Page 80 of Everything After

CHAPTER 46

LILY

“Holly!” Jack yelled from across the room, waving exaggeratedly at her. Holly waved back and immediately scanned the room for me.

“Look at you,” Holly drawled in her strong Texan accent as she swept over toward me. My grin widened the nearer she came. As usual, her gorgeous appearance and alluring expensive perfume drew the attention of every male present.

“Me? Look at you,” I returned, rushing toward her. We shared an embrace before she held me at arm’s length. “Honey, you look positively delightful. I’d go as far as to say you were glowing. You need to talk me through your skin routine because your skin looks positively translucent.”

“If that’s your way of saying I’m glowing like a vampire from theTwilightmovies, you can keep your thoughts to yourself,” I teased.

“Seriously, are you following a new skin care regime? If so, I want all the deets,” she mumbled. Holding my arms, she took another step back to take in the full length of me.

“Hello, gorgeous, you look beautiful,” Brett stated, smiling. Holly’s fiancé Brett stepped in, broke us apart and pressed a kiss to both of my cheeks.

“We’re so glad you could make it,” I gushed, waving Alfie over to say hello.

“It gave us an excuse to pin you down for that bridesmaid dress fitting. Charlotte, the designer, has flown to Miami. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve invited her here tomorrow,” Holly informed me.

“About that…” I began, then looked for Alfie again. He’d stopped talking to Jack and Mya but instead of coming to me, he stepped off the patio and made for the jetty.

“Where is he going?” I muttered, then looked ahead of him. My heart sank in my chest when I saw that Sienna, Kara and Poppy had arrived.

Holly touched my arm, distracting me. “Who’s that?” Initially, I didn’t reply, and we both watched Alfie greet the women off the boat.

“Back in a minute,” Brett mumbled and headed over to Jack.

“Sienna,” I informed her in a flat tone.

“Sienna?” Holly repeated, confused. “Who is Sienna? Which woman are you talking about there’s two and a girl there.”

“The one in the green dress, she’s an old flame of Alfie’s.” The jealousy in my tone was clear as day, even to my own ears.

“And the other two?” she prompted.

“Oh, Kara and Poppy. You remember the girl that Alfie had been helping back in college when I’d thought he was playing me?”

“Right,” she said, frowning. “I thought she’d gone into witness protection or something?”

I chuckled. “It might have been easier if she had from the start with the lengths Alfie went to, to keep them safe. No, she went up north, Oregon or somewhere I think, but she’s back nowthat the guy and his business partner that threatened them are dead.”

“Jeez and I thought Texas was wild,” she mumbled, sounding sarcastic.

“From your tone I take it Sienna’s our problem. I know you, Lily. What’s with her? You look… unsettled.”

“That’s one word for how she affects me,” I admitted, then shrugged. “It’s silly really. She’s Gary’s sister, you remember, Gary, the soldier?—”

“I know who Gary was,” she interrupted. “So that’s his sister… the sexy brunette?”

“Yeah.” I sighed to relieve the heartburn that had begun when I saw Alfie greet her.

Holly and I then watched in silence while Alfie spoke first with Kara and Poppy before he helped Sienna out of the boat.

It had been years since I’d seen Sienna Oliver in person, but I’d have known her anywhere—even allowing for the four hundred yards that spanned between us.

“Ex-girlfriend you say?” Holly tsked. “Well, your man certainly has a type.”

I flashed Holly the side eye when a pang of hurt clenched my chest, because she had voiced my belief as well.