Page 11 of The Enemy

She had given me a once-over, and then her eyes widened in surprise at my choice of shoes. I couldn’t help but smirk at her. When it was time to start, the wedding planner reminded me to hold on to Neo. He stiffly held his arm out for me, and I hesitantly took it.

There weren’t any sparks flying or the tension going at an all-time high. That wasn’t Neo and me. We were just two people who disliked—maybe even hated—each other.

Walking down the aisle next to him was weird as we got ready to marry off our parents. All I could think about was that empty corridor and how, for a moment in time, he had made the pain go away. Some people shared hopes and dreams, but we shared our tragedies. Two dead parents led us to the altar.

The service was quick. I cheered and awed when appropriate, but mentally, I was elsewhere.

When the service was over, I had to do it with Neo at my side. This time, he was already stretching his arm out for me.

“Now you’ll be under me, little sister,” he taunted me as he walked me out.

“You’d be so lucky…asshole.” My murmur wasn’t as low as I thought because Neo missed a step.

Now,the night was almost done, and my feet were starting to kill me. I’d had one too many drinks because two palomas ago, I knew I was already pushing it. People got drunk at weddings all the time, right? I mean, how else was I supposed to survive all the festivities? Per my maid of honor duties, I had to do a welcome speech, and it was the most basic shit ever. Neo gave my father heartfelt words, but it was different in his case. My dad tried with him—hell, much to my dismay, he took Neo to work. Now that he was family, he would start to officially work at our conglomerate.

When Wes approached me, my mouth was wrapped around the straw, trying to binge-drink my tequila.

“You thirsty, Lou?”

I let go of the straw, waved my drink in his face, and smiled like a dork. “These were my mom’s favorite drink. Some moms do wine, but my mom had this after a hard day. I remember stealing sips here and there in my teens.”

His eyes softened, as did his smile.

“How come you aren’t dancing?”

I scrunched my nose.

“I don’t like people.”

He let out a hearty laugh.

“That includes me?

“You are people, and you are Step-enemy’s friend.”

“Step what?” he asked with a chuckle.

I waved him off. He didn’t get it the first time and a joke lost its effect if you had to explain it.

“Come on, let’s dance?” he gave me his hand, and because I was a bit tipsy, I took it.

Just as we got to the dance floor, the song changed to a slower one, and my feet thanked me, but the rest of me felt self-conscious.

“You’re a good dancer,” I complimented him.

“You’re not so bad yourself.”

“My grandparents made me take classes for all the classicals,” I admitted. “My mom taught me cumbia, salsa, merengue.”

I added the last part with a sad smile. It always came back to my mami, didn’t it? Every little thing reminded me of her.

“We should go out?—”

“Sorry, Wes, but I need a word withmysister.”

It must be the tipsy in me because his request sounded a touch possessive. I almost scoffed to myself. Before I could protest, Neo was already dragging me away.

“You’re walking too fast,” I snapped at him.

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