Page 69 of Just A Trip

I step into the dining room. “Hey everyone, I’m here.”

The laughter fades like someone blew it out as quick as the flame on a candle.

Every eye turns on me, and every single one of them looks angry. Exceptionally so. Even my mother. Scratch that.Especiallymy mother. Uh oh.

“Sean Francis Bentley!” my mother roars.

I flinch at the awful middle name. I haven’t heard my name spoken like that since…well, for at least a couple of months.

“You kidnapped your brother?”

Oh, right. That.

Emmett cries and I use that as an escape. “Inside voices, you’re upsetting the baby.”

The rage in my mom’s eyes flames like wildfires. I’ve been on the receiving end of those flames many times. But this time I’m positive I’ll be burned.

She runs at me.

I’ve been chased by my siblings, but never my mother. The shock keeps me in place and that’s theonlyreason she’s able to grab me. Which she does. She snatches my arm and hauls me out of the room and straight to the office.

“Whoa. Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I know it was dumb.”

She slams the door behind us and it echoes through the house.

Then she turns. Her face is doing some weird creepy smile thing.

“Why are you smiling like that?” That’s even more terrifying than her angry face. “Are you going to kill me?”

“Oh, that was just for show. I’m very mad at you and you will be making it up to your brother, of course, but… Trent is in love.”

I whirl back, thrown by this entire night. Am I in trouble or not? Can I still get in trouble as an adult? “What?”

“Trent brought home a girl and they are perfect together. And as stupid as you were—”

“Don’t hold your punches, Mom.” Why is she blaming Trent being in love on me? I’d never let him do something that stupid.

Wait, was Trent serious? Did he really get married in Vegas? Without me?

Is it getting harder to breathe in here?

“As I was saying, as stupid as you were–”

“Thanks for repeating.”

“You made it happen and with time, he will see that. For now, I have to be on his side. But let’s just say you finally gave your brother a good Christmas gift.”

Harsh. I thought I was an excellent gift-giver.

But I’m stillsoconfused. “I don’t understand. Trent is married?”

“No, not yet, but he is in love! Isn’t that wonderful?”

Another one bites the dust. “Superb.” I can’t believe I did this to myself.

I should have stayed in Vegas.