4. CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FOUR
KINSLEY
“ I need more sleep.” Popping the white pill my sister hands me, I harrumph. I’m in her guest bedroom, lying on the softest mattress my body has ever touched, surrounded by a mountain of pillows. My head is pounding, but at least I’m not throwing up. I should not have had that third martini.
“You’ve been out for two hours. Get up,” she says.
“Five more minutes,” I plead, dropping back and tugging the blankets over my head.
Tessa sighs. “You’re going to want to get up when I tell you this.”
“Tell me what?” I mumble from beneath the blankets.
She sighs. “Ethan is here.”
In the ensuing silence, my stomach twists and my lungs seize up. There’s no way she said that Ethan is here. Right? It was probably the lingering dream replaying in my head.
Tessa speaks again, this time louder, with emphasis on each word. “Ethan…is…here.”
I bolt upright, making the dull ache in my head throb. “What?”
She pulls her lips into a fine line. “He got here shortly after you passed out. He’s been out there talking about fish with Derrick for the last two hours.”
“What?” I say again, my brain whirling. Am I still drunk? “But why?”
Tessa sits next to me. “He lives here. Out by the bay. He came by to drop off your stupid sunglasses. You left them at the bar.”
My mouth drops, but only silence follows.
“He moved back a couple of years ago,” Tessa continues. “I didn’t say anything when I found out because you were with Jay. After that, I didn’t really think about it. I hadn’t seen him until last month.”
I stare into my sister’s eyes. The same deep blue as my own. “Tess,” I say, “I can’t go out there.”
She rests her hands in her lap and plants a fake smile on her face. “You can. Be the badass bitch we all know and love. Just try not to scare away Tim.”
I frown. “Tim?”
“Derrick’s coworker,” Tessa huffs. “The one I wasn’t setting you up with.”
“He’s here too?” My stomach sinks. Fuck. What did I do in a past life to deserve this kind of karma?
“He will be. Derrick just started the grill. Since Ethan is staying, I invited Piper and Morty like you suggested. Now go get cleaned up. Maybe take a shower.” She angles in close and smooths out my hair.
I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thank you,” I say. The more people here, the easier it will be to avoid Ethan.
“No problem. Now go get in that bathroom. I left a towel on the sink.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Uh, yeah. I can see your face on the pillowcase,” she laughs.
Half an hour later, I make my way to the kitchen, feeling a little less hungover but a thousand times more nervous. I don’t like that. I don’t do nervous.
“Tessa,” I call out. The house is quiet. Too quiet.
When I reach the sink, I peer out the window and take in the yard. My sister is sitting at a table near the far end of the patio with her back to me. Derrick stands next to her with one hand on her shoulder. When he moves away, Ethan comes into view. He’s across from Tessa, facing the house, sitting with both feet on the ground and one hand on a beer. He’s smiling. A wide smile that wasn’t there at the bar. He’s attractive. Like, really attractive. A broad shoulder base with a taut chest and biceps that bodybuilders can only dream of. His dark brown hair is faded along the sides but thick and wavy on top.
I lower my focus to his face, and just as I’m studying the curve of his jawline, the doorbell rings, pulling me away from ogling the one man I should never want to ogle.
When I open the front door, a tall, lean man greets me with a devilish grin. He has short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. They’re so bright I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s wearing colored contacts. He’s so clean cut I’d say he’s manicured, with aviators hanging from the neckline of his white collared shirt. He’s handsome and dressed well, like he put a lot of effort into his appearance. The man clearly knows what he’s doing, because every inch of him screams “come fuck me.”
“Tessa?” he asks when my mouth doesn’t formulate any words.
With a shake of my head , I clear my throat. “Kinsley. Sorry, I’m her sister.”
“Well,” he says, his smile widening, “then, these are for you.” With one hand, he holds out a bouquet of white and purple lilacs. “I’m Tim.”
I take them from him, keeping my eyes glued to the sexy curve of his mouth.
“Derrick said you and Tessa are twins.”
“Identical,” I tell him, a bit breathless. He’s not really my type, but I’d be a fool not to notice how good-looking he is. Being set up with him might not be so bad after all.
“Well then, Derrick is one lucky man,” he says, giving me a slow once-over.
And with that, he’s lost me. I roll my eyes, and I don’t even bother to temper my disappointed exhale. Then I lead him through the house.
No one wants to be compared to their sister, not when there’s sex on the line. And based on that comment and the single look alone, it’s obvious this guy is banking on a one-nighter, not the full-blown romance Tessa is secretly hoping for.
If Tim hadn’t gone the sister route, he may have had a chance. But it’s a huge turnoff to be eye-fucked by a man while he simultaneously mentions my sister and brother-in-law.
I toss the flowers onto the kitchen counter and suck in a deep breath. It’s now or never.
I pull open the patio door, and when I step out of the house and into the autumn heat, all eyes are on me.
“Wow, you two are identical,” Tim whispers from behind me as soon as my sister comes into view.
Ignoring him, I regard Ethan, who stands when he sees me.
“Hey, you made it,” Derrick calls out. “I see you’ve met Kinsley already. This here,” he waves toward my sister, “is my wife Tessa, and this is—”
“Ethan,” Tim says. “Wow, it’s good to see you outside of the office.”
A look of surprise flashes across Ethan’s face as he looks over my shoulder.
“Yeah, hey…” His voice trails off.
“Call me Tim.”
“You two know each other?” Derrick asks.
“Yeah, I mean, sort of,” Ethan begins, rubbing at the back of his neck.
“I’ve known Ethan for what, two years now?” Tim brushes against me, slipping his hands across my waist and down my backside as he maneuvers around me.
At the not so subtle touch, I go ramrod straight, and instead of looking up at him, I dart a glance at Ethan. His eyes are glued to my waist, and the fine lines of his jaw tick. For a second, if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was jealous. Upset even. Until he catches me staring and schools his expression.
Tim makes his way to Ethan. He shakes his hand and gives him a pat on the arm, and the two fall into conversation.
Tessa mouths a “Sorry” and joins the exchange.
I, on the other hand, remain glued to the step near the back door. I can’t move. This may be the most bizarre moment of my life, and not because of Tim the handsy man, but because Ethan is here. The same Ethan who was dumped mere hours earlier.
“Hellooo,” a sultry voice calls out from the side of the house. “We come bearing wine and spirits.” Piper appears then, her mahogany hair wrapped into a loose Dutch braid, holding a bottle of wine and a six-pack of beer.
“And sausage.” Morty winks at the group and raises a full tray of food.
Relief washes over me. Maybe I can do this. I make my way to them, and once Morty deposits the food onto the table, I lean in to hug him first.
“Kinz!” Piper rushes to me laughing. “Oh my God, are you trying to give these guys a hard-on?” She brushes my backside, pulling my dress out of my…oh no…out of my underwear.
My heart stops, and mortification washes through me. I turn as Piper smooths the dress over my ass. Thank God I’m wearing an actual pair of panties today. When I look up, there are four sets of eyes on me.
Tim has a huge smile on his face. “Sorry, I tried to nudge it down when I was walking around you, but I guess that didn’t work. But if it means anything, you have a nice ass.”
Ethan turns away. He isn’t smiling. And I don’t care. He has no business being uncomfortable.
“It’s early. At least her dress is still on.” Morty chuckles. Then he leans in and whispers, “Holy meat factory.”
“They’re all yours,” I whisper back.
After another round of introductions, Tim takes a seat next to me. Dammit. I don’t have the energy for small talk.
So when Morty opens his mouth first, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“How did today’s heartbreak go?”
All at once, side chatter stops, and all eyes land on me once again. What the actual fuck? I glare at him, hoping he’ll get the hint and shut up.
Unfortunately, Morty doesn’t follow social cues like most people. Instead, having a penchant for gossip, he presses on. “Did the queen change her mind, or did she go through with it?”
“The queen?” Ethan asks, his focus lasered in on me.
“Queen Victoria.” Morty scoots his skinny body closer to him. “That’s her nickname. Who goes by Victoria nowadays anyway?”
“My ex is a Victoria,” Ethan says.
“See.” Morty waves his bony hand in the air. “And she was an uptight, materialistic bitch. Am I right?”
Ethan opens his mouth, then closes it again, his eyes wide.
Before he can formulate a response, Morty continues. “So?”
“The bartender did all the work for me,” I say. “Now that I think of it, he’s your type. Tall, dark, and sweet. Plus he makes a damn good lemon drop martini.”
“Oh, do continue.”
“Wait, back up. What am I missing?” Tim asks, inching his chair closer to me.
“Kinzie here is a wedding canceler,” Morty coos. “Didn’t she tell you?”
“A what?” Tim asks, his brows furrowed in curiosity.
“A wedding canceler,” I say, keeping my attention fixed on Ethan, who’s watching me just as intently.
“What does one do as a wedding canceler?” Tim asks.
My sister clears her throat and shuffles to the door. “Anyone need another drink?”
“It’s exactly as the name suggests. I cancel weddings,” I continue, ignoring Tessa’s attempt to shift the direction of our conversation.
“I guess I don’t understand,” Tim says beside me. “Are there a lot of people out there who don’t go through with their weddings? And if so, wouldn’t they just cancel themselves?” He inches forward, trying to gain my attention. When I still don’t look away from Ethan, Tim lays a hand on my knee.
“Oh shit, here it comes,” Morty snickers. He knows too well.
With a deep breath in, I garner my patience and turn slowly to face Tim. “Yes, actually, there are. Did you know there are studies out there that suggest that more than half of couples have reported mistaking love for lust? Often, they don’t realize this until they’re nearing the final stages of planning their wedding. Then, rather than admitting it to themselves or their partner, many choose to cheat and go through with a loveless marriage instead of breaking things off.”
“Ouch,” he says, cringing. “So, what happens? They hire you, and you do their dirty work for them?”
Holding back a huff of annoyance, I swipe his hand off my knee.
He sits back, eyes wide, clearly surprised, but waits for my response.
“I don’t do anybody’s dirty work, Tim,” I say through gritted teeth. “Most of my clients are good people. They just don’t know how to end things. They’ve invested a lot, both financially and emotionally. They care about their partners. Hiring me helps take off the edge, for all parties, which means less fighting.”
Tim scrunches his nose and takes a drink from his beer, scrutinizing me for a long moment. “As a therapist, I’d think that the person on the receiving end of that news would be more upset if it didn’t come directly from their partner.”
“It’s better than the alternative,” I say, lifting my chin and keeping my expression even, despite the anger gathering in the pit of my stomach. “Imagine, if you would, preparing to walk down the aisle. You’re about to say ‘I do’ to the woman you think you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. Only, just before the ceremony, you hear that woman having sex with your best friend in the next room because she’s too chicken shit to cancel the wedding.” Swallowing thickly, I smooth the fabric of my dress over my thighs. “That is the alternative. Stopping the bride, or groom, from ever having to experience something like that? That’s what I do.” My chest swells as the words tumble from my mouth.
There’s a pause before Tim says, “But that doesn’t happen in real life, does it?”
Around us, there is a collective sigh.
“You’re right, Tim. That was all hypothetical.” I get up from my seat, smooth my dress over my ass, and excuse myself. “I’ll go grab those drinks,” I say, passing my sister at the door.
“I’ll take another beer, if you don’t mind,” Tim says, scooting his chair to the other side, closer to Piper.
Inside, I stand at the sink, gulping down a glass of lukewarm water and shaking in frustration. Normally, I don’t let people like Tim get to me. Unless he’s been in a similar situation, he’d have no idea. But Ethan is here, listening to me rant about such an awful personal experience. That’s what has me rattled.
I’m refilling my glass when the door slides open and Tessa rushes in. Without looking at me, she darts off to the bathroom.
“You okay?” I call after her.
When she doesn’t respond, I wander down the hall and tap my knuckles against the bathroom door.
“I’m okay,” she calls out, “just feeling a bit nauseous.”
That makes two of us .
I head back to the kitchen to give my sister some privacy. When I round the corner, Ethan is there, standing rigid next to the table, his hands stuffed into his pockets.
“What you said out there,” he says, his voice a low grumble. “Is it true?”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I cross my arms over my chest and plant my feet, standing just as solid as he is. “Every word. And considering you don’t seem too broken up about Victoria, it’s safe to guess that you were probably thinking it yourself.”
His stance softens a fraction. He nods slowly, and then his brown eyes flash in acknowledgment. In that moment, it’s as if a weight is lifted from his shoulders.
He pulls in a deep breath, studying me, as if he wants to say something. Instead, he remains silent, and we stand ten feet apart, assessing one another.
His jaw ticks, the shadow of hair along his jawline captivating. In so many ways, he’s different from the Ethan I remember. He always had a baby face, smooth and clean shaven. This man in front of me now, he’s older, broader, and ruggedly good-looking in a way I hate being drawn to.
When his lips part like he’s going to speak, my stomach clenches tight.
“Kinz—”
“Oh my God.” The door swings open, and Piper steps inside. “If you’re not going home with that fine piece of ass, I will.” She zeroes in on me, then notices Ethan. “Oh. Sorry. Just checking on those drinks.”
Morty gives me a once over and then tugs on Piper’s arm. “Something tells me she ain’t gonna fight you on that one. We’ll head out and give y’all some privacy.”
“No, it’s okay. I was just leaving.” Ethan gives them a curt smile. “It was nice meeting you both.” Then he turns to me. “Please thank Derrick for everything. And your sister.”
Morty and Piper break out in big grins.
And then Ethan is gone. And I’m left utterly devastated.