Page 75 of Love to Hate You

“Thanks for having my back, sis. But eww.”

“Always.” Autumn placed her left hand to her chest, and that’s when Wes saw it. The knuckle-sized rock on her ring finger, twinkling so bright in the sunlight Wes had to blink when he looked at it.

“What the fuck?” Wes said.

“What?” Summer looked confused.

“Guess what happened?” Autumn said, wiggling her finger more dramatically, and Wes knew the moment Summer caught sight of the diamond Rose threw overboard at the end ofTitanic.Her breath caught, and her hand, which was still in his, went completely slack.

“Does Dad know?”

Autumn’s eyes narrowed. “Seriously? That’s your first question, is if he asked Dad?”

“I just thought you’d want the traditional route,” Summer said. “Then again, you said you never wanted to get married, so I guess I don’t really know what you want.”

“She wanted to be proposed to just like her grandma and grandpa. On the Ferris wheel.”

“You did?” Summer asked Autumn, wondering how some guy she’d known for the blink of an eye could know more about her sister than Summer. Especially after how many times she’d told Autumn about her dream wedding.

“I did.” Autumn’s expression was crushed. Summer had taken what should have been the best day of her life and turned it into an argument. Made it about her. Autumn had just had the perfect proposal and she’d shit all over it.

“I’m sorry, Autumn,” she said. “I was just caught off guard. Let me see the ring.” Autumn’s face lit up with glee as she held her hand out.

“It was my mom’s,” Randy said. “I got it reset to Autumn’s style, but the stones are family heirlooms.”

Autumn kissed Randy on the cheek. “Isn’t he the sweetest?”

And he had to be sincere, because what kind of serial proposer would give her his mom’s wedding ring? It was the act of a thoughtful man who was in love.

Plus, it was just an engagement—that still gave them months or, knowing her sister and her need to have anevent,even years.

“I’m really happy for you, sis.”

Emotion rimmed Autumn’s lashes. “You are?”

“Of course I am. You’re clearly happy and that’s all I want for you.”

Autumn worried at her lower lip with her teeth. “Do you really think Dad will be disappointed?”

“No,” she said vehemently. “I was projecting my wants onto your moment. Everyone will be thrilled. They love Randy.” She looked at her soon-to-be brother-in-law and smiled. “That was sweet of you. And I’m sorry for my reaction. I was just caught off guard.”

“Well, you haven’t heard the best news,” Randy said, taking Autumn’s hand, both of them standing tall like a unit. “We’re eloping.”

Summer looked at her sister for confirmation and her belly churned, like right before she’d puked on Wes. “I’m trying really hard not to react again.”

“Did I do something wrong?” Randy asked, completely oblivious to the rising tension in the room.

Summer opened her mouth to say words she knew couldn’t ever be taken back she was so mad, but then she felt Wes lace his fingers through hers, standing beside her like they were a team, just like Randy had done with Autumn.

“The Russos aren’t like the Kingstons,” Wes began. “Each family member is connected to the next and they work as a unit. Like me, you don’t have a lot of experience with that, but I would imagine if Autumn’s family were cut out of the wedding it would break their hearts. It would also start off your new chapter alone. And haven’t you and I had enough alone in our lifetime?”

Something spilled over Summer’s chest at the vulnerable and open way Wes communicated, sharing his own demons to help Summer get what she wanted. And that was to be a part of whatever Autumn and Randy were planning. If she couldn’t talk her sister out of rushing into a wedding.

Chapter 23

happily for now

Summer was lying on the top bunk silently scrolling through all the emails she’d missed that day.

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