CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – THOMAS #2
“Do you have any idea what happened between them?” I asked Julian, doing my best not to make eye contact with the bartender.
“Not a clue. Hazel was furious when she came home earlier, but she told me that she didn’t want to hear it. I suggested we not meet up tonight, but she was insistent that we all come.” He glanced over at our table. “They’re both on their phones. Whatever it is, it’s a pretty bad falling out.”
“Would anything about the wedding be the cause of it? They’ve bickered a few times since Sylvie came back.”
He shrugged. “It’s a week away. I know there have been some issues, but Sylvie has handled it all.”
Yeah.
That was likely the issue.
Sylvie handled everything. Every single time something cropped up, Hazel had done nothing but cry while Sylvie pulled her hair out and stressed herself to her limits to fix it.
There was no way she put this much effort into anyone else’s wedding. There was no way she didn’t set proper boundaries with other clients.
Maybe I was a sceptic, but sometimes, it felt like Hazel took advantage of Sylvie’s closeness to her.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” I said, toying with the stem of Sylvie’s empty gin glass. “But Hazel is a bit spoilt, isn’t she?”
Julian sighed, dropping his chin. “She can be. I think it’s because Sylvie has always fixed everything for her.
They’ll never say a bad word against their parents, but Sylvie was parentified to an extent when they were young.
Their parents were busy with their business and travelling because of it, and while their grandparents stepped up, it wasn’t the same.
If Hazel was bullied, Sylvie dealt with it.
If Hazel hurt herself, Sylvie fixed it. If Hazel needed someone, Sylvie was there. ”
Wow.
No wonder Sylvie harboured feelings of jealousy towards Hazel.
It wasn’t malicious—it was a lingering feeling built up over years of being the fixer to all her problems and always putting her first. Now, she was watching her sister get everything she dreamt of, and Hazel didn’t seem to see that from any perspective other than her own.
With that knowledge, it really wasn’t that shocking that Sylvie had moved away. Aside from leaving to better achieve her dreams, perhaps she’d felt that moving was her only escape from being Hazel’s pseudo-parent.
“I’m not stupid. I know Hazel had a vibrant dating life before we met. I know about all her failed engagements, too.” Julian slid his gaze towards me with a wry smile curving his lips. “Who do you think picked up her pieces when every single one of her relationships broke down?”
“Sylvie.”
“Exactly. I remember video-calling her to tell her that we were getting married, and she burst out laughing at first and said, ‘Yeah, okay, if you say so.’ It took us going down to visit her in Dorset and me giving her a big cash deposit before she realised this was the wedding that would actually happen.”
“And now that it’s happening, Sylvie is still the one fixing everything because of Hazel’s endlessly changing whims.”
“It only happens with her. I’ve told Hazel she needs to not rely on her for every little thing, or at least stop exploiting her kindness, but it’s so drilled into her that Sylvie will fix everything and do everything she wants without question.
” He blew out a long breath. “I’m not surprised they’re fighting this badly.
I was almost waiting for it to come to a head, especially since the weather delayed their mum and dad’s flight by a few days.
I was just going to wait for them to arrive tomorrow since Joanna will be able to calm them down. ”
I looked over my shoulder. The sisters were still on their phones and steadfastly ignoring each other, and the furrow in Sylvie’s brow seemed like it was growing by the minute.
“Hey, Jules?”
He turned to me. “Yeah?”
“Order your drinks and send Sylvie up here. I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to be together right now.”
He followed my gaze. “You’re right. Are you going to stay?”
“Nah. I’ll take her home. I’ve only had one pint, so I’ll stop while I’m ahead.” I nodded my head and raised my hand, summoning the bartender, and directing her attention to Julian so he could order.
He got his drinks and went back to the table. I watched as he whispered in Sylvie’s ear, and she got up with nothing more than a nod. She didn’t even glance at her sister as she grabbed her bag and walked away from the table, and I quickly met Julian’s gaze before turning my attention to her.
“My darling future-brother-in-law said you require my presence, Your Grace,” Sylvie said, handing me my coat. “How may I be of service, my lord?”
Her voice was so deadpan in a way that matched her flat expression perfectly, and I couldn’t help but snort at the hit of derision she somehow managed to let glint in her eyes.
“I’m saving you,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from the crowded bar.
“You’re doing what?”
“Saving you. Free of charge. You don’t even have to use your well-earned slavery minutes for it.” I tugged her through everyone until we reached the door, and we stepped out into the frigid, still night air.
“At least let a girl put her coat on before you pull her out into the North Pole.” Sylvie shoved her bag at me before she quickly donned her outerwear over her knitted dress. “Where do you get off dragging me around like I’m some kind of noble concubine?”
“Like I said, I’m saving you. Also, I can’t take another moment of you and Hazel staring at each other like you’re gearing up for a wrestling match.” I handed her back her bag and put on my own coat before snatching her hand back up. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” she asked, lagging behind me.
I smirked at her over my shoulder. “To the place that makes you happy. Where else?”