waste any more time. As we walk past one of the hall mirrors I catch a glimpse of the three of us.

“This is absurd! I can’t go out there like this.” I stop short. 

“Just do this one thing for us and then you can go right back to being boring old you,” Molly pleads with me.

“I am not boring, and I am not Mom!” I straighten my shoulders out.

“I didn’t call you Mom. Although you do kind of remind me of her,” Molly muses. “You know what they say… All us Chandler women look alike.” She winks, twisting the knife a little more.

“He’s going to regret saying that,” I focus, walking away from to get outside.

“I think I went too far… I’m actually scared,” Molly whispers to Morgan. 

We step out of the great room onto the patio by the pool to make sure it’s safe to proceed to the tent and spot the group we are looking for. As though he’s suddenly aware of my presence he turns in my direction, then excuses himself. 

“How did they know the color of our gowns?” I whisper to them as I watch Simon walk through, his tie matching my dress now.

“Mother,” they both mumble at the same time.

“Let the games begin.” Molly gives a giddy squeal as she focuses on Dean.

Let the games begin, indeed.

Secret dances in the dark…

There’s a hint of a smile on Simon’s face which means he is up to no good. 

“Ladies,” Chase says taking Morgan’s hand to kiss it.

With a skeptical eye she allows the contact but pulls away as soon as he finishes to flick at his ear in response. He flinches, grabbing his ear as he straightens himself upright. “And here I was going to ask you to dance with me.”

Her eyes fill with fury as she stares at him.

Opening his arms, Dean holds them out like he is waiting for Molly to just fall into them. Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest, her face remaining solid and unreadable. Giving a slight laugh he steps just close enough for her to unfold her arms and smack him in the side of his head.

“What was that for?” he hisses, taking a step back.

“That was for you listening to him!” She points at Simon. “You halfwits ruined our gowns. We had a truce.” She turns back to Dean. “It’s off from here on out.”

He swallows taking a step back from her.

“Judging by the dress, Morgan had plans on breaking that truce anyway,” Chase chides.

“I always come prepared.” She gives an impassive shrug.

I watch as a familiar looking man strolls over to my sisters. My eyes stay fixed on him, the closer he gets the more familiar he looks until it hits me. Immediately they lunge at him, sandwiching him between them.

“You are late…” Morgan starts.

“Fashionably,” he kids. “Sorry, just some last minute business to attend to.” He gives Simon a hard stare.

“Pet, may I introduce you to Mr. Josh Anderson.” Simon’s hand on my back pushes me toward the man. 

Extending his hand out, I hesitantly shake it looking around at everyone like this is some sort of joke.

“S—Sidney… their sister.” I shake his hand.

“Sidney? As in The Sidney? I have heard so much about you over the years. It’s nice to put a face to the name.” With a smirk he bends over to kiss my hand.

He stands up still holding onto my hand with a grin that looks as if it’s permanently glued on his face.

“I could tell you were a Chandler, you all look alike.” He looks at Simon and then back to me.

Molly begins to laugh.

I hate that expression.

“We haven’t seen you since,” Morgan pauses.

“Since you lit him on fire,” I jump in.

They all look at me with a face that makes me feel as though I am making that night up.

“Actually, since last Fourth of July when you accidentally shot the bottle rockets into Mason’s truck!” Josh finishes her sentence.

The memory makes them all start laughing as he shakes hands with the triplets.

“Hey, that was Ellie’s fault!” Molly points at him.

“I will never forget the look on his face as he watched the interior catch on fire, and Ellie just stood there laughing!” Dean adds erupting into laughter.

Who are Ellie and Mason?

“Wait… I thought you had a restraining order against them?” I’m so confused.

“Who is Ellie?” Lexi interrupts.

“My sister,” Josh smiles at her.

“You have a sister?” I blurt out.