Page 3 of The Surrender

I stare at my brother, at a loss.Let’s get deeper.“In other news, I’ve found an apartment. And Dad starts his golf lessons next week.”

Clark sighs louder and harder as my phone rings in my hand. I reject the call, irritated, and his eyebrows shoot up. “Him?”

“No.” I slap on a smile. “I’ve got to get back to the suite.”

“There you are!” Abbie hurries in, holding up the bottom of her blush gown. “The guests are being shown into the ballroom.”

“Fuck.” Clark becomes all nervous again, scanning the top shelf behind the bar.

“No,” I say, linking arms with him. “You’ll be swaying as your bride glides to you.”

Abbie chuckles and takes Clark’s other arm, and we start to walk him out of the bar. She peeks across my brother to me, her dark hair piled high, loose locks cascading down sporadically here and there. She looks lovely. I put my hair up too, until I saw the disappointment on Rachel’s face. It’s now free and wavy, spilling over my shoulders, a small gold jewelled clip keeping one side back.

“That colour looks lovely on you,” Abbie muses.

My smile is tight. “Thank you.”

“Teal,” Clark mumbles, distracted by his nerves.

“It’s slightly paler than teal,” Abbie declares. “Like—”

“Seafoam,” Clark adds.

“Yes, seafoam!”

Jesus Christ.“I better get back to Rachel.” I hand my brother over to Abbie. “Can you make sure he gets to the ballroom?”

“Just give me a minute,” Abbie says to Clark. Then she claims me and pulls me to one side. Clark eyes us suspiciously. I shrug. “Jude showed up at my flat as I was leaving.”

I breathe out my exasperation. “Was that before or after he showed up at Clark’s?”

“Oh?”

I want to ask what was said, but I won’t. I can guarantee it involved the cold shoulder from Abbie.

“I know everything,” Clark says as he moves in, playfully shoulder-barging Abbie.

I laugh under my breath. How wrong he is. “Look, guys, I’m sorry he’s bothering y—”

“There you all are!” Charley hurries in, her wild strawberry-blond curls looking like a bouncing cape fanned out behind her. I dread to think how long it took her to do her hair. It’s incredible, though, and her sickeningly tight body—post two children—encased in a silver satin wrap dress is seriously banging. “The minister is asking for you, Clark. And Rachel is stressing about whereyouare.” Charley nods at me. “That colour on you!”

Someone get this fucking dress off me.“I’m going,” I say, leaving them to get Clark where he needs to be.

“Wait.” Charley chases at my heels, stopping me at the door. “Lloyd said Jude stopped by.”

“Oh my God,” I yell, stressed, frustrated, angry, and every emotion in between. I give each of them a moment of my eyes. “It’s Rachel and Clark’s wedding day, so can we get on with it?”

All looking wary, they retreat, and I nod, happy, hitching up my skirt and leaving them, wishing I could take my own advice and get on with it.

Get on with my life.

Chapter 2

It was such a beautiful service. A stunning meal. Wonderful speeches. Alcohol on tap, although I’ve been very cautious with what passes my lips. Alcohol makes me weak, and as I’ve found another five missed calls and two more texts since I last checked my phone, I can’t be weak.

If medals for avoiding eye contact were a thing, I’d get the gold. I’ve managed to evade Nick’s gaze all day, and that’s an achievement since he sat directly opposite me throughout dinner. As soon as coffee and petits fours were served after dessert, I was up and out of there, heading onto the balcony to get some air, along with a dozen or so smokers.

Abbie and Charley join me, both with reluctant smiles. “That was beautiful,” Abbie says, dropping down on the rattan couch next to me. “I’m full to the brim!”