Dinner Surprise

Sara

“No?” Mom asked, narrowing her brows in confusion.

“No… I mean, no.” I rambled, still trying to comprehend my thoughts. I didn’t even know when those words escaped my lips, but now I had to explain, or at least say something. 

‘Say something.’ ‘Say something, Sara.’ I muttered internally. 

My mother’s eyes were getting too intense, and I could feel Ben’s gaze fixed on me.

“I didn’t mean to say no. I just meant you guys can’t get married.” I rambled again. 

I could see the exhaustion on my mother’s face when she heard those words. She scoffed and leaned back on the chair, not sure what else to say. I knew how I sounded, but I wish I had better words to make myself clear. My mother could not get married to Ben Casian. No, that couldn’t happen. I didn’t doubt that he was a great guy, but I couldn’t erase the memories of what happened with his son two nights ago. 

I certainly could not go along with this, knowing and living with the fact that I’d slept with my stepbrother. No, I couldn’t.

“Sara…” Ben leaned forward with a soft yet confused smile. “Is there a reason why your mother and I shouldn’t get married?” He asked.

I hesitated for a moment, thinking of a perfectly logical reason. A lie. That’s what it was going to be, because they could never know the truth. But my sharp intuition decided to play hide and seek with me, and I just froze. I couldn’t say anything.

“Dad, you can’t,” Dame interjected firmly, but before Ben could process his words, Mom interjected.

“Well, we’ve already picked out dates and sent out invitations, so we just want your blessings.” Those words shook me to my core when I heard them. “Of course,” I muttered softly.

“What’s that, Sara?” Gwen asked.

“You didn’t call us here to tell us you were planning on getting married, you called us here cause you wanted us to know you were.” I chuckled just as I realized. This was the version of Gwen I’ve come to know too well. What made me think she would ever consider another person’s reality. 

I slowly pushed back my seat and stood up, my gaze never leaving hers, “You don’t need our blessings, Mom.” “You’ve already made up your mind, and we both know that you are going to do exactly what you want to do,” I said and left. 

For a few seconds as I walked away, the table was filled with a deafening silence. I knew deep down, mom was fuming, and just as I reached the top of the stairs, I could hear her footsteps echoing rapidly behind me, but I didn’t stop. I walked into my room and slammed my door, and in just a few seconds, Gwen pushed them open.

“What the hell is the matter with you?” She scolded as soon as she walked in. “I asked you not to mess anything up tonight, and you go and do the exact opposite.”

“Mom, please spare me the lecture,” I replied sharply. “You don’t ever think about anyone else but yourself. That’s why you’re getting married, and that’s why you don’t need my acceptance, so why are we even pretending like any of this matters? If it did, would it change your mind?” I asked and answered before she could say anything. “No, it wouldn’t. So please just leave me out of this one, Mom.” I babbled in frustration, and for a moment, she didn’t say anything. I saw her bite her tongue and swallow her words, “Okay, Sara.” She said, shot me a pretend smirk, and walked away.

Immediately, she left the room, and I felt an overwhelming rush of panic in my chest. My breaths became much deeper and heavier, and my head felt a sudden rush. I rushed over to my bean bag, picked a hand fan, and held it to my face, calming my mind and regulating my breath. 

The truth is, right now, I don’t know which bothered me more. Was is that I couldn’t stand the fact that my mother was already moving on from my father, and she’d never truly mourned him in three years, or the fact that the first and only time I get to feel something for an arrogant bastard, something that is already too difficult to understand, but the mere thought of it fills my thighs with heat and my head with dirty thoughts, she had to be involved with his father. 

Dame Casian was the last person I thought I’d ever feel this way for. He was an arrogant prick, but damn! What a sweet temptation. 

And now, mother had just made things more complicated with this marriage. Probably the first man I’ve come to hate to love, and love to hate, the first man that has stirred my sinful desires in years, was now going to be my stepbrother. I almost chuckled at the sound of it. It didn’t sound right. I could imagine myself talking about him and telling people he’s my stepbrother. The same man I used to talk about with so much spite and resentment in my voice. The same man who gave me the best night of my life just some days ago. That man, Dame Casian, was now going to be my stepbrother.

“Ha!” I chuckled loudly.

“Unbelievable.”