That’s why I came over here. Because it struck me that Greg is the only other person involved in this who’s as left out as me.

He drains his glass and stares out of the window at the dark garden. “I think it’s a mistake,” he says.

I think he means me coming here and hover awkwardly, drink in my hand, wondering if I should go.

He turns to smile at me. “The wedding, I mean. She never wanted to be married, to be a wife. She’s too much of a free spirit. Julia’s never going to be happy with Leo—he’s too quiet and ordinary.”

Quiet and ordinary like me. I take the insult to both of us and swallow it down. I don’t actually think he’s right—I’ve seen Dad and Julia together. Maybe she just didn’t want to be Greg’s wife.

I have an urge to show him I’m anything but quiet and ordinary and when he reaches for my glass to refill it, I lean in and kiss him.

He jerks his head away and I burn up with humiliation, feel it filling me like hot, molten lava.

“Christ, Tess…I think maybe you should go home. I’m sorry I gave you a drink. I didn’t…we’ll blame that. Come on, go home, we’ll forget this ever happened.”

“It’s my sister, isn’t it?” The words burst out of me. “I saw you with her—you invited her into the house. You never invited me inside until tonight.”

“Because you’re usually covered in mud from the garden. Bella came once to tell me about the wedding, that’s all.” He shakes his head. “Don’t try to be one of those girls, Tess. It’s not you.”

“Those girls? What girls?”

“Your sister and her friends—acting and looking so much older than they are, flirting, outrageous. You’re a good girl, Tess, I’ve seen that. Don’t try to be like them.”

There’s disgust and anger in his voice as he talks about Bella and her friends and I think of Nicole, the biggest flirt of them all and I think of the secret boyfriend I overheard Mr. Wallace talking to Dad about. I never…I knew Nicole was seeing Jack, so I thought…And he sees Bella that way too?

“So—what? You’d have kissed me back if I was one of those bad girls? Even though I’m only sixteen? Have you kissed many of those bad girls? What about Bella?” I pause, swallow. “What about Nicole?”

He has a wary look on his face. “You can’t go around saying these things. You can’t tell anyone about this, or spread stories about me and your sister. I have sons your age.”

A surge of satisfaction dilutes the hurt. He’s right. I have the power here.