Unbroken

with old friends, sucking their favors and hospitality dry. And Carina? Well, there’s a reason my sister is marrying a forty-two year old, twice-divorced douchebag of an investment banker, and it sure as hell isn’t his personality.
    I’ve been careful to never fall into that trap. I made sure to work extra during school and vacations. I tutored in high school, and worked doing the books for small businesses in town during college, putting aside a tiny nest egg of savings that’ll help pay for an apartment after graduation, and see me through until I find a job.
    I swore to myself, I’d never have to depend on anyone the way they do. But all the work I put in to making sure I’d never have to rely on my family doesn’t mean a damn thing now I’m stuck in a room with them, with those bands of steel tightening around my chest again.
    What the hell is Daniel thinking?
    “Let’s go through to eat,” Carina says. She checks her watch, frowning. “Alexander should be right down.”
    Please. I send a silent prayer that my brother-in-law to be gets off the phone. The sooner we get done with dinner, the sooner this charade of happy family is over.
    Carina and dad move on through to the dining room, but I pull Daniel back to stop him following.
    “What were you thinking?” I hiss. Already, I feel a rush of blood pounding in my head, the first warning sign that bad times are ahead. “You called my dad?”
    “Hey,” Daniel puts his hands on my arms to calm me, but it has to opposite effect. I want to push him away and lash out somehow. “What did I say about building bridges?” he reminds me.
    I glare. “Carina is one thing, but my dad…?”
    I’ve never told him much about our broken relationship, but Daniel must see I’m genuinely thrown here, because he softens. “I’m sorry,” Daniel adds. “I didn’t mean to ambush you. But, he called me, and then dinner came up…”
    My blood freezes. “He called you?” Shit, this can’t be good. “What does he want?” I demand.
    “Just to see how you’re doing.” Daniel’s forehead creases with concern. “He says you haven’t returned any of his calls.”
    “That’s because he hasn’t made any.” I grit my teeth. Trust my father to act like the concerned parent when it suits him.
    “Just, try to get along tonight.” Daniel looks into my eyes. “For me?”
    I feel a twist of guilt in my gut. Here I am, getting mad at him for trying to reunite me with my family, when what I’ve done is way, way worse.
    “Fine.” I nod. I can suck it up for one night, it’s the least I can do.
    Daniel breaks into a smile. “That’s my girl.”
    I wait until he’s ahead of me before pulling the vial from my pocket. One, two, three, four. I hesitate a moment, but already my skin is prickling hot under the neckline of my dress. I slip one onto my tongue. God knows I’m going to need it.
    * * *
    Dinner crawls by at a snail’s pace. Daniel happily chats to Carina and Alexander over the appetizers, about his job-hunt and all the studying he’s doing for the Bar Exam. I sink lower in my seat and silently count how many times Alexander insults my sister, and how many drinks my dad washes down.
    Too damn many.
    “So how are the wedding plans going?” Daniel asks Alexander, as Carina brings in the main course: some fancy dish with tiny squabs and a drizzle of sauce. “Did you pick a date yet?”
    “Don’t ask me.” Alexander snorts. “I’ll be surprised if she tells me. Nothing but those fucking binders, night and day. Chicken or beef? Beige or winter white?” He mimics sarcastically. “Sometimes, I wonder what she needs me for at all. Oh, yeah, that’s right, to foot the bill.”
    My dad laughs. “Just as long as this one sticks, right sweetie?”
    Carina flushes at the reminder of her two failed engagements. The first guy ditched her for a job in Asia, and she called off the second when he lost his high-paying finance job and they had to give up their apartment.
    “Just kidding, sweetheart,” Dad adds, pouring himself another from the bottle of wine stationed by his place. “I’m sure you two will be very happy together.”
    My sister sits down, still looking humiliated. I feel a stab of sympathy. This is what my dad does best: the cutting comment, masked as a joke. I learned long ago not to let him get under my skin, but for some reason, my sister keeps hanging on.
    “Daniel says you’ve been down at the beach house.” Dad finally turns