Shannon's POV
After spending nearly three weeks in New York together for band related appearances and barely uttering a single word to each other, Jared called to invite me over for dinner tonight. I spent most of the day wondering if it was worth it. He hadn't bothered to talk to me for weeks, and suddenly we're all good. Why now? In all honesty, I'm just as guilty as he is for the silence. It's not like I went out of my way to try and bury the hatchet. Obstinacy is deeply entrenched in the family, especially if one of us suspects we are right about something.
By five, I made up my mind to go because I convinced myself that he wanted to call a truce. That had to be the reason, right? This made sense to me. God knows everyone around us over the past few weeks could feel the tension, even if we never acknowledged it. And it couldn't continue without causing irreversible damage.
I arrived at Jared's house at seven, as he had requested with a bottle of white wine in hand. As soon as the door opened, I was struck by a mouthwatering aroma, which told me that he was not the one cooking. Maybe his Mom was there? If that were the case, the issues up for discussion would be seriously limited for the evening.
I handed him the bottle before marching through the front door in search of the person responsible for the heavenly scents wafting past me. But I stopped dead the moment I found Carrie. "Hey," she greeted me and then raised a half empty glass of red wine to her perfect, full lips. Judging by the expression on her beautiful face, she didn't expect to see me either. I saw her beautiful green eyes shift toward Jared, narrowing them a bit as she spoke. "Well, I should probably go wash my hands before we eat." It's so painful to see annoyance on her face at my very presence, but somehow I understood. Nobody likes to be caught off guard. Carrie leaned forward, placing the glass on the coffee table and then got up. I licked my lips when I noticed her bronzed belly peeking out from under the sexy white crop top. The bright red skirt beneath it hugged her shapely hips and I forced myself to look away as she crossed the room. Once she was out of sight, I drew closer to my brother. "What are you doing?"
"Relax. I know you're confused, but don't worry, I'll explain everything over dinner."
"What is it with you and inviting people over for dinner and then putting them on the spot? Why couldn't you just say what you wanted over the phone?" His lips bore the semblance of a smile, but I knew better. The last time the three of us were in a room together, Jay made it crystal clear that he didn't want me near Carrie anymore.
"I wanted to have this conversation face to face." He patted my shoulder and grinned, "Carrie made the most delicious roasted spaghetti squash with mushroom and garlic sauce."
"What are you talking about?" I lowered my voice. "Stop pretending everything is normal. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she didn't know I was going to be here tonight either!"
"She didn't." He simply walked around me, dismissing my concerns completely as he sauntered in the direction of the kitchen. "What's the matter, Shannon, not a fan of Italian food anymore?"
"I never said that, but I want to know why you asked me to come here. It's certainly not because you're missing us as a trio."
"You have always been very impatient," he sneered.
I rolled my eyes, following behind, angry at the way he always manages to take his time getting to the point. As I walked into the kitchen, my eyes met Carries for a brief second before she opened the cupboard to retrieve a couple of plates. An uncomfortable five minutes later we were all awkwardly seated around the small round table with Carrie between us. Jared attempted to engage in a superficial and meaningless conversation about how tasty the food was, but Carrie just pushed the squash around her plate with a fork.
"Everyone in this room knows how amazing the food is, Jared. Carrie is a phenomenal cook, so can you please just get to the fucking point?" I didn't mean to sound so discontented, but when I saw Carrie's trembling hand reaching past her full glass of wine to grasp the untouched flute of water, I knew I had to put an end to it.
"Fine!" he snapped, pushing his plate forward. Jared's expression softened as he turned sideways in his chair and reached for Carrie's hand. My heart began beating wildly in my chest and all I could think was holy shit, he's really gonna do it right here in front of me. Was he still so angry that he'd want to inflict that much pain on me by asking her to marry him in front of me? I shifted uncomfortably a few times, but froze when he finally spoke.
"We haven't had an actual conversation since our fight the night I left. I just needed some time to process everything and I finally made a decision."
"Sounds like a private discussion," I insisted, ready to bolt from the house as fast as my legs would carry me.
He glared at me, "Stay where you are, I want you here for this."
"I'd rather go," I reasoned, unsure I wouldn't throw up on the floor. I never thought I'd see the day. He's really gonna do this.
"Stay right there!" His voice grew louder.
I picked up my glass and downed what was left in it, wishing I could just disappear altogether. He turned his attention to Carrie and continued, "I meant everything I told you that night, before our fight. I love you and I do not want to share you ever again, however, you lied to me."
"No-" she started to respond, but he simply put his finger to her lips silencing her. Obviously she was just as confused as me.
"I'm not an idiot, and I'm definitely not blind, Carrie. I know you're still in love with Shannon." It was hard not to look in his direction at the last statement. I leaned back and noted the way she stared down at her plate of food, not saying a word. "And I can't be mad. I know that I have only myself to blame. But... like I told you, I've made a decision. You have my permission to continue your relationship with Shan as long as you understand that all of us will make our own sacrifice here."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked only to be ignored as he continued to talk over me.
"Mine, of course, is that our relationship will never get beyond what it is now. I know how much you wanted a family, but you'll lose that if you choose to be with Shannon." I sat there listening in disbelief, shaking my head at the ridiculousness of what he was saying. "And then there's the matter of your reputation. We can't have people speaking badly of you, so same rule goes that Shannon will never be seen with you out in public." Carrie never once turned to look at me when he turned his attention to me. "This seriously restricts your dates with her Shannon and your relationship cannot go beyond those limits as well."
Clearing her throat, Carrie finally yanked her hand from his and tossed her napkin down. "Go fuck yourself!" she whispered under her breath, but I still heard her loud and clear. She glared at him, furiously. "I cannot believe you. You don't speak to me for weeks and then you ask me to dress up, come over here and cook, conveniently leaving out the fact that Shannon would be joining us! And now you choose to have what ought to be a private conversation, right in front of him! Who do you think you are?" She shoved the chair back and stood.
Her heels clicked on the floor as she stalked away angrily. Jared and I did the same, but he only frowned as he replied. "I'm just trying to give you what you want," he said in a sarcastic tone.
"What I want?" She sneered, avoiding eye contact with me as she spun around and grabbed her purse and keys. "You're giving me your permission? Should I thank you for your generosity?" Her eyes narrowed in icy anger. "Who the hell do you think you are Jared?" She asked, a mix of fury and sadness filled her face as tears pooled in her green eyes. My chest constricted and it took everything in me to stay quiet.
The corners of my brother's eyes crinkled, but his tone never wavered. "I honestly never meant to upset you, but I am speaking the truth here. If you're truly that upset I apologize, but I meant every word I said."
Her eyes sparked with rage. "I can't believe I came over here for this shit!" She sobbed, stomping to the door. "Shove your permission up your ass!" With the slamming of the door, she was gone.
Without even glancing in my direction, he darted back over to the table and picked up a full glass of wine and downed. He then turned to me. "Not a fucking word!"
