by Sienna Parks
When I met Addi, she became my sister – the one I talk to about everything, that accepts me and loves me, knowing the good and the bad, including what happened with my dad. It’s only since meeting Xander and telling him what happened that I’ve started to realize - my dad wouldn’t want me to blame myself. I didn’t kill him. A massive burden has been lifted from my shoulders and allowed me to enjoy my time with Xander, letting him get close both physically and emotionally. I’m a little worried that the guilt will resurface when faced with the blame I see reflected in my family’s eyes, but if I can just get through a day with them, they’ll go home, and Xander and I can get back to our bubble… hopefully.
Jason has organized a dinner at La Cattedrale tonight to celebrate Addi and me graduating, which is great, because I haven’t seen him in a while. I’ve been so busy with Xander, and Jason has been flat out at the restaurant which is a good thing. Business is booming and I couldn’t be happier for him. Addi’s family will be there, along with my mom and sisters, Xander and a few people Jason has invited to join the party.
Xander gave me a stunning black off-the-shoulder dress last night and a pair of classic black Louboutins. I’ve given up telling him no – he never listens!
I sit in front of the mirror thinking about how my life has changed in the past month. I feel like a new person - alive and truly happy for the first time since my dad died. As I clasp my bracelet around my wrist, I dreamily trace the elegant clover and butterfly Xander gave me.
I think today is the day I’m going to tell him how I feel. As my decision fortifies, Addi knocks on the door.
“Hey, stranger. Looking foxy for graduation, Lilliput. How’s the demanding billionaire?”
“He’s great. Coming to graduation and dinner at Jason’s, so you can ask him yourself.” I apply the finishing touches to my makeup and turn to see her sitting on the edge of my bed.
“Wow. Addi. You look stunning. Graduation agrees with you.” Her hair is tousled to perfection, her makeup flawless. She really is gorgeous.
“Thanks, friend. I can’t believe we survived. Just got to find myself a job now. What about you?”
“I’ve got news on the job front actually. Remember the interview I went on last week – the one at T Magazine? Well… they contacted me yesterday and offered me a job as a blogger. Three more letters and I’ll be working for Time! I’ll be writing for a living and posting reviews on the magazine website. The pay isn’t great, but I’m excited, and hopefully I can make some good contacts. It’s flexible hours, so I’ll be working on my novel in my spare time and see what happens.”
She jumps off the bed and grabs me into a crushing hug. “That’s amazing, Lilliput. Congratulations. This is definite cause for some major celebration tonight.”
“Not going to argue with you. Looking forward to hitting a bar after I deal with the family reunion. I’ll probably need more than a few drinks after that.” She gives me a sad smile, knowing that I don’t get on with my mom and sisters anymore. We don’t fight - we just don’t really get involved in each other’s lives.
“I don’t get it. Why are they so cold to you? You’re awesome, and your dad would kick their asses if he could see their indifference.” Addi gets very protective of me around my family. I’ll need to make sure she doesn’t go postal on them tonight when she’s had a couple of drinks.
“Promise me you’ll be nice to them. I don’t want Xander to see how dysfunctional we are.”
She gives me the evil eye, but she can’t resist my pouty face. “Okay. I’ll play nice. Only because you asked me to… and I love you.” We’re hugging it out when there’s a knock on the door. “That’ll be billionaire boy. I’ll get it while you grab your bag and make a grand entrance.” She shoves my shoulder.
The doorman and Xander have become fast friends over the past few weeks. They’re on a first name basis now after all the deliveries and tips that Xander has given him. Plus, I told him just to let him in whenever he visits. I grab my bag, and take a last look in the mirror. I’m ready to graduate.
Xander’s face as I enter the lounge is satisfying to say the least. His jaw drops at the sight of me, his eyes filled with desire.
“Wow. You look… Incredible. Seriously… Wow.” The thrill of his reaction sends a shiver down my spine.
“You look pretty wow yourself.” I saunter toward him, an extra sway in my hips.
He really is breathtaking - standing tall, oozing sex from every pour in his three-piece pinstriped suit.
He slinks his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against his body. He smells divine – is it weird that I love to sniff him? Not that I care if it is, I’d still totally do it!
He gently bites my bottom lip, before engulfing me in a kiss. Sparks fly as we lose ourselves in each other, our tongues dancing together in a practiced yet surprising waltz.
“Seriously, guys. I’m in the room.” Addi breaks the spell, making me laugh into Xander’s mouth.
“To be continued… Miss Tate.”
Why do I love it so much when he calls me that? It’s so formal, but so intimate at the same time. He threads our fingers together as we head off to Columbia for the last time.
****
I leave Xander to go and find my seat with Addi. I’m worried about her. She’s not been herself recently – not since Carter. She obviously likes him and he seems keen, but any time I try to talk to her about it, she shuts me down instantly. I’m going to have to talk to Xander about Carter if this goes on much longer.
I spy Xander in the crowd with a massive grin on his face. I give him a little wave and blow him a kiss before turning my attention to the ceremony. As the dean takes to the podium, the crowd of graduates and proud spectators go silent, but the air of excitement is palpable. We sit through some lengthy speeches that aren’t as snooze-worthy as I thought they would be. Let’s face it, we all just want to grab our diploma and celebrate.
As soon as I hear my name, Addi is shouting from her seat. I make my way up the steps onto the stage, praying that I don’t fall on my ass in these robes. That would be so humiliating, and so like me! As my foot hits the stage, I glance in the direction of where I know Xander is sitting. He’s standing, clapping and whistling, a massive grin splitting his face. It warms my heart to see him in a sea of thousands, standing alone to applaud my accomplishment. With a renewed confidence I stride over to the dean, accept my diploma, and shake his hand.
As soon as Addi's name is called, I’m on my feet, shouting and clapping for my best friend, my heart full of pride. She gives me a sly wink as she struts across the stage to accept her diploma, and as she rocks her robes, the male graduates show their appreciation, catcalling and whooping. She doesn’t so much as blush, relishing the attention. There’s the girl I know and love.
We sit through the rest of the ceremony, clapping where appropriate - putting in some extra effort when it’s a friend of ours. The whole time, I want nothing more than to run to Xander and share this moment with him. As soon as the ceremony ends, Addi makes her way to me, giddy with excitement that we finally graduated together. I throw my arms around her and join in the crazy reveling. We congratulate our friends for a few minutes before scanning the crowd for our relatives.
Addi spots her mom and dad, making a beeline for the proud parents. It’s heartwarming to watch. Her mom is crying and her dad has the biggest grin on his face. As my mind starts to contemplate how my dad would have reacted today, warm arms snake around my waist from behind. With a kiss to my cheek and a squeeze, Xander lifts me off the ground and spins me round. “I thought I was going to burst when I saw you up there. I’m so damn proud of you. I wanted to tell the whole stadium that you’re mine.”
When he puts me down I turn round and pull his face down to mine in a ravenous kiss, scared my love for him might burst out of my chest if I don’t tell him right now.
“Xander, I…”
I'm interrupted by a familiar voice berating me from behind. “Calm i
t down, sis. You’re in public, you know?” Of course, my family would ruin this moment for me.
I pull out of Xander’s arms, put on my happy face and turn to greet Cathy. My mom and Liv are with her. We all exchange ‘hellos’ and they offer their congratulations. My mom looks like she’s been crying, but it’s so unlike her that I don’t mention it and just give her a hug and a kiss. She holds me close - longer than a standard hug. I wish my dad were here. I pull back and reach for Xander, instantly soothed by the warmth of his hand.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend Xander.”
He switches on the charm that has every woman he meets melting at his feet. “I’m the very lucky man that dates your beautiful daughter.” He holds out his hand. “Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Tate.” The megawatt smile is in full force now.
“Please, call me Jocelyn. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Xander.” My mom is blushing like a teenager. If it weren’t so humiliating, it would be funny. He then turns his attention to the twins, who are already a pool of hormones at his feet. I swear there’s drool on Liv’s chin. They both thrust out their hands to shake his in unison.
“One at a time, girls. Hi, I’m Xander.” Liv is doe-eyed and ridiculous, turning to give Cathy a shit-eating ‘he picked me first’ grin. How am I related to these people? This is just embarrassing, and he’s enjoying making them feel uncomfortable.
“H… Hi. I’m Olivia. And this is my sister, Cathy.” Cathy holds out her hand, forcing him to drop Olivia’s.
“Nice to meet you, Cathy.” He quickly extricates himself from the twins and takes his place at my side. I’m instantly relieved to have his arm around my shoulder - in a casual yet possessive way. I love my family, but I always feel bad about myself when I'm around them.
“You must be so proud?” Xander asks, his tone demanding an answer.
My mom speaks up. “Yes. We’re so proud of Lily. She’s been through a lot and her dad would have been so happy to see her take the stage today.” I’m stunned.
She takes me by surprise, engulfing me in a tight hug. “You’ve done well for yourself. It’s lovely to see you achieve your goal.” I don’t remember the last time my mom hugged me like this. The girls join in and we have a strange, but nice family moment. I’m struggling to hold back tears. I don’t want to get my hopes up that they’ve finally forgiven me for my dad’s death, but in this moment I feel loved, and I’ve missed it.
Things feel a bit awkward after my mom’s declaration, but Xander steps in to make small talk, giving me a minute to compose myself. He explains the plan to dine at Jason’s restaurant with Addi and her family. As if her ears are burning, she bounds toward us with her parents in tow. This provides a great distraction for me as her parents catch up with my mom and sisters, exchanging all the usual pleasantries. She can tell I’m a little overwhelmed and comes to my rescue.
“You okay, Lilliput? Is this big chump looking out for you?” She can always make me smile.
“I’m a chump, am I? So nice to see you again, Addi.” Xander is trying to stifle a laugh. They have a funny kind of friendship. Addi makes fun of him and he takes it, pretending that he doesn’t find her crazy nicknames funny. They seem to like each other but she definitely gives off the ‘you’re still on probation’ vibe. I do love how she looks out for me, but I don’t think she has to worry. I can’t imagine him ever hurting me.
****
Xander guides me into the restaurant with his hand at the base of my back. It sends a jolt to ‘little Lil’ every time he does that. It really never gets old. I’m touched by all the effort that Jason has put into today. The place looks even more amazing than it normally does. There is a gorgeous banner with ‘Congratulations Addi and Lily’ over the bar area. The place has hundreds of balloons hanging from the ceiling, making it look magical. The entire restaurant is lit with what must be hundreds of candle lanterns. The tables have been set into one long banqueting style table in the center of the room, and it’s decorated with stunning arrangements of roses, with crystals woven throughout the foliage. It has Xander written all over it. There are place cards for everyone, seating Addi and I at either end of the table. It gives us a good vantage point to make crazy faces at each other throughout dinner.
As I walk around looking at the names next to each place setting, I notice Carter and Logan’s names. Addi is going to blow a gasket when Carter gets here - and as if by magic, I watch that very scene play out in front of me. The door to the restaurant swings open and in walks Logan, followed closely by Carter. As she looks toward the entrance, her expression drops and panic spreads across her features - the color visibly draining from her face. I’m guessing they are the friends Jason invited to join us. He welcomes them both before anyone else gets a chance. I turn to Xander.
“Did you know they were going to be here?” He looks puzzled.
“Yeah. Why? Is there a problem? Jason and I thought that we could all go out later after the families disperse, do some real celebrating. What’s wrong?”
“Things between Addi and Carter are… well, I don’t actually know what they are, but from what I saw when he left the last time, it’s not good.”
“But he only has good things to say about her.” I pull him off to the side so no one can overhear us, especially not Addi.
“If I tell you this, you have to keep your mouth shut. I suspect she likes him more than she’s ever liked a guy. I’m pretty sure it spooked her because they’ve not known each other very long. She hasn’t been her usual flirty man-crazy self since she last saw him. I’ve tried to talk to her but she shuts me down every time.”
“Why? If she likes him she should just give him a chance.”
“She had a bad experience freshman year with a total creep of a guy and she’s never let anyone close since. I was hoping if she met someone worthwhile she would let her guard down, but that’s not happening, as you can see.” We both turn in her direction. She is completely blanking Carter; I feel so bad for him. It’s obvious to everyone in the room that there’s something going on between them.
Jason urges everyone to take their seats for the appetizers, and Carter takes the opportunity to find his seat next to Xander – a friendly face. He looks crestfallen by Addi’s lack of acknowledgement. Logan is next to Carter and my family are across the table on the other side of me. My sisters are eyeing the latest man candy, and they waste no time in trying to charm the pants off of both men. They seem to be having fun and the conversation flows freely.
My mom is further down the table next to Addi’s mom Marjory; it’s nice to see her laughing and joking with friends. It warms my heart to see her happy. Addi, on the other hand, is shooting daggers at my sisters and Carter from the bottom of the table. As the waiters take our drink orders and bring out dessert, I catch her attention to accompany me to the bathroom. We’re best friends. One look and she knows what I’m trying to tell her – ‘Get your ass to the bathroom now.’
I excuse myself and drag her by the hand, down the hall and into the restroom. I lock the door behind us.
“What the fuck is going on?”
She leans against the marble sink, her eyes focused on the fascinating tile pattern on the floor.
“I don’t know what you mean.” So this is how she’s going to play it.
“Okay. Have it your way. I haven’t pushed you until now, but you need to get a grip. It’s obvious that you like Carter, and yet you don’t seem to want to give him a chance even though he’s given you no reason to doubt that he’s totally into you.”
She interrupts me with her weak excuses. “Yeah, right. Have you not seen the way he’s shamelessly flirting with your sisters? I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to take them both home tonight.”
“Firstly, What the Fuck? They’re my younger sisters. And secondly, they are the ones that are shamelessly flirting. From where I’m sitting, he’s been very polite, but he can’t stop staring at you every five fucking seconds.” She’s not happy at that last sta
tement.
“Shut up, Lily. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Did she just tell me to shut up?
“Get a grip, Addi. Xander told me Carter really likes you. It’s written all over his ridiculously handsome face. If you keep blowing hot and cold, you’ll lose any chance you have with him. Make nice tonight, but don’t lead him on if you’re not interested. He’s a nice guy, and he doesn’t deserve the way you’re treating him.” I know it’s harsh but she needs someone to set her straight.
“You’re supposed to be my best friend. Not Carter’s.”
“Don’t talk shit! I’m saying this because I love you. I don’t want you to miss out on a great guy because of that douchebag Gavin.” With that left hanging in the air, I unlock the door to the restroom. “Don’t let Gavin win.”
I hope I wasn’t too blunt, but I feel like it’s the only way I’m going to get through to her. I leave her to think on that before coming back to the table. We’re supposed to be celebrating graduation together so I really hope she’s not mad at me. I take my seat next to Xander. He can tell something just happened. I quietly assure him that everything is fine before taking a long swig of my Prosecco. Not my most feminine moment, but I really need a drink.
Addi emerges five minutes later, her makeup touched up and her head held high. She comes up behind me and gives me a hug, whispering in my ear. “Thanks, friend. Love you.”
I clasp my hands on top of hers, giving them a squeeze. “Love you, too.” She gives me a peck on the cheek and heads back to her seat.
Carter’s eyes are on her the entire time, and amazingly, when he finally catches her eye, she gives him a genuine smile. He looks like the cat that got the cream for the rest of dinner – It’s pretty sweet, actually.