Page 41 of My Twin Sister's Ex

11

Bennett

Ipulled up to the Martin home in my Mustang, wearing the tux I’d rented. Jessilyn’s corsage sat in the seat beside me. I grabbed it and opened my car door. Sasha, Uncle Ryan’s latest flame, had insisted that I needed to get Jessilyn the corsage. It was sad how few older female figures I had in my life, so I was grateful for the tip.

I stepped out of my car and looked up at the imposing house before me. They lived in The Heights, the most expensive neighborhood in Sweet Mountain. Jessilyn was a classy girl from a wealthy family. I was way out of my depth here. It had never felt that way with Jackilyn because I’d never really taken the relationship with her seriously. It had been a mistake to date her in the first place. I still didn’t know what had possessed me. She’d seemed carefree and fun at the time, and I didn’t know her well. But it had turned unpleasant quickly.

I walked to the front door with my heart pounding. Jessilyn had warned me that her parents were opposed to us dating but had begrudgingly given permission for us to go to prom together. From the tone of Jessilyn’s voice at the time, I worried that she might be thinking of backing out of the relationship. I knew from Jackilyn that Jessilyn hated to disappoint her parents.

I clenched my teeth. I hated it that they saw me as a disappointing boyfriend to their daughter. I was doing my best to survive. These people didn’t understand living in survival mode. That much was evident from the size of their massive home and the pristine landscaping all around the grand brick structure.

I rang the doorbell and clutched the plastic container the corsage was in. I stretched the fingers out on my free hand and then curled them into a fist. I hadn’t been this nervous in a while.

It was strange to come back to this house after being here before to see Jackilyn. Her parents hadn’t particularly liked me then. I wasn’t polished enough for them. They spent all their time helping the poor, but when it came to one of the poor dating their daughter, that was another story altogether.

The door opened, and I stood face-to-face with Jessilyn’s dad. “Bennett.” For a minute, I thought he was going to slam the door back in my face. But then he opened it wider and let me come inside.

I stepped into the foyer, where a large chandelier hung overhead. A flutter of movement at the top of the staircase caught my attention. Jessilyn stood there in a long, pale-blue lace dress. Her blonde hair was curled, and she wore more makeup than I usually saw on her. She was all classy softness. I could hardly breathe when I looked at her.

I took her hand in mine when she reached the bottom of the stairs. “You look beautiful.”

She blushed. “Thanks.”

I handed her the plastic box with the corsage inside. “This is for you.”

She opened the box and pulled out the ivory-colored roses. “Oh, Bennett, this is so pretty.”

I helped her get it on her wrist. Her skin was warm and soft against mine, and I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her. If her dad hadn’t been standing right there, I probably would have.

The doorbell rang, and Mr. Martin answered it. “Kellen! Come on inside!”

“Hey, Andrews.” Kellen nodded in my direction when he saw me standing next to Jessilyn.

Mrs. Martin came in from the kitchen. “Hey there, Kellen.” She smiled warmly at him. “It’s great to see you again.” She turned to look at me, and her smile shrank. “Hi, Bennett.”

“Hello, Mrs. Martin.”

Kellen looked up, and I followed his gaze. Jackilyn stood at the top of the stairs. All her blonde hair was swept to one side. Her hot-pink dress had a plunging neckline that revealed a lot of cleavage. She was trying to get attention dressed like that. I was grateful for how modest Jessilyn was dressed. I didn’t want every guy in the room to be ogling her chest all night.

Jackilyn descended the stairs and smiled down at Kellen. I noticed he hadn’t brought any flowers for her. When she reached the bottom of the staircase, her eyes landed on the roses on Jessilyn’s wrist. “Did Bennett give you that?”

“Yes.”

She turned to me and gave me a smile that came off more angry than pleased. “How cute.”

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t think anyone did corsages for prom anymore.”

I was sure they still did, but Jackilyn felt like she had to recreate her own version of reality to suit her needs. And right now, like usual, she needed to feel superior.

Jessilyn looked up at me, her face glowing. “I think it’s beautiful. I love it, Bennett. I don’t care what everyone else does. I just care that you were thoughtful enough to bring me a corsage.”

Mrs. Martin pulled out her cell phone. “Let’s get some pictures. Let’s get the four of you to stand in front of the fireplace in the living room.”

Jessilyn threaded her fingers through mine. “It’s this way.” She led me down a hall into a room full of white carpet and white furniture. A giant vase of white roses sat on one of the side tables. The room looked like it had been professionally decorated.

I looked around at the pristine room. My dad could spend five minutes in this room and cause permanent damage to the furniture and carpet. Not to mention the empty beer bottles he’d leave laying around.

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