“Please just hear me out,” I say.
She slams her glass down on the table. “No! I don’t want to hear anything about her! Haven’t I made that clear?”
“Pretty clear,” Tyson says, giving me a look.
“But she’s nothing like Ashley. They don’t even speak—”
“I don’t care what she’s like or who she speaks to!” Lainey says. “I don’t want anything to do with her. Or my father. Or anyone he’s related to by blood or by marriage. Why don’t you get that, Hannah? Didn’t you do enough damage in Dallas? You thought another round of rejection would be fun for me?”
“But that’s the thing…. She’s not rejecting you.”
“I don’t care!”
“I’m sorry,” I say, my heart racing.
She stares at me a beat, then says, “I’m not like you, Hannah. I’m not obsessed with this fairy-tale notion of marriage and family. You see where that got you with Grady?”
I know she’s not trying to be mean, but her words are a gut punch.
“And your own mother. Jesus. The shit you put up with simply because you’re related to her…. It’s unfathomable to me.”
“C’mon, Lainey,” Tyson says in a low voice. “You have the right to be upset, but don’t be mean. She said she was sorry.”
I nervously nod.
“Okay, but I’m serious,” Lainey says. “This is the last straw. I just want to have a fun trip, and if you guys aren’t capable of that, tell me now. Please.”
“I am capable of that,” I say. “I promise.”
I look down, feeling ashamed. She’s right. Who am I to say that she should try to have a relationship with her sister? What do I even know about relationships? My mother isn’t speaking to me, and as much as I love my father, I’m not close to him, either.
“I’m sorry,” I say again.
“It’s okay,” Lainey says with a sigh, her voice and expression returning to normal. Her outbursts remind me of summer thunderstorms; they are intense but usually pass as quickly as they come. “I’m sorry if I overreacted.”
“You didn’t overreact,” I say, shaking my head. “I understand.”
“Well…maybe she overreacted a little,” Tyson says. He holds his thumb and index finger a centimeter apart.
It lightens the mood somewhat, and I give him a grateful look.
“Shut it, Tyson,” Lainey says.
He holds up his hands, palms out, with a slight smirk on his face. “Sorry. I’ll be quiet.”
“Good,” Lainey says, rolling her eyes.
She then switches gears, announcing that she’s going to discuss dinner options with our concierge, Alessandro—a handsome man with whom she’s already been flirting.
She gets up, grabs her Aperol spritz from the table, and marches back inside.
I look at Tyson with a rueful expression.
“I warned you,” he says with a shrug.
“I know. You were right.”
“What are you and Olivia even texting about?” he asks.
“Lots of stuff,” I say. “I really like her. I feel like I’ve made a new friend.”
Tyson gives me a skeptical look. “Okay,” he says. “Just be careful. I’d really like to avoid another blowup on this trip.”
Chapter 15
Lainey
After the fiasco in Dallas, I seriously can’t believe Hannah would reach out to Olivia. Especially when I made it crystal clear how I felt. At the same time, I feel a little guilty for blowing up at her, especially at such a fragile point in her own life. I excuse myself, explaining that I’m going to go work on our dinner reservation with our concierge.
I find Alessandro at his desk.
“Good evening, Miss Lawson,” he says.
“Good evening, Alessandro,” I say, sitting in the chair across from him. “Please call me Lainey!”
“As you wish, Lainey,” he says, giving me a nod that reminds me of a royal bow. “How might I assist you this evening?”
“My friends and I were wondering if you could recommend a restaurant for dinner. Something casual—and nearby. We’re starving.”
