The Wedding Date

Chapter Thirteen

Amelia

I returned to the bar and ordered a drink, while I waited for it to be made I dashed to the bathroom to wash my face. On my way back I had the pleasure of running into Ann who was followed shortly by Cheyenne.

"Where did Priest run off to so fast?" She asked flashing me a dirty look flipping her hair. "I thought we were just starting to have some fun."

"So much fun he ran off on you?" I asked flashing her a wicked grin my voice dripping with mock sweetness. The cocky look on her face soured. I didn't miss a beat as I spoke to her walking past her and turning to look at her as I spoke. "Maybe your definition of fun is just different from his."

"Is that why Skyler ran from you? No fun, in the bedroom?" She retorted. The last sentence gave me pause, stopping me in my tracks. What the f**k is that supposed to mean? What does she know?

She flipped her hair and walked away before I had time to respond. Cheyenne smirked at me as if Anne had actually hurt my feelings. I flipped her the bird smiling wide. The shock on her face made me laugh aloud. f*****g suck on it.

Standing at the bar I was found by Lizzie.

"How's your night going?" She asked slurring her words and leaning on Colton for support. I could tell before she even spoke she was drunk.

"Not as good as yours." I told her reaching my arms out I took her from Colton. Her limbs intertwined with mine, she layed her head on my bare shoulder letting out a heavy sigh. Her hair splayed over her face.

"I am having a good night." she giggled. I brushed her hair away from her face nodding.

Suddenly Lizzie sat up as if realizing something urgent. She brought her face inches away from my ear.

"Did Jack Priest make you cry?" She whispered loudly. I looked up to see if Colton had heard her, to see that he had started up a conversation with one of the other groomsmen. The one I hadn't met yet. A twin, Lizzie had told me.

"No." I told her softly shaking my head. That information took a few seconds to process in her mind.

"S-should we just leave?" She asked me. "If you want Amelia, we can go!"

"Amelia?" A voice called suddenly. We both turned to look to see who had called my name. Standing a few feet from us was my sister Abbey.

"Hey, can we talk?" She asked. I knodded untangling myself from Lizzie, I passed her back to Colton.

"Don't leave without me." I told him looking him directly in the eye. He knodded and graciously took back a stumbling Lizzie. "I won't be long."

We went back to the dining hall where I had just had a confrontation with my mother, minutes before. Abbey sat and immediately put her head in her hand elbows on the table.

"I swear, every time we talked about our dream weddings when we were young I never actually considered how stressful something like this might actually be!" My sister had always been the more mellow out of the two of us, always so care free it seemed. Now, she looked like her head was ready to explode. I knew she was just trying to break the ice but, after the last time I had seen her it was hard to form words to have a normal conversation with her.

"I can only imagine." I commented. It was all I could manage. I don't care about the wedding right now.

"Mother told me what happened." she said finally pulling her face from her hands to look at me. Her hands folded and stayed on the surface of the table.

"Did she?" I asked. Though I had been blinded to my own mother's disregard for me, I had always known the type of woman she was. The same type of woman I had been before I had been attacked. The type to insult you to your face and smile about it.

"We were raised by the same woman. I can tell when she's lying. And I know you must still be so heartbroken about what happened that night." Her voice cracked and tears began to well in her eyes. I instantly straightened in my chair. I had never seen my sister cry. I was always the more emotional but, Abbey was like stone. She didn't even cry when our dog Sadie had to be put down. I decided not to move to touch her or speak, I wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I am so so sorry not only for what happened to you that night but, for my behavior." She held my gaze as a single tear spilled over and ran down her cheek. "I know that everything I could possibly say is going to sound like an excuse but, I'd really like to try if you'd let me."

A lump was welling up in my throat. I knodded.

"I just, I need you to understand, Amelia. I've never been as smart like you, never as pretty as you, never talented like you. And mother made that clear to me from a young age. Damien is my only chance at having a good life. Ever since I was thirteen years old it's been 'I heard Damien doesn't like girls who chatter,' and 'Damien would never want a girl who acts so foolishly'. My entire life, mother made him my goal. I finally met him and he was everything I could have possibly hoped for." She paused and let out a soft sob.

"It was like everything was going so perfectly. Not only was I finally going to be able to make mother happy, I was also going to marry into the same family as you. I was going to get to spend every day together with you. Just like when we were kids." She paused again to grab a napkin from the table to dab her cheeks.

"That night I was just so terrified, Amelia. I was so afraid that everything mother had made me work for, every sacrifice I had made, was for nothing. If you had pressed charges that night, the repercussions to the Ames Group would have been catastrophic. I knew that Damien would leave me if my sister did something like that to his brother. I was just so scared." She spoke fast and rushed as her sobs came faster with each sentence she managed to get out. I jumped from my seat and rushed over to her. I wrapped my arms around her, tears rolling down my cheeks. I had experienced first hand the kind of pressure my mother could put on a young girl. The last six months had made me realize how much of my personality then, had just been what I mirrored watching my mother. I would have done just about anything to please her at one point.

"I forgive you." I whispered to her. The words left my lips and it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I sobbed softly for a few long moments holding my sister before we finally pulled apart sniffling.

"So anyway," I said dramatically whiping the tears from my face making her laugh. We laughed for a couple moments.

"So anyway," She said recovering from the roller coaster of emotions. "How has Jamaica been for you so far?"

"It's been good so far." I replied.

"How is it being paired with Jack Priest?" She asked wiggling her eyebrows at me. I couldn't say why it gave me a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why ask about him?

"It's been fine. He seems like a nice guy." I told her my tone dismissive. For some reason talking about him made my heart rate picked up a little.

"That's all? Just fine?" She asked.

"That's all." I told her tone flat. I knew what she wanted, her daily dose of gossip. She'd have to look else where, I wasn't about to fuel up that machine.

"Well, I really should be getting back. The entire Ames family is waiting for me in the next room." she flashed me a smile as she stood to go.

"I'll see you at the next event?" I asked.

"Hmmm I don't know. I sprayed my ankle a few weeks ago. I'm not sure I want to risk reinjuring it right before the wedding." she replied headed back out through the door and into the main corridor.

"Well if you won't be there, I might sit it out as well." I said following behind her.

"Oh no, please! You should go!" She said reaching out and grabbing my hand, we both paused.

"Why?" I asked.

She scanned around us to make sure no one was listening before she whispered. "You really should spend some time with Jack. It might be a good opportunity for you."

I felt my stomach turn. A good opportunity? What is that even supposed to mean?

"If I decide I want to spend more time with Jack that is my prerogative. And it definitely won't be because I think he's a good opportunity. " I told her tone even. She looked at me with wide eyed before saying. At one point that had been how I had seen people too. What did I have to gain from them?

"Well I should be going. I'll see you soon." she said with a smile. She did not even stop to hear my response just turned and left.

I guess somethings will never change. I thought to myself. Skyler is no longer an option so of course they would try to push another man on me. The thing that really had me puzzled was... Why Jack? I had heard the rumors about a falling out between him and my father. I could see the way the party goers ignored him like he had some infectious condition. Like he's on his way out. They smell it on him like sharks. So, why pair me with him?

I stood there thinking on the possibilities for a few minutes. They think if I end up marrying him, it will bring us both back into the fold, don't they?

One thing is for sure, I need to get closer to Jack and find out what's really going on here.