Thankfully, mom and Brian aren’t getting married on the beach. It’s an outdoor ceremony in the Piton Mountains, and though I know the ocean isn’t far away, I can’t see it. It’s gorgeous here, but this location is my personal version of hell. But when my mom asked if I’d be okay, how could I sayNo, Ma, I’ll literally be on the edge of losing my mind.I couldn’t, so here we are.
We, as in me, my mom, and Brian. And Ted, the concierge from the resort.
Lucy’s not here yet.
Her interview ran late, apparently, which meant she had to take a later flight, and my mom already booked her freaking wedding for Saturday just to accommodate Lucy’s schedule, but I’m the only one who thinks this is a big deal.
In Brian’s eyes, Lucy can do no wrong. I got that much from our dinner last night, considering the guy practically read her resume to me.
And my mom is happier than I’ve ever seen her. That makes all of this bearable. Right now, instead of saying “I do”, they’re setting up for pictures. And don’t think I’m going to bring up the whole bad luck thing. I’m not an asshole.
“Dad!” I hear Lucy before I see her. The tip-tap of her heels on the marble staircase gets louder and she arrives at the landing, both breathless and beautiful. Her thick, gorgeous dark hair is swept to the side and up in some fancy barrette. Her lips are full and pouty, her eyes bright. And all that gorgeous skin looks kissable in a pink sundress.
Stepsister does not look like she just spent four hours on a plane.
Lucy flails her arms in exasperation. “Dad, what are you doing?”
Brian laughs as he walks over to hug her. “I’m getting married, honey. What does it look like?”
“It looks like you’ve seen the bride before the wedding!”
“It’s fine, honey. We were just getting some photos. Come say hi to Kristy. And I think you know her son, Caleb?”
Lucy looks in my direction and my heart stutters. We haven’t spoken since the night my mom broke the news of her engagement. There was no reason to. There was nothing to say.
I stand next to my mom and smile a benign greeting. To my credit, I don’t say, “You look fucking hot,” or “Where the fuck have you been?” or “Why are you mentioning bad luck at a wedding? How the hell is that helpful?” Nope. I just smile and say hi. Soon, Ted whisks our parents away to sign some documents, and Lucy and I are left alone on the precipice of a mountain in paradise.
I’m not a literary genius like Ty, but I’m pretty sure there’s symbolism in there somewhere. Or maybe irony.
“What the hell, Whit? Why didn’t you stop them?”
It fucking chafes that she’s calling me Whit. But it’s just the reminder I need that we don’t mean anything to each other. Not anymore. We’re about to be stepsiblings. That’s it. “The hell are you talking about, Luce? You wanted me to stop the wedding? Do your own dirty work.”
She rolls her eyes like I’m an obstinate child. “Imeantwhy did you let them see each other before the wedding?! Everyone knows that’s bad luck!”
Taking her hand in mine, I lead her over to a couple of chairs set up in a corner of the courtyard. I shouldn’t be touching her, but I need to get us out of earshot of our parents. “Chill,” I say, releasing her hand and feeling the loss somewhere slightly left of the center of my chest. “First off, Lucy Kathleen, you were the one who was an hour late to this thing.”
“That’s not my fault. I—”
“Besides,” I roll right past her attempted explanation. “That whole bad luck thing is total bullshit, not to mention sexist as fuck. You know why brides and grooms can’t see each other before they say their vows? Because back in the day, people feared that if the groom saw his betrothed and didn’t like her face, he’d bail. Same reason women wear veils.” I make a tsk-tsk sound. “I never pegged you for a member of the Patriarchy, Lucy Grace.”
She huffs. “That’s not my name,” she reminds me, which only encourages me more.
“Yea, I agree. Lucy Grace is too prim. You’re a little saucy under all that propriety, if I’m remembering correctly.” Her skin heats at my words, and God, I love fucking with her. And I know that’s messed up, but I don’t care. When we’re bitching at each other, it’s easier to forget how much I want her. “Lucy Esmerelda? Nah. That just sounds made up.” I pretend to think as she balls her fists at her side and peers up at me.
“That’s because it is made up!”
Just as I’m about to spout off a few more dazzling name combos, Ted calls us over.
The ceremony is brief, but meaningful. My mom tears up, and even the ever staid Dr. Alvarez tears up a little. The kiss lasts longer than necessary, but nobody asked my opinion. Lucy and I sign off as witnesses, and then my mom and Brian head off to a private dinner. I turn toward my new stepsister, figuring we have plenty of time to hit the buffet after we change clothes. I look damn good in a suit, but that doesn’t mean I want to wear one all day.
“Luce, you wanna—” I stop my sentence, realizing she’s halfway down the steps. I take three long strides and nearly catch up to her.
“Damn, Luce. Is there a fire no one told me about? Where the hell are you running off to?”
“I’m going to my room. Finals aren’t too far off, and I have some reading to catch up on.”
“Are you joking? We’re in paradise, and you’re going to catch up on your reading?”
