Page 133 of Faking it For Summer

“Dad, honestly, it’s too little, too late. You have let Rex become a horrible human being—and why? Just because he lived out your glory days as a football star? He’s horrible. He’s been horrible to me. He’s been horrible to his fiancée. He’s done everything in his power to dismantle our family’s company. It’s not cool, Dad. You didn’t teach us to be this way. Granddad didn’t teach us to be this way.”

His dad looks down at the table. “You’re right. I’ve failed you both.”

Rex shakes his head. “I can’t believe this bullshit.” He holds his hand out, and Andi just stares at him.

“What?” Her voice is light, and for a moment, I think she’s hoping that he will beg her to forgive him. That he will say he can’t live without her.

“Well, you said it’s over, right? I want the ring back. That cost me twenty grand.” My jaw cannot drop any lower.

“You’re not going to let me keep the ring?”

“No. Didn’t you just hear? My family’s fucking broke. I need that twenty grand.” He looks over at Luke. “Unless you think that you’re willing to lend me two hundred grand to start a new business.”

“Not in a billion years.” Luke snorts. His eyes catch mine for a moment, and I smile at him.

“I think I’m going to go to India.” Everyone looks at Rex in shock.

“What? Why India? You going to harass more women?” I say loudly, then cover my mouth quickly.

“I have never harassed a woman in my life. In fact, I’ve been harassed.”

“Stop lying to yourself, Rex.” I cross my arms. “No way you think any of us are buying that?”

“You know what? This shit is stressing me out. I’ve had a really long couple of months. The reason why the wedding invites and everything happened so quickly was that it was a fucking shotgun wedding,” he says, looking around like he’s looking for pity. I’m glad no one is coming to his rescue. “And you weren’t even fucking pregnant. You tried to trap me, but you tried to trap the wrong one, bitch.”

“Enough!” both Luke and their dad shout, and Rex blanches.

Luke walks over to him and stares into his brother’s eyes with contempt. “You’re disgusting. You know that? You are fucking disgusting.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be the golden boy like you, Luke.”

I want to laugh because, for his entire life, Luke thought Rex was the golden boy, only to find out he was the golden boy all along.

I knew it. I’ve always known it, but he allowed Rex and his father’s treatment of him to make him feel like he wasn’t good enough, when all along he was too good.

I step forward and grab Luke’s hand. “You’re a jerk, Rex. But I already told you that. And, Andi, I don’t really know why you were marrying him, but I’m really glad that you’re walking away before making the worst decision of your life.”

She sniffles. “I know. I was listening to Talia because she told me it would be really great if I married him, but she’s—” Sheshakes her head. “I think she just wanted to show me that she could have any man she wanted, and she wanted mine.”

“Well, this is kind of awkward,” Rex says as his phone starts beeping, “but I have to go right now.” He grins as he holds his phone up. “Nine-one-one.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“I just got a message, and someone needs to see me. So, you guys good?”

“You’re seriously going to leave right now?” Luke sounds angrier than I’ve ever heard him sound in his life.Knock him out, Luke,I want to shout, but I abhor violence normally, plus I don’t want his entire family to hate me. I can’t imagine his mother crying any more than she is now.

“It seems like I’m not needed in the family business. My engagement is over, and, well, I’ve given enough of my life to Coconut Beach.”

“You’re not going to be a grownup about this?” Luke sounds so disappointed. “You can’t just leave.”

“I can. I need to find some flights to India.” Rex closes his eyes and hums loudly.

“Is he losing it?” I whisper to Luke, who just stares at his brother in disbelief.

“I need to take some yoga classes, man. I need to learn how to chill and relax. This stress is going to make me have a heart attack. Plus, Talia said she knows this yogi that?—”

Andi bursts into tears at his words, and I watch as she slides the ring off her finger and throws it at him.