“Well, what happened? What did she want with me?” she asks anxiously.
I’m going to have to tell another fucking lie.
“She really wasn’t making any sense. She seemed hopped up on something. I told her to leave.” I pull out my cellphone so I don’t have to look at her. I can’t look her right in the eye and lie to her.
“Well maybe you should have let me talk to her,” she says, nudging me. She does it again until I look directly at her. Her hazel eyes won’t let go of mine. I don’t want to lie to her again, but I can’t lose her. If I told her now I’d lose her.
“Look. She wasn’t making any sense. She probably pulled your name off an article of some event we’ve been to with Dexter. You have to be careful about just anyone trying to see you. When you’re associated with the Crestfields, people see dollar signs and will sell you any sob story thinking you can write them a check. Most people have some type of agenda and I’m sure she did but she won’t be back. You can’t just trust anybody now, okay?” I feel like shit. A crock of bullshit, but it sounds like it makes sense, but she knows me and she’s not buying it. I grab her hand and she sighs and nods just a little bit. She wants to believe me, but she’s not stupid.
“Okay,” she says simply, but it’s forced and hesitant and she pulls her hand from mine and folds them in her lap. She’s thinking, she knows this doesn’t add up.
“Mr. Scott, your car is here,” one of the car attendants informs us.
“Thanks,” I tell him, standing. I wait for Lauren to do the same, and she doesn’t.
“You’re coming right?” I say jokingly but in all honesty I don’t know if she’s coming. She glares at me and rolls her eyes before following the attendant.
This is going to be a long fucking night.
Engagement Party Checklist
Ridiculously large banquet hall, check.
Overly expensive food, check.
Hundreds of people you don’t give a shit about telling you congratulations, check.
Pissed off and annoyed fiancé, check and check.
She knows something is up. She wouldn’t talk to me in the car, she keeps moving when I try to touch her and it’s killing me. My gratefulness to Gwen has expired. Why the fuck would she come here? How dare she show up at my house, threatening to tell my fiance about my past? It’s the past, our future doesn’t include them, nothing before her matters.
Fucking Dexter had to have told her I was engaged, and to show up the day of my engagement party? If Gwen had talked to Lauren, everything would be ruined. My life would be ruined. She’s never looked at me the way she is now. With…distrust, like she she’s seeing me for another person. I don’t want her to look at me like, like I’m the villain, she’s never done that before.
Since we’ve been here she’s been distant and quiet. This is the first time I’ve ever had to flat out tell her a lie.
We both plastered smiles on our faces as we greet a bunch of people we don’t even fucking know. This was all Helen and Dexter’s idea. We shouldn’t even be here, but Lauren lit up at the idea of a big engagement party. Dex didn’t spare any expense, taking the title of best man and running with it. I can’t wait until I get to talk to him about his little game, sending Gwen the day of my engagement party.
“A toast, to an invaluable part of Crestfield Industries, my friend who I consider my family. Cal Scott and his beautiful future wife Lauren.” Everyone raises their glasses and toasts to us. She looks over at me and we kiss, but it’s different. There’s always been something behind it, pushing its way out of both of us, but right now it seems like she’s pulling instead of pushing. The applause roars throughout the room as glasses clink and pictures are taken. I don’t give a shit about any of it if Lauren isn’t feeling this. I lean over and whisper in her ear.
“Love you babe.” She smiles at me but it’s weak.
“I love you too.” It’s dry and half-hearted.
Before I can call her on it, Lauren’s aunt Raven and her best friends are near us.
“You look so beautiful honey,” her aunt says. “Cal, extremely dashing as always,” she adds, squeezing my shoulder. I wink at her and she blushes. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear this lady had a crush on me.
“How much did they drop on this? I feel like if I drop a plate I’d be out of a car,” Angela teases.
“What’s wrong L?” Hillary asks, eyeing me suspiciously. Hillary and I didn’t get off on the right foot but I like her now. She really loves Lauren and is protective of her; I can’t fault her for that even if she acts like a whore.
“Nothing, everything’s fine,” she replies meekly. Everything isn’t fine and I know exactly who’s to blame.
“I’m going to go talk to Dex,” I say, excusing myself and heading over to Dexter and Helen. I didn’t get a chance to really talk to him since Lauren and I arrived almost thirty minutes into the dinner.
“Excuse me,” Dex says to a flock of buzzards who are only here for a stab at his wallet. I throw my arm over his shoulder as a friendly gesture when I want to pull him into a choke hold.
“Talk to Gwen lately?” I ask, once we’re far enough away from the crowd.
“I did,” he says simply.
“What’d you tell her?” I ask, smiling tightly.
“I may have mentioned that I was attending your engagement dinner today."
“What the fuck is your problem?" I say, crossing my arms to keep from punching him in the face.
“I didn’t know your engagement was confidential,” he retorts smugly.
“She could have told Lauren everything Dex, and now she thinks something is up. She’s distant at our fucking engagement party.”
“Well it’s about time,” he adds with a grin. I scowl at him.
“Tell her the truth,” he says, looking me squarely in the eye, “I don’t want this blowing up in our faces later.”
“Nothing’s going to blow up if you let me handle it. Helen and I are handling it, stop running your fucking mouth,” I warn him.
“I think you should consider whom you’re talking to Cal,” he says adjusting his cufflinks.
“The great Dexter Crestfield. I don’t give a shit. You’re supposed to be my friend, you’re not my mentor or my daddy.”
“Then stop acting like a child!” he says, stepping closer to me. I’m a little surprised.
“This can go very badly for all of us. You know who, is going to get involved then. I’m trying to keep him out of it,”
“I’m not afraid of your father,” I laugh.
“Well you should be.”
“Why would he care about who the hell I marry?”
“Because you’re adding another person to the equation who you have to trust.”
“She doesn’t know anything,” I retort.
“Which means that you don’t think that you can trust her. So, if you can’t trust her to even tell her the truth about yourself, can you trust her with anything else?”