“I think the car has stopped,” she says softly between kisses, and I nod.
“Da,” I answer before kissing her once again.
She laughs, pressing her hands to my chest, and I lean back to look at her. “Let’s go get the food before it gets cold.”
I sigh and kiss her again quickly because I don’t want to stop. But then I sit up and open the door and then help her out of the car. I still have her hand in mine, and she smiles as we enter the restaurant. When we go in, I tell them the name, and everyone scrambles to help us carry it out.
“Damn, Pumpkin wasn’t lying when she said it was a lot of food.”
“I’m hungry,” I say to her, squeezing her ass hard.
She laughs as we exit, but then the sound is drowned out by the shrill voice of the woman in front of me.
“Frost, oh my gosh, of course I would run into you here. We were just heading into Pierre’s,” Chel says as she steps forward. I see my mother behind her, and I’m so busy scowling at her that I don’t realize Chel has run up and put her arms around me.
I can’t move fast enough and feel her lips on my cheek as I stumble back and try to get out of the way. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cookie watching the exchange with narrowed eyes.
“Darling, it’s good you’re here. Chel and I are going over themes for the engagement party and the groom really should be present,” my mother says, her voice as cold as ice.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up because suddenly this all feels planned. How did she know I would be here at this exact moment?
Cookie rushes past me and into the back of the car. I push away from Chel and my mother, desperate to get to Cookie.
“If you get in this car, I will leave and take a taxi home,” Cookie warns.
I stare at the hurt in her eyes and the wall she’s building even as I try to plead with her.
“This is not what you think. You must talk to your sister. She knows the truth.”
“Oh, I plan on it,” she spits as her hurt morphs into anger. “But I won’t chance another moment where you can put your hands on me.”
She gets into the car and slams the door, and as much as I want to rush in after her, I think of Pumpkin and her words. She told me to be patient and to not push Cookie. That the more I push her to be with me, the harder she will fight against it. Although it pains me, I don’t stop the car as it pulls away from the curb, and I stand there on the sidewalk watching it go.
“What have you done?” The question doesn’t come from me but from my mother.
I turn around and see her watching the entire exchange with a smug smile. She lifts a shoulder as she walks closer, and I begin to shake with rage.
“If you don’t start playing by my rules, someone is going to get hurt.”
With that, she takes Chel by the arm and begins to talk excitedly about party plans as they enter the restaurant.Chapter 5Cookie“Where is Frost?” my sister asks as the driver helps me get all the food from the car. I hear her mumble something about Frost needing Christmas lights on his house as we go back inside.
I have the strange urge to know what the inside of his home looks like even though I want to smack him. I can’t help but wonder which side of Frost is reflected in his home. Would it be simple and without clutter, or would it be decorated? Of course, an unwanted longing to be the woman who gets to do that hits me hard. Even while I’m mad at him, I still have these thoughts.
“He ran into someone. I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” I’m actually not sure if that’s a lie or not. I was surprised he didn’t force his way into the car but instead stayed behind.
“Ran into who?”
I shrug, not really wanting to talk about it right now. Mom and Dad are here so this isn't the time.
Why is it that Frost telling me to talk to my sister makes me not want to? I think it’s spite. I’m just being petty. It doesn’t matter right now anyway because our parents are here and everyone wants to eat.
“The food is getting cold,” I remind her.
She stares at me for a long minute, but then Mom comes in the kitchen and gives me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Little does she know she saved me from an interrogation.
“Did you order the whole restaurant, Pumpkin?” Mom says with a laugh as we start to open everything and get it placed on the table. Normally I love family dinners and how Mom and Dad have kept so many traditions alive. Now Pumpkin is doing the same, and it’s so special.