You: “I know we got in a fight, but he’s never just stayed out this late without at least texting me.”
Avani: “You have been fighting a lot lately. Maybe he just needed to clear his head?”
Dixie: “Bull, Noah and I have been married 4 years and never has he just taken off no matter how bad the fight.”
You: “It’s different with you guys though. You’ve been together since you were so young and you have kids together.”
Dixie: “Maybe that’s what you need to do for your own marriage.”
Avani: “Get knocked up to keep her man? How 1950s of you.”
Dixie: “No, but if she focused more on her family instead of the business she used to hate-”
You interrupted Dixie to immediately start a bickering fight as Avani slipped out to find Bryce.
Bryce: “Girls. GIRLS! Would you listen to yourselves?”
Dixie: “Great, who went and tattled to muscles?”
Avani: “I just think if anyone can find Vinnie, it’s gonna be his brother.”
Bryce: “Wait, what do you mean find him? Where is Vinnie?”
You explained that he’d never come home after the fight in your office over business. Bryce immediately reassured you: “I will look for him but don’t worry because he's smart and he loves you. He wouldn't ever hurt you.”
You weren’t so sure that was true anymore if anyone else had heard how bad you’re arguments were lately.
Dixie: “I need to get home to Noah and the kids but if you need anything at all, just call.”
Avani watched as you hugged Dixie and forgave everything that was said the way only sisters do. Avani offered: “I will stay here tonight if that’s okay.”
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Hanging out with Avani all night felt like back when you would have sleepovers as teenagers. She had gone off to college and chosen to have nothing to do with the business her father had worked for all those years. A perk given to her because her dad had only been your dad’s financial advisor not actually involved with the dangerous side.
She even made you laugh again for the first time in a long time as she told you about getting Anthony to dress up in her clothes last night and put on a fashion show: “I’m saying that man would do anything with a few shots in him.”
Your phone went off and you saw the nickname you’d given Chase in your phone pop up on the screen but just didn’t have it in you to answer and argue with him. No one, not even Bryce or your best friend knew that you’d ever heard from Chase again after the wedding. You’d kept it that way because you knew that the Chase you’d loved as a young girl was NOT the same man who kept trying to talk to you now.
He had reached out over text a few times the last few months, asking to meet and talk about things but you’d been blowing him off. Even the few times he’d managed to catch you out, you’d tried your best to avoid him. A text popped up on the screen that caused you to lose track of anything coming out of Avani’s mouth…
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Avani tilted your phone down and stared at the screen in shock: “No. Absolutely not. You heard Bryce. You need to stay here in case Vinnie comes home.”
You: “Well, that’s what I have you for. You can stay and just call me if he shows up.”
Avani watched as you slipped into your shoes and grabbed your purse and keys: “Listen to me. This is a bad idea. Just let me call Bryce.”
You stopped in your tracks and grabbed Avani by the arm before commanding: “If you know what’s good for you, you will respect what I say. I am going and you are staying out of it.”
Avani had noticed her best friend had changed a lot since taking over the family business. Things could be going so lighthearted and fun and in a snap her woman-in-charge personality would take over and Avani was reduced to one being bossed around.
