Page 31 (1/2)

r />A swarm of butterflies flurry insideso crazy, wonderful, and terrifying all at once “’Bye, Josh”

“Goodbye, beautiful”

“There’s my baby sister!” Colson holds his ar me from side to side The e up, the best we could hope for from our parents was a nod of approval and, if ere lucky, words of praise With that as our model, Cole and I have shaken hands a total of four tis, this is a first

Cole pulls back, just as the hug goes from aard to uncomfortable, and I smell vodka on his breath It’s not a subtle hint either He reeks of it, like the plane was filled with it and he went swi “Are you drunk?”

“Is there any other way to be on a guy’s weekend?” Ashley, roup of Cole’s friends; guys I recognize but don’t know by name

I school ain behind a pleasant s was the best decision I've ever s were mutual

Ashley , but for soo He never lovedI was supposed to be his and I think the thought ofwith someone else irks him

But I couldn’t do it Not after I caught Sharon Deese, a waitress at the country club, on her knees in the girl’s bathroo ht there, but he was in my bathroom The one space that’s supposed to be a sanctuary in life and he had invaded it

I ran out with tears brewing in my eyes and slaed her to call off the e

Her reaction?

She popped a Prozac from the tiny bottle that lives in every purse she owns, and chased it with her vodka tonic, saying, “We marry for power, not for love, chickpea Ashley will have his indiscretions and so will you Dry your eyes and come back to the table with a smile”

That was the day I decided to forge my own future I would not be a pawn into

“You would encourage this unbeco behavior” I roll my eyes at Ashley and smooth the invisible wrinkles on age clainore my ex “What’s the plan for this weekend?”

“Boobs and booze” Ashley s h fives him

I scrunch my nose and shake my head I could care less what Ashley does or hom, but I’d rather claw my eyes out with a spork than spend the weekend at a strip club, watching girls fawn over my brother “That sounds…”