Lily's Summer of Precarious Happenings

Chapter Eleven

"Lily, are you even listening to me right now?"

My eyes snapped to attention, refocusing on the glass of sangria in my mother's hands.  "Not really," I mumbled, half-focused on whatever ridiculous bar tale she had been weaving.  

"You've been out of it lately," Aunt Imogen frowned at me, sipping on white wine.  

"Has she?" My mother asked absentmindedly, eyes dancing from me to her sister-in-law, "Oh, yes.  You have."  

I shrugged, swirling the water in my crystal goblet around in circles until its ice clinked against the sides.  My days had been consumed with reading and lazing around the estate.  It was a lifestyle I had initially felt was being stolen from me, but now, I couldn't help but feel a little bored.  There had been something missing.

The only person I had bothered to see was Kennedy.  Of course, that was the only person I really knew in California.  We had plenty of pool days and movie nights, which was a refreshing departure from my usual, but nonetheless unfulfilling. There was Wesley, although that came dangerously close to Colin, and he was to be perpetually shunned from my life.  He still texted me memes and funny videos, and I had taken that to be his awkward, boyish way of checking up on me.  

"Lily?" My Aunt was asking, leaning forward over the table to squint over her sunglasses at me.  I looked up right as she said, "I just asked if you like it here."

I looked around, admiring the perfectly kept greenery and seemingly endless vineyard.  The trees around us hung elegantly above the beautifully decorated terrace, swaying in the wind.  "I like it," I forced a smile.

"Sorry to drag you here," She replied, leaning back in her extravagant chair, "I thought it might be nice for the three of us to... spend some time together."  

We both looked at my mother, who was busy refilling her glass with the pitcher of ice-cold sangria situated unnecessarily close to her.  It had been almost three weeks since that horrible night, and her behavior hadn't changed.  I had hoped such an embarrassing,  awful moment would wake her up.  That was naïve. 

This time, I didn't hide the frown that I cast towards my mother.  "Don't you think you've had enough?"

A long sip, "We just finished eating," She motioned towards our empty plates once filled with artisanal pasta, "That means I get another glass."

My scowl deepened before my Aunt cut in, "Maybe it is time we leave."

"Don't be silly! I feel as though we just got here!"  She motioned dramatically to our surroundings, "Look at all of this, Lily! Did you ever imagine we'd be at a place like this?"

"Never in my wildest nightmares could I have imagined something this bad," I muttered underneath my breath.

"What did you say?" My mother slammed her glass down so theatrically that it sloshed and dripped onto her hand.  I leaned back and crossed my arms, leveling my gaze with hers.

My Aunt grimaced, "I believe she was just agreeing with you."  

Wild eyes met mine from across the table, and I quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly.  I knew she probably wouldn't even remember this tomorrow.

"You've gotten awfully disrespectful ever since we came here."  

"It's funny, because you've stayed the same," A tight smile stretched across my lips, "Drunk and oblivious."  My mother's mouth fell open, and I left her no time to respond as I rose so quickly the chair made an unpleasant screech across the cement.  "If you don't mind," I looked at my Aunt, who was somewhat flabbergasted, "I'm going to get an Uber home."