Triplets Make Five

He kept his voice to a low rumble, and he hissed through his teeth “You think you can come in here and fuck my little sister? You son of a bitch! I’ll kill you for this.”

“Charlie!” I stammered. “I never....”

“Shut up, you prick! You back-stabber!” His face quivered all over in blind rage. “I just saw you outside. I just saw you bone my sister through that window over there. I never should have invited you to this wedding. I never should have trusted you. I should have known you would do something like this.”

I thought fast. “Listen, Charlie, it’s not what you think.”

“Stay away from my sister!” he snapped. “Stay away from her, or I’ll have you arrested. Do you hear me?”

He turned on his heel and stormed off, back to the hall.

18

Victoria

How I got through the whole wedding ceremony without jumping Brady in front of everybody, I’ll never know. It’s a good thing I couldn’t see him, or I probably would have. That quickie behind the flower hedge at the rehearsal dinner was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced—just enough of a tease to whet my whistle but not enough to really satisfy.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him walking down the aisle. Was he thinking about getting his hands on me? His eyes swept up and down my dress, but he gave nothing away. He kept his expression straight and composed. He looked so big and impressive in his tux. He dwarfed everyone in the line-up of groomsmen.

I lost sight of him during the ceremony. The celebrant talked all about a lifetime commitment and giving of yourself to your partner to get the most out of marriage. Would Brady and I ever have that? Could he make that commitment?

I would love to spend my life with him. I would love to give myself to make his burden lighter. I would love to be a soft place for him to fall in the storms of life. The celebrant made that sound so noble and grand. She made it sound like the greatest thing anybody could ever do.

After the ceremony and all the toasts and the cake and dancing and everything, the crowd of relatives and friends started to cut loose. The band switched to lively dance music, and people started tying one on. They let their inhibitions go, and I had a hankering to let mine go the way we did yesterday.

I prowled around the bar and the punch bowl and the cluster of groomsmen. No Brady anywhere. Where could he disappear to? I searched the whole venue more than once. I scanned every face, but couldn’t find him.

I caught sight of him talking to Charlie, but by the time I got over there to intercept him, Brady vanished into the crowd. I swear I saw him glance my way, and when he noticed me approaching, he broke off his conversation and made some excuse to drift off.

Did I really see that, or did I just imagine it? What reason could he have to avoid me like that? Did I do something to offend him? If I did, I would hope he would tell me instead of just walking away.

After that, I found it even harder to pin him

down. I didn’t see him anywhere, and when I did, he always managed to give me the slip. I looked so long I started to see him in other people. I would get so excited that I finally found him. Then the person would turn around, and my heart would fall into my shoes.

I almost gave up in despair when I spotted a pair of square shoulders near the buffet. That had to be him. No one dominated the crowd like he did, and I couldn’t mistake that thatch of curly hair if I were blind.

I strode up to him and laid my hand on his shoulder. Just touching him excited me. Where would we go? What would we do? What position would he use this time? How many different ways would he do me before he slipped away into the crowd? Would he take me back to his place? Would he find somewhere close, someplace to sneak off for a quick one?

He turned around, and when I saw the expression on his face, my blood ran cold. He didn’t fix me with that smoldering glare of ravenous desire. He looked right through me. I might as well not exist. “Hello, Victoria. Have you tried this antipasto? You should. It’s excellent.”

Then, in front of my eyes, he strolled out to the dance floor. He walked up to Helena and started talking to her. He laughed and joked and chatted with her like I wasn’t even there. I blinked, but I couldn’t make my mind comprehend what just happened. He did NOT just ask me if I tried the antipasto. He did NOT walk away from me to go hit on Helena.

Is this what I dreamed about all these weeks? Is this what he had in mind when he promised me the moon in Vegas? He made up a big story about us being together, about raising this baby and loving each other, and now he turned his back on me again.

I couldn’t face him snubbing me like that again. I spun away on my heel and stomped off toward the coat room. I had to get out of there. I couldn’t bear the humiliation of being dumped at my own brother’s wedding. I almost got to the coat room when Sam rushed up to me. “Come on, Victoria! Charlie and Mandy are leaving. We’re all going outside to send them off.”

I got swept up in a rush to send off the bride and groom. The limo purred up to the entrance. The photographers snapped more pictures of the big moment. Charlie and Mandy hugged everybody and waved. They even hugged me. I plastered a big smile on my face so they wouldn’t see me dying inside. In a few seconds, this would be over, and I could disappear into the blackest depression of my life.

Mandy hugged me so many times she dampened my dress with her tears. I shoved her toward the limo. “Go on. Get out of here.”

She laughed and cried and waved. Finally, after way too long, she got in, and the limo drove away. All the guests hung around the entrance to watch the limo out of sight. The instant it vanished around the first corner, I stormed back inside on a beeline for the coat room. I wouldn’t stick around to watch everybody fall all over each other in an orgy of drunken ecstasy.

I strode down the hall and grabbed my coat. I didn’t have my own car here, but I could walk a few blocks away and either catch a bus or hail a cab. No need to stand on ceremony. When I noticed a bunch of people still hanging around the entrance, I headed for the back door. I got my hand on the handle when a rough voice called out, “Victoria, wait!”

I didn’t have to turn around to recognize who it was. Brady rushed up to me all out of breath. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

I whirled around to face him. I hated him right then. I could slap him for hurting me like that. “Well, you found me.”