I’ve always worried about her so much as she was growing up. She’s a fragile person. One prone to sadness and guilt over things she has no control over. The state of the world. Injustices in faraway countries I probably couldn’t place on a map. Kids who have no parents. She was a huge reason why I didn’t press charges against Felicity. I was so angry when that girl hacked into my personal business, I was ready to do just about anything to get even. But Samantha calmed me down. Made me see things differently. Made me see Felicity as the desperate teenager she was instead of the criminal I was trying to make her out to be.
I owe Sam for that. Because my life was a hollow shell before that girl came into it. And every day since has been better than the last. No matter what happens during my day, seeing Felicity at the end of it—hearing her smart-ass mouth, listening to her crazy plans about meeting guys, watching her change from a suspicious and angry teen to a brilliant, confident, intelligent young woman…
Well, that’s what life is about.
Sam sighs on the other end of the line again. “OK. I’m going to have dinner with him in an hour and I’ll give him a chance. I’ll stop comparing him to my perfect guy and see him for what he is. A nice-looking man with a good job who loves me.”
“Jesus, is that how you see him?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well, look, Sam, I’m no expert on how women should feel about men. But on your honeymoon you should want to spend every minute with him. You should be gazing into his eyes, declaring your lust, for f**k’s sake. You should absolutely not be on the phone with your brother.”
“God, Vaughn. I don’t love him. All of that makes me tremble with fear and apprehension. And I have played sick every night since the wedding so I didn’t have to sleep with him. I’m almost out of excuses. He’s going to want to sleep with me tonight, I just know it. And I don’t want to. I don’t want him to touch me, Vaughn.”
My sister doesn’t want him to touch her. That’s enough for me. “I’m calling the airport.”
“What?”
“I’ll take care of it, sweetie. OK? I’ll call the jet. You pack your things right now, and go get in the taxi. I’ll have someone meet you at the airport and bring you home.”
She starts crying and I want to jump through the phone and hug her, that’s how bad this tears me up. “Sam, you’re gonna be all right? I’m gonna take care of it, OK? Just do as I ask and then call me when you get on the plane so I know you’re safe. Understand?”
“OK,” she squeaks out. “I’m going now. I’ll call you on the plane. And Vaughn? Thank you. Thank you so much for this.”
“It’s no big deal, sis. It’s what brothers are for.”
We hang up and I sit back against the couch and let out a long, sad sigh. I just sit there for a few minutes, running all this over in my head, then I press the pre-set for the jet service and arrange the plane. Then I call the airport concierge and tell them to meet Samantha outside departures and escort her to the jet.
And once all that is done, I speed-dial Conner. He picks up on the first ring.
“Yo, bro. What’s up?”“Samantha is leaving Tray. I just set up the jet so she can leave without telling him.”
“Fuck, what happened?”
“She doesn’t love him. She felt pressured to accept his proposal and make it work. She hasn’t slept with him and he’s making her shake just thinking about it.”
“Fuck.”
“But that’s not why I called. I need a favor, Conner. And I need it to be done very discreetly. Can you do that?”
“Please, brother. Discreet is my middle name. Conner Discreet Asher at your service.”
I tell him what I want and we hang up after he gets the details.
God, I just hope Felicity doesn’t end up with a guy she can barely stand because she feels pressured to accept a proposal. I should’ve sent her to a public university. Get her away from the arrogant rich kids who flow with the money at USC.
I ponder all the mistakes I might’ve made with Felicity in the four short years I’ve had to influence her life, and come to the conclusion I’m a failure. No matter what I do, it probably won’t be enough to protect her from getting hurt. Not in love, not in life, not in anything.
My phone rings and I press Sam’s happy face to answer. “Tell me good news, sis.”
“I’m on the plane.” She starts to cry and I almost lose it.
“Do you want me to tell them to forget it?”
“No! These are happy tears, Vaughn. Just thank you. So much for being the best brother ever. Thank you. I don’t know what I’m going to tell Tray—”
“I’ll take care of Tray. I’ll see you when you get to LA, now get some rest.”
I look up Tray in my contacts and press in the numbers. He picks up on the fourth ring. “Yeah,” he says, his voice almost completely drowned out by the club music in the background.
“Tray, Vaughn Asher here. I’d just like to let you know your marriage to my sister will be annulled. I’ll send you the court date. If you try and contact her, I’ll take legal action. Have a nice night out clubbing.”
I press end on the phone and wait for the callback. But he doesn’t call back.
And while that’s good in the short term—I won’t have to deal with him, he seems to have gotten the message—that’s not good for the long term.