by Toni Aleo
“Yeah, it was bad, and I stopped talking to them over it.”
“Wow,” she said slowly, her eyes still wide. “And I’m guessing…plus, I might have heard…that since you and Mekena are back together, you don’t want them being mean to her again.”
He rolled his eyes. “So that made it through the grapevine?”
She nodded with a big grin. “It’s very hit or miss, this Sinclair grapevine.”
Exhaling with annoyance, he said, “Yeah, I can tell. But anyway, yeah. I mean, we aren’t official, but I want us to be.”
“Okay, what do you want? Do you want them there?”
“I think so. I miss them, I do. It’s hard not talking to them, but they were so mean. So not who I want to surround myself with, and I refuse to allow them to treat Mekena like shit.”
“This is true. So why don’t you tell them that? I told my dad he wasn’t going to treat anyone I love like shit or I wouldn’t speak to him, and we all know how wonderful he’s been. I mean, he’s paid for a lot of this wedding, and he’s even walking me down the aisle to Benji. He’s been great, which is nice. I’m sure, while you’ll have Mom and River at the game, you want your family too.”
“I do,” he agreed. “I just worry for Mekena. Should I ask her?”
“I mean, you can, but I would just warn them. One more time, and if they can’t respect her, you’re done.”
“True,” he said, glancing out into the field to find that now Avery and Baylor were being chased by Angie. “She means a lot to me.”
“Angie? I know, she’s my baby. Greatest kid ever.”
“No. Mekena,” he said, looking back to find her laughing. “Jerk.”
“I know you do,” she said, reaching for him and cupping his shoulder. “I hope it works out.”
She didn’t seem so sure. “You don’t think we will?”
She scoffed. “Of course, I do. You’re stubborn as hell. You’ll make it work.”
“This is true.”
“I just worry you’re using this relationship to cover up the pain of what happened with that cunt.”
He paused, his heart stopping in his chest. Shaking his head, his face twisted. “I’m not. I’ve always loved Mekena.”
“I know, and please don’t think I don’t think it’s great y’all are back together—you love her, I know this—but I worry about you. You’re letting go of what happened, which is excellent, but what happens if the pain comes back? That scares me, which is why I suggested therapy.” She turned her body to look at him. He went to comment, but she held up her hand. “Remember how quick Baylor was to compartmentalize the attempted rape with that guy in college? We all thought she was strong, that she had it. And two months later, Jayden finds her in a ball on the floor, unable to breathe from a panic attack in the Assassins’ locker room. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“I told you, I’m going.”
“I know,” she said, her face turning up in a small smile. “And I believe you. I just worry, and I feel if I tell you my worry, it’ll give you more of a push to go.”
He nodded as his heart exploded with love. He’d never gotten the chance to have an older sibling, or a sister for that matter, but Lucy was a great stand-in. She might be a little hostile from time to time, and people might be scared of her—Markus included—but she was by far one of the most amazing women he knew. “I love you, Lucy Paxton.”
She smiled. “I love you, Markus Reeves, and I love that you’re happy. Please stay that way.”
“I plan on it,” he said, standing up and slapping his hands together. “I am planning to make sure we beat your ass this time! Even if I have to kick all the men off the field but me.”
She laughed at that, rolling her eyes as she stood. “Bring it, Reeves.”
Determined, he said, “Let’s go, ladies. Game two!” He looked at the guys. “If you guys suck, you’re out.”
They all rolled their eyes, flipping him off as he walked back out onto the field. His mind was heavy with what to do about his parents, with what Lucy had said, and of course, with thoughts of Mekena. In theory, it all seemed easy. Be together. But that wasn’t how the world worked, and he knew that. So much could go wrong, so much could happen, but like Lucy had said, he was stubborn, and he wasn’t going to let anything come between them.
Distance: nope.
Crazy sister: nope.
Crazy parents: nope.
Life: nope.
He was ready for anything because Mekena Preston was his.
…Well, as soon as he asked her to be she would be.
“Why are you so dressed up?”
Mekena looked down at her red dress and quirked her brow. She hadn’t meant to stand out, but it was a black-tie rehearsal dinner. While she knew she was only to stand in the background taking pictures, she wanted to look pretty.
For him.
Markus.
She hadn’t intended for Libby to notice, though. But then, what did she expect when she wore a red satin dress that flared at her thigh and was made entirely of lace at the top, with an open back. She had paired it with black Converse in the hopes of toning it down, but apparently, it didn’t tone it down enough.
“I hadn’t realized I had,” she said innocently, and Libby’s face didn’t change. She didn’t believe a thing coming out of Mekena’s mouth.
“Sure.”
Mekena looked away, holding her camera as she studied the room. For a rehearsal dinner with only family, the place was done up like it was the actual reception. Benji wasn’t holding back on anything, and the room was gorgeous. A long table was situated in the middle of the room, illuminated by softly lit hanging lanterns. The tables had beautiful place settings of white mums wrapped in light purple fabric. Hanging across the top of the room were pictures of Benji and Lucy growing up and then as they grew together. It was beautiful and so tastefully done.
When Mekena got married, she was hiring Grace.
With a quick intake of breath, she could actually see her groom.
Markus.
Such a crazy thought, but it was there, clear as the day was long. She was too young and in no way ready for marriage, but she knew she was ready to be with Markus. And if forever was in the game plan, she was there. She would be there as long as he wanted her. With a small smile, she looked down at her camera, knowing that he would want her forever. That wasn’t something to question. She knew she meant something to him, just from the sweet look in his eyes every time he saw her.
When the door opened to her left, she looked up, fully ready to take pictures of Benji and Lucy’s entrance, but it wasn’t them. It was the man she couldn’t get off her mind. Ever. Her face lit up, her cheeks hurting from smiling so hard as his eyes brightened. She hadn’t seen him all day. She had been working, and he had been playing an intense game of volleyball—where at one point it was Jace and him against all the girls. She wished she could have seen the whole thing, but he had been sure to give her a play-by-play by text. He also claimed the girls cheated. The whole time. It still made her giggle.
She expected him to go to the table, sit down with Jace and Avery, who were behind him, but he came straight toward her, his eyes only on her. Reaching for her, he pulled her tight against him, pressing his lips to hers before she could even try to stop him. She hadn’t known they were coming out to everyone as a couple, and she hadn’t even told Libby yet. Anxiety filled her as she tried to pull away, nervous for what people would think, but then his tongue slid into her mouth, and none of her worries mattered as their mouths moved together. His hands gathered the fabric of her dress as he pulled her ever closer.
Pulling back almost imperceptibly, he whispered, “Not fair.”
Her brows came in as she fought for her next breath. “Huh?”
“Dressing like that, it’s not fair. How am I supposed to sit through dinner with you looking so hot?”
She giggled, her face reddening as she smacked his arm. “Me? Look at you,” she s
aid, angling herself so she could drink him in. He was wearing a very nice, tailored navy blue suit with a powder-blue dress shirt and pin-striped green tie that made his eyes sparkle. He looked amazing, though she couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You know it’s a black-tie dinner, right?”
He shrugged. “So? I’m not trying to look like these guys. I wanted to stand out.”
Grinning, she kissed his chin, the awkwardness and nervousness gone. She didn’t care about anyone else. What they thought or anything else. She only cared about him. Always about him. “You always stand out, you goober.”
“Good,” he said, kissing her lips once more. “Can you blow this off, come hang out with me all night?”
She scoffed. “I’m working. I gotta make money!”
He nodded in agreement. “Good idea, ’cause I’m broke, and I haven’t gotten a check yet for my new, high-paying job.”
She snorted. “When does that happen?”
“Not sure yet. My agent says we have to have a meeting after my first game. I guess I’m not really on the team yet. Like, on the official roster and all.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She had seen Elli Adler that morning, and she had acted as if Mekena was a shoo-in for the job with the Assassins. Would Mekena be here and Markus in Florida? She stopped herself before she freaked out. It didn’t matter. They’d make it work.
“Oh, okay,” she said, biting her lips. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the ground.
“Don’t worry about it. I got this.”
“I know you do,” she said, cupping his face with one hand since her other one was holding the camera. Leaning toward him, she puckered her lips as he did the same, kissing sweetly as he put her to her feet. When she heard someone clear their throat, she pulled away and smiled. “I gotta work. I can’t be making out with the guests.”
“But making out with the guests gets you more work,” he suggested, squeezing her, and she laughed.
“I think we have very different views on work,” she said and he smiled.
He placed his lips to her ear, and her eyes fell shut as he whispered, “I mean, if we’re talking about how I’m going to work your pussy to the point of exhaustion when we get back to the cabin, then I think we’re on the same page.”
Her insides clenched as she pushed him away. “I wasn’t.”
“Well, that’s boring,” he teased, kissing her nose before grabbing a handful of her ass. “I’ll be watching you.”
“Stalker,” she called to him, and he nodded.
“Got that right. Maybe I can get a business card made? Mekena Preston’s Official Stalker.”
Rolling her eyes, though she was pleased beyond belief, she grinned back at him before he turned and headed to the table where everyone was starting to gather. Lucy and Benji still hadn’t entered, but that gave her time to take pictures of the guests. That was…until Libby stopped her.
“So now I know why you got dressed up,” she said as their eyes met. “Are you sure, Mekena? I mean, he’s the main reason you aren’t talking to Skylar.”
Taken aback, Mekena shook her head as her face twisted. She didn’t expect her family to take her being with Markus well, but not Libby! Or to have her say it was his fault that she and Skylar weren’t talking? What the hell? “I’m sorry, did you miss the part when Skylar admitted that she intended to rape him? I’m pretty sure Markus and I are the victims in my sister’s wicked little game.”
Libby looked away a little sheepishly. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t. He’s a good guy.”
“Who slept with your sister.”
“No, who my sister tried to sleep with, but he was so high out of his mind on drugs she gave him that he couldn’t do anything—like push her away because he didn’t want her.”
“So he says,” she muttered and Mekena gasped.
“What the hell, Libby? You, out of everyone, I expected to support my relationship with him. You know how much he means to me.”
“It’s not that I don’t support you, Mekena, it’s that I know you. You want to be with him so bad, the next thing I’ll know, you’ll quit working with me to move up here.”
Mekena paused, biting into her lip as she held her aunt’s gaze. She hadn’t been planning to tell her about the Assassins job until after she had gotten it, but her face must have given her away because Libby let out a moan, shaking her head once more. “You’re already planning that. Jesus, Mekena!”
“I was offered an interview for a job with the Assassins.”
“Of course you were. So you’re going to blow me off for this? After I took you in, gave you a place to live and a job because that guy broke your heart—”
“Skylar broke my heart, not Markus. Don’t blame him for this. It wasn’t his fault she did what she did, and he blames himself enough,” she stressed, her eyes never leaving her aunt’s. “And I will forever be grateful for everything you’ve done for me, Libby, but I have to follow my heart.”
“You’re rushing into something you have no clue will work.”
“Nothing is promised in this life, Libby. We both know I hate it in Florida. I don’t have friends, I don’t have anything but you and Mr. Right there. I’m lonely and I miss my home. At least this way, if I get the job, I’ll travel like I want, and I’ll be with him, which is something I really want. Please understand that I need this. I need to be happy.”
Laughing, Libby gave her an incredulous look. “Mekena, nothing ever works out like that. You don’t get the dream job, the dream boy, and the dream life. Be real here. Something is going to go wrong, and then what?”
She hated how cynical her aunt was. How much Libby didn’t trust that Mekena could be happy if she wanted to be. She was sure Libby thought it was going to be her and Mekena for the rest of their unhappy lives, but Mekena wanted more. “Then I’ll pick myself up and try again. I’ve spent two years living the way you do. Unhappy and not looking for a way out. I came to Nashville with no plan even to try to find my happiness. I was going to do my job, ignore Markus, and that was it. But God had a different plan. He showed me what I could have. He gave me the truth I so desperately needed, Libby. And now he gave me this man who loves me, and I love him. I know I do, and I know you can’t understand that,” she said once Libby rolled her eyes in frustration. “But you can be happy too. You just have to want it.”
Shaking her head, Libby looked past her niece. “Okay, Mekena. Come on, we have to work.”
Which was Libby’s way of saying she was done. “You’re still mad?”
“Livid,” she said, walking past her, and Mekena’s heart ached. She didn’t want to hurt Libby. She loved her aunt. But she had to follow her dreams, didn’t she? She felt Markus looking at her, and when she looked over at him, his face was twisted in worry.
“You okay?” he mouthed, and she nodded. She wasn’t, but she wouldn’t ruin this dinner for him.
Following behind Libby, she started to click her camera when the doors opened and Lucy and Benji entered. Benji looked dashing in a nice black suit and a light purple bow tie, while Lucy looked stunning in an ivory lace dress, lined with big pearls along the neckline. The dress was cut in a perfect V, showing off Lucy’s body in an elegantly revealing way. Her hair was down in big, beautiful curls with a pearl-studded barrette holding some of the strands back at the top. They looked amazing and even better on the camera as Mekena clicked away.
She tried to push away everything her aunt said and work, but it was hard. Libby’s words played over and over again in her head, and she hated that. Mekena was so confident in the two of them. So ready to do this. And now the doubt was there. It wasn’t fair. Why did the world do this to her? Why couldn’t she just enjoy being happy? She had been so excited all day. Looking at apartments, making sure she could find one that would take Mr. Right. She was ecstatic. She was going to see if Markus wanted to live together, which she was sure he would want to, but what if she was rushing into thi
s?
Stupid, cynical Aunt Libby.
Libby steered clear of Mekena most of the night, shooting one side of the room while Mekena did the other. It was usually how they worked, but that night it felt like Libby was avoiding her. Mekena hated how much that hurt her and also how much she was thinking about it. She just wanted her aunt’s support, her love, but she was starting to think she wouldn’t get it. Looking down, she fought back her tears. She had been so happy, and she really hadn’t thought Libby would act like that. Maybe she was just mad? She’d get over it and be her supportive self…with a touch of man-hater in her, but that was Libby. Mekena could handle that, but not this angry, “How could you leave me?” Libby. That Libby was mean.
When the clinking of a wineglass sounded, Mekena looked up, drawing in a deep breath and putting a smile on her face. She refused to make Markus worry, though he had been watching her all night. When her eyes fell on an older, very good-looking man who was starting to stand, she recognized him as Lucy’s father. He was smiling, his whole face joining the motion as he held his wineglass in his hand.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I know we have some toasts coming our way from the boys, but I wanted to say something. Though mine is not scripted at all.” Everyone smiled, which was surprising since Mekena was told no one really liked Mark Sinclair. Maybe things had changed, though, because everyone was looking up at him, grins on their faces as he spoke. She wondered if part of their happiness was because his new, young wife had been unable to attend the festivities. “I still remember the day Lucy was born. She came out of her mother screaming her ass off, and Lord knows she hasn’t stopped since.” Lucy grinned as all her brothers nodded in playful fun. “She has always been my headstrong one. The boys, they were persistent and tenacious when it came to hockey, but Lucy was downright stubborn about life. Nothing holds her down. She may bitch and whine about it, but she’ll get it done and she’ll do it with complete and beautiful grace.” He swallowed hard, his emotions apparent on his face as his eyes met Lucy’s. “I’ve watched you grow into a beautiful young lady and then into a young mother. I remember staying up at night during your pregnancy, crying with Autumn because we were so scared. Our precious baby, how was she going to be a mother? And without us since she had moved in with…well…with that man. And then one night, I looked at Autumn and I said, she’s gonna be great. It’s Lucy, she won’t give up, and boy, was I right. During a shitty divorce and then an even shittier custody battle, my baby stood tall through the fire and never faltered.”