Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
Lacey
A n awkward silence falls as Declan and Marisol depart. Once they're gone, Carter heads inside the house. I follow behind him until we're in the kitchen.
"Why did that woman being here make you so upset?" I ask as he fetches another beer from the refrigerator.
Carter closes the fridge door, his hip smacking against the counter as he twists the cap off as if he's strangling it. He looks away from me, chucks the top into the trash can, and takes a long swig from the bottle before meeting my eyes.
"Should I ask you again?" I pry.
"This week's for family. She's not family." His tone is flat, belying the emotion I know is raging inside of him.
"Stop. Declan could say the same thing about me, but he didn't put up a fuss about my being here."
He levels me with his stare. "You're more family than she is."
"Still, the fact remains, I'm not. I have no more right to be here than Marisol.”
Carter reaches for my hand and pulls me in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "Don't compare yourself to her."
"I'm not. It's obvious who's worldly and who's not." She's a model and I'm ... not."
He releases me and walks away. He yanks a chair from the table and plops into the seat. I do the same but in a gentler manner. "What's really bugging you?"
"She's an entitled bitch. Didn't you notice how she acted like she was better than us? She acted like she was doing us a favor by being here, and she insulted my mother. There's no fucking cause for that, Lacey. She's not welcome here. Besides, she never set foot in the house, and I could see the distaste in her eyes by the way she looked at it. It was obvious she'd be more comfortable elsewhere, so I set it right for her."
"I don't think that's true," I scoff.
"Bullshit, Lace. Let's face it; this house is run down with creaks and cracks but it's special. It's been good enough for us for years."
"I'm sure she would have loved it once she let her hair down. Besides, it's the people you're with, not the house, that make a great vacation."
"Which is another reason why Declan shouldn't have brought her here. She doesn't fit in."
"Did you give her a chance?"
"She didn't deserve one."
He looks away. I savor the momentary reprieve.
"Hey. Look at me." He lets out an exasperated sigh as his eyes meet mine. I reach across the table and touch his hand. "You're a cop. Isn't everyone supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? Of course, she's different. She's from another culture."
"So, now you're defending her?" He pulls his hand away.
"I'm just saying, maybe he invited her so he wouldn't feel like a third wheel. Maybe he just wanted some company."
He smirks. "And now you're defending him."
"I'm just trying to play devil's advocate."
"Don't."
Rose enters the room, and we stop talking. She looks between the two of us, gauging the situation before she speaks. She then comes over to where we're sitting, pulls out a chair across from Carter, and takes a seat.
"Your brother's upset."
Carter looks at her and his brows perk. "He'll get over it." He lifts the bottle to his lips and takes another drink.
Rose drifts back into the chair, seemingly deflated. "I was really hoping for a peaceful vacation."
Carter's forehead pinches. "That's on him, Mom; not me."
"Your brother's taking Marisol to the hotel. When he comes back, I'd like the two of you to smooth this over. I don't want arguing."
"I'm not arguing with him, Mom. It's good, as far as I'm concerned."
Carter's indifferent shrug elicits an exasperated sigh from his mother. There's a pained look on her face. I can almost feel the gut twists.
"You might not say the words, Carter, but I know you; that chip on your shoulder won't serve any of us well."
He throws his hands up in a move of disgust.
"I love how you're making this my fault. What do you want from me? I'm not the one who brought someone to our vacation unannounced."
"And that upset your apple cart," Rose interjects. "I get it. I know you but, I'm asking you to let this slide."
"Look, Mom ... Declan knew what he was doing. He just thought he'd work his charm and squeeze it through."
"What if this is our last vacation together?"
Carter freezes. "What? Why would you say that?"
Rose shakes her head. "I'm just saying, with him in New York, and you up at Deep Creek, we don't often get time together. Whatever time we do spend—especially when we're on vacation—I'd like to add this experience to all our other ones here. Making good memories. Not fighting. Could you please try to be nice to your brother?"
"I'm always nice to my brother."
"No, you're not. You always have each other's backs, but you aren't always nice."
A resigned look of disgust fills Carter's expression. "As long as he keeps that bitch on a leash, I'll be fine."
"Is that any way to talk about your brother's friend?" She pauses. "He'll probably invite her over, and she came all the way from New York to keep Declan company. We can all be polite."
"Sure, Mom. Whatever you say." He tosses me a quick glance. "Remind me to get a big bottle of Tums. I might have a little trouble stomaching her."
Just then the screen door slams, and an angry Declan enters the room. He marches right over to Carter.
"Now that Marisol is gone, tell me; what the hell was that all about?"