I down the last of my whiskey in an attempt to keep my mouth shut. I make the mistake of glancing back at Elizabeth. The deep blush on her cheeks and the tears she’s fighting back leave me with no doubt that she heard every word her aunt just said.

That’s when I lose it.

“Well, Claire, I’m sorry I’m going to have to disagree with you. I’d call Elizabeth captivating, not eccentric. As far as being quiet goes, I don’t have any complaints. She’s always plenty vocal with me. Maybe she doesn’t have much to say to condescending assholes.” I try to give Cruella my most gentlemanly smile, but I’m struggling to keep my amusement contained as the affronted shock splashes across her face.

My pleasure’s cut short by the sound of Elizabeth’s shrill voice calling out my name. “Austin. Can I see you outside, please?”

“Of course, darling,” I call back at her. “Please, excuse me.” I happily make my escape from Elizabeth’s ‘favorite’ aunt.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Elizabeth starts in on me as soon as we’re out of earshot of the rest of her family.

“Excuse me?” I ask in disbelief. How can she be pissed at me?

“You just called my aunt Claire a condescending asshole!” She crosses her arms and I try not to think about how sexy Elizabeth is when she’s mad.

“First of all, I didn’t call her anything. I was making an observation about you. And second, are you seriously pissed at me right now? For defending you?”

“You weren’t defending me. You’re being rude.”

“I’m being rude? I get Daddy holds the purse strings and needing to kiss a little ass sometimes, but these people are condescending assholes and you’ve let them talk down to you all fucking night. How am I the dick in this scenario?”

“You think this is about money? These people are my family!”

“That doesn’t give them the right to treat you like shit.”

“They don’t treat me like shit!”

“Oh, come on. You know better than that.”

She has to know her family are a bunch of dicks.

She’s giving me the silent treatment now, arms crossed and glaring at me.

“And you just sit there and play the demure, good girl. Maybe they wouldn’t treat you like a fucking child if you actually grew up and stopped acting like one.”

Her mouth drops open at the same time as her arms drop to her sides and her hands ball into fists. For a second, I think she’s going to hit me. I’d deserve it. Instead, she does something much worse.

She walks away.

She stops at the threshold of the patio door, turning back just enough to tell me, “Go to hell, Austin.”

Fuck. I fucked that up.