The last time I saw my sister, she looked like a pet cemetery dog trying to attack me.
So, seeing her at my pre-engagement party caught me all the way off guard.
I didn't invite her. I knew my dad didn't invite her. There was only one person who would stoop so low without even asking me or Kannon how we felt about it.
"Brielle, your sister came all the way from London to help celebrate the big news," Mama said, standing as Kannon and I walked in.
Draya stood too. The vindictive smile she wore was as sharp as her Balmain dress and heels. Her voice was even sharper.
"Hey, Sis. Long time no see… Hey Kannon."
She licked her lips and lowered her eyes into a seductive gaze when she addressed Kannon—who looked scared to breathe the wrong way. There was a lump so big caught in his throat, it looked like he had two Adam's apples.
"What's up, Draya?" Kannon replied, squeezing my hand unknowingly.
I didn't speak right away. I was too busy fighting the urge to lash out because Mama invited her without me knowing.
She looked good, though. Better than she did before she quit the firm and kicked the family to the curb to move to London.
I never asked why she left so suddenly, but I knew it couldn't have been because of me and Kannon.
We started dating in college, after he had already broken up with her, and even though she was mad about it, that happened years before she moved.
"Nice to see you, Draya." I finally spoke. "Glad you could make it."
Kannon and I took seats at the far end of the long oak wood table my dad had polished twice a day. I thought it was the safest place to sit, just in case Draya got the bright idea of turning brunch into a boxing match.
"Well, hello to you too, Brielle." Aunt Judy sassed. "And you too, Mr. Kannon Deville."
I didn't even get to greet everyone the way I wanted to because my chest was so tight with anxiety. And to make it worse, I started thinking about Kannon's dream.
Knowing that Draya was home, that dream didn't seem like a dream after all.
"Hey Aunt Judy," I forced a smile. "And Uncle Carlton. Felicia, James. Micheal."
Felicia and James were Aunt Judy's twins. Michael belonged to Uncle Carlton.
Even though we all felt like he belonged to someone else, Uncle Carlton had been in his life from the day he was born, and never left his side.
"How come you didn't tell me you were getting married?" Draya asked, as if she really cared.
"I didn't know I was getting married until he asked me."
Kannon gripped my thigh under the table to remind me to watch my tone. According to him, I had a bad habit of sounding like a bitch whenever my feathers were ruffled. And Draya was one person who knew how to ruffle my feathers without even trying.
"Well, congratulations." She sneered. "I hope you two have a long … long and happy marriage."
She looked at Kannon as she raised her champagne glass to her lips, licked the rim, and then gulped down the entire thing. When she was finished and satisfied with the way it bubbled down her throat, she shot him a smile that made my stomach turn upside down.
That was all the confirmation I needed.
Draya was the throat goat from Kannon's dream the night before. I had no proof, but I felt it in my gut.
She was the one who crept into the pool house while he was asleep and gave him exactly what I wouldn't. And he enjoyed it.
I gripped the knife that sat next to my plate as I glared at her, calculating how fast I could get from my end of the table to hers without anyone stopping me. I was so angry I didn't even process what happened—the situation. My engagement. How I was supposed to feel about her sucking my fiance's dick, and whatever else could have happened between them.
I didn't blame Kannon.
Yeah, he could've made sure it was me before he enjoyed his late night slob down, but no one knew she was coming. She was like an annoying ass pimple that popped up out of nowhere every time you thought you were in the clear.
"Thanks, Draya. It was nice of you to show up."
Kannon's reply caught me off guard. I don't know if it's because his voice was already sexy enough or he was just laying it on thick because of their rendezvous, but I was over it. I felt like a fool sitting at the table with my fiance and the bitch who gave him head while we were supposed to be celebrating. So, I excused myself.
"I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I think I might be sick."
I pushed away from the table and rushed out of the brunch hall because I refused to let a single tear fall in front of the family. Especially Draya.
It was like she got off on seeing me upset. Ever since Kannon and I got together and my friendship with Monty grew stronger than their relationship, she had been a thorn in my side, slowly but surely picking her way to my heart.
When I got to the bathroom, I yanked a towel from the towel rack, folded it up as tight as I could, and screamed into it. I screamed and screamed until I felt like someone would hear me.
I wanted to kill Draya. And Kannon, because he thanked her for giving him head while he sat with his hand on my thigh.
Monty was the first person I thought to call. I didn't want to bother him about Draya and her nonsense because I knew how much it took for him to get away from her, but I had to talk to someone. Before I ended up in jail.
"Wah gwaan, soon-to-be missis??"
The minute I heard his voice, I closed my eyes and imagined him being with me—comforting me like he always did whenever I was upset. His Jamaican accent was the icing on the cake that often made me forget about why I was upset in the first place.
But not this time.
"Are you sure you can't make it this weekend?" I asked, fighting harder to hold back tears. "I could really use a friend right now."
"Cho man, Bri. Yuh done know how mi feel 'bout dat," he said. "Wah happen to yuh?"
The smoothness of his voice made me tingle all over. I wanted to be mad at him for not supporting my decision to marry Kannon, but that damn accent … the fact that he always answered when I called … being my best friend and never making me feel like he had ulterior motives. Yeah … it was hard being mad at a man like Montclair Carty.
"Draya's here." I sighed and leaned against the bathroom door. "And you already know how she comes every time she comes. I'm just overwhelmed by her and her bullshit. Always starting drama or trying to pick a fight. This is supposed to be a fun time to celebrate with our family. Not a fucking competition to see who the best woman is."
"Ahh, mi see. Wicked cyaah tek loss. Dem always creep back when tings nah go fi dem. Want mi fi pull up an get har vex?"
Tit for tat wasn't my style. But in the heat of the moment, I wanted to level the playing field.
I thought about how Kannon would feel seeing Monty show up after he already said he couldn't make it. But then I thought about him and Draya in bed, and I felt like I deserved some kind of get-back. Besides, Monty and I were best friends. Nothing more.
"Will you come for real?" I asked. "I don't want you to go out of your way if you really don't want to. I know how you feel about Kannon, and I respect that."
He was silent for a moment.
I figured he was weighing the pros and cons of coming to the estate to celebrate my engagement, and even though I really wanted him to be there—outside of making Draya mad—I respected whatever decision he made.
"Mi link yuh back 'bout dat," he said. "Mi have some tings fi deal wid before mi cut out fi di weekend."
"Like what? One of your girlfriends?" I teased. "You can bring her with you if you want to."
"Yuh done know mi nuh deal wid dating bizniz," he chuckled. "Yuh sista did stress mi out enough already."
"She stresses everybody out enough," I laughed. "Well, I'll let you go. I gotta get back to brunch with the family anyway. I hope to see you soon. If not, I'll catch you next time."