Edge of Love

by E. L. Todd

  At the time, I was embarrassed that Sue revealed the truth about the plane incident, but now I thought it was just funny. Scarlet and I were spontaneous and passionate. What was wrong with that? If we were married, would it have made it any more acceptable? I knew Scarlet was frightened of damaging her reputation, but I didn’t understand what the big deal was. She and I enjoyed sex. What’s the big deal? Any guy would kill to be me.

  When the Nissan Infiniti pulled up to the curve, I saw Cortland get out of the driver’s seat. Scarlet looked away from me and her eyes lit up like beacons. She left my arms and dashed to Cortland, jumping in his arms. He picked her up from the ground and held her for a long moment.

  “Safe trip?” he asked.

  “Yes. I missed you.”

  “I just saw you the other day.”

  She hit him on the shoulder. “Why are you and Ryan being assholes? You both missed me. Just admit it.”

  He shrugged. “I’ll take it to my grave.” He looked at me and smiled. “Hey, Sean. You doing okay?” He glanced at Scarlet and rolled his eyes.

  She glared at him.

  I laughed. “Yeah, I survived somehow.” I reached my hand out and shook his.

  Ryan emerged from the passenger seat and Scarlet jumped on him as fast as she could.

  Cortland looked at me. “They are the weirdest siblings I’ve ever known.”

  I nodded. “I’m more worried about her cheating on me with her brother than any other guy.”

  Cortland laughed. “I can see why.”

  Scarlet held onto him for a long time and Ryan returned her embrace. Their relationship was odd and I never understood it, but it was special. Ryan was there for her in a way I could never be. I knew Scarlet had been through a lot and Ryan was her rock. He took care of her when no one else did. I was grateful that she had him. As much as I loved Scarlet and wanted to give her everything she ever needed, I knew I never could. Only Ryan would be able to fill that void in her. And even though Ryan acted indifferent to her, I knew he loved her with just as much intensity. He would die for her. There was no doubt about that.

  Ryan pulled away and looked at Scarlet. “How was your trip?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m so glad to be home.”

  “That bad? What did you do?”

  “What makes you assume that I did something?”

  “Because I know you.”

  She hit him on the shoulder. “Let’s get in the car. I’m freezing.”

  We climbed into the vehicle. I sat in the front seat next to Cortland so Scarlet could sit next to her brother in the back. Now that Scarlet was with her brother, I didn’t exist anymore. She didn’t look at me once. It made me feel slightly jealous.

  Ryan looked at Scarlet. “So what was so horrible about this weekend?”

  She sighed. “Well, Sean’s parents had their neighbors over for dinner and they didn’t like me much.”

  “I can’t imagine why,” Ryan said sarcastically.

  I laughed.

  Scarlet scowled at him.

  Ryan sighed. “Well, what did you do?”

  “Well, it’s a long story, but—”

  “Great,” Ryan said sarcastically.

  She glared at him again before she continued. “Sean and I had sex on the plane on the way to Connecticut, and this old haggard bitch knew what we did and proceeded to glare at me the whole time.”

  Ryan started laughing. “And she was the neighbor?”

  “What are the odds of that?” Scarlet yelled. “She called me a tramp and a whore.”

  Cortland looked at them in the rearview mirror. “Well, she’s dead on.” Cortland smiled at me. “She’s always been a little wild.”

  I raised my eyebrow, unsure of his meaning. “What?”

  He quickly looked away. “I just meant that she’s adventurous.”

  I looked out the window and faced the road.

  She rolled her eyes. “Now Sean’s mom is thoroughly embarrassed of me.”

  Ryan laughed. “Man, that’s hilarious. Only crazy shit happens to you, I swear.”

  She sighed. “I was so glad when we finally left the house.”

  “Poor Sean,” Ryan said.

  “Poor Sean?” Scarlet said incredulously. “How is this bad for him?”

  I laughed. “I couldn’t care in the least if my parents think Scar is a whore.”

  Ryan laughed. “He brings his fiancé home to announce his engagement, but instead its announced that you screw on planes. It’s not very classy.”

  She glared at her brother. “Well, it takes two to tango.”

  Ryan smiled at her. “And we live in a sexist world.”

  She sighed. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Cortland looked at me. “Coming to the apartment?”

  I looked in the backseat and listened to Ryan and Scarlet talk like chipmunks. Her face was so animated while she spoke to him. I just wanted to go home, but I knew she wanted to spend time with her brother. We had only been gone for a weekend but she acted like she hadn’t seen Ryan in a month.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I’m sure Scarlet wants to see Janice.”

  Cortland nodded. He drove off the freeway and entered the city then parked off the street. Cortland and I walked to the building first while Scarlet and Ryan trailed behind us, talking the whole way. When we got inside, I immediately grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down.

  Janice walked down the hallway. “Scarlet?”

  Scarlet turned away from her brother. “Hey, Janice.” They hugged each other.

  “So, how was the announcement?” she asked.

  “Which one?” Ryan asked. “The engagement or the plane fucking?”

  Janice raised an eyebrow.

  Scarlet shook her head. “It’s a long story.”

  They all sat on the couch while Scarlet detailed the events of our horrible weekend. When she explained that my brother kept trying to sleep with her, Ryan looked confused.

  “Wait. Why would Mike start acting like that suddenly? Was he drunk?”

  “No,” Scarlet said. She looked at me, silently asking my permission to reveal my story. I nodded to her. It was going to get out anyway. Scarlet told them the story.

  Ryan looked at me. “You’re such a dog.”

  I shrugged. “I know.”

  “How long is this rivalry going to last?” Ryan asked.

  “I have no idea,” I answered truthfully. “But I’m not worried about it. He would only have Scarlet if he took her by force. I know my brother is an ass, but even he wouldn’t do that.”

  Scarlet nodded. “I don’t think he would either.”

  Ryan stared at her for a moment, making sure she meant what she said.

  She understood his underlying meaning. “Sean would never let anything happen to me, Ryan.”

  That seemed to reassure him because he nodded.

  I leaned back on the couch and looked at Scarlet sitting next to her brother on the sofa. It bothered me that she wasn’t sitting next to me. Cortland sat on the other side of her while he drank his beer. He seemed to be tired. Even Janice got squeezed out and she was sitting next to me on the couch. This was the loser sofa, apparently.

  Janice leaned toward me. “Are you as annoyed as I am right now?”

  I laughed. “I just try to ignore it.”

  “I guess you’ve had more practice than I have. I’ve never been jealous of a sibling before. Ryan acts like she’s a pain in the ass, but he puts her on a pedestal.”

  “He treats you the same way.”

  “I know,” she said. “But I want all the power.”

  I smiled. “I guess that makes sense.”

  Janice looked at Scarlet. “So, did you finalize any plans for the wedding?”

  Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Don’t get me started on that.”

  “What?” Ryan asked.

  “Sean’s mom had magazines, wedding books, and all this junk, and practically planned my whole wedding for me. There’s going to
be five hundred guests, Venetian decorations, and a Tuscan feast—whatever that is. I couldn’t get a single word in.”

  Janice shrugged. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  Ryan looked at Scarlet. “It sounds expensive.”

  I put my beer down. “We won’t be paying for it.”

  Janice clapped her hands together. “Perfect.”

  “No,” Scarlet said. “Why would I want to get married around a bunch of pretentious people tI don’t even like?”

  I understood why Scarlet was annoyed, but I was getting irritated with her constant attacks on my family. I knew my family was different than hers, but my mom was just trying to help. It was important to my family that I had a traditional wedding since they were so influential and well-known. My wedding day couldn’t be ordinary. The fact that they were putting up with Scarlet’s scandalous behavior was astonishing.

  She continued to ramble on. “I’ll know like ten people there, and the rest of the time I’ll just be having small talk with people I’ll never see again. And all they’ll talk about is how much money they have.”

  Janice smiled. “At least you’ll get a lot of gifts.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t care less about that. Sean and I have everything we need. We aren’t pretentious, greedy people like they are.”

  I wanted to hold back my thoughts until we were alone, but I felt my anger bubble to the surface. “So that’s what you think of my family?” My voice was harsh and cold. Scarlet jumped at the venom in my voice. Even Ryan avoided my gaze. “My mom was just trying to help, Scarlet. And it’s generous of them to offer to pay for your wedding and take care of everything. But all you want to do is be ungrateful about it. I admit that my mother’s behavior was wrong this weekend, but she does care about both of us. Don’t sit here and talk shit about my family. Your family is far more dysfunctional than mine has ever been.”

  I saw the tears bubble in her eyes and knew I had gone too far. She rose from the chair then walked down the hall. I heard the bathroom door slam a moment later. I leaned forward and buried my face in my hands. I should have just kept my mouth shut.

  Ryan sighed then leaned back in his chair. “So your weekend just keeps getting worse, huh?”

  I didn’t respond to his words.

  Janice rose from the couch. “I’ll go talk to her.”

  I shook my head. “Please give her a moment. I’ll talk to her.”

  Janice returned to her seat. “Okay.”

  Ryan looked at me. “She didn’t mean to be so rude. She just doesn’t know when to shut her mouth sometimes.”

  I nodded. “I know.” I rose from the couch then walked down the hall. When I reached the bathroom, I heard her sniff. She was trying to hold back the tears, but she was failing miserably. I tapped on the door lightly.

  As soon as she heard the noise, she stiffened. She fell completely silent. By that action alone I knew she wasn’t going to open the door.

  I leaned against the wall and sighed. “I apologize for yelling at you, Scar. It was wrong and inappropriate, especially in front of your family. I feel horrible now.” She didn’t move. I saw her shadow under the door and it remained stagnant. “Babe, I love you and I’m sorry.” When she didn’t reach for the door, I knew she wasn’t ready to talk to me. I sighed. “Cortland will take me home. You can stay here for the night.” I turned away from the door but she opened it.

  She wiped her tears away then crossed her arms over her chest.

  The sight of her crying made me feel a million times worse. I knew I was justified in saying what I said, but I should have waited until we were alone. And I shouldn’t have been so hostile about it. I let my anger get to me when I shouldn’t have. “I’m so sorry.”

  She looked at the floor and avoided my gaze.

  I stepped toward her and wrapped my arms around her waist. When she didn’t push me away, I knew her anger had dimmed. I kissed her tears away then ran my fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. I continued to kiss her until her sniffs completely disappeared. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I knew I was forgiven. “I love you.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  I rubbed my nose against hers. “You forgive me?”

  She nodded.

  “You ready to go home? You can see Ryan tomorrow.”

  “Yeah. I’m not in the mood for socializing right now.”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry, Scar. I don’t have an excuse.”

  “It’s okay.”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist and guided her down the hall. When we came back to the living room, I looked at Cortland. “I think Scar and I are going to turn in for the night.”

  Ryan looked at her with a worried expression but didn’t say anything. Janice rose to her feet and hugged Scarlet tightly.

  “Call me if you need me,” Janice said.

  Cortland grabbed his keys from the table then walked toward the door. I grabbed Scarlet’s hand as we headed down to the street and approached his parked car. I opened the door for her and helped her get in the front seat. I moved to the backseat and rubbed her shoulder while Cortland drove to our apartment.

  Nothing was said on our drive home. I saw Cortland reach for Scarlet’s hand and hold it. I knew Scarlet just saw Cortland as a brother so it didn’t bother me. Besides, Cortland had his Brazilian girlfriend that he was in love with, and Scarlet was engaged to me. I couldn’t see anything happening between them.

  When we arrived at the apartment, Cortland and I grabbed the suitcases and hauled them inside. Before Cortland left, he hugged Scarlet for a long time then turned away and left the apartment. None of us said goodbye to each other. It was still incredibly awkward.

  I dragged our bags into the bedroom while Scarlet moved to the couch. She stared at the screen and said nothing. When I returned, she was exactly where I had left her. I sighed before I sat down next to her.

  “Babe, I shouldn’t have said what I said. It was uncalled for. I don’t blame you for being mad.”

  She nodded. “Your family has no right to control my wedding day like that. I’m completely justified in being upset. You should be lucky I wasn’t as sassy as usual.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Wait. What?”

  “You heard me.”

  I shook my head. “I was referring to the insult I made about your family. I thought that was the reason why you were upset. I know how sensitive you are about that.”

  “I thought you were apologizing for everything you said to me.”

  I took a deep breath. “No. You were being completely out of line when you were talking about my mom like that. I don’t appreciate you being so rude about them. I admit that my mom wasn’t treating you right, but she has my best interest at heart. She is just trying to help, Scar.”

  Her eyes began to spit fire. “That woman called me a tramp, and your mother apologized to her as she walked them out the door. She should have defended me like your father did.” She stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t want to have a fancy wedding, Sean. Of all people, I thought you would understand that. Why would I want to have a wedding with five hundred people I don’t know? We aren’t getting married there. End of story.”

  I felt my own anger rise to the surface. I stood up and stared at her. She glared at me without any fear. My hands began to shake because her words wounded me so deeply. “What about what I want, Scar? I want to get married at my parents’ house. It’s what I always dreamed of. It’s important to my parents as well. I want a traditional wedding.”

  “Well, I don’t. I want to get married here. I want it just to be Ryan, Cortland, Janice and Monnique. That’s it! No one else!”

  I stepped back. “And what about my family? We are just going to purposely uninvite them? You know how much that would hurt them?”

  “Well, I couldn’t care less, Sean. Your mother didn’t seem to care about hurting my feelings.”

  I clenched my jaw. “She meant well.�
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  “It didn’t seem that way.”

  “I can’t believe how selfish you’re being. This is my day too. I want to have it at my parents’ estate. I want my friends, colleagues, cousins, and my parents to be there.”

  She sighed. “Fine. Your parents can come.”

  I stared at her incredulously. “And what about the rest of my family?”

  “You can invite a few more people, I guess.”

  I glared at her. I wanted to rip out my hair because I was so frustrated with her. “Scarlet, that makes no sense! Why should all those people come here when we can take only a few people there? This is so stupid!”

  “This is what I want.”

  “Well, I don’t. I get that the wedding is important to the bride, but you want to get married without any of my friends or family. Marriage is about compromise, Scarlet. You are being a selfish brat. I realize that this weekend was pretty unbelievably terrible---horrific—but I shouldn’t be punished for it. We’ll be getting married at my family estate.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “No?”

  “I’m not going to spend my day with a bunch of people I don’t even like. They are stuck up, pretentious, hypocritical, rude—”

  “Stop talking about my family like that! NOW!”

  “Then don’t make me get married there!”

  I clenched my fists and steadied them at my side. This fight was far worse than the one we had before. Scarlet was wrong in every single way, but she wouldn’t budge at all. It was totally unlike her to act this way. I knew our weekend wasn’t magical, but it didn’t warrant this. I would do anything for this girl. Why couldn’t she do this for me? “I MOVED HERE FOR YOU!”

  She stepped back.

  “I would do anything for you. Why can’t you do this for me?”

  “I shouldn’t have to. It isn’t fair to me. I’m not going to do it.”

  I grabbed my head and closed my eyes. “I could slap you right now.”