Bainbridge Bride

Chapter 8

"Paige, why is this bottle of wine opened?!" my mother asks furiously. Jasper looks at me curiously.

"It's not like you were gonna be home to drink it anyway." I deadpan, sending Jasper into a laughing fit.

"Jasper! I'm trying to talk to Paige." my mother interrupts his laughter with anger.

"Oh I better be quiet, you barely ever talk to us so I should savor this moment." Jasper snaps. My mother's scowl melts into pure pain.

"Sometimes I wonder if you even love me." my mother says with a sniffle.

"Mom.." I begin. She holds up a hand.

"Don't Paige." she leaves the kitchen in tears. Jasper looks at me with wide eyes.

"Okay, I think you went a little too far there." I say to Jasper.

"She can't complain about us when she's never here to tell us what to do." Jasper insists. I take a bite of my sandwich so that I don't have to answer him right away. Because he's totally right, she's never disciplined us and it's too late now.

"Well at the end of the day she's still our mom and you need to apologize." I see the defeat in his eyes as he feels that I've betrayed him. But doing the right thing is what I've always showed him to do. Most of the time.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm always the bad guy here." Jasper says, grabbing his keys from the key rack and slamming the door as he walked out.

"So who drank the wine, Paige?" my father asks, poking his head out of his office. If there's anyone who'll keep their mouth shut, it's my dad. So I decide to tell him about Kent's plan and what I'm doing for him.
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"Paige, it's better for you to back out gracefully. You're approaching your last year of college. This could drag on into the fall." my father whispers. I chew the inside of my lip as I think of how to justify this.

"I needed something to do. I realized that I was bored with my life at the moment and when Kent asked me to fake a relationship, I jumped at the chance. I'm sorry." I say, forgetting that my father doesn't like this.

"You have to understand that you can't involve yourself in other people's family affairs Paige. But until it ends, I'll play along I suppose." my father simpers and pulls his reading glasses back onto his face.

"Thank you Dad, I really appreciate that." I kiss his cheek and go into my room where my phone is ringing.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Can you be ready for dinner by 6?" Kent asks. I roll my eyes and prepare to cancel my girl's night with Logan.

"I guess.." I say, feeling frustrated.

"Is there a problem? Because I can talk to my parents, if that's what you want. What is it?" Kent rambles on.

"Nothing, I'll be ready by 6." I laugh. He exhales as if he's relieved.

"Good, I'll walk you to the car." he says under his breath. I hang up and glance at the clock by my bed which reads: 4:19. So I decide to start getting ready at 5.

"Paige!" my mother screams infamously.

"Yes?" I answer, appearing beside her in the kitchen. She adjusts the tight curls that fall over the edge of her shoulders.

"I need you to go buy some milk for me." she states, now smoothing out her ruffled blouse.

"Milk for what?" I ask, not wanting to go out at the moment. She rolls her eyes, fluttering her black coated lashes.

"I'm baking a cake, I forgot it." she says. Why would she be baking a cake when she barely knows how to use the oven?

"A cake?" I question.

"For Kent of course." she says in a flirtatious tone. Poor Kent, dealing with my 48 year old mother all the time. Poor Kent, having to deal with any member of the Aberdeen family.

"Oh Paige, I know he's taking you out tonight." my mother winks. I'm surprised that her top and bottom lashes don't tangle when she blinks.

"I think it's really inappropriate for you to call and text a 22 year old guy." I tell her, grabbing my keys and swinging my purse over my head. She hands me a ten dollar bill.

"Why? I'm only getting to know my future son in law better." she says in a whisper.

"Jasper is marrying Kent?" I ask. She rolls her eyes again.

"You know what I meant Paige." she yells as I close the front door. Why would she assume that I'm marrying Kent after this one date that she doesn't even know is fake. I slip into the driver's seat and turn the key in the ignition. Kent walks out of his front door wearing only a pair of jeans. I nearly choke on my own breath at the sight of his nicely sculptured abs. His hair is wet and messy. He currently looks like an Abercrombie model.

When he looks up, he gives a small wave and I take that as my cue to back out of the driveway. I've seen enough for today.
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The milk is on the back aisle of the small drug store and judging by the ache that I feel in the pit of my stomach, I need to buy some feminine items for the time of month.

I walk down the paper plate aisle, running my fingers across the colored plastics.

"Hey! No touching." Chad's voice echoes through the store, causing people to look at me. God, why did he have to work here today? My attitude instantly changes when I remember that he works two jobs during the summer because his parents make his buy his own gas and whatever else he needs for his apartment. Chad is an old boyfriend.

After grabbing the milk, I grab a box of female items and brace myself for the upcoming teasing to come from Chad.

"Are you having cereal or something?" Chad asks as I approach the counter.

"Not exactly." I answer. He taps his fingers on the counter.

"You know Chandler is here for the rest of the week." Chad says. Chandler is Chad's older and much cooler sister. When Chad and I were together, Chandler and Logan would come over during the summer.

"Your point?" I say, handing him the crumpled money. He looks at me, with his honey colored eyes telling exactly what he's about to say.

"Come over and hang out with her, for old time's sake?" he says, clearly pleading. At first, I hesitate. But then my answer is firm.

"No, keep the change." I say snatching the bag away from him. He squints his eyes, confused about why I declined.
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Today I decide on a bubble bath since tonight is a "special occasion". My body wash choice is warm vanilla sugar, my personal favorite. As soon as I slip under the bubbles, I swear I hear my mother call my name again. But I stay in the bath for a while before stepping out and squeezing into the lace dress.

I don't want to look dramatic, so I just throw on mascara and french braid my hair. Just as I finish getting dressed, the doorbell rings, contrary to the common rough knocking.

"Are you ready?" Kent says when I open the door.