“She’s worse.” I zip up my suitcase. “Okay, I gotta go. I’m having dinner with Mom soon. Are you still picking me up at the airport tomorrow morning?”
“Yup.”
“Thanks. Love you. See you tomorrow,” I tell him.
I’m very much looking forward to the next three days. I haven’t been to the lake all summer because Mom’s been monopolizing my time. She’s panicking about me moving to Tennessee full-time, which also happens to be where the family lake house is located. The big, rustic home is owned by my dad and his two brothers, and we all take turns using the place.
This weekend, it’s going to be me, Danny and our two cousins. Danny and I are the only siblings in the Larkin family, while Anna and Carter are both only children. We were the fierce foursome growing up, all of us close in age. Since Danny leaves for Spain next month, this is the last chance for the cousins to spend some time with him before he goes.
The rest of the evening passes with me in a great mood. Mom and I grab sushi at a place downtown and I’m in bed by eleven o’clock, all packed and ready for my seven a.m. flight. Hell, I even make it to the airport on time the next morning, a rare feat since I’m perpetually late.
And I swear some higher power is smiling down on me, because not only are there no lines at the airport, but there’s nobody in the middle seat on the plane, so me and the man in the aisle have extra arm room. I can’t complain about anything. Even the airplane food is good. I mean, come on.
All these amazing things? Yeah, they should’ve been my first sign that doom was on the horizon. Because no airport visit ever goes this smoothly. And no flight is ever this uneventful.
It was too good to be true. A gloomy realization that dawns the moment we land and I switch my phone off airplane mode.
The messages waste no time flooding in.
The first one is from Anna. My cousin broke her ankle while taking a photograph at an outdoor fountain, proving once and for all that social media is dangerous. She spent the morning getting X-rayed and having a cast put on.
Needless to say, she’s not coming.
The next one is from my other cousin Carter. He got called in to work this weekend. He’s an aide for a congresswoman in Texas, and apparently there’s some huge crisis involving campaign funds and possible foot photos, whatever the hell that means. Since his life’s goal is to climb the political ladder, Carter is happy to take advantage of every crisis.
Needless to say, he’s not coming.
And then, the pièce de résistance, the text from the traitor himself. My brother, Daniel Larkin.
Hey, so much crazy shit happening this morning!! A and C bailed. They’ll text you the deets.
Followed by:
I was packing up the car at the ranch and texting with Nick, and he was like, why let those extra rooms go to waste? Figured you wouldn’t mind (since there’s a ton of space now), so I invited Nick.
Followed by:
And Michelle.
2
I’m fuming as I exit the gate. I didn’t check any baggage, so I sling my oversized purse over my shoulder and roll my little suitcase behind me. I furiously pull up my brother’s chat thread, but I have so much to say I end up calling him instead.
It goes right to voicemail.
Coward.
I stop, lean against a concrete pillar, and type out a tirade of text. It involves things like “I can’t believe you did this!” and “How could you!”
This was supposed to be a family event. Yes, our cousins bailed, but he could have kept it a brother/sister weekend. It’s not like Danny and I have been able to spend any quality time together since he went to college. This could have been a nice opportunity for us.
I finish with, “How could you invite your best friend and your horrible girlfriend? Unforgiveable!”
Then I angrily press send and keep walking.
When I near the doors, I stop again. Suddenly realizing I have no idea how I’m getting to the house. It’s an hour’s drive, and Anna was supposed to pick me up.
Wonderful. In the three measly hours I was in the air, my cousins bailed, Danny betrayed me, and I’ve been stranded at the airport.
I ought to turn around and get back on the plane. That would serve Danny right. I mean, I cannot fucking believe he invited Michelle. That’s bad enough. But Nick? Seriously?
The only person I fight with more than my brother is Nick Carmichael. The guy is just so obnoxious. He’s been Danny’s best friend since his family moved to our little Utah suburb when Danny was twelve and I was ten. And those two boys used to torment me. Like, putting frogs under my pillow and pushing me fully clothed into the pool kind of torment. Then they became teenagers and ignored me altogether. Or at least Danny did. Nick got off on teasing me, and still does.
I swear, I’ve never met a more arrogant guy. Or a more good-looking one. Because, of course, only insanely hot, drop-dead-gorgeous men can get away with possessing that level of arrogance. Their good looks are like a hall pass for any and all assholery. So yeah, Nick is the entire tall, dark and handsome package. Muscular arms and stupid quarterback body. Cocky smile. My friends used to go nuts for him. They’d come over asking if Danny and Nick were home, which got real annoying after a while. Luckily, my closest friend Chelsea is into girls, so I didn’t have to worry about losing her to the boy side. She was my only friend who didn’t fawn over Nick.
I don’t know what’s worse—if Danny had invited only Michelle and made me the third wheel, or what he ended up doing: creating this sick little foursome and serving Nick up as my companion.
As I leave the airport, my finger hovers over my phone screen. For a second I hesitate. What do I do? Ride share? Book a flight home?
The decision is taken out of my hands when I hear, “Poodle!”
Oh, fuck him.
Glaring, I turn to find Nick leaning against the beat-up blue Jeep that my family always leaves at the house. His use of my “nickname” grates on my last nerve. Its origins are so fucking embarrassing and he knows I hate it. His smile widens when he sees my scowl.
“What are you doing here?” I demand.
“Picking you up. What does it look like?”
“Looks like you’re striking a pose against the car like some douchey Abercrombie and Fitch model.” In his cargo shorts, green polo, and sunglasses, he really does look like he stepped out of a boating catalogue.
“A model, huh? Always knew you secretly thought I was hot.” He flashes that smile again, revealing his perfect teeth. Then he lifts the sunglasses to the top of his head and I get a view of his mocking brown eyes and chiseled face. His looks are so insulting.
His gaze does a sweep of me, up and down. Despite myself, I feel my cheeks heat up. “What?” I grumble.
“Did you spend your gap year at a homeless encampment?” he asks pleasantly.
I’m scowling again. “Hilarious.”
Nick tips his head, once again studying my outfit. I’m wearing black leggings that reach my ankles and a baggy, long-sleeve button-down. “You know we’re going to the lake, right? And that it’s like ninety-five degrees out?”
“I get cold on planes,” I mutter before staring at the Jeep. The top is down, so it’s clear to see my brother isn’t hiding in there somewhere. “Are Danny and Michelle already at the house?”