Adjournment (The Fate Series) (41 page)

“No, I mean why did
you
skip the fish? You like it… why didn’t you take any?” I ask.

“Oh, well, because I know you and when you’re finished with yours you will eat off my plate instead of getting up to get more. I’ve learned to take double so I don’t have to get up again.” He smiles as he bumps me with his hip to move me down the line.

“Taste this,” he says, brushing the tip of asparagus across my lips.

Fighting back a smile, I bite into it.

“Do you like it?” His eyes slowly travel over my face.

It’s not fair that one man can be this attractive.

“It’s good. Why?” I try to give an indifferent shrug.

The corner of his mouth tugs upward, and it’s the sexiest thing I have ever seen.

“Then I know to take some. I don’t like it but if you do then on the plate it goes, Pet.” He scoops it on as he continues down the line.

Molly and Morgan watch across from us as a smile spreads across Molly’s face.

Don’t swoon. He’s a magnet for crazy.

Speaking of crazy… I look around to find where she is and spot her with pain-in-the-ass Judith by the pool. Fanning herself like it’s the desert out here.

First of all her bathing suit is barely there. I’m sure the breeze is getting to her just fine… tramp.

“I am pretty sure your girlfriend won’t like that.” I can’t help but make a bratty face at him while watching her.

“I can explain her. Your dad was talking to her parents about this weekend, she was there. She kept hinting at it so I asked if she was going. I didn’t really expect her to say yes being that everyone knows you would have to be here. I certainly didn’t expect her to think she was going with me. Would you grab two of those small bowls?” he says pointing to a stack of monkey dishes.

Doing as he asks, he scoops pasta salad into both making sure to remove the tomatoes and olives from one and dropping them into the other. Handing me the tomato-less bowl he picks out the cheese from his and drops it into mine while he continues to talk and Molly continues to aww from across the table.

“I actually didn’t see her again after that until the renewal. I thought she was kidding about coming. What a set of balls on that one, huh?” He shakes his head then tips it back tossing an olive into the air. He catches it in his mouth and continues to make his way down the table.

Now I know who I am the maddest at.

Ten years later and she’s still at it.

“I honestly can’t believe you think I would date someone like her.” He frowns at me.

“Do you know she still calls Mea ‘baggage’?” Molly slams the ladle down. “Fucking baggage!” She shakes her head.

What the hell does baggage mean?

I glance back at Pricilla who is obviously talking about Mea, then I look at Mea who is sitting there happy as a lark and completely oblivious to that stupid twat.

But I’m not…

“Simon…” I pinch my bottom lip between my teeth.

I watch as humor flickers through his eyes.

“Yes, Pet?”

Pushing up on my toes I press my lips against his quickly.

“Don’t get mad,” I whisper.

“At you? I could never be.” He presses his forehead into mine.

Grinning like a fool, I take my over-stuffed plate and walk around him.

“What was that? What’s going on here? Did she just kiss him?” Morgan shrieks.

Molly laughs. “Aren’t you going to stop her?” she asks Simon.

“Nope, that’s the look I’ve been waiting for and as much as I love it, it scares the hell out of me. We’re safer over here for now,” he says back to her.

“Save me a seat, Pet!” he calls after me.

Giving a thumbs up, I continue to walk toward her.

As I get closer to the two of them I see her making that nasty face she used to have when she gossiped.

Twat.

She doesn’t notice me until my hand is on her arm, and she is falling sideways into the pool. Letting out a scream she grabs for Judith who jumps back just in time.

I think I’m hallucinating because I swore I just saw a smile on Judith’s face.

Somehow I’m able to suppress a laugh as I walk toward the table where everyone is watching me.

I feel surprisingly better and completely okay with this weekend now. Although I should probably apologize to Simon for elbowing him.

No… I should not… he had that coming.

“Okay, bitches, pay up! I told you she would send her ass into the pool!” Jacob stands up snapping his fingers at everyone.

They placed bets on me?

“Dammit! I had my money on last night after all the drinks,” Grams grumbles, handing over her money before driving away in a huff.

Setting my plate on the table I smile and sit down unfolding a napkin over my lap.

“So what’s going on over here? Did you guys get enough to eat?” I smile.

“Welcome home, Sidney. I was wondering how long it would take you to join us.” Lexi lifts her water bottle to me.

“I hate to admit it. But it is nice to see you not acting like a doormat,” Jacob grumbles.

We can hear Pricilla yelling something from the pool, but I ignore her and keep up conversation with everyone at the table.

“Here it comes,” Tyler squeals with delight. 

I turn to see Molly, Morgan, and Simon marching straight at me from one side of the yard, and Pricilla charging toward me on the other. With an unimpressed look on my face, I go back to eating. Everyone else sits eagerly waiting for what’s about to happen.

“You’re going to regret that.” Her breath seethes from her mouth. I look up at her and laugh at the fact that she looks like a rabid dog.

“You looked hot.” I take a bite of food. “You should be thanking me. I mean we wouldn’t want you to have a heat stroke or something.” I give her a sympathetic smile.

“I will make sure you are fired when I get back to the city. I can promise you that.” Pointing her finger at me she continues idle threats as her makeup runs down her face.

She looks like the wicked witch of the west the way she’s melting.

“Fired? Really? That’s all you have?” Lexi looks up at her.

What are we, teenagers?

“No one is getting fired. She can just apologize, and it will be fine.” Josh jumps in to smooth things over.

“Right, Sidney?” he says looking at me.

“Actually…
no
, not “right Sidney”. I don’t apologize when I’m not sorry.” I grin.

“Well it looks like someone has found her voice… safety in numbers…
Pet
?” She crosses her arms at me.

Everything goes black.

“You better hope so.” I stand, slapping the cloth napkin off the table.

Arms wrap around me but they aren’t whose I thought they would be.

“She isn’t worth going to jail for murder over, Sid,” Mea pins my arms down. She isn’t bigger than me, or much stronger, but she manages to lock our bodies together.

“Look at that Crazy and Baggage working together,” Pricilla muses.

I feel Mea’s body still against mine for a second before she speaks.

“You have to be the dumbest person alive. I am holding her to keep her from making you eat grass, and you choose now to toss out an insult?” Mea’s voice is low. I can’t see her face but I can hear in her voice her teeth are clenched.

Pricilla walks away to grab her things.

“Are you breathing?” Mea asks me. I give a firm nod.

“Would you like a cup?” Her voice is somehow suddenly filled with humor. I give another firm nod. My body calms against hers, and her grip loosens a bit.

“See, there we go. Look at that,” she says more to everyone else than me. “Crazy and Baggage. A match made in absolute hell.” She giggles, releasing me.

I laugh and walk away from the group as they erupt into conversation or argument. I’m not really sure, and I don’t really care at this point.

Everyone else from the party has gone to the beach to watch the sunset and wait for the fireworks. Falling onto the seat next to Grams, I watch the sunset with her.

“Happy anniversary, darling,” she says out of nowhere. “Ten years ago today you were sitting on the beach, your memories fully intact again, and a bright future ahead of you.” She reaches her hand out, and I place mine in hers. She takes a long sip of her vodka and orange juice and stares out at the waves crashing against the sand. “What he did that night was for you… as cruel as it was, it was all for you. We all knew you were giving up your dream for him.” Her voice trembles. “It’s not very often people get a second chance at life. We just wanted to make sure you lived it.”

We?

“I thought you were always anti-Simon,” I ask.

She sits here completely ignoring me.

“Why does stupid Simon have to be my stupid type?” I try again.

Silence.

“Well, tomorrow I’m going home, where Simon doesn’t exist to me… three days ago I knew who I was, where I wanted to be. And now…” I exhale. “Simon is a womanizer just waiting for me to fall for him so he can emotionally destroy me… right?” I blurt out.

Grams still refuses to comment, but I can tell she has something to say.

“I know you have some kind of advice. What should I do?”

Turning her head toward me she pats me on the cheek and drives away.

Well, thanks a lot.

I stand up and catch a glimpse of Morgan on the beach getting ready to set up so I decide that is the best place to be.

I obviously haven’t been caught on fire enough.

When I get down to where she is, I sit down, push my heels in the sand in front of me and lay back resting on my elbows.

“Where is everyone?” I ask her.

“The guys went home to grab some stuff, everyone else is safely up there.” She points behind me. “And here comes Molly.” Morgan laughs. Molly is walking toward us with a cigar sticking out of her mouth and a bucket of beers.

“What’s with the cigar?” Morgan asks.

“I needed something to light the flints with… here take one.” She reaches out and hands us each a cigar to light off hers. Placing the cigar in my mouth I rest back on my elbows to watch them dance around the fireworks they have laid out like kids on Christmas.

The waves are crashing in but I can barely see them through the darkness. Molly grabs the beers, passing them out so we can toast to the holiday. I hear Jacob and Lexi behind us explain to Tyler why he shouldn’t get too close to us, and Mea and Josh are in strong agreement with them.

Our parents stand up to give a quick thank-you to everyone who has come out this weekend, and to inform them all that yes, her daughters are trained pros in what they are about to do. But to be on the safe side asks everyone to back up a few feet… just in case.

Taking her cigar, Molly lights the first string and soon the dark sky is flashing colors and shapes. It is breathtaking and somehow heartwarming to be able to sit here with them again.  But there’s a nagging thought in the back of my mind, and all I can think about is what Simon is doing. 

After the longest show in the history of fireworks everyone behind us claps and goes back to the party but I decide to stay where I am. I watch my sisters clean up their mess and after a few minutes they’re sitting next to me.

“I am really glad to have you two for sisters,” Morgan says, breaking the silence.

“It’s been ten long years since we’ve seen the real Sidney. I think today we can finally declare you healed.” Morgan’s voice cracks.

She won’t cry. Chandlers don’t cry.

“Well, well, well… what do we have here?” I hear Chase behind us.

Taking the cigars out of our mouths we tip our heads back to look at them.

Simon is standing directly behind me.

“Umm, cigar?” Molly attempts to offer the rest to Dean.

A devious laugh flows from their mouths as they cross their arms over their chests.

“Oh ladies, ladies, ladies… sometimes you make it too easy.” Simon’s voice is filled with humor.

He steps forward and takes the cigar out of my hand, placing it in his mouth. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way, Pet,” he says, walking around me.

“I choose whatever way doesn’t end up with me wet… and cold.” Molly smiles.

Standing up I brush the sand off me, then take the cigar out of Simon’s mouth.

“I vote for a truce for tonight. We can always go back to the cat and mouse chase tomorrow.” I look up at him.

“Then you wouldn’t get to see the surprise.” Simon pulls me up, hoisting me over his shoulder, as the other two wrangle up my sisters and begin to walk us back up to the house.

“We can walk you know…” Morgan groans.

I adjust myself so my elbows are resting against his back and my chin is in my hands.

“No, you three will run. We don’t have time for all that,” Chase rebuttals. “Besides, this is quite the view.” His deep laugh fills the air.

I hear a loud slap, and Morgan yelps.

“Chase, I’m going to break your hand when you put me down,” she growls at him.

“I better make it worth my while then if my hand is getting broken.” He laughs, and she yelps.

“Quit pinching my ass!”

Fireworks, kidnapping, and BBQ pizza…

They walk down the beach until we’re at the white fence that encloses their yard.