Page 3 of Collateral Damage
Like normal people withfamiliesthey care about do. While this is ultimately their decision, they took a wedding away from the rest of us. It’s an unmistakable stab of betrayal. While I only met my cousin a few years ago, she’s quickly become one of my best friends.
This elopement? It hurts. It’s like a knife to the chest, both shocking and painful, but I know this isn’t about me. I need to deal with that knife all on my own—don’t make it Arden’s problem.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she says, placing her hand on top of mine. At least it’s not the hand with the rock on it. “You’re hurt we did this without inviting anyone.”
I nod once.
“But please try to understand that Ethan and I got married forus. Not for anyone else. And with all the drama that’s happened between our two families, can you blame us?”
“When you put it that way…” I grumble.
“And now nobody can try to break us up. We’re more than a dating couple; we’re a married couple. We’re legally committed to each other.” She sighs wistfully. “Forever.”
I roll my eyes but give her hand a squeeze before returning to my omelet. “Why do you have to be so cute?” As much as I might hate this for me, I love it for her. She’s happy. That’s all I want.
The Laurence family and the King family hate each other, but these two? They’re our own little Romeo and Juliet, except they get a happy ending. Maybe it’s destiny, maybe they were trulysupposed to end up together. I don’t know, but Idoknow they’ve found the kind of love I’ve only dreamed about.
I let out a sigh. “I’m happy for you, and honestly, you probably did the right thing to avoid the drama.”
She smiles. “I knew you’d understand. That’s why I wanted to tell you first.”
I give her a pointed look. “If you expect me to be the messenger, I’m not cut out for that shit.”
She takes a long drink of her plain orange juice. No mimosa when the woman is still shy of twenty-one. Ethan’s about to turn twenty-seven. The cradle-robber.
“Don’t worry, Ethan and I will tell everybody,” she promises. “But we’re hoping to have a nice reception to celebrate. That way, the families can still have a way to share in our happy news.”
Well, good luck. A party with estranged families is bound to have drama, even one celebrating people we mutually love. My heart aches every time I think of the undoing of two happy families that once shared everything. I’m not sad about losing Ethan. It’s obvious we weren’t meant to be, but it hurts that I lostallof the Kings. My two best friends, Ethan and his twin brother Cooper, their parents, who were like second parents to me, especially Victoria King. When she passed, it broke all our hearts.
But more than any of that, the pain is the worst when I think of my father and the horrible way we lost him last summer. His anger was so deep he couldn’t let it go. He let it harm the Kings and kill himself. When I think of Dad, my heart doesn’t hurt… itbleeds.
That man was my idol.
He was enigmatic and wonderful and my biggest fan. But he was a cheater, a liar, and had a temper that got him killed. Hedestroyed so much, but despite everything, I still love him, and I always will.
Even now, my smile feels cracked and jagged, hiding the true me underneath: the girl who lost the ones she loved…
“A reception is not the same as a big wedding, but it’s the closest we’re going to get. I know Amelia will appreciate it,” Arden continues.
My mother loves a party, especially one centered around her family. Two and a half years ago, when we discovered Arden existed, Mom took her in like one of our own. Arden grew up in foster care, something my mom feels terrible about. Arden’s mom was my mother’s little sister, a troubled woman who died of drug addiction and hid her baby from the family.
It was only after Dad died we learned how much he knew. Dad was aware of Arden all along. Social services tried to place her with us, and Dad told them to leave us alone. Dad’s not here to defend his actions, but that was the betrayal that finally broke Mom. She gave Arden and Ethan her blessing.
“Let me help with the planning?” I ask, surprising us both.
Arden’s eyes widen as she tucks a strand of loose auburn hair behind her ear. Sometimes looking at Arden is like looking in a mirror. She and I aresosimilar in our features, but she’s more petite and has brown eyes instead of green. That and she’s six years younger.
“You’d do that for me? Are you sure?” She twists her bottom lip.
“Unless I’m overstepping? Maybe you and Ethan want to be in charge of everything. I’m only offering in case you need help,” I ramble. “Maybe I shouldn’t? This isyourthing.”
She snorts. “The reception is for everyone else. If it was for us, Ethan and I wouldn’t have eloped in the first place.”
“True.” Visions of a gorgeous reception run through my head. “I’d be happy to help.” I give her a faux-dramatic look, like we’re in a job interview. “Event planning is one of my strengths.”
She laughs but she gets that I’m being serious. I graduated with a business degree from Harvard. My emphasis is in marketing and public relations, and now I work for the Laurence Foundation. I fundraise and spearhead events to support our philanthropic efforts, so I’ve got party-planning connections up the wazoo and Pinterest boards filled with ideas.
“How soon are you thinking? Is two months okay? A March event is possible, though it won’t be easy. Venues book years out, but I could pull some strings.”
