Chapter Nine Hunter
Chapter Nine
Hunter
I hate to admit it, but Lucy being so organized about everything for this weekend has inspired me to put a little bit more effort into things than I would have had she not been breathing down my neck every second of the past two and a half weeks.
We’ve actually managed to work together collaboratively.
And truth be told, she’s given me the easy jobs, taking on a lot of the heavy lifting herself.
I made a reservation for tonight, but she found the restaurant.
I’ve organized the fishing for Saturday, but the rest of the weekend has been Lucy’s doing.
As she’s reminded me in her near-hourly texts.
I left work early to fly up from New York. As I wheel my suitcase to the gate at Boston Logan, the first person I see is Lucy, looking right at me, slightly separated from the group.
“You’re late,” she snaps, like I have it within my power to make the flight up from LaGuardia land a little earlier. I thought we’d called a truce. “Did you bring the wigs?”
I wince and my stomach drops because I know I’ve messed up.
I left it late to order the wigs for Lucy’s Pulp Fiction dress-up surprise.
I wouldn’t have gotten them in time to bring them up, but I’ve ordered the wigs to go to the house and paid extra for express delivery.
I’m not completely sure whether we’ll get them, so I don’t want to tell Lucy and get her hopes up. “Sorry.”
“Are you kidding? You had, like, two jobs. One of them was to bring the wigs.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“Now we’re going to be all dressed up in clam diggers and white shirts for the bonfire on the second evening, and it’s not going to fucking land.
We’re not going to look like Uma without the wigs.
” Her hands ball into fists and she stares at the ceiling, like it’s taking all her willpower not to punch me in the face. “I knew I couldn’t trust you.”
“Jesus Christ, Lucy, I’m sorry, okay? I’ve had a lot to deal with at work. Things can’t always be perfect. You can’t set the bar so high and just expect everyone to pole-vault over it. People are going to screw up.”
“No, you’re going to screw up. You always screw up.”
I feel her words come at me like arrows piercing my chest. I can’t keep my cool anymore. “Just like you’re always a demonic witch. I don’t know how you and Katherine share the same DNA. You’re a—”
“Hey,” Katherine calls, interrupting us.
Lucy freezes, staring at me. Her expression is pure panic. It’s like she’s been caught in enemy territory and is about to get shot. It’s hard not to feel sorry for her. Her chest starts to heave, and I step toward her, concerned she’s hyperventilating.
Suddenly, Katherine is by our side, looking between us. “Is everything okay?”
Clearly everything is not okay. We’re in the middle of a huge argument. I’m this close to turning around and flying right back to Manhattan. Lucy is having a seizure or something. This is not the perfect start to the weekend.
“Everything’s amazing,” Lucy says, turning and grinning at her sister like nothing’s wrong at all. I glance at Lucy, wondering if she’s lost her mind or is just biding her time while she plots a way to carve out my heart before boarding our flight.
“Are you sure?” Katherine asks. “Because it looked like the two of you were about to rip each other’s heads off. I want you two to be friends.”
I don’t want to piss Katherine off. She might irritate me sometimes, but my best friend loves her, and I need to get over myself. I go to speak, to make an excuse, but just as I open my mouth, Lucy inexplicably slides her arm around my waist.
I freeze, wondering whether she’s going to literally knife me in the back.
“You don’t need to worry. We haven’t said anything, because it hasn’t been very long, but things have taken a turn, a . . . romantic turn . . . between us, and I was just disappointed Hunter didn’t make it up on the earlier flight so we could have some time together before the weekend started.”
Katherine’s gaze flits between me and Lucy. I don’t know what my face is doing. I’m too stunned to move. What the actual hell is going on? And why is Lucy still touching me?
Katherine breaks into a grin and clasps her hands together. “Oh my God. Wait until I tell Ed. I knew you two were perfect for each other.” She goes to walk away, and Lucy pulls at her arm.
“Don’t tell him, Katherine. Please. We want to keep things between ourselves for a little bit. Not put too much pressure on. You know?”
Katherine’s face falls a little. “Okay, but you know I’m one hundred percent behind this. You’re both . . . feisty. But honestly, two of the kindest hearts I’ve ever known. I just know this is all going to work out. We’re going to be actual family, not just chosen family.”
I take back everything I’ve ever said about Katherine being irritating. She’s just a sweet, wholesome girl who wants the best for her sister and her soon-to-be-husband’s best friend. But she’s also lost her mind if she really believes Lucy and I are together.
She hunches up her shoulders and places a finger over her mouth. “I’ll do my best to keep your secret.” She turns and heads back to the group of friends all waiting for Gate Five to open.
I still haven’t moved and neither has Lucy. Her hand is still around my waist.
“Eeek,” Lucy says through a gritted smile. “I’m sorry. I panicked when she saw we were fighting.”
“So you told her we’re . . . involved? Is that the most obvious response? Couldn’t you just tell the truth and say I forgot the wigs?”
“I don’t want her to think we don’t get along. She wants us to be besties. You know that.”
“So tell her you were telling me a joke? Or regaling me with a story from your journey to the airport or something?”
She exhales and tips her head back. “I’m not good at thinking on my feet. Katherine is so obsessed with the two of us getting along, and she’s always telling me how amazing you are—how you’re this and that and so handsome.”
“She tells you I’m handsome? That’s weird. She’s about to marry my best friend.”
Lucy drops her hand from my waist and groans. “Get over yourself. She’s not telling me she finds you attractive—”
“But you just said—”
“Yes, she says it because she wants me to find you attractive.”
I’m way past confused.
“If Katherine had it her way, the four of us would be having a double wedding.”
I take a half step away from Lucy like she’s going to burn me if I get too close. “But that’s not happening, is it?”
“No,” she hisses. “Of course not. We hate each other. But now—for this weekend—we’re pretend-dating.”
“What?” I choke out.
Katherine glances up and beckons us over. Lucy smiles the fakest smile I’ve ever seen and holds her thumb up.
“Did you just give your sister a thumbs-up? Are you a sixty-year-old man?”
Lucy lets out a giggle like I’ve just told her the most hilarious joke.
She’s obviously faking it so people think we’re being adorable.
Then through gritted teeth, she says, “There’s no way I can tell Katherine I was lying about us.
It will break her heart. I want her to have the best weekend of her life.
We’ll just have to pretend to like each other for the weekend.
How hard could that be? It’s not like we have to share a room or give lavish public displays of affection.
I’ve told her we want to keep it a secret.
If it’s meant to be a secret, we can’t act like we’re actually dating. ”
“So we’re pretending we’re not dating while actually not dating, but pretending we’re dating, to keep your sister happy?”
“Yeah,” Lucy says brightly, as if this is no big deal. “Come on.” She lifts her chin toward the group. As we get closer, I can see Katherine talking excitedly to everyone.
Ed breaks from the group to give me a hug. “I hear the best man and the maid of honor are already hooking up. Good call,” he says.
My heart sinks into the floor. Is it too late to fake a serious food-poisoning incident? Perhaps I could break my own leg? I’m sure Lucy would help with that if I asked her.
“Ed can read me like a book,” Katherine says in explanation. “I’m so sorry, but when he asked me, it all just spilled out. I’m just so excited.”
How did I go from being screamed at to pretend-dating the woman beside me, who I low-key hate? We’ve got to come clean.
Ed and Katherine’s engagement has been a curse on me since it was announced.
Before I can pull Lucy to one side, the gate opens and everyone forms a line to board.
This isn’t over. We have to tell the truth by the time we land in Martha’s Vineyard. There’s no way I can pretend to be interested in Lucy. Everyone will see through it immediately.
Thank God they don’t allow weapons through airport security, because if I had access to something that could seriously hurt Lucy right now, I’m not sure I’d be able to hold back.
Kill. Me . . . Or her. Now.
Either would be less painful than pretend-dating Lucy Jones.