cheap substitute.
I blinked in surprise at the caller ID on my phone. Why the hell is Chelsea calling?
“When were you going to tell us you got injured?” she barked at me as soon as I picked up.
Nice to talk to you, too, Chelsea. Sometimes my sister could be just like my mother.
“Eventually.” Truthfully, it hadn’t occurred to me to make a special call to my family. I figured I would tell them the next time I talked to them, whenever that was.
On the other end of the line, Chelsea sighed. “I wished you would have texted at least. It was crappy finding out you were injured by watching your game and seeing you on the sideline.”
Huh. I’d had no idea she watched the games. “Sorry.”
“And thanks for the engagement card, by the way.”
“What engagement card?”
“Exactly.”
What the hell was wrong with her tonight? “Uh, congratulations, I guess.” Then I thought about it for a second and got pissed at her hypocrisy. “It’s not like you called to let me know the happy news. I found out from Stacey. I didn’t even know you were dating the guy. What’s his name?”
“Don’t be petty.”
“I’m not. I seriously can’t remember his name.” Does that make me even more of a prick?
“John.”
That’s right. John Henneman III, heir to the Henneman political dynasty.
“Well, I hope you and John will be happy.”
She ignored my glib comment. “Just to give you a heads-up, once Mom finds out you’re not playing, she’s going to want you to come to the engagement party.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that she’s using you like that?” Maybe it was a callous question, but I wasn’t feeling up to putting the energy into being tactful.
“That’s not what’s it’s about.” She paused. “Well, not completely. She’s happy for me.”
I snorted. “Of course she is. It’s a foot in the door with the Hennemans.”
“I suppose that’s a side benefit.” At least she admitted it.
“Why are you marrying him?”
“What do you mean?” She sounded genuinely confused.
“I don’t know. It just seems… convenient.”
“Are you insinuating that I’m marrying John to help Mom’s career?”
I could tell by her tone that she was irritated, but she had to know that was what people might think. Or maybe I’m the only one who thinks that. “Not only hers. Maybe your own too.”
“That’s low, Carson.” She actually sounded hurt, and for a moment, I felt like an asshole, but I shook it off. My suspicions weren’t all that outrageous.
“Like I said, I didn’t even know you were dating the guy until Stacey told me you were engaged.”
“It was pretty quick,” she admitted. “But we’ve been friends since the first week of law school. Over the summer, things changed. When you know, you know. To answer your question, I’m marrying him because I love him. We’re a lot alike. We have similar goals and ambitions.” The warmth in her voice when she talked about him told me she wasn’t lying.
“Then I’m happy for you, Chelsea. Really.” I tried to sound sincere.
“Usually people sound a little more upbeat when they say things like that.”
I ran a hand over my face. “Sorry. Things are a bit fucked up for me right now with football and… everything.” No way in hell was I telling her about what had happened between Becca and me.
“Why don’t you go home for a weekend? Get away from Bleaksburg for a few days. It might help.”
“You’ve got to be joking. Hanging out with Mom and Dad isn’t going to help my mood.”
“They’re not as bad as you make them out to be.”
“Easy for you to say.” Chelsea was the golden child, and I was the disappointment. Those roles had been assigned early on, and so far, we’d fulfilled them.
“You and Mom and Dad are just complete opposites. You don’t understand each other—that’s all. That doesn’t mean they aren’t proud of you.”
“Bullshit.”
“When is the last time you went to Dad’s office?”
“Years. I have no reason to go there.”
“Then you have no idea that he has a framed poster-sized picture of you in your VVU uniform in the foyer, right where everyone can see it. It’s the only personal thing he has in the whole damn office. It doesn’t fit with the decor at all, and Denise had a fit, but he insisted on putting it up.”
Denise was his Stacey—she kept track of all the little things so he could focus on his business empire. While I liked Stacey, Denise was kind of a bitch.
“Why would he do that?”
Chelsea let out an exasperated sigh.