arguments, but I wouldn’t consider that a bad thing. We can state our opposing points and still respect each other in the end.
That’s refreshing.
“When’s the wedding?” Kelsey asks, knocking me out of my thoughts.
“In a month.”
Her mouth pops open. “A month? And they only just sent out the invitations?”
“Jessica is not very…prompt.”
Understatement. She’s the queen of lateness, while I was—and still am—sickeningly on time. I’d hoped I could balance her out and make her if not on time, at least a little earlier to our commitments, but it never happened. She flat out didn’t care.
About a lot of things, truthfully. Except herself.
“I hate it when people are late,” Kelsey says, reaching over to grab her iced tea and take a sip. My gaze falls to the front of her button-up black shirt. It fits her loosely, but strains across her breasts.
Yeah, I’m checking her out. She doesn’t even notice. I raise my gaze to her lips, how they’re pursed around that straw. My entire being is screaming ask her out on a real date!
But my logical brain is telling me, Don’t do that. You’ll ruin everything.
So I stay far away from that subject.
“Me too,” I tell her, grateful she’s always on time, like me. Sometimes she’s early. Also like me. We have a lot in common.
“Are there other events?” Kelsey asks.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“Wedding events. A lot of couples like to have showers together,” she says.
My frown deepens. “I’m sure lots of couples love showering together, but what does that have to do with their wedding?”
Kelsey bursts out laughing. “Theo, you’re freaking hilarious. Seriously, I’m talking about a bridal shower, but nowadays they have couple showers. You know, a party where everyone brings you a bunch of wedding gifts before the actual wedding, where guests are forced to bring more gifts.”
I feel like an idiot. I know what they are, I just—my mind was in the gutter. “Right. A shower. I have no idea if they’re going to have a couples shower.”
“You should look into it. What if they invite you? Talk about awkward.” She makes a face.
“Everything about this situation is awkward. You know this,” I remind her.
The server shows up with our food, and I’m grateful for the interruption. I don’t want to think about showers and gifts and what we need to bring or where I need to go. I don’t want to go to this stupid wedding either, but my entire family basically said I’d look like the world’s biggest pussy if I decide not to show.
Well, not my entire family. More like my brothers told me that.
I am the oldest of five. I have three younger brothers and a sister. Yes, my parents were busy in the early years of their marriage. Two of my brothers are fraternal twins and eternal pains in the ass. My sister hates all of us because we’re very overprotective of her.
Okay, she doesn’t hate us, that’s extreme. But all of us are so overbearing, we scare off any prospective boyfriends she might have. This is why she never brings dates around us. Guess I can’t blame her. As the oldest, I’m the responsible one. My other brothers love to give her endless shit. They do the same to me.
When your three brothers call you names and say that you can’t bow out of going to your ex’s wedding to your cousin, then you go. End of story.
“Let me guess,” Kelsey says after a few minutes of silent eating. “Your brothers told you that you have to go to this wedding.”
See? She knows me so well. “They’re assholes.”
“Clearly,” she practically snorts. “But I also get why they’re pushing you. Listen, Theo, I don’t mind going. In fact, I’m dying to see this Jessica person who hurt you so badly. I’m also dying to see this jerk she left you for.”
“Craig’s not that bad—” I start, but she silences me with a look.
“He’s horrible,” she declares.
He’s my cousin. I do tend to defend family members. Even when they do me wrong.
“But you need to come up with some sort of plan,” she tells me, waving her fork in my direction.
I set my burger down, hoping what she’s about to say doesn’t ruin my appetite. “What do you mean, a plan?”
“You need to rub it in their faces how fucking fantastic your life is now that she’s not in it.” The giant smile on her face tells me she’s excited by this idea. “We’re going to strut into that wedding