Page 56 of Trouble in Love
“Excellent.” Teddy clapped, then wiped a tear from his cheek. I wasn’t sure if he was laughing at me or crying for me. “This keeps getting better. Please, continue.”
“What?” I asked.
“What what?”
“What’s with the tone and the head wobbling and the questions?”
Pulling out the stool beside mine, Teddy sat and squeezed my thigh. “Did you know I have an incredible sex sensing ability, Luca? It’s kinda like GAYDAR, I guess, but it applies to straights as well as us queers.”
“Oh, like a sick sense.” I nodded.
“I think you mean sixth sense, but yes. That’s exactly what I mean. It’s quite uncanny and applies to not only the sex acts themselves, but to the actions that leadupto the sex. Now, whenever I hear someone described as ‘hot’ by a sister, with non-specific relationship statuses and the words ‘yours’ and ‘shipped in,’ my sensors go nuts.”
I nodded like I got it. Then admitted I didn’t. “I’m not following.”
“Right. Okay. Well, here’s the thing. To me, this whole scenario reeks of sex, Luca. And not the you and Polly kind of sex you enjoyed hopefully several times before the bear became involved. What I am referring to is the Polly and hot Elias, kind of sex.”
For several moments I sat and processed Ted’s theory. Dismissed it. Then did it all over again. Then I rememberedHolly’s words as she burst into the room.If you don’t get out here soon, I might bang him.“No fucking way.”
“Yup. Polly and Elias may be fucking away by the end of the day if mummy dear has her say.” Ted went for the high five but was dismissed with a punch to the thigh. “Oww!”
“Fuck it, you’re right. I thought she meant I might bang him, but she meantImight bang him.”
“You do know you just said the exact same thing twice, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” I scoffed, jumping to my feet and pacing. “But the inflection on theIchanges the meaning. I might bang him. Like, he’s so cute I could bang him. Or he is so cuteImight bang him … draw out the I and you have a foregone conclusion,Imight bang himinsteadofyou!”
Teddy’s head lolled from side to side then paused. “Holy shit, you’re right.”
After the disaster that was my wedding day, I swore I would never set foot inside a church again. So certain of that, I would happily have tattooed an oath to such on my forehead. But there I was, sneaking down the aisle of a Greek orthodox church in the middle of a song that never seemed to end. As inconspicuous as a guy my size could be, I shuffled past row after row of annoyed churchgoers until my eyes settled on a lemon chiffon dress and hair that shone like silk. My heart skipped a beat as I took in the prettiest girl in the room, then seized when I noticed the Mediterranean god sitting beside her with his hand on her knee.
On her knee.
In church.
It was disgusting. And soul destroying because I knew then Teddy was right. Elias was here for my princess.
As though she could sense me approaching, Polly looked over her shoulder, her pleasant but fake smile morphing into a frown as I neared. Man was she pissed. From a few feet away I could see her body tremble with rage. Had she been a cartoon character steam would have bellowed from her ears.
My sister shook like that whenever Clara was around. Or whenever I said I was dumb.Maybe this was a bad idea.
With a sharp twitch of her head she nodded toward the door, “Go, please.” before she turned away, eyes misting over, that plastic smile I fucking hated slipping back into place.
Upsetting her was never my intention. I’d rather take a blade to the heart than hurt Polly. A retreat was seconds away but then I noticed Elias’s hand slide further up her thigh, and how she stiffened. My fists clenched at my side. Perhaps she heard the grinding of my teeth as again, she turned, her eyes rolling to find me unmoved, her plump lips mouthingsitbefore turning back and leaning into Greek Boy. The way she whispered into his ear filled me with a jealous rage, and my molars not long for this world. Lucky we had a team dentist.
My presence began to garner attention, and I could see why. I couldn’t have looked more suspicious if I tried. Darting eyes. Sweat beading on my brow and soaking my armpits by the time I found an empty, partially hidden spot at the rear of church. From there I watched Polly excuse herself and float towards me, her expression as cool as ice despite the rage I knew bubbled below the surface.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Bitterness laced her words as demurely ran her hands over her round ass, smoothing her skirt, before sliding into the pew beside me.
“What the hell am I doing? What the hell are you doing?” I pointed to the blonde who smiled and waved politely.Whata jerk. “Who is he, and why is he here?”
Tucking a stray ebony lock behind her ear, she glanced to her parents, then down to her feet. “He’s exactly who I said he was. He’s Elias. My cousin—”
“Cut the bullshit, Princess. I saw his hand. You’re letting another man touch you, and I want to know why.”
Her whole demeanor changed, the fire in her eyes dimming to a smolder. “Not that I owe you an explanation, but Elias is to become my fiancé.”
“Your fiancé?” I coughed and gagged on nothing but disbelief and the once pulsing organ lodged in my throat. “Your fiancé?”
