Once Upon A Half-Time 2(34)
But I didn’t fight her. We had two days planned at the cabin, and the bridesmaids couldn’t remember why they were drinking. I had to drive, and I had to get us there in one piece.
“I’m sorry, Lindsey.”
“That’s all I wanted!” My sister wrapped me in a tight hug. “You do care about me.”
“Of course I do.”
“And you know how much I love you!”
Oh man.
I knew I was wrong to doubt her. Stress and the spotlight just went to her head.
“I love you too, Linds.”
“And this will work out for the best.” She brushed away tears. “With your new haircut, I’ll definitely be the prettiest at the altar.”
Son of a—
I grunted. “Get in the damn car.”
Lindsey obeyed, squeezing in the back with her friends Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, also known as her college roommates Carmen and Amy. They rooted through the first-aid kit and applied whatever medication they could find to Lindsey’s scrape.
That was how we lost our only tube of calamine lotion. Nothing bad could possibly come from that.
I had about two hours until I got them to the cabin, tossed them in beds, and had a few minutes of sober quiet.
Of course it didn’t work that way.
I pulled off the highway an hour later as Dad’s check engine light flicked on.
Lindsey mumbled from the back seat. “Why are you slowing down? What’s wrong?”
I knew as much about cars as I did pregnancy—and I learned too late what would happen if I let Nate’s dipstick check my lubrication.
“Um…” The car clunked. That probably wasn’t good. “I think it’s breaking down.”
Lindsey’s supersonic scream awakened the passed out bridesmaids. I doubted her shrieking would push the SUV the remaining twenty miles to the cabin.
“What do you mean we’re breaking down? We’re in the middle of nowhere! There could be bears outside!”
“Bears?”
“Or murderers!”
I eased off the highway. “Maybe they’ll kill the bears.”
“Haha. You’re always so funny. Well I’ll be the one laughing when you’re skinned alive first!”
“Jesus, Lindsey. You’re a friendly drunk, but you’re a monster with a hangover.”
“Don’t start, Rapunzel. This is your fault.”
“How can you be mad at me?”
“I’m mad because every single time you have some responsibility for the wedding, we end up with indigo invitations or no flowers or broken down on the side of the road!” Lindsey kicked her bridesmaids to free herself from the mass of purses, luggage, and bottles. She crawled into the passenger seat and grimaced as her skirt hiked up to just under her bra. “Save the apologies for the cabin. I don’t want to hear them now.”
“Good, cause I wasn’t giving you any!”
“Don’t make me call Mom.”
“Go on. Call her.” I bluffed. “We’re in our twenties. Even she’ll tell you to grow up.”
“You grow up.”
Lindsey stole my water and chugged it. She made a face, grabbed for the car door, and barely opened it in time to throw up.
The splash against the asphalt twisted my stomach.
And I had done so well battling the morning sickness tonight. The baby didn’t like his or her aunt tossing her bouquet.
I opened my door and threw up too.
“Oh you little faker.” Lindsey ripped her cell from her pocket. “I can’t believe you’re so desperate for attention you’d fake vomiting.”
I reached for my water. Lindsey stole it and drank the rest.
“Who are you calling?” I asked.
“Bryce.” She pointed the phone at me. “I’m getting us out of here. Someone has to be responsible.”
“I’m not trying to start a fight—”
Lindsey thrust a finger in my face to silence me as Bryce answered the call. She put him on speaker-phone and called his name until he groggily awoke from a dead-sleep.
“Yeah, sugarplum?” He grumbled. “What time is—”
“I need help. Dad’s worthless SUV broke down. Of course he didn’t check to make sure it’d get us to the cabin. I can’t believe he’s so careless.”
I bristled. “He let us borrow it, Linds. And he loaned it to us with a full tank.”
“I don’t see Dad out here, pushing the car for us.” Lindsey grunted. “No wonder Mom left him.”
The irritation swelled inside me. Baby or no baby, I’d walk home if she was going to be that ugly.
“You have no right to talk about Dad like that,” I said.
“Oh, I forgot.” Lindsey rolled her eyes at her bridesmaids. “Mandy takes Dad’s side.”