Once Upon A Half-Time 2(35)
“I’m not on anyone’s side!”
Bryce’s connection crackled. “Angelkiss, where are you—”
Lindsey ignored him. “You are too on a side. You’ve always believed Dad over Mom.”
“What’s there to believe? They hate each other!”
“For good reason.”
“No. There’s no reason. I don’t know why we’re supposed to be happy they separated.”
Tears welled in my eyes. Great. Now I was crying over my parents’ divorce like I was a ten year old latchkey kid caught in a custody battle.
Lindsey groaned. “Oh, Mandy, grow up. Dad’s worthless and Mom kicked him out. Just be glad the holidays will be less insane.” She flicked her phone. “Bryce, we’re on the highway somewhere. Drive until you find us.”
He preemptively apologized. “But, tootsie, I’m not at home…”
“What?”
“I told you. You were going to the cabin, so I went with Rick to—”
“That lecture? In Ironfield?”
“He wanted company, and since he’s still hung up on Jada—”
“You’re leaving me stranded?”
“Call AAA.”
“I have a better idea. What if I just get eaten by bears?”
“There aren’t any bears near the cabin—”
I sighed. “Don’t bother, Bryce. Lindsey thinks we’re gonna get Texas Chainsawed up here because every serial killer in a hundred-mile radius wants to ruin the wedding.”
Lindsey sneered. “You are such a little brat.”
Bryce cleared his throat. “Look, I’ll call Nate.”
My stomach dropped.
Lindsey sighed. “Fine.”
“No!” I didn’t mean to shout. “We’ll be fine. Don’t call Nate.”
“I am not going to sit here alone for some skeevy tow-truck driver,” Lindsey said. “It’s dangerous. We’re too pretty to get trafficked, and I am not above trading one of you—” She pointed to the blitzed bridesmaids. “—So I can escape and get married.”
“Really, we’ll be fine without Nate.”
My sister took the phone off speaker. “We’re like twenty minutes from the exit. Tell him to hurry.”
She ended the call. I said nothing.
“What?” Lindsey crossed her arms. “What? Just say it.”
“We could have handled it ourselves.”
She glanced at the bridesmaids. I didn’t trust her smile. “I know what this is.”
My stomach twisted. Could I get sick without her noticing? “What what is?”
“Nate.”
“There’s nothing about Nate.”
“Of course there is. I’m not blind, Mandy.”
I swallowed, but nothing made it past the rock in my throat. Instantly my body broke out in a cold sweat, and the morning sickness surged in the middle of the night.
“Lindsey, it’s not what you think it is.”
“I’ve known for a long time.”
“You have?”
“Everyone knows. And, quite frankly, we’re too nice to say anything. But not now. I think it’s completely inappropriate.”
I hadn’t had a single drink, but I felt like I got smacked by the empty whiskey bottle. I stared ahead at the dark highway, struggling with a breath that hurt to take.
“You hate Nate,” she said.
My eyes widened. Lindsey crossed her arms, smug.
“I hate him?”
“Of course you do. You always have. You’ve been nothing but a bitch to him these past few months, even when he’s trying to be nice. You’ve resented that he’s so involved in the wedding, and it’s selfish.”
Well, that was a freebie. “You’re right. That’s it. I hate Nate.”
“I can’t believe you’d just agree like that.”
“What can I say? I hate the both player and his game.”
“Do you want this wedding to fail?”
I gritted my teeth. “I have done nothing but support you.”
“You don’t support me. You never have.” She shook her head. “If it wouldn’t destroy Mom, I’d kick you out of the wedding.”
“Because of Nate?”
“Yes!”
I laughed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Fine. You’re out of the wedding!”
The SUV silenced. I should have argued. I should have told my sister she was stressed, tired, and drunk, and that she didn’t mean it.
But after spending three hundred dollars of my own money on her bachelorette party, I was done. I didn’t have the alcohol to blame on my rage, but I had a baby twisting my hormones. I was pretty sure the kid was on my side in this.