Unexpected Co-star

Part 32

The night had been going so well. My sister Ava had come over to have drinks with me and Hugh. The evening had been filled with laughter and easy conversation. Hugh, always charming and attentive, had made sure we were well-fed and had poured us all drinks. We had toasted to the future, to love, and to everything that lay ahead. I felt content, surrounded by the two people I loved the most.

At one point, I excused myself to use the bathroom, still grinning from a joke Hugh had just told. I washed my hands, staring at my reflection in the mirror, marveling at how lucky I felt. Everything had fallen into place, and I was ready for the next chapter of our lives. But as I walked back toward the living room, a sense of unease began to creep into my chest. The house, which had been filled with laughter moments ago, had gone strangely quiet.

I stopped just outside the living room, the sound of low voices catching my ear.

"You know, you should be with me instead of her," I heard Ava say, her voice dripping with something I hadn't heard before—an edge that made my stomach turn. "I've always been the better sister. Emerson's just good at playing the perfect one, but we both know it's not real."

My heart dropped into my stomach, and I stepped closer, peering into the room just in time to see Alyssa standing far too close to Hugh. She reached out and touched his arm, her expression sultry and determined.

Hugh looked frozen, his body tense and uncomfortable. He stood stiffly, clearly taken aback by Ava's advances. "Ava, stop," he said, his voice firm. "You're crossing a line."

But she wasn't listening. Instead, she leaned in closer, her hand now resting on his chest. "You deserve someone better than her," she murmured. "Someone who's not afraid to give you everything. You could have me, Hugh. I've always wanted you."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe as I watched my sister, my own flesh and blood, throw herself at my fiancé, practically pleading for his love.

Hugh's eyes flicked toward the hallway, and that's when he saw me. His expression immediately shifted to one of relief and panic all at once. "Emerson—" he started, pulling back from Ava.

But I had already stepped into the room, my heart pounding in my chest, a mixture of shock and anger surging through me.

"Ava, what the hell is going on?" My voice came out harsher than I'd expected, but I didn't care. My blood was boiling, my mind spinning as I tried to comprehend what I had just seen.

Ava turned around, her expression unreadable for a moment before she sighed, almost as if she was bored. "Emerson, you don't understand," she said, her tone infuriatingly calm. "Hugh deserves better than you. He deserves someone who actually knows how to keep him happy."

I stared at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about? We're engaged."

"Exactly." Ava crossed her arms, her gaze challenging. "But I've known for a long time that I'm a better match for him. I was just giving him the chance to see that too."

Hugh stepped forward, his eyes wide with disbelief and anger. "Ava, stop this right now. I'm in love with Emerson, and I would never, ever be with you."

Ava scoffed, shaking her head. "You don't know what you want, Hugh. You're just wrapped up in the idea of her. But you and I—"

"Enough!" I snapped, my voice trembling with rage. "Ava, I don't know what's gotten into you, but this is beyond messed up. Hugh and I are getting married, and if you can't respect that, then you need to leave."

For a moment, Ava looked like she might argue, but then something in her eyes shifted. She uncrossed her arms and took a step back, shrugging as if none of it mattered.

"Fine," she said, her tone cold. "But don't come crying to me when you realize I was right."

Without another word, she grabbed her coat and stormed out, the door slamming behind her. The silence that followed was deafening.

Hugh let out a long, shaky breath and turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. "Emerson, I swear I didn't—"

"I know," I said softly, cutting him off. "I saw the whole thing."

He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly as if he was afraid I might slip away. I rested my head against his chest, trying to steady my breathing. The anger and hurt from Ava's betrayal were still fresh, but at that moment, all I cared about was the man holding me.

"I can't believe she would do that," I whispered, my voice breaking slightly. "She's my sister."

Hugh kissed the top of my head, his grip tightening around me. "I'm so sorry, Emerson. I never saw it coming."

Neither did I. But as I stood there in Hugh's arms, I knew one thing for sure—our love was stronger than Ava's attempt to tear us apart. And nothing, not even family, was going to come between us.