Page 119 of Drive

“I invited him, Daddy,” Paige said in a slur that had me wincing.

Shit was about to get real, really real.

Scurrying to clean up the mess, I began to usher my father out of the door.

Reid tried to interject. “Sir, I know—”

“You need to leave,” he stated again, his angry eyes fixed, his voice unwavering. I looked back to Reid, my hand on my dad’s heaving chest. “Don’t worry about it. Okay?”

“Daddy, don’t be rude. This is my wedding!” Paige was hopeless as she tried to straighten her titled green tiara with Mexican flag colored tulle hanging from it.

“Paige,” my father whisper-snapped, “are you drunk?”

“No, Daddy,” she said as she lowered her head slightly.

My mother looked between all of us, her suspicions on high alert before she went full rant. “Are you serious with me right now, Paige?” My mother never had fully perfected her English.

“Yes, I’m serious with you,” Paige said, poking the bear.

My mother wasn’t having it. She put her hands on her hips, a telltale sign shit wasofficiallyreal. “I’ve had enough of your shit, young lady. You will act like a bride. You have people waiting. Get your ass out there now, Altos Paige Ornita Emerson.” Paige ducked her head with each sharp syllable of her name. “I don’t have the patience to tell our preacher, who christened you, you have no respect forJesus.”

Paige burst out laughing as I cowered behind my sister from my dad’s accusatory stare.

“I respect Jesus,” Paige said, kissing my mother on the cheek. She walked over to Reid. “Ignore Daddy. I want you here. Please stay.”

And as if on cue, as if she was preparing for that moment her whole life, Paige turned to her groom and held out her hand. “Come on, baby, let’s do this.” Neil shook his head with a laugh and took her hand, looking back at Reid. “Hang out, man. It’s cool,” he assured as Reid stared at him without answering. My father, who was graying by the day in his fitted dress suit, looked between Reid and me as my mother followed the groom out.

“Come on, Stella,” he said with an anger-cloaked voice. “I don’t want you upset.”

Reid looked over to me with clear confusion. “It’s okay,” I assured him. “Just wait in here, or whatever.”

He nodded and watched as my father took my hand and led me out of the room.

“You are the maid of honor. It’s time to rehearse,” he said sternly.

I glanced back over my shoulder and saw Reid’s resolve. He wasn’t going to leave it alone. He had questions and wasn’t leaving without answers. Answers I would do everything in my power to keep from him.

After the rehearsal and an incessant amount of catch-up kisses, I was touching up my lipstick in the bathroom when I heard a click behind me.

A surge of nervous energy circulated as Reid’s eyes found mine in the mirror. He was leaning against the door, studying me. I couldn’t get over the change in him. Eyes no longer hidden by hair, they were more haunting than ever as they watched me line my lips.

“Please,” I said, tracing the bow of my top lip. “I’m seriously close to losing my shit on theDJ. He’s passing out liquor to my fifteen-year-old cousins. I caught them trying to steal a golf cart. This is the crap I’m dealing with. And you saw Paige,” I reminded him, pressing the gloss over my bottom lip.

“You’re punishing me.”

“What?”

“For leaving, for letting you go, for the concert. You’re punishing me for all of it.”

“I’m in love with my boyfriend, Reid,” I said, zipping my purse.

His eyes flared. “That may be the truth, but you’re in love with me, too.”

“Don’t do this,” I snapped as I turned to face him head-on. “Just don’t.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s too late,” I said as my heart sounded off a warning. “I don’t want to fight with you, Reid.”