Her Best Friend’s Brother

by Feeney, M. B.

  “Way to lay on the guilt. Okay, I’ll come out.” Lucy actually managed to laugh through her tears as Megan’s head bobbed out of view. Composing herself, she could hear her best friend leaving the stall and making her way out into the wide-open space filled with wash basins and large, well-lit, mirrors. When she exited the stall, Lucy found Megan sitting on a sofa, the kind only found in restrooms in fancy hotels. She patted the seat next to her for Lucy to join her.

  “Here, sit down and listen to me, okay? When I saw Jenson walk into the hotel lobby, I was relieved. Not only had the two of you made it on time, but I hadn’t seen him smile like that in years. I didn’t know what had changed in him, but I realize now – it was you. You brought something out in him, Lucy. Something I haven’t seen since before he was injured.” Megan touched Lucy’s shoulder softly, her gaze locked on her face. “And now he’s pushing you away, can’t you see that? He’s pushing us all away. Don’t let him.”

  “I have an idea, but I don’t think you’ll like it.”

  “You have my full support to do whatever it is you need to do. Do you need my cake? I will personally wheel it over to his room, and you can pop out of it naked.”

  “Yeah, maybe not, but I’ll save that plan as a back-up.” The pair of them laughed which made Lucy feel better, but she knew their talk wasn’t finished.

  “Whatever it is, you have to make him listen, He may take his time to hear you, but he always does. I don’t know if Jenson has ever felt loved, really loved aside from me and my parents.” Lucy’s heart hurt at Megan’s words. “But he needs more than us. He’s been loved for his looks, loved for his body and what he can do with it, but I think it’s hard for him to see that love can be unconditional, that he can be himself and still have value. To know that people aren’t perfect and that doesn’t mean love ends.” Megan rose to her feet, smoothing down her dress before offering Lucy a hand up. “He’s pushing you away on purpose, and if you really love him, Lucy, you won’t let him do it.”

  Relief flooded through her when she realized Megan wasn’t going to quiz her on the fact she’d spent years claiming she hated Jenson. It seemed, as far as Megan was concerned, Lucy was good for her brother and that was all that mattered.

  By the time Lucy returned to the wedding reception, dinner was already being served. She took a seat next to Chris who poured her a glass of wine.

  “Where have you been? I was about to send out a search party.”

  “Restroom.”

  Chris frowned at the tightness of her voice, glancing over at Jenson. “Trouble in paradise?”

  “Can we talk about something else? I’m not feeling up to this right now.”

  Chris nodded and focused back on his food. The rest of the meal passed in silence, and before long, Lucy heard the DJ calling her name. It was time for her speech and for her to present her gift to Megan and Elliot. Her eyes moved to the veiled easel placed in the center of the dance floor as she stood up shakily. Trying to still the tremors in her legs, she made her way over to the microphone. She took a deep breath and whipped the drape off the painting.

  The fabric fell to the floor, exposing the efforts of her work. It was a portrait of the couple from a show they took part in not long after they got engaged. They were both in full costume and Elliot had Megan held above his head, their eyes locked upon one another. Lucy had painted a photograph Megan had shared with her after the opening night of the show that Lucy could no longer remember the name of. When she’d first seen it, even though she’d had reservations about them getting engaged, she couldn’t deny the adoration on each of their faces. Taking yet another breath, Lucy removed the microphone from the stand.

  “I still remember the day I met Megan. Her hair was up in one of those tight ballerina buns that she wore throughout grade school. Ricky Jones had just kicked her in the shin, and I instantly felt a connection.” Lucy looked down at her own legs. “I’m pretty sure I still have the scars from when he kicked me the day before.” The crowd laughed, and Megan’s lips curved up in a soft smile.

  “But Megan was always different to me. Instead of worrying about herself, she helped Ricky to his feet when he fell over later that day. She’s always been like that; a harbor of strength, a sheltering tree to all those lucky enough to be loved by her. She’s kind of crazy too.” As the crowd murmured, Lucy glanced over at Jenson’s seat near his mother. It was empty. “A few months ago, she called me to tell me about a guy, at midnight. He was wonderful, he was perfect, and she was going on a date with him. Four weeks later, after many calls in between, she told me she loved him. If I’m honest, I was shocked, but who am I to judge? And then, she told me she was going to marry him.”

  Lucy looked down at her feet, feeling raw and vulnerable in front of a room full of people who were hanging on her every word.

  “I thought she was having one of her crazy moments – like she had literally lost her mind. Because, I’d spent six years with my boyfriend, and my heart still wasn’t open to the idea of forever.” She stared out above the heads of the silent crowd. “How, in such a short time, did Megan know that she loved him? You see, Megan and I are the same age, just two weeks apart. We’ve done everything together; shared birthdays, the same friends, same graduation, and so much more. But how could this girl I grew up with be so careless with her heart and marry a man after knowing him for such a short time?”

  Gasps and murmurs sounded throughout the hall, but Lucy’s focus was completely on Megan now. She needed her best friend to understand what she was saying.

  “Six days ago, I realized Megan had it right the whole time. Because time isn’t a factor in matters of the heart, I can see now she’s given her whole being to Elliot. She’s shown him her flaws and let him really see her. Because, that’s how love works. That’s what I want. I don’t want perfect; I want flaws, I want passion. I want someone to give me everything without holding back, even the ugly pieces, the pieces hidden from everyone else.”

  She gazed out over the crowd, searching for that familiar, handsome face, but not seeing him. Fighting down the tears that threatened to reappear, Lucy continued speaking.

  “Love is about being vulnerable. It’s about doing things that scare you. Like giving your heart to someone after a few weeks, or a few days. When you find the right person, time stops.” Looking back over to Megan and Elliot, Lucy smiled and nodded at them. “That’s what happened to Megan and Elliot.” She slipped the microphone back into the stand, stepping away. Her words were still audible across the room.

  “And that’s what happened to me.”

  She raised her glass into the air. “To the bride and groom, and to a love that’s timeless.”

  The room cheered wildly, and Chris stood up, approaching her. When he reached Lucy, he clapped a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

  “Good job, Lucy. The ball’s in his court now.” He stepped up to the microphone to make his own speech as she weaved her way through the sea of tables, feeling drained. She had poured so much of herself into her speech. Deciding she wasn’t needed any longer, she got her things and snuck back to her room, hoping nobody noticed.

  She exited the reception without causing a fuss and took the elevator up to her room. The hallway was quiet and still. A little voice inside her mind wondered if Jenson heard her speech, hoped he could be waiting in her room… He wasn’t.

  She entered the room alone and stepped out of her gown, letting it pool on the floor at her feet. The bed was cold and lonely when she crawled in, but her warm tears soon soaked the pillow. She decided to fly home in the morning, to try and forget the man who stole her heart when she wasn’t paying attention.

  When Lucy woke the following morning, she felt wrung out, lethargic, and empty. With puffy eyes, she padded into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. She felt as if her heart had been torn out of her chest, and there was nothing more she could do about it. Her goal was simply to get home. After that… it would be living her life and moving f
orward one step at a time.

  She’d managed to book a flight for that afternoon, and when she checked the time, she realized Megan and Elliot would already be at the airport, waiting to head out on their honeymoon. Excited for them, but upset she’d missed saying goodbye to them, Lucy rooted around in her purse for her phone.

  She checked her social media in an attempt to keep her mind occupied. It was something she hadn’t done since she left home; hadn’t felt the need to. She last posted as she left L.A. It felt like a lifetime ago, despite it being less than a week since she had climbed into Jenson’s car. In one road-trip, Lucy had found love and had it ripped away just as quickly. Suddenly, she felt restless and she decided to check out and get to the airport early. She could catch up with some reading while she waited for her flight.

  Packing quickly, Lucy slung her backpack over her shoulder before leaving the room and heading downstairs. The elevator doors slid open to reveal the lobby. As always, the elegant space took her breath away, and she couldn’t help but look out of the huge windows to admire the beautiful day ahead of her. It was a shame she was going to have to spend six hours of it on a flight back home. She hovered in the lobby, unsure what to do. She hadn’t checked out, but wasn’t sure if she wanted to stay somewhere she clearly was no longer welcome.

  A familiar shade of metallic paint caught her eye, and immediately, her body was filled with warring emotions. Was he outside, waiting for her? He couldn’t be… if he wanted to speak to her, he could have done it last night, or at least called her. She reached up, touching her still puffy eyes, worried about what people would think about her appearance. She was a mess and really didn’t want Jenson to see her like it, but there was no other way outside.

  She checked out of her room, and with her head held high, walked outside, her nerves vibrating. She was intent on rushing past Jenson’s car in search of a cab to take her to the airport, but he’d clearly been waiting and stepped in front of her, blocking the path.

  She couldn’t help but notice the tired, dark circles under his eyes. His words were gravelly and filled with emotion when he spoke.

  “Can I talk to you?”

  “Now? You want to talk to me now? After I’ve called you like a thousand times? I stood up there, in front of all those people-” Her voice started to crack.

  “I know.” She spun away on her heels, overwhelmed by her emotions, unwilling and unprepared to do this with him right there and then. “I was scared, Lucy.” She tried to walk away, but he took hold of her arm. There was no force in his grip as he stopped her leaving his side. “Damnit, will you listen to me?”

  She stared in shock as his stormy blue eyes brimmed with tears. Angrily, he wiped them away with the back of his hand. She’d never seen him cry before.

  “I know it was shitty to stop talking to you, but with everything going on with my dad, I was raw and vulnerable, and instead of letting you in, I closed you out.” His shoulders hunched as his voice dropped and he leaned back against the hood of his car, letting go of Lucy’s arm. “To my dad, vulnerability was a sign of weakness. Whenever I cried, he told me I was too soft. When I fell, he told me to get up, that it was part of being a man – even when I was a kid or on the field. I learned at an early age to give him what he wanted, and in return, he was proud of me. Don’t get me wrong, I loved… love my dad, looked up to him, and I still haven’t figured out if I worked so hard at football because I loved it or because he did. When my football career ended before it had even started, it felt like he lost interest in me. I couldn’t even persuade him to come to his own daughter’s wedding, so maybe he lost interest in our entire family.”

  As he finished talking, Lucy heard the quiver of pain in his voice and looked up at him. He looked so lost and defeated; she’d never realized things between him and his dad were that way. She’d always assumed the entire family was super close from what she’d seen of them.

  He took a deep breath. “When I found out that mum suspected him of having an affair, I’d had enough of trying to make everyone happy before myself, so I stopped doing it, especially my dad. I didn’t need to impress him anymore. Having the freedom to say and do what I wanted was liberating, but I started to scare people off, especially women. I tried it with you, but for some reason, you’d always looked at me differently and this time was no different. You see me, despite the walls I’ve put up.” He stepped closer, staring into her eyes. “It scared the crap out of me. Then, after everything between us, when I saw you with Matthew, how close he was to you; it was the last thing I could take. I couldn’t handle it. He’d had you for six years; I’d only been with you for a few days. Deep down, I didn’t think I could compete with that kind of history.”

  Lucy wanted to interrupt him, put his mind at ease, but she knew he hadn’t finished. Jenson needed to be able to tell her this.

  “I convinced myself that you’d realize you’d made a mistake picking me and would end things, so doing it myself wouldn’t hurt as much as you doing it later once I was deeply invested in a relationship.” Wetness covered Lucy’s face as tears dripped from her chin; she hadn’t realized she was crying. Jenson had hidden his insecurity and feeling of worthlessness for years, until now.

  “Jenson-” She took a step forward, arms reaching for him.

  He put a large hand on her arm to stop her, shaking his head. “Please, not yet. I need to finish.” He clenched his jaw and swallowed hard.” Last night, I left the wedding and sat alone in my room with a bottle of whiskey. I started thinking about everything. About my father, my family, you. I realized I was being a coward, that I was letting my dad control me again. Not only that, I’d let my insecurities push you away.” He hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek as though searching for the right words to say. “But… time stops when I’m with you too.”

  His red-rimmed eyes found Lucy’s as he echoed her words from her speech back to her.

  “Time stopped when I was with you all those years ago, and it did again the moment you got into my car in L.A. It took hearing you baring your soul in front of a room of people to make me realize if I pushed you away, I’d be giving up on the best thing that had ever happened to me, both then and now.” Jenson reached out for her hands, holding them gently in his. “I’m in love with you, Lucy. I think, if I’m honest, there hasn’t been a time in six years I haven’t been in love with you.” He took a deep breath. Lucy couldn’t have spoken, even if she’d wanted to. “I don’t know where this road will lead us, but I’m not ready to take the turn off just yet. This past week has been one of the best I’ve had in a long time, and I want to relive it.”

  His lips curled up into a hesitant smile as he squeezed her hands. He looked at her, a hesitant look on his face.

  “Let’s get into my car, forget about everything, and just drive. Wherever the road leads us. You and me and the road ahead of us.” Lucy glanced at the dusty car filled with memories, luggage, and a large bag of chips. Jenson leaned into her, his warm breath tickling her ear. “Say yes, and I promise to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret it.”

  “Jenson, I…” After hesitating for a moment, Lucy closed the distance between her body and Jenson’s, throwing her arms around his neck. He squeezed her tightly, hoisting her against his chest. Her lips sought his out, channeling her surging emotions into the kiss. “Yes. Let’s go.”

  The End

  Tammy. As always you get first mention because you make my books look pretty and make me want to just sit and stroke them for hours on end. Thank you seems so inconsequential, but it’s all I have right now.

  Sam and Tori – ‘Eagle eye’ doesn’t cover it. Without you, this book would be a mess of tenses and inconsistencies.

  Karen Sanders – Editor extraordinaire. Thank you for not groaning when you opened this book (or at least not telling me if you did). Your comments were so helpful and really brought out the best in this book.

  Sarah as ever, you get a special mention. We share a brain; w
e’ve shared so much – both online and in ‘real life’ Never change because you’re amazing.

  My ‘Beard Bitches’. Thank you for being so supportive and not letting me get too ‘woe is me’.

  My ‘Inner Circle’. You’re all amazing and your support means more than I can ever express.

  Leanne and Michelle – you get a mention because you listened to me have a paranoid attack and talked me off many ledges. Legends, the pair of yous.

  Lastly, everyone who has taken a chance on me and my words. You own a small piece of my heart, as cliché as that sounds. Even if you only read one book of mine, you’re there, forever.

  M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, two kids and a dog. She often procrastinates by listening to music of all genres and trying to get ‘just one more paragraph’ written on whichever WIP is open; she is also a serious doodler and chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love ever since she could spell, and publishing is the final culmination of her hard work and ambition.

  Her publishing career began with two novellas, and she currently has multiple projects under way, in the hopes that her portfolio of what have been described as “everyday love stories for everyday people” will continue to grow. Always having something on the go can often lead to block which eventually gets dissolved by good music and an even better book.

  Her main reason for writing is to not only give her readers enjoyment, but also to create a story and characters that stay with readers long after the book is finished, and possibly make someone stop and think “what if...”