Meghan
It feels like a terrible dream, and I am begging to be woken up. This is something I never expected. Aaron is getting married to my sister. Chloe calls me, telling me about the marriage arranged by our father—a marriage I have escaped myself. I can't stand by and let it happen. And now I am facing a bigger task: becoming the sister-in-law to the man I slept with last night.
The thought makes me feel nauseous, and I rush into the bathroom. I clutch the toilet seat, staring at my stomach juice. My stomach churns, and I can feel the pain twisting inside me. What have I eaten? A bad meal? It can't be. The last thing I ate was Aunt Penelope's famous breakfast of pancakes and coffee. There is no way that would upset my stomach.
Maybe it is from the confrontation in the living room. Aaron chooses to act like nothing has happened between us. And although I don't like it, I simply play along. How am I supposed to tell Chloe that I have slept with her potential husband?
My mind drifts back to the marriage. Is there a way I can stop it from happening? She is marrying Aaron, a man whose motives I can't figure out. He looks calm and collected when we talk two nights ago, but he seems so reclusive. I can't stop thinking about how good he is in bed. I can't help it.
I can still feel him thrusting through my walls, the tempo quick and pleasurable. I can still feel his lips on mine. They are warm and soft. His hands know exactly how to work on me. The memory of that night makes my cheeks heat up.
I feel another round of barf coming up my throat and poke my head over the toilet seat, letting it all out into the bowl.
I sigh and wipe my lower lip with the back of my palm. This doesn't feel like it is going to pass anytime soon. The feeling is uncomfortable, and I already feel exhausted. I clench my jaw and try to pick myself up from the tiled floor.
I go to the sink and turn on the faucet, splashing water on my face. I turn off the faucet and stare at my reflection in the mirror.
What am I going to do about this? I can't let Chloe get married to Aaron. It isn't jealousy. I am just looking out for her. She is still too young to get involved in marriage. Although Aaron seems like a nice guy, I can't shake the feeling that there is more to his story.
If he really wants to marry Chloe, he can wait a couple of years. That is all it would take. I know giving Chloe away right now isn't the best idea. She needs to experience life first. Two years would be enough for her to gain that experience.
The sound of knocking at the door pulls me back to reality. Someone is calling my name from outside. It's Chloe.
"Meghan? Are you alright in there?" she asks.
I glance at the toilet and realize I haven't flushed the barf. Feeling embarrassed, I look away, completely irritated, before flushing the toilet.
"I'm fine," I call from inside.
"Can you let me in?" she asks.
I sigh. I am not sure I am ready to face my sister yet, especially after what I have done. She looks so excited to get married. She barely knows him. From what she told me last night, this is the first time she is meeting him. Why would she be in her feelings already? It doesn't make any sense.
I grab the doorknob and count to three in my head before swinging the door open. I come face to face with Chloe, who is giving me a curious look. She rakes her eyes over my body, trying to figure out what is wrong with me.
"Are you okay?" she asks. "You look like you've been hit by a train."
I sigh and run my fingers through my hair. My stomach still hurts, and I can tell now that it isn't because I have met Aaron. It must be something else. Maybe food poisoning.
"I don't feel so good," I say, rubbing my tummy.
"Sounds like you ate something bad," she suggests.
I can't tell if that's true. But I can't admit that I ate Aunt Teresa's pancakes this morning. That will spark a lot of questions.
"Seems so."
Chloe pouts at my response.
"Lucky for you, Aaron is a doctor. He can take a good look at you," she says.
I flinch at her casual mention of his name. I am surprised at how exuberant Chloe is about this. She sounds more excited than she did on the phone. When she broke the news to me, she sounded sad and lost. I thought she didn't want to go through with it.
Still, I feel like she is unsure and can't decide for herself. That is why I rushed home. Now, she sounds thrilled about it. It's confusing.
"Father wants to talk to you," she says.
My heart squeezes in my chest as I hear that. This is the first time I have been home since the incident, and I am not surprised he wants to talk to me. He looked infuriated when he saw me.
"Right now?" I ask, unsure.
She nods vigorously.
"He's waiting in his study."
I sigh and nod.
I know he is going to bring up the incident at the wedding, and I am ready for that. I shrug unsure about my sudden confidence. It is time for me to face what I have run from for five years; a father who is agitated by my reckless and self centered decision back then.
I close the bathroom door behind me and linger for a bit. My fright is holding me back. I can tell. There is no point denying but I have to act tough in front of Chloe.
I glance at her and realize that she is staring back at me waiting to see my next move.
I sigh and head toward the living room.