Alicia and her family are back to the family's country house. She's crafted fond memories in that place, amongst her relatives, unlike her sister Kesia, the 'outcast'. Now, that she's started her brand new career, and that she's engaged to be marrie...
"Where did'cha all go?" Kesia waited impatiently, she had returned and was standing by the same booth as before. "Wait, is she drunk, Ewan?" She asked raising an eyebrow at me.
"Are you, cuz?" He swung his face to me, an unashamed side grin spreading on his cheek and my lower lip hung like a fool but words failed to flow.
"Totally smashed if you ask me," she followed.
"She's not. I assure you. She's just..." He ran his eyes up and down my face, stopping at my lips and lingering there for a moment before continuing "...a little flushed. It'll wear off."
"Flushed? She looks like a hot mess..." My sister's inquisition sessions did have such impeccable timing about them.
"I have kept a close eye on her while you were hanging out with Megan," he explained.
"I'm fine," I managed to say.
"Oooohhh...I see what's going on here." Kesia pointed her index at us and my heart skipped a beat. "You finally broke it out to him, didn't ya?"
"Kesia, this is not the time..."I cleared my throat.
"Oh, you haven't? I mean, haven't you waited long enough. Tonight was kinda perfect for it too..."
Ewan tried following our awkward exchange, a puzzled expression on his face.
"What has gotten into you lately, Alicia?"
Ewan's tongue.
"Jeez...I'll tell him. I know you are embarrassed." She patted my arm and turned to Ewan, "She's been dying to ask you if you would do her the honor of being one of the groomsmen, Ewan."
The stages in his expression went from forbearing to somber until finally settling into a humorless, mouth-only grin that was posing as flattering, yet reeked of disillusionment.
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"How ...nice," he spoke feigning cheerfulness. My sister bought it, but I didn't.
"You found them!" Megan emerged from behind Kesia, voice smooth and inviting. I didn't quite recall her being this sensual when we were teens, but whether I liked it or not I was seeing everything from a different scope that year, and I supposed this was just another thing that had escaped me before.
"I'll go close my tab. Meet ya outside?" Megan told my sister and gracefully retreated to the bar drawing all eyes on her as she went.
"You are leaving with her?"I asked and my sister's cheeks turned beet red.
"She claims she's got some good weed...how can I refuse?" Kesia explained, nervous eyes bouncing back and forward from me and Ewan. "You okay to take her home?"
"I'm good, I've only had a couple of beers. We outta call it a night ourselves." He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes still holding the uncomfortable glaze my sister asking him to be my groomsman elicited.
"Make sure she doesn't narc on me," Kesia gestured toward me with her chin.
"I'll keep her quiet," Ewan countered, winking at me and setting my cheeks on fire.
"I'm standing right here, I'm perfectly capable of answering for myself..." Indignant, I raised my finger at them.
"Bring me a joint, will ya?" Ewan hooked his arm around the back of my sister's shoulders, pulling her toward him, and gave her a kiss on her temple.
"What kind of monster would I be if I didn't?!" Kesia giggled. "See you at home, sis," she said before leaving.
Once we were alone, Ewan became a pillar of ice next to me.
"Mission accomplished," I said following him toward the bar. "Got her out of the house as promised."
"Oh, cuz...always doing as you are told." Despite my objections, he closed the tab and led me outside.
He didn't speak on our way back to the house, instead, he kept his eye steady on the inky road.
"You don't have to say yes to being in the wedding...." I told him, but he didn't answer.
After we parked and said our goodnights at the top of the dim, old stairs that led to our respective bedrooms, he grabbed me by the elbow, flipping me around to make me face him, and then he kissed me again.
"I'll be your damn groomsman. Okay?" He released my elbow abruptly and walked down the quiet, dark hallway.
