Chapter 1
please don’t tell me you got married
MIA
September
Nodding my head to the beat, I read through my notes, keeping my focus on my work rather than the guys on the football field nearby.
My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. Middle school is the worst. That’s what everyone says, and I agree, but now that Ms. Rodriguez has announced the school play will be Alice in Wonderland, things are looking up.
It feels like Christmas in September, and I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to be in school.
Alice in Wonderland is my absolute favorite story, and I’ve already got so many ideas! If Ms. Rodriguez will listen to me, that is. Honestly, I don’t care if I get to play Alice. Even if I’m just a background actor, I’ll give this play my all.
I close my notebook and slip it into my backpack. Only once it’s zipped up do I finally look around. The guys are still scrimmaging, my brother included. Sigh. Looks like I’ll be stuck here waiting for him a little longer.
Eyes closed, I rest my chin in my hands and focus on the music coming from my earbuds.
The warm wind caresses my skin, and the strands of hair that have escaped my ponytail tickle my cheeks.
It’s sunny today, the temperature comfortable.
Maybe waiting for my brother isn’t all that bad.
It’s good to sit here, enjoying the feel of—
A hand lands on my shoulder, and I snap up, heart thudding.
Swiveling, I pluck one of the earbuds out of my ear. My best friend, Chiara, stands behind me. Goodness.
“Sorry.” Chia smiles, her brown eyes twinkling with mischief. “I didn’t know how else to get your attention.”
“You scared the shit out of me,” I grunt and fold my arms across my chest.
She sits beside me, her attention not-so-discreetly darting to the field. I have no doubt she’s looking for my brother.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought you already left.”
“I was in the library. I was gonna walk home, but I noticed you on my way out. I thought since you’re waiting for Matt to take you home, maybe he could give me a ride too?” She bites her plump bottom lip, her brow creasing with uncertainty.
I half-turn to her, tilting my head to the side. She’s in a white shirt, light-wash jeans, and black and white Chucks. Her curly dark hair is down and ruffled by the wind, making her tuck several rogue strands behind her ears.
I love her, and I’d be thrilled to not have to wait alone, but she’s not as subtle as she thinks she is. So, I use this opportunity to mess with her.
“You’re still crushing on Matt?” I tease.
She frowns, her eyes flaring. “Like you’re one to talk. You’ve been crushing on Watson forever.”
Heat creeps up my neck, but I play off the embarrassment with an eye roll. “I don’t have a crush on Dominic anymore.”
She gives me a quick once-over, a barely-there smirk on her lips. “Good. It’d be kinda weird now. He’s basically your stepbrother.”
With a faux shudder, I pretend to gag. “Please, Chia, don’t say stuff like that. It makes me sick.”
My parents’ divorce a year and a half ago was hard, but it wasn’t half as bad as the news that my mom was dating Allan, Dominic’s father. She sat Matthew and me down six months ago, but I suspect they’ve been seeing each other a lot longer—like since before the divorce was finalized.
That only makes me resent their relationship more.
Chiara laughs, clearly satisfied, and pulls a pack of Oreos from her backpack. She puts it on the bench between us and nudges me with her shoulder.
“I brought you these.”
My lips twitch at her thoughtfulness. “Aww, a bribe,” I taunt. “How lovely.”
Eyes narrowed, she glares at me. “One day, you’ll look around and find yourself completely alone because of how insufferable you are.”
I snatch a cookie out of the pack. “You know you love me.”
“You’re lucky I do.”
I toss the Oreo into my mouth as we watch the team practice.
As they’re winding down, Chia lowers her head onto my shoulder. “Matthew isn’t grounded anymore, I take it? Considering he has his car and all,” she asks.
“He was grounded?” I feign surprise, ignoring the way my heart squeezes, tamping down on the jealousy.
She chuckles. “Didn’t he come home at four a.m. totally wasted? And your mom still didn’t ground him? For real?”
“Nah, I don’t think he could do anything to make her upset with him. Maybe if he killed someone?” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “If I came home drunk, she would’ve locked me up till the day I die, like Mother Gothel did to Rapunzel.”
“I’m sorry.” Chia wraps an arm around my shoulders and gives me a side hug.
“That’s okay. I’m used to it.”
“What are you planning to do tonight?” She straightens, her demeanor perking up. She’s trying to lighten the mood. She’s good at that. “Maybe we can hang out.”
“Sorry, can’t. Mom and Allan are back from their trip, and apparently, we’re having a family dinner.” I purse my lips. She was so excited this morning when she informed us of the plans. Me? I’d rather be anywhere else.
“When are you going to warm up to their relationship?”
My throat tightens, making it hard to swallow. “Never.”
“Mia.” Chia sighs and straightens. “Your mom is happy. She’s freaking glowing! He’s a good—”
“He’s not my dad.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“And he’s not trying to replace him. He knows how much your dad means to you.”
I snort. “Of course he knows. He was his fucking best friend!” I grit my teeth.
Frustration and anger simmer under my skin.
“For as long as I can remember, Allan was around. He and Dominic were at every family gathering, every trip to Lake Tahoe. I always thought of him as family, the uncle I never had.” I meet Chia’s gaze, but when all I see is pity swimming in her irises, I look away.
“Anyway, the two of them getting together feels like a betrayal. They’re both backstabbers. ”
Lips pressed together, she tilts her head. “Does your dad think that too?”
“As if he’d tell me.” I shake my head. “Anytime we talk about it, he insists my mom deserves to be happy.” My chest pinches with a familiar pain. “But I remember the look on his face when he saw them together for the first time. He can’t fool me. He was upset.”
She worries her bottom lip. “You’re not being fair. And you’re making an assumption. You and your dad are so close—”
I wring my hands. “Chia, I love you, but please stop.”
She holds both palms up in surrender. “Okay.”
I fix my focus on the field and sigh; practice is finally over.
Matthew is heading toward us, his helmet dangling from his fingers.
His jet-black hair is damp and messy, sweat glistening on his forehead.
He smiles, and I can’t help but smile back.
If it weren’t for him, I don’t think I could’ve stayed in our house after Dad moved out.
“Hi, Matt,” Chia greets him, her body practically vibrating with excitement.
He glances at her and nods before bringing his dark blue eyes back to me. “Need a ride home?”
I huff a laugh. “Why else would I be here?”
“Maybe because you finally fell in love with the game?” a mocking voice says a moment before Dominic appears at my brother’s side.
It’s unfair how beautiful he is. Tall and lean, with impossibly broad shoulders and a muscular chest. A smirk that makes my heart flutter, messy blond hair, and intense hazel eyes currently locked on me.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce Dominic Watson, my brother’s best friend and the bane of my existence.
Unfortunately, his presence alone has the power to make my heart race.
“I love a game, but only when the home team is good,” I retort. Then, I turn to Matt. “Can we give Chia a ride home?”
“Oh,” Dominic scoffs, a taunting spark in his eyes, “I’m sorry we’re not meeting your standards.”
“Fuck off, Dom,” Matt scolds him, but there’s no heat behind it. He nods at me. “Sure, Chiara can come with us.”
“Grazie,” Chia chimes in. She was born and raised in Monterey, but her parents moved here from Naples and speak Italian almost exclusively at home. It’s kind of cute, the way she sprinkles in Italian words here and there.
“No worries.” Matt shrugs, barely giving her the time of day.
My heart aches for my best friend. I have no idea why she’s so hung up on him when he’s always been so indifferent.
“Give me fifteen minutes.” He taps his helmet against the bleachers. “Then we can go.”
The guys head for the locker room. Just before they step inside, a girl with red curls darts out in front of Dominic and throws her arms around his shoulders, molding her body to his.
The weirdest thing? He lets her. In fact, he snakes one arm around her waist and pulls her even closer.
I frown. It’s not the first time I’ve seen her with him, but they’ve never been all over each other. My traitorous heart cracks in my chest. God, I hate the feeling rising in me.
Matt barely slows, leaving Dominic and the redhead whose name I don’t know.
Dominic says something to her and jabs his thumb over his shoulder.
She looks our way, and when she notices me staring, her lips curl into a smug smile, as if she sees right through my glare and knows exactly why I’m watching them.
Crap. I really need to work on my poker face.
Forcing myself to look away, I snatch my backpack from the bench. “Let’s go.”
All afternoon, I’ve been working on my sketch of the March Hare, but I can’t get it right. It’s all because of this dinner.
Something is off. I can’t put my finger on it, but that hasn’t stopped my mind from spinning.
With a huff, I push my pencils aside and pick up my phone. I tap the Pause button on the screen, silencing my sketching playlist, and call my dad, hoping he can set my mind at ease.
“Sweetie, hi,” he says when he answers. “How are you? How was school?”
“Really good.” I stand and pace my room. “You’ll never guess what Ms. Rodriguez chose for this year’s school play.”
Dad chuckles. “Based on how enthusiastic you sound, I’m going to guess it’s Alice in Wonderland.”
Throwing my head back, I laugh. Of course he’d guess immediately. He knows me better than anyone.
“Am I right?”
“You are.”
“You’ll try out for Alice, right? The role is perfect for you.” His deep baritone is like a warm blanket on a cold day.
“Thanks, Dad. How are you?”
“Good, good,” he says. “Had a few calls today about that job. Things are starting to look up.”
I sit cross-legged at the edge of my bed. “Really? Tell me more.”
He laughs. “I’ll know more in a few days. I’ll fill you in then.”
“Okay.” I take a deep breath. “Mom is back.”
For a moment, he’s silent, and when he speaks again, his tone is hesitant. “I know. She called me this morning.”
My stomach sinks. “Is there something I need to know?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just… We’re having dinner with the Watsons tonight, and it weirds me out.”
Dad snickers. “What exactly weirds you out? They haven’t seen their kids in days and want to have dinner with you. Nothing wrong with that.”
A hint of relief trickles through me. “So everything’s alright?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, Dad.” I smile. “Can I come to your place tomorrow? I miss you.”
“I miss you too, and of course. I’d love to spend time with my little girl.”
I groan. “I’m not little.”
“To me, you’ll always be.”
We’ve all eaten, though I mostly just picked at my food. So far, this special dinner, as Mom called it, has been nothing but ordinary. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s up. And just sitting at this table with my mom and Allan makes me feel like I’m betraying my dad.
He is my family. He should be here with us, not Allan and Dominic.
“How about dessert?” Mom asks, looking around the table with a strange, hopeful expression.
“No thanks. I’m full.” I push my plate away. “I actually want—”
“Please stay.” Mom peers at me with pleading eyes. “We have some news.”
The ding of cutlery hitting a plate rings in the air, and to my left, Dominic looks at his dad, his jaw set and his hazel eyes hard.
“Please don’t tell me you got married.”
What?
“What?” To my right, Matt voices my unasked question.
Adrenaline races through my veins, and as I zero in on Mom, waiting for her response, I can hardly breathe.
Lips curling into a smile, she lifts a shoulder. “We did.”