Face-Off at the Altar Read online

  “Oh, good,” her father said, and Mekena shook her head, her eyes meeting Skylar’s. Skylar sucked in a quick breath, her eyes widening as Mekena continued to shake her head.

  “How dare you?”

  Skylar shrugged. “What?” But she could see it in her sister’s eyes, she knew full well what Mekena was speaking of.

  “You know what. I heard everything.”

  “Heard what?”

  “That you basically raped Markus!” Mekena accused, her heart pounding so hard, her ears started to ring. She felt so dirty, so sad and hurt for what her stupid sister had done, yet Skylar looked unremorseful. She looked the way she sounded, and that only made Mekena madder.

  “Mekena!” her mother cried.

  “What in the world?” her father asked, looking between the both of them. “What are you talking about?”

  “What is wrong with you? Are you sick?” Mekena yelled, holding Skylar’s unashamed gaze. “How? Why?”

  “Shut up, I didn’t fucking rape him. That’s just insane.”

  “You drugged him! You sucked him off till he was hard and then tried to fuck him,” she said, repeating what she had heard. It felt like there was a knife in her windpipe, but she went on. “You lied to me! You made this seem like he wanted it, when really, he was a victim of your sexual assault. You shouldn’t even be sitting there—you should be behind bars. How dare you!”

  “Oh, Lord. Dramatic much?” Skylar said, rolling her eyes. “We got high, we tried to fuck—”

  “Lies! He had no clue.”

  “Mekena, those are some big accusations,” her father said, standing up and crossing his arms. “I think you need to tread lightly.”

  “Tread lightly?” Mekena yelled, her voice actually breaking. “I stood on the side of the house and heard it from her own fucking mouth!” She pointed to her sister, who just shook her head dismissively. “She drugged him with Xanax and took him to bed, trying to get him to have sex with her—and he couldn’t even stay awake. She played it off as if it was mutual, and it wasn’t. It wasn’t at all!”

  “Skylar!” her mother gasped, looking to her eldest, and Mekena’s sister just shrugged.

  “She’s being very dramatic. They both are. It was a party, things happen.”

  “Rape doesn’t happen! It’s perpetrated by sick, disgusting people, you fucking whore,” Mekena screamed, her heart shattering as her tears ran down her face. “I don’t even understand. I can’t fathom why you would do this. I’ve spent almost two years thinking I wasn’t good enough. I wouldn’t talk to him, I cut him out—when he was the fucking victim! Because of you!”

  “He wasn’t good enough—”

  “That’s not your place!” she shouted, her voice rattling the windows. “This is my life. I am living it, not you.”

  “You’re being ridiculous,” Skylar said with a roll of her eyes, still unconcerned.

  “I just don’t get it. How can you sit there, so uncaring, after what you did? He was so upset, so hurt that he wanted to hurt you. But even you knew he wouldn’t because he’s not a fucking douche. He’s a good guy, and you hurt him!”

  “Oh Lord, Mekena, get over it. It’s over. He’s gone, forget it!” she yelled. When Skylar noticed her parents staring at her, she shrugged. “What? It’s not a big deal. Just ignore her. Her boyfriend was a whore, and he wanted it. I couldn’t let her get hurt.”

  “Why? Why would you think he would?”

  “Because men are dogs! Come on,” she said with a laugh. “You have to realize that.”

  “Just because you think that doesn’t mean I do.”

  “I don’t understand why you have such a bad outlook on men, and why you think you need to push your ideas on Mekena,” Libby said, staring at Skylar.

  Skylar scoffed as she held Libby’s gaze. “Well, you should! Dad walked out on you, fucked your sister, and then cheated on her again.”

  “Skylar Marie!” her mother cried. “What is wrong with you?”

  “That is in the past,” her father yelled as Libby took a step back.

  “Excuse me?” she asked, and Mekena put her hand out to keep her aunt from moving. “You cheated on my sister?”

  “It was a misunderstanding. So long ago,” her mother tried, but Skylar laughed arrogantly as Mekena continued to hold Libby back.

  “I will gut you, asshole, if this is true,” Libby yelled, but Stan was horrified, shaking his head.

  “No, it didn’t go that far, and Linda and I went to counseling. Skylar’s lying.”

  “Whatever. It was last week,” Skylar accused, and everyone went silent as her father gasped.

  “Stan?” her mother asked, her voice shaky, but his face drained of all color.

  He pointed at Skylar, and he shook his head in denial. “That’s a fucking lie, and you know it!”

  Mekena looked back at Skylar and shook her head. “Yeah, it is. She’s lying.”

  Scoffing, Skylar was defiant. “I am not.”

  “Yes, you are. Your nose always flares when you’re lying, and you’re doing this to get the spotlight off you and your issues,” Mekena said, completely sick over what her sister was doing. Had done.

  Rolling her eyes, Skylar looked away as their mother spoke. “Are you doing drugs, Skylar?”

  Silence fell over the room as Mekena really looked at her sister. She hadn’t done that in a while. She would just glance and walk away, so angry with her, but as she took in Skylar’s sunken face, her skinny body, her bloodshot eyes, she realized that her mother’s assumption could very well be true.

  “Mom, be real,” she muttered, laughing. “I don’t do drugs except at parties.”

  “You’ve lost a lot of weight. You’re always broke, needing money, you aren’t active in dance anymore. Be honest with us,” her father said. “Stop lying. Are you in trouble?”

  “The girl hasn’t been honest about anything, and you think she’s going to own up to the fact she’s a pill popper?” Libby scoffed, and everyone turned to look at her as her eyes stayed locked on Skylar. “I know she is. She has three bottles in her room right now, under a stack of clothes in her second drawer. I found them when I was looking for a shirt I know she took from me. The bottles don’t have a label, and I didn’t think anything about it. I thought they were old, but now, now it all makes sense.”

  Skylar laughed. “You guys are crazy. Those aren’t mine. I’m fine.”

  “Why do you continue to lie?” Mekena asked, shaking her head. “I know you, I know you better than anyone in this room, which is why I just don’t get it. Why would you hurt me like this? Are you that selfish?”

  “I didn’t do it to hurt you. I did it to prove to you he was scum. Jesus, get off my back!”

  “No! You don’t get to hurt people like that. You don’t get to drug them and force them into sex and think it’s okay. No telling how much he’s had to deal with. I’ve been a complete bitch to him, and he didn’t even know what really happened! How do you think that makes him feel? How you made me feel? You have no fucking cares for anyone but yourself. That is just plain pathetic, Skylar. How dare you?”

  “Oh my God, who the fuck cares? It’s over, get over it.”

  “I will never get over it,” Mekena sneered. “I will never forgive you.”

  “Whatever,” Skylar huffed. “Oh my God, everyone stop staring at me!”

  “Skylar, if you’re honest, we can help you,” her father said, and Mekena let out a heavy sigh. Why did they always baby her?

  “We are here for you, honey,” her mother added, and Mekena shook her head.

  “Yeah, and let her off for all the pain she caused me—hell, all of us—with her lies. Let her get clean and then push us back together. That’s your plan, huh? Well, let me tell you right now, take me out of the fucking equation. I’m done.”

  “Mekena! She’s sick!”

  “Yeah, she’s a disgusting piece of shit, and I’m not going to forgive her. She doesn’t see a problem, Mom. The first step