Page 82 of Big Stick Energy
“No.” He hugs me a little more tightly. “No, I was the kid brother. I wasn’t invited.”
We stand there for a long beat, both of us miserable for different reasons now. I listen to Eric’s strong heart beating beneath my ear, and it’s the most comforting sound I can think of right now.
Why did you come?Tessa asked me. This is a question I’d avoided asking myself. It’s like asking—why do you keep banging your head into that wall, Darcy?Do you expect it to stop hurting at some point?
“Come on,” Eric says, grasping my hand. “Let’s walk up the beach and pick a spot with nobody nearby. We deserve a break from the Wedding Experience.”
Chapter 29
Bad News About the Green Bikini
Eric
I follow Darcy back to our beach chair. Maybe she can feel the way I’m eyeing the swing of her hips, because she gives me an arch look over her shoulder before I can sit down. “I have bad news about the green bikini.”
“What?” I pull up short and grab my chest. “I don’t think you understand. The green bikini is incapable of letting me down.”
She looks up at the cloudless sky. “I’ve had about forty minutes of sun already, and sunblock only goes so far. A redhead has to cover up. Or else I’ll look like a lobster tomorrow. And on the off chance that my family includes me in any of the wedding photos…” She shrugs.
It kills me that her fucking family treats her like an outsider. That’s not a problem I can solve. But the sunburn is. “You need to get out of the sun.”
She reaches for her beach bag. “I have a lot of SPF clothing in here. I’m used to this.”
“I’ve got a better idea. Come on.” I shove my feet into my shoes. “Come with me.”
“But you wanted some sunshine?”
“And I’m gonna get it. Just not here. Follow me.”
I take Darcy’s hand and walk her back inside the hotel. In the elevator, I hit the button for the penthouse floor. “We’ll hang out on your terrace. I saw an umbrella out there.”
“But the beach…”
“I’m still at the beach, Kendrick.”
Upstairs, she unlocks the room, and I march right out to the terrace and start rearranging the furniture. “Check the mini fridge? Did the Diamond Member get a refill on drinks and snacks?”
Darcy heads inside, emerging a few minutes later with some drinks and a bowl of giant strawberries. I’ve set up our two lounge chairs side by side, with one of them shielded by the umbrella, and the other not.
It’s glorious up here. Sunlight glints off the distant waves, and there are zero annoying family members in sight.
“You’re a genius,” she says.
“Nope. In spite of what our families think, it’s not actually that hard to give everybody what they need.”
She gives me a funny little smile, and together we relax on our respective chairs. The green bikini is on full display, and after a few strawberries and some seltzer water, I nod off to the sound of the surf and seagulls’ calls on the breeze.
When I wake up half an hour later, Darcy is lying on her tummy, her chair reclined. She’s flipping contentedly through a magazine.
“How much time do we have until the wedding rehearsal starts?” I ask lazily.
“Two hours,” she says. “Technically, we’re not required to go to the rehearsal, just the dinner.”
“I need to stop by to make sure my father turns up, because I promised Maribel I would give her away if my parents get squirrely.”
“Oh.” She gives me a soft look. “That’s really nice of you.”
“Being there for Maribel is the simplest thing in the world. I wish my mother could see that.”
