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He did have a point, and he'd never asked me to accept anything like this before. He seemed like he genuinely liked this girl for whatever reason. "You love her?"
"Yes, I do." He stared me straight in the eyes and said it like he meant it or believed it for now at least.
"Hmm. When's the wedding?"
"Friday," he said, like that was a totally acceptable answer.
"This Friday? Like in three days?"
"Yes."
"Why the rush?"
He shrugged. "When it's right, you know." He relaxed his stance and peered back into the restaurant through the window. "You gonna bang the hostess?"
"Shut up."
"I'm gonna be a married man soon. I'll have to start living vicariously through you."
"You better not cheat on her. She will not survive that."
"I won't cheat. Give me a chance."
"Fine. I accept this is what you want. I'm here for you. You're my little brother now and always."
He beamed at me and it was good to see him happy.
I patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go toast to the happy couple."
We walked back inside and she looked worried as she watched us take our seats. He kissed her cheek again, and she seemed to calm down.
Maybe I was just jaded. Maybe this really was the girl he needed to turn his life around.
So I picked up my expensive Chinese booze and I raised a glass. "To the happy couple."
"Thank you." Gavin smiled and sipped his liquid fire.
Wren sniffed hers but didn't take a sip. For the first time, I noticed she was wearing a gold band on her ring finger, a miniscule diamond attached to it. It looked like jewelry a child would wear.
She tilted the tumbler and pressed the liquid to her lips.
Her sleeve hitched up.
Small marks caught my eye.
Raised red bumps. Moon-shaped impressions in her skin. Tons of them. All around her wrist. Under her beaded jade bracelet.
Disappearing up under her sleeve.
I took my sip and tried to play it off, but I'd seen it.
She had marks on her arms. No doubt.
Either self-harm or someone was hurting her. Gavin would never hurt a woman, so someone else must be involved.
I knew this shit was not what it seemed. Nothing ever was.
The waiter dropped the bill, and Gavin gave him a funky looking black card.
