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Cassidy’s smile faded as she studied me. “You look a little bit shit, though. You should probably give yourself the afternoon off.”
I couldn’t hide the grimace. “No point.”
“Oh, that’s right. Dinner with your parents.”
“Yeah. And Tyler, to meet his new girlfriend.”
With a frown, Cassidy said, “You know, maybe it would be a good idea to postpone that.”
“No can do. That’s my family, even if I’d rather have a root canal than go through this.”
“I get it. Maybe you should at least take an hour to decompress.”
I sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll try.” I knew Cassidy was right to suggest it. My nerves were shot, and I needed some time to get my shit together before facing my family. It was impossible to overstate how much I wasnotlooking forward to it.
Isat parked in front of my parents’ two-story suburban home in Goldsborough, North Carolina. Warm red bricks accented by white trim and a neatly manicured lawn. Anxietythrummed through me, making my fingers tingle and my chest tighten. “Just breathe.” Taking my own advice, I dragged in three deep breaths. Pretending I felt calmer, I grabbed the apple pie I’d made from the passenger seat and forced myself out of the car and up the drive.
I pressed the bell, willing my heart to stop pounding in my ears. It was just a family dinner, for Christ’s sake. Tyler answered, his eyes barely meeting mine before he turned and retreated inside without a word. I followed, making my way to the kitchen where Mom was stirring a pot at the stove.
“You’re late again, Scarlett,” Mom admonished without looking up, even though I was actually a few minutes early. I set the pie on the counter, biting my lip to stop myself from replying. Keeping the peace was always easier than igniting one of her lectures.
Mom, a little heavyset, with faded blond hair and pale blue eyes, moved around the kitchen like a whirlwind, her every action efficient and practiced.
“Can I help?”
“You can grab the plates.”
“Sure.” I laid them out on the counter, making sure to put Mom’s special plate - the one that was half the size of a normal dinner plate - out first. I knew she’d add just a few bites of protein and a sprinkling of greens. She’d been trying to shed those extra pounds for as long as I could remember, always with a dollop of shame from Dad for her ‘lack of willpower.’
As someone who was never going to be rail thin myself, I’d always found the cycle depressing.
“So Misty isn’t here yet?”
It was a big night for the Wrights. The first time we’d met my brother’s girlfriend and Mom was going all out, by the looks of the kitchen.
“No, Tyler said she’s held up with work,” she replied, a slight edge to her tone.
I pursed my lips, letting out a small “Oh.” Misty being late didn’t seem to be a problem.
Maybe there was something in my tone, because Mom shot me a look, a little defensive. “She works for Councilor Smyth. It’s important work.”
I smothered an eye roll. Of course - Misty’s “important” job assisting that arrogant windbag Smyth was a big fucking deal. The man oozed self-importance like a pumped-up blowfish, and I wouldn’t work for him for a million dollars a year. But hey, that’s just me.
As though she could read my mind, Mom went back to stirring the pot, letting a tense silence fill the kitchen. Just as I was thinking I should go and find Dad, the doorbell rang.
Well, you’d think the First Lady herself was at the door. Mom hastily turned off the stove and whipped off her apron, smoothing her blouse as she turned to me. “Okay?”
“Yeah, Mom, you look great.”
I trailed behind as she scurried to the front door, trying to tidy herself even more before answering. Dad was already there - tall and thin, his balding head and sharp blue eyes giving him an austere look, as always. Tyler stood with him, hands shoved in his pockets, his lanky frame and thin brown hair making himlook like a younger, paler version of Dad. They both had the same slightly arrogant expressions they always wore, as if the world revolved around them.
Tyler reached for the handle, pausing to glance back at us. Mom gave a tiny nod, and he pulled the door open. “Misty! Come on in.”
As Tyler made the introductions, I took a moment to check her out. Straight up, I could tell she was the embodiment of everything Mom and Dad valued: polished, composed, flawlessly put together. Her strawberry blonde hair, pulled back in a tight bun, framed a face that was all sculpted cheekbones and perfectly applied makeup. A navy-blue dress, tailored to flatter her trim figure, completed her look. The only thing missing was a designer label on the bakery box she held. Her smile, directed at Mom and Dad, was polite and practiced, her eyes gliding over me for a beat before moving on. Jesus Christ, if I’d been in charge of picking a girlfriend for Tyler, she’d have been the ideal candidate. First impressions counted for a lot in our family. I could tell from my mom and dad’s expressions that Misty had nailed this one. “Thank you for having me.”
“We’re so glad you could make it,” Mom gushed, nervously smoothing down her blouseagain.Yep, like I said. Nailed it. “Come, let’s get you seated for dinner.”
Dad led everyone through to the dining room. There was so much food laid out, it was hard to believe this was just the nibbles. Crackers, three different types of cheese, homemade dips. Oh god, Crostini. My weakness.