Chapter Twelve
Andrew
I knew that voice anywhere. Andie had finally arrived, and not a moment too soon. One more touch from Olivia and I was certain I’d end up saying something I’d regret. Had it not been for McKenzie toying with me in her seductive little games, I might’ve already lost control. It was bad enough to find Jared flirting with McKenzie—I swallowed down my jealousy and allowed her to handle the situation—but there was only so much I could take from Olivia trying to pretend we were something more than we were.
“Sorry, I’m so late. I’m sure I haven’t missed anything, though. The real party doesn’t start until after all the stuffed shirts are gone, anyway.”
“You only missed the wedding rehearsal, you goof,” Gavin scolded our sister.
Andie shrugged one shoulder, her head bobbing from side to side. “So like I said, I didn’t miss anything.”
She cut her eyes to me, her perfectly sculpted brows pulled together. “Damn, Nova. What the hell did you do to your hair?”
McKenzie muffled a laugh behind her hand, her eyes fluttering. “What’s so funny?” I demanded.
“Nothing. Nothing,” McKenzie snickered, shaking her head.
Andie’s calculating gaze darted between McKenzie and me. The expression she wore meant only one thing―trouble. “Well, aren’t you two just the cutest things. All matchy-matchy in purple,” Andie cooed.
I covered my mouth with my hand, tugging at my bottom lip. It hadn’t even dawned on me that McKenzie and I were color coordinated. All I’d noticed when I saw her at the bottom of the stairs was how sexy she looked, and how I wished I could find some way to get her alone and out of said dress.
With a roll of my eyes, I waved Andie toward the vacant seat between Jared and Gavin. “Go sit down, Little Sis,” I sneered.
Andie propped a defiant hand on her hip, ready to make a smartass remark until Jared commented, “You drove in from New York City, right?”
Andie dropped her hand and turned to Jared. She swallowed hard and her twisted smirk morphed into one I’d seen before. I glanced over at Jared, who appeared mystified.
He’s so screwed. A little chuckle bubbled in my chest at the thought.
“That’s right,” Andie replied, sashaying to the empty seat. She floated down, breaking her gaze from Jared long enough to grace Gavin with a quick hug. “Good to see you, Gav,” she greeted. She reached over and patted Morgan’s hand. “You look stunning.”
Jared sat there, unmoved, and from what I could tell, barely breathing. His eyes never left Andie. I leaned into McKenzie, prepared to tell her to snap Jared out of it, when I recalled her little snicker about my hair. Placing my hand on her knee, I whispered in her ear, “What’s so funny about my hair?”
Pink tinged her cheeks. She turned her body to where her legs touched mine, leaning back into me. Her lips mere inches from my jaw, she replied so only I could hear her, “I prefer your hair longer.”
“Why’s that?”
“It gives me something to tug on when you’re going down on me.”
I swallowed hard, slipping my finger under my collar.
“You’re all flushed, Nova,” Andie observed.
“It’s a little hot in here,” I responded, fanning my face with my hand.
“Why do you call him Nova?” McKenzie chimed, a hint of pride in her tone for winning this round of our little seductive game.
“I wish she wouldn’t,” I grumbled.
“But if I stopped, I’d miss out on all the fun of watching you squirm.” Andie bit her bottom lip, her eyes flashing back to Jared, then to McKenzie. “Since apparently my brothers were raised in a barn, I’ll have to introduce myself. I’m Andrea Wise, the better half of the Wise twins.”
Reaching for my glass of water on the table, I mumbled against the rim, “Debatable.”
Andie ignored my comment. She snapped her fingers and pointed to McKenzie. “Let me guess. You’re McKenzie Evans.”
McKenzie looked to me then back to Andie. “You guess right.”
“You’re much prettier than I imagined. Nova’s never been very good with descriptions.” Andie leaned forward, propping her chin in her hand. “That must make you da baby mama.”
“I beg your pardon?” Olivia gasped in offense.
“You claim my brother knocked you up, right?”
Jared snickered, drawing Andie’s attention back to him. “You find that funny?”
Jared smirked, his head cocked, dropping the napkin he’d been twisting between his fingers. He leaned forward, his sight on Olivia. “I absolutely find it funny, because any man who’d screw the Ice Queen over there, would come back with a missing appendage. And from what I can tell of Drew, he’s fully intact.”
“Are you insinuating…?” Olivia sneered.
“How would you know?” Andie overshot Olivia’s whines.
Jared tilted his head, matching Andie’s posture. “A little birdy told me.”
“Oh my God, you two,” I nearly choked. “The conversation of my crotch is off the table. Yes, I’m fully intact, before anyone asks. Geez!”
“No one really cares,” Andie snarked back. She held out her hand to Jared. “You must be the infamous Jared Christopher. You reputation precedes you, but they didn’t tell me how hot you are.”
His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, Jared opened his mouth but nothing came out.
“Cat got your tongue? Because I can think of better things that can be done with that tongue.” Andie flirted.
“I…ah…well…um…” I leaned forward, enjoying this new side of Jared. He was always quick witted, a trait I admired about him, and in a few short minutes, my sister had managed to make him tongue-tied. An accomplishment I was a little jealous of, I must admit.
Bright red heat flushed his face and neck. Jared tilted his head, looking from Gavin to me in search of guidance. We both waved him off. There was no way in hell either of us would get involved with this one. It was too much fun to watch him make a fool of himself.
Morgan leaned across Gavin, pushing a glass toward Jared. “Poor Natasha,” she chuckled. “She has no chance now, does she?”
“What?” Jared squeaked, taking a deep drink from the cup.
“Are you already spoken for? Damn, I did miss something after all. I guess I’ll have to find another guy for some slutty wedding sex,” Andie pouted.
“Andrea!” I shouted.
“Don’t be such a prude. We’re all adults here. Besides, we all know you’ve fucked around. So, you have no room to talk,” she bolstered.
McKenzie tensed beside me, her nails digging into my thigh. I, on the other hand, sat there dumbfounded.
“Speechless, are we?” Jared smarted off.
I rubbed my hand over the back of my neck, then adjusted my tie for the second time of the evening. Gavin burst into laughter. “You should see your face,” he bellowed.
Andie gave me a quick wink, then leaned into Jared and whispered something into his ear. And still I sat there, stunned. Air rushed around me, buzzing in my ears. There was no quick rebuttal; nothing I could say. My mind was blank.
“I hope you weren’t referring to me,” Olivia pressed.
“It was a joke,” Andie clarified. “You really need to lighten up over there, Preggers.”
Before he even said a word, I knew my father was behind me. Gavin and Andie straightened up. Morgan stopped smiling, grabbing Gavin by the hand. Olivia perked up, grinning ear to ear. Her reaction made me wonder if she didn’t have some sort of crush on my father. That very thought made me nauseated, so I pushed it aside.
“Everyone having a good time?” came father’s voice. His hand landed on my shoulder and I felt a cold chill slither down my spine. McKenzie released my knee but I grabbed her hand before she could move. With Father hovering over me, there was no way I was allowing any distance between us if I could prevent it. I needed her. “I’d say Olivia did an amazing job setting everything up. Wouldn’t you agree,
Andrew?”
I was well aware of who set everything up for the evening, and it wasn’t Olivia. She’d piled as much work on McKenzie as she could as punishment for her lack of visibility the day before.
“Thank you, Jonathan. I only want the best for Morgan and Gavin,” Olivia cooed, her eyelashes fluttering as she reached over to pat Morgan on the arm. “This has truly been an honor for me. You’ve made me feel like such a part of the family.”
My father tightened his grip on my shoulder. He could play the dutiful father role well, but I knew it bothered him not to know for certain if the child Olivia carried was indeed mine. “You will be soon enough. You’re carrying my grandson, after all.”
I looked up over my shoulder to find my father as smug as ever. He glared down at McKenzie with that same look he used to give Rebecca, as though she were vermin and needed to be squashed. Shrugging out from under my father’s grip, I planted my fist on the table, ready to let that man have a piece of my mind. Enough was enough. I’d made a promise to love McKenzie as she deserved, and dammit, I was going to keep it.
“Just because…” I started.
“Wait, we know the baby’s sex already?” Andie interrupted me. I cut her a glance and realized she was trying to rescue me from myself.
“Not yet. It’s Jonathan’s wishful thinking,” my mother stated, appearing behind my sister with Natasha by her side. “Andie, darling, you made it.”
Andie stood up, wrapping her arms around my mother’s neck. My mother kissed her on both cheeks, beaming at the sight of her only daughter. No matter how proud Mother was of us boys, she doted on her daughter, the dancer. Deep down, I think my mother always harbored a little jealousy because Andie was free from this life. I know I did. Gavin and I would never be free as long as our father had any say about it.
Natasha hovered beside my mother, staring at the chair Andie’d vacated. She glanced between the chair and Jared, pursing her lips and narrowing her eyes. Throwing her light brown hair back over her shoulder, she shrugged, sort of nonchalant, and moved to squat beside Morgan, resting her hands on the table. They giggled and whispered to each other about something, as only women do, but it appeared all thoughts of Jared were forgotten.
“I have an ultrasound scheduled for next week with Morgan’s replacement.” Olivia brought the attention back to her and the baby. “We should find out the baby’s sex then.”
“I told you we could’ve done it last week,” Morgan chastised.
I turned my head to Olivia, confused. Olivia waved me off as if this information were nothing. “I wanted Drew to be there and he was away last week. Besides, it’s no big deal. As long as the baby’s healthy, I’ll be happy, boy or girl.”
Waiters began to mingle through the crowd, carrying trays of champagne. My mother waved them over to us. She placed her empty glass on the tray and took a full one. She appeared sober enough, but the night was still young. “Let’s make a toast,” she announced, directing the waiters to serve the rest of us.
Andie slipped back into the seat next to Jared, taking two glasses and handing one to him. Natasha stood up straight, resting her hand on the back of Morgan’s chair, holding her glass in the other. When the waiter approached me, I motioned him to move on. I had my water glass, which was all I needed. Of course, my father thought I was being rude by not taking a drink. I rested mine and McKenzie’s hands on her knee, thankful for her calming touch.
The young waiter turned to Olivia, holding the tray down for her. “I would, but I can’t.” She rubbed her stomach for everyone to see.
My mother raised her glass, a bright, happy smile on her face. The orchestra stopped playing and the crowd around us went silent. The pianist tickled the ivories in order to get everyone’s attention. All eyes turned to Kathleen Wise. She really was a beauty. Her smile reminded me of how she looked when I was younger. A twinge of sadness darkened my heart to think my mother hadn’t known true happiness in such a long time. It made me that much more bitter toward my father because it was his job to take care of her.
“To Gavin and Morgan. May their lives together be filled with much joy and happiness,” she crooned.
Everyone cheered around us. The sound of glass clinked together filled the room. I lifted my glass, turning to meet McKenzie’s, when my father pushed his glass between our faces, making contact with mine. “And to Andrew and Olivia,” he orated, “for the promise of a bright future together in continuing the Wise legacy.”
All of the smiles and laughter at our table diminished save Olivia’s, who beamed up at my father, eyes full of admiration. My stomach churned and my body began to shake. Anger filled me to a boiling rage. McKenzie put down her glass, stunned and hurt. Her hand slipped out from under mine and she moved her legs where I was no longer touching her. The room around us broke out into cheers, yet no one at the table moved until my mother yelled out, “Cheers!”
So many things filled my mind as to what I wanted and needed to say to my father, but I was more concerned with how closed off McKenzie suddenly felt to me. She’d leaned forward, wrapping her hands around her glass, and stared into the bubbling crystal liquid.
“That was a lovely gesture,” Olivia marveled.
My father tipped his glass back, smug and pretentious, and swigged his champagne.
“Thank you, Kat, for your kind words,” Morgan added.
“Yes, thank you, Mother,” Gavin muttered, glaring at my father.
McKenzie jumped up from her seat, almost knocking it backwards. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
“Mickie?” I reached out for her, but she jerked out of my way.
“Excuse me,” she repeated.
My heart sank in my chest. Once again my past was out to hurt her. Every promise I’d made was an empty, hollow lie as long as she kept getting hurt. She dashed off without so much as a glance over her shoulder.
“What an odd woman,” my father said, moving into McKenzie’s vacated chair.
I turned on my father. “Beg your pardon?”
Olivia leaned in closer to me, resting her hand on my arm. “Oh, ignore her. She’s shy in large crowds. She’s a real sweetheart, I promise.”
“The jury’s still out on that one from what I’ve witnessed this week.” He swirled the liquid in his glass. “What is it that she does again?”
Olivia answered, “She’s between jobs,” at the same time I announced, “She’s a speech therapist.”
“That’s rich. An unemployed teacher who shies away from strangers,” Father laughed.
“She’s not shy by any means,” I seethed. “She is, however, sensitive to people who look down their noses at her.”
The table suddenly became quiet. Everyone turned their attention to my father and me. “Sensitivity gets you nowhere in life, Andrew. A person has to be strong to survive in this world.”
“Strength can only get you so far. After that, it takes the help of others to get you where you need to be. McKenzie realizes that. She dedicates her life to being that next step for others to pursue the goals of their lives. She works hard to give children and their families a fighting chance in this world.”
“And why would she do that?” Father insisted. “To redeem herself for a past indiscretion?”
Not that it surprised me any, but Olivia sat there, staring down at her fingernails, not uttering a single word. Some friend she was supposed to be.
“Is kindness such a foreign idea to you that you must believe anyone who shows even the slightest act of kindness is attempting to redeem themselves for something?” I demanded. I pointed to where McKenzie disappeared. “She has a big heart and would do anything for those she loves. That implies strength to me.”
My father laughed. “Now where have I heard those words before?” He tapped his chin. “Ah, yes. About eight years ago.”
“Jonathan, stop,” my mother intervened.
“If your son wasn’t so blinded by his new friend, he’d see that what he’s doing is childish
and reprehensible.”
I rubbed my hand over my head, suddenly missing my hair.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Jared announced as he stood up from his seat. His jaw clenched tight and his fists balled. I knew he’d heard every word my father had said. He leaned in and whispered something to Andie, who nodded her head in response. A moment later, Jared marched off in the same direction McKenzie disappeared.
“And another one gone,” Father muttered, downing the last of his drink and motioning to the waiter to bring him another.
“You certainly know how to clear a room,” I chuckled, standing up.
My father grabbed me by the arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
I shook him off of me. “Just consider me yet another one gone,” I retorted and walked out in search of McKenzie, pretty sure that was where I’d find Jared, too.
Chapter Thirteen
McKenzie
Almost the instant Jonathan appeared, the room felt as if all the air had been syphoned from it. His hollow blue eyes bore into me, searching for my weaknesses. Not so lucky for me, he found one. His announcement regarding Drew and Olivia stabbed me right to the core. The longer I sat there, the more I could feel him, taunting me with what could never be. Brokenhearted, I excused myself from the table with the realization that I wasn’t the only one who had someone to lose if Drew and I were to be together.
Fighting the swell of tears in my eyes, I shifted through the crowd, stopping for no one. I sneaked through the kitchen, grabbing a California roll from a nearby tray as I headed toward the back exit. Unnoticed, I slipped out the door, closing it behind me. Instant silence engulfed me. Gone were the symphony of voices from the guests and the soft melody of the orchestra. They were nothing more than a hum of white noise against the empty night. I popped the sushi roll in my mouth and meandered down to the pool deck. Aqua lights reflected from inside the water. Bright white lights, that surrounded the house and yard, danced across the surface.
The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) Page 11
