“Uh yeah. Thanks, I guess.” I mumbled awkwardly. “This was the place that my dad built after he retired. Anyway, thanks for the lift. See you later.” I paused, waiting for Matt to answer. Maybe even throw a thank you back at me for being so amazing at his mom’s place. Nothing. He simply nodded and turned his head back out the window.
Well, his chivalry disappeared fast. Slamming the door with more force than even I expected, I marched off in the direction of the house. My temper was seething from his lack of appreciation and seemingly split personality issues.
The air was cold and the ground crunched under my boots as I walked up the stairs and towards the door.
A warm glow emanated from the inside and I could see about twenty people gathered in the living room window. Fuck. I would have to go in there. Christy was going to be all over me with her questions. Hopefully, she’d want to keep all the attention for her stupid announcement. Yes, this was about the will, but Christy would never let an opportunity go by to turn a gathering into something about her.
Dad had passed about nine months ago and maybe if I was lucky, I’d be included in his will. But by the looks of the group inside, he’d quite possibly divided up his assets to everyone he’d ever met. I didn’t hold out much hope. As far as Dad was concerned, I was the black sheep of the family and an embarrassment. If he’d only left me enough to buy a coffee, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Catching my breath, I closed my eyes and knocked loudly. This was going to be hell no matter which way I sliced it.
When I opened my eyes, I was staring right at Chad.
“Hey, little sister. You’re back. Never thought I’d see the day!” He smirked, his large, athletic frame filling the doorway.
I bristled at his greeting. “Really, Chad? That’s your hello? Aren’t you even going to invite me in? It’s cold as hell out here.” I grumbled. I still wasn’t sure where things had gone wrong between me and Chad. We’d been close when we were little. Or at least it had seemed that way to me. Until Christy came between us. It always came down to Christy.
“Well, what do you expect? You don’t come home when our dad dies, but you come home to hear the will read?” He was taunting me and it was working.
I pushed past him. “Actually, I’ve come home because Christy invited me for Thanksgiving dinner. Besides…” I continued coldly. “You know very well that our lovely sister planned the entire funeral when I was in New Zealand for an art show! She didn’t even have the decency to wait for me.” I growled under my breath.
“Yet you’re here to support her now. How loving of you.” Chad spat right back as he slammed the door behind me and marched off into the crowd.
I stood there feeling very cold and very alone. Thoughts of Matt and calling him to come back for moral support flew through my head. But not for long. I shook them off as fast as they appeared. Talk about opening an even bigger can of worms. If Christy saw me with Matt, it would have been an instant war. She had hated me more than ever the entire year I had dated him and had even laughed gleefully when he stood me up at the prom. I wrestled with the idea. It sure would have pissed her off to see Matt here with me…but oh how fun it would have been!
Lost in my own thoughts and wondering what best to do, I finally heard her nasally voice piercing through the fog.
My eyes zeroed in on her approaching from across the room, her arms open wide. “Carly!!” She was a beautiful woman for sure, but her style was as awful as her personality. In a gold, sparkly, boat neck dress and heels, she looked more like a 1980’s pop star than the country girl she really was. “Oh my goodness, Carly! When you called and said you had an accident, I was so worried about you!” She cried out in mock concern.
There was something strangely off about her. She was being NICE. It was very strange. Christy was never nice. She always had an ulterior motive. Her actions drove me in to high alert as I smiled a fake smile.
“It’s been so long, Carly! But I’m glad that you made it in one piece! Come, let’s get you reacquainted with everyone.” She continued, her sickly sweetness dripping into every word as she led me into the living room. The same room that I had seen from the outside I was now engulphed in. Sweat began to prickle my armpits as I was passed around like a baby at a party.
“Oh, you’re so pretty, Carly, you’ve grown so much since I last saw you.” Said one old woman. Maybe an aunt?
“Wish you hadn’t defaced your body with all those tattoos, dear.” Said another.
I smiled and nodded. It wasn’t worth commenting or answering. These people didn’t know me and I certainly didn’t give two shits about their opinions. Didn’t make it any easier, though. Especially since Christy seemed to enjoy it.
Finally, after ridiculous amounts of small talk, it was time for dinner. Naturally, Christy had place cards. She had seated me in between my father’s older spinster sister and some random cousin who talked incessantly about her quilting project for the church bazaar. It was the weirdest Thanksgiving table I’d ever had the misery to be seated at and she seemed to notice my discomfort and revel in it.
“All good there, Carly?” She grinned as I scowled right back at her.
And why all these people were there made absolutely zero sense to me. Clearly all part of Christy’s plan, though. My stomach turned as I smiled and nodded silently, pretending to give two shit’s about quilting. The only bright point was the hearty squash soup and green salad that was placed before me. Food helped give my neighbors the opportunity to stop jabbering. Not wanting to stick out, I forced it down despite being super full from my previous dinner just a few hours earlier.
“Carly, some help, please?” My sister snapped at me out of nowhere as she stood and began clearing plates.
“Uh, of course, Christy.” I answered. I had been in the middle of chewing a piece of kale. Wasn’t like I was sitting on my ass while she worked for fuck’s sake.
“Today, okay?”
And there she was. Nice Christy could only hold out for so long. Every moment in my sister’s presence solidified my desire to get the hell out of dodge.
As we put away the dishes and prepared the main meal, I stopped her. “Why am I here again, Christy? We both know that I could have been brought in on the reading of Dad’s will virtually. And as for insisting that I attend Thanksgiving. Me being here is not either of our ideas of fun. What the hell is going on with you?” It was just her and I in the kitchen. She could have told me right then and there but instead she shook her head and smiled. “Soon, Carly, you’ll know it all soon, baby sis.”
I sighed. Everything was a procedure to Christy.
“Fine. Whatever, Christy. Pomp and circumstance and all.” I picked up the plates and began to make my way back out to serve the guests that weren’t even mine.