Before & After - Nazarea Andrews Page 0,45
and nod at him. He grins and shoves open the door, giving the housekeeper a quick kiss on the cheek before he yells, “Ma! Dad! We’re here.”
I swallow my laugh and follow him more slowly, hugging Maria before venturing deeper into the house.
It looks exactly like I remember. A house that could fit so easily in a magazine, the décor and pictures chosen to reflect who we are as a family rather than what we love. My nose wrinkles in annoyance, but there is no denying that the familiarity, so fucking rare these days, is comforting.
Brody is in the formal dining room, talking to my mother and Cassidy while Mom fiddles with a centerpiece of brilliant red roses. Her expression, when she finally looks at me, is confusing. There’s a flash of guilt and concern, and then it smoothes back into the bland polite smile she perfected years ago.
“Peyton. You look”—her gaze skims over my tight red sundress. It’s vintage, with wide, white straps and an oversized white bow. It’s almost demure. It would be, if I had buttoned all the buttons up the sweetheart neckline. Her lip tighten—“interesting.”
I smile, too sweet, “You look like you just stepped off the campaign trail. So I guess we’re both the same as we were yesterday.”
“Maybe don’t start fighting before we sit down to dinner, Peyton?” Cassidy says sharply. I ignore her. I’ve been doing that since before high school so it’s not terribly difficult to continue the trend now.
“Where is Dad?” I ask as Maria begins carrying in our dinner. I shift, look at Mom.
“He’ll be here soon,” she says stiffly. With that familiar cold displeasure.
She might be a good little campaigner, and do everything he needs in public, but Mom hasn’t ever appreciated the time commitments and how often she was left behind for it.
He lied to her too, when he decided to run for office. He promised that we would stay close, that nothing in our family would change. I think that’s why I hate him so much. I never told Rike that. But once upon a time, before politics and that fucking elusive Senate seat, Dad was a good dad. Attentive. Mom was cool, but she wasn’t cold.
That changed. Almost overnight.
I shove the thought aside, and follow Maria into the kitchen where I grab a plate of garlic chicken. She gives me a small smile.
“Really, Peyton, that’s her job.”
“And I’m helping. You understand getting help on a job, right, Cass?”
She flushes, and slams her glass down.
“Ah, here it is. The tension has arrived. Good times,” Brody deadpans. “Where are Sean and Lily?” There’s a moment of quiet, and then Brody groans. “Really? She’s gone already? But this one was only six months!”
“Maybe don’t bring it up. I know you’re still catching up but he wasn’t expecting it.”
My older brother is a serial cheater. How he can’t expect the women he dates to leave him, I’ll never understand. The bickering continues as we sit down and Mom waits patiently for Maria to serve her before we all make our plates. She glances at me, a potato speared on her fork.
“Peyton, have you gotten a dress for the gala next week? I have a few that would look lovely on you.”
My stomach lurches and I drop my fork, reaching for my wine instead. “What gala?”
“The one next week. The hospital is having it and your father is the keynote speaker. He expects you to attend.”
I don’t believe this. Except, I do. It’s a classic move for my father. I sit back with my wine and my mother’s brow furrows. “Eat, Peyton.”
“Not hungry,” I snap.
Cassidy smiles, a sharp brittle thing, “That’s normal, though, right?”
The dig at my eating disorder stings.
“Shut the fuck up, Cass,” Brody snaps, and I jerk to my feet.
Big hands close over my hips, pulling me back into a broad chest and the scent of soap and smoke. His beard brushes over my bare shoulder as he kisses my cheek, and then he glances up. At my family.
“Mrs. Collins,” he says coldly.
Mom is eyeing Rike like he’s a vagrant who wandered into her pristine house, and I have to swallow my giggle.
“I told you that Peyton is my responsibility. Mine to keep safe and keep healthy. That means I keep her the fuck away from you because you’re fucking toxic.” I gasp, twisting to stare at him. He’s watching my mother, loathing in his eyes. “She’s not yours anymore, not to manipulate. Stay the fuck away from her.”
Mom stands,