Page 41 of Blue Hawaiian
Even if Gabi’s outing with Luisa brought back bitter memories of all the times they’d excluded Jess, she appreciated her sister’s apology. Besides, if they’d invited her along, she would have missed her chance with Connor.
She tried to inject a little humor into her voice. “With my luck, I would have fallen and broken something. Not a great look, walking down the aisle in a cast.”
“A fair point. But I promise not to leave you out again.”
That was good enough for Jess. She stood up. “Should we go?”
“Not yet.” Gabi rose beside her and let out a lengthy sigh. “Can youpleasepromise me you’ll keep things under control?”
Jess froze. Did Gabi know what she and Connor had been up to? “What do you mean?”
“Last night. What did I say about not getting drunk?”
Shit. Though her memories of the Blue Lagoon were something of a fog, she remembered arguing with Gabi. “I was rude, wasn’t I?”
“You said I had a stick up my ass. Real classy.”
“I’m sorry. That was out of line. I didn’t mean it.”
Gabi pursed her lips. “That’s not the worst of it. Lance told Marc you almost passed out in the hallway after you got back to the hotel. Is that true?”
Jess hung her head as the shame gnawed away at her. “Yeah. Not my finest hour.”
“This is my wedding week. Can you act like an adult for once?”
“I won’t do it again, I promise. But…” She forced herself to face Gabi. At least in this instance, she could be truthful. “Lance was hot and all, but he wasn’t doing it for me. I thought if I had enough to drink, he’d seem more appealing. And then we’d end up together, like you wanted.”
Gabi groaned. “All I wanted was for you to have a date. A fun distraction. I never said anything about sex. Especially if you didn’t want it.”
“I thought I did at first. But I was wrong.” Jess looked away, still ashamed she’d let the evening get so out of control.
“I know Simon messed with your self-esteem. And having Connor around can’t be easy. But getting drunk and banging someone you don’t like won’t help you feel better. If anything, you’ll end up feeling worse.”
Jess couldn’t repress her smile. “Did you actually use the word ‘banging’? That’s so unlike you.”
Gabi laughed. “That’s Marc’s influence.” She let out a breath, as if to remind herself she was still in big-sister mode. “For my sake, can you keep your shit together until after the wedding? I can’t handle your drama right now.”
Jess clenched her jaw to stop herself from snapping at her sister. True, she’d been rude to Gabi at the bar. And her fall in the hallway was embarrassing. But she hadn’t made a public spectacle of herself at the Blue Lagoon. No drunken karaoke, loud sea shanties, or table dances.
All of which she’d done during her college years.
But she didn’t want to fight with Gabi. “Got it. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Besides, her sister had a point. Over the years, Jess had stirred up a lot of shit. When she was growing up, she’d gotten used to taking second place behind her perfect sister, who’d gotten straight As, been captain of the swim team,andlanded a full ride to UC San Diego. The only way for Jess to stand out was to act on impulse and take risks, even if her behavior landed her in trouble. If anything, her ruse usually backfired, because afterward, her mom would throw up her hands in despair and beg her to be more like Gabriela.
Not that Gabi was to blame. She’d done her best to play the role of the caring big sister. Now Jess needed to show her the same level of support.
Gabi’s phone rang, and she answered it in a clipped voice. “Mama? Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting. Yes, we’ll be right down.” She ended the call and turned to Jess. “Let’s go.”
As they left her room, Jess tensed up, hoping Connor wouldn’t emerge from his room at the same time. The last thing she needed was her sister questioningwhyhe was staying right next door.
By the time they reached their mom’s room on the sixth floor, Gloria Chavez had her door open in anticipation. Jess caught a whiff of her signature perfume, which smelled faintly of roses. Her mom had worn the same scent for years, no matter what the occasion.
As always, she looked put together, in a way Jess could never equal. Though they both shared the same dark curls, her mom’s hair fell in stylish waves rather than obnoxious, brush-defying spirals. And she had a knack for scouring resale shops and finding fabulous outfits, most of which she altered on her trusty sewing machine. Like her dress tonight—a dark blue, tropical-print wrap dress that she’d accented with chunky gold bracelets and matching hoop earrings. Jess would have paid serious money for a dress that made her curves look that good.
Her mom gave both of them a hug, then stepped back to assess them. “You look radiant,” she said to Gabi. “Your hair, your dress—everything. You’ll be a perfect bride.”
“Thanks, Mama.” Gabi smoothed her hands over her dress. “You don’t think this color is too pale?”
