Sylvia sighed in exasperation but did a slow spin. She was a bit unsteady on her heels, but it didn't take away from how perfect she looked. God, why couldn't you have given me legs that long? When she was facing me again, I realized that her usual monochrome piercings had been offset by bright cobalt mixed with black instead. It was a good thing she had refused to wear a dress.
The show would’ve officially been stolen.
“Damn girl.” I whistled and she flipped me off. “There's gonna be some men out there absolutely drooling over you.”
“Not if Tanner has anything to say about it.”
The pause button had officially been hit.
Sylvia and I both shot Caitlin matching looks of, say what?
Caitlin blinked. “Seriously? There’s no way I’m the only one who’s noticed.” She looked back and forth between us as we shook our heads before her focus returned to Sly. “Are you messing with me right now? When you come into a room, he watches just about every move you make.”
Sylvia worried at her lip piercings, obviously troubled by this news. She flipped the tablet towards her and pulled out the stylus. “Tan is overprotective,” she wrote. “He's always been that way.”
But her frown deepened, like she was considering something she hadn't before and found she didn't care too much for it. Seeing as how the things she didn’t care for usually ended up getting stabbed, I was considering patting her down while she was still calm.
Then again, I’m not exactly a fan of getting stabbed myself.
Caitlin must've seen the same thing I did, because she hastily pulled the abort lever on that conversation.
“Ignore me,” she blurted. “With everything that's happened recently, and the wedding on top of it, I think I have romance on the brain. Let's go back to the whole, leaving me out of the fight, thing. Not cool, by the way. What's up with that?”
As far as subject changes went, that one was terribly obvious. Thankfully, Sylvia let it go, her expression smoothing over. An almost smile took the place of her frown as she jotted down her response. “Because if Creed sees so much as a scratch on you, bad things will happen.”
Understatement of the century.
Standing in the path of a tornado and flipping it the bird would go better than pissing off Creed. He was the king of monsters and the whispers about how he'd earned the title could turn a summer day cold.
I tried to keep how much he still scared me from Rain, but no one could deny that his brother wore violence like most men wore cologne.
Caitlin opened her mouth like she was about to protest and then closed it as we shot her disbelieving looks, grinning instead. “Point taken. I'll provide ranged support instead. Thrown heels are a deadly weapon after all.” Her attention shifted over my shoulder. “Shit. Incoming bride. Here, take this.”
I gladly took the offered brush and started working it through my hair.
“Very discreet, Kay,” said Lizzy, working her way into our little huddle. “Because I totally didn't notice already. You know the only thing more obvious than sex hair? Bright blue sex hair.”
“Technically,” I muttered peevishly. “It's not sex hair.” Lizzy snickered. “Okay it is. But not like, full-on sex hair. Right?” No one answered. “Right?!”
Caitlin put a finger to her lips, carefully looking me up and down. “I mean, he worked you over pretty good.”
“Oh, like you're one to talk,” I complained, wincing as the brush caught on a difficult tangle. How did hair get so out of control in such a short amount of time? “Five bucks says you've got fingerprints and bite marks all over your thighs.”
We laughed as Caitlin flushed a bright red to match her hair, tipping her chin up. “I never agreed to that bet!” she said haughtily. Which only had us roaring louder.
“Y'all need to stop,” Lizzy said through a fit of giggles, fanning at her eyes with one manicured hand. “If this makeup needs to be redone one more time, I'm gonna be so mad! Do you know how many times I’ve cried today for no reason? I’m pretty sure I’ve lost weight from the constant waterworks.”
“Aww, poor thing.” I nudged her with my shoulder as she finally stopped laughing enough to pout at me. “Getting married to the man of your dreams must be such terribly hard work.”
Her pout remained for all of a heartbeat before it cracked, and a grin took its place.
“Kayla Marie Thomas, don't you start with me today.” Ugh. Here we go again. “I am way too pregnant to deal with any of this, but it will not stop me from chasing your ass around this church barefoot. Do not put that evil on me. My feet are upset with me already and I haven't even put my flats on yet.”
The pang came back again, hard enough to make me flinch. I shifted on my feet and crossed my arms over my chest to disguise it.
Despite the relatively small movement, Sylvia was watching me closely and I offered up a half-smile and a head shake before she made anyone else notice.
“Damn girl,” said Caitlin, oblivious to the struggle I was doing my best to contain. “You might be the most combative pregnant woman I've ever met.” She fanned herself dramatically. “I think I'm a little bit turned on right now.”
Sylvia shot me a meaningful look before shifting her attention to the redhead. “Don't let the boss man hear you say that. He'll probably chain you to the bed for a week.”
“That doesn't sound half bad to me. Maybe I should've pretended to be into girls way before now.”
We laughed again until we were halfway falling over each other. Lizzy’s mom was smiling as she came to retrieve her daughter and we each gave her a quick hug before she got ushered back into the swarming group for a last round of touch-ups. The wedding coordinator’s wife and business partner came in not long after and clapped her hands, getting everyone’s attention.
“Showtime ladies,” she said. “Everyone knows what happens next?”
Overlapping voices answered and we set out. I dashed to where Lizzy was sitting and gave her one last kiss on the cheek, staring at our reflection in the mirror. My sister in everything but blood was getting married. I had to blink a little faster to not ruin my own makeup.
I leaned in, whispering like I was about to impart some great secret. When what I actually said was, “Guess I won’t be able to call you a tramp anymore, huh? What a shame.”
“Seems that way,” she said, glowing. “Good thing I know that you’re full of it and that you’re gonna keep calling me names because you love me.”
“You’re damn right I do. Now let’s get out there and get you hitched…”
***
Rain was staring at the side of my face while we waited for the music to reach the appropriate point.
The groomsmen and bridesmaids were standing in two parallel lines at the back of the church, hidden by the pairs of double doors that led into the main area where everyone had gathered. Both lines were being quiet, still, and respectable. A noteworthy feat, given they were composed mainly of bikers.
And then there was me.
Slightly pale.
A whole lot shaky.
Lead ball rolling back and forth in my stomach each time I shifted my weight on my heels.
I felt so uncomfortable I probably would’ve thrown up, but I knew I couldn’t.
This was Lizzy’s big day. She had been waiting for this moment since the first day she met Texas. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I ruined it, so I did my best to stop running my fingers through my hair and glancing around for an exit.
Of course, it would've been easier to pretend if Rain wasn’t freaking staring at me like I was covered in paint.
I mean, I knew why he was doing it.
The two of us were on the same page. We could finish each other’s sentences. Order meals without asking. Reach for the radio to change the song at the same time. We knew each other inside and out, so there was no hiding that something was wrong, but him being so aware of it was making me feel worse instead of better.
And the
reason was dumb.
So, so incredibly dumb. It lacked any semblance of logic and could’ve been cleared up with a simple question. Except a question stopped being simple when you thought about asking it a hundred thousand times and never did.
I had given so much thought to an imaginary conversation that it now loomed like an impossible cliff in the landscape of my mind.
The climb up was rough enough, capable of tearing the nails from my fingers and inflicting the kind of pain I didn’t think was possible. But it was what waited at the top of the ascent that terrified me.
That made me want to let go altogether and fall back to the ocean below where things were familiar.
Except I couldn’t quite manage to do that either.
So, I kept fidgeting, foot tapping an erratic beat that had the wedding planner glaring at me and holding a finger to her lips.
And Rain kept staring a hole into the side of my face, urging me to turn and look at him. We could say a lot of things without ever speaking. Locking our eyes together would be all it would take. I kept my gaze facing straightforward. From the corner of my eye, I caught him tapping at something in his pocket.
Focus on Lizzy. This is for her. Your problems can wait.
I repeated that mantra again and again and again. Whether or not it was working, I wasn’t sure. The cue we were waiting on arrived and I was saved from this lingering stillness.
The doors opened. Arm in arm, Creed and Caitlin stepped forward and began walking down the aisle towards the stage decorated in such bright golds it looked like heaven on earth.
One after another, more and more of our friends ventured down the hall. Each time another left, Rain and I inched forward, moving closer and closer to the waiting crowd. I realized belatedly that there were a few hundred faces looking our way and pasted on a smile I hoped looked more real than it felt.
Then it was our turn, and Rain finally stopped eyeballing me long enough to offer up his arm.
I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow, letting the familiar feel of him steady my nerves as we glided down the walkway. By the grace of God—and Rain’s steady pace—I didn’t trip on the way down even though I wasn’t paying nearly as much attention as I should’ve been.
We split apart and climbed the steps to either side of the waiting preacher before turning and facing outwards. I looked in the direction we had just come from, watching Creed disappear up the aisle and around the corner, and Rain looked at me. I didn’t even have to try and peep from the corner of my eye to know. It was simply a fact.
A cold sweat filled my palms and I was grateful for the bouquet of lilies I was holding. They gave me something other than my dress to try and wipe my hands on.
The music changed, and I snuck a glance at Texas to see his face split in a wide smile. For a moment that stretched into eternity as Lizzy filled the open doorway with Creed at her side, he didn’t look like the giant killer I knew he was.
Instead, he looked like a man that was finally getting everything he had ever wanted.
Tears openly ran down Lizzy’s face as she walked, and I instantly felt guilty for allowing myself to spend any time worrying about my issues on this big day.
Even Creed was doing his best to keep the cloak of violence he wore well-hidden. If the Sinner’s President could get through this entire thing without trying to break anyone’s skull open, then I could dismiss my own concerns for the time being.
Long legs carrying him down the steps, Texas met Creed and Lizzy at the bottom before swooping his wife up into his arms with a booming laugh that had most of the church laughing with him. Especially when she batted at his chest and rolled her eyes.
He carried her up the stairs before setting her down. Except he didn’t step away from her, even after the preacher looked at them both expectantly. The older man eventually shook his head, realizing the same thing most people had to realize about these men.
No one told them what to do, and it was better not to try if you valued your health in any meaningful way.
Texas spun Lizzy towards him, staring down into her eyes with a look of such joy on his face I couldn’t help the tears that started coming down. Thankfully, they were happy tears. And as I looked out among the rest of the guests, it was easy to see that I wasn’t alone. I caught Rain’s eyes a moment later, and he mouthed three words as Texas and Lizzy said their vows.
I love you, he told me across a room filled to bursting with that same emotion.
I love you too, I told him, putting a hand over my heart.
Texas brushed a knuckle down Lizzy’s cheek before letting his hand splay across the swell of her stomach. “The first time I saw you, angel, I knew. You were wrapped in a halo, looking so damn bright I wasn’t sure I could even approach you without burning up. And I did it anyway. Crazier still, you let me. Lord knows you should’ve been running the other way.”
Lizzy choked down a sob, and I barely heard anything else but the two of them.
“But you didn’t run,” he said. “I was twice your size and yet you stood your ground. That was when I knew you were going to be mine. When I knew I was going to marry you. Start a family with you. Those things might’ve happened out of order but they’re happening all the same. You made me see the light that still exists in this world. And to thank you for that, I’ll fill every one of your days from now until our last breath with the kind of happiness you share with me every time you look my way.”
Lizzy went to wipe at her cheeks, but his thumbs were there, beating her to the punch. She clasped his hands in hers, staring up at him. “I thought I told you not to give a better speech than me, caveman.”
I swear I thought I caught Creed staring up at the ceiling and blinking a little fast. But when I looked, he was focused on the two and I figured I had imagined it.
“I swear you’re about as hardheaded as they come,” she continued. “I knew I was yours that day as well. But someone decided they were going to take their sweet time accepting the fact that we were meant to be together. But since you’ve taken such good care of me since then, I guess I can let it go.”
Texas chuckled, the sound a deep rumble. “Thank fucking Christ for that.” Several people gasped, including the preacher, but none of us were surprised. Texas glanced at the older man and shot him a wink. “Skip to the good part, would ya? I’ve got plans for this one.”
The preacher sucked in his cheeks and continued. “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss-”
Texas was way ahead of him. His mouth crashed down on Lizzy’s, and he drew their kiss out long enough that several whistles pierced the air. When he scooped her in his arms again and started down the aisle, the cheering was deafening. So much so that I could almost ignore the small voice in the back of my head.
But not completely.
When is it going to be my turn?
Chapter 15 - Rain
“Something isn’t sitting right,” I told Tone, taking a swig of the beer in my hands. Hoping it would start to unwind the knot in my gut even though I knew it wouldn’t. I absently patted at my pocket, and the slight weight felt like it weighed a literal ton.
“Wow,” he said dryly, sipping on a bottle of water despite the multiple open bars set up in the park all around us. Weird ass health freak. “That explains so much. Thank you, Rain, for delivering such useful information. I’m sure I can provide detailed advice on everything you might need without anything else to go on.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You know. For someone who has a reputation for being nice and helpful, you can be a bit of a bastard when you want to be.”
He flashed a grin at me that was gone so fast it might as well have never existed. I had a good relationship with all the Sinners. I had to, considering I had worked on each of their vehicles at some point in time. But out of all of them, Tone remained the most mysterious.
Despite the many years we had known each other, I had never seen him give out more than that quick flash of a smile. Th
ere had to be a story behind that. One I didn’t know. Whatever brought him to Oakdale and convinced him to join the Sinners was a well-kept secret that even my brother either wasn’t aware of or wouldn’t tell me.
But whatever it was, Tone dealt with it better than most people.
He was easily the most stable person in the club. I had never seen him lose his temper or turn down someone in need. It was no wonder people went to him for sound advice. And that was exactly what I needed right at that moment.
“She’s ignoring me.” I tipped my head in the direction of the makeshift stage set out on the grass.
There was a crowd of people out there, dancing and generally making fools of themselves while music blared from nearby speakers. Still, I could make out Kayla’s swinging blue hair with ease.
Tone followed my line of sight. “Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know.” I chewed at the inside of my cheek, letting my mind spin again. I kept coming up empty. “She was fine when we got here. More than fine. Then something happened after the bridesmaids went to get ready and she’s been avoiding me ever since the actual ceremony. It doesn’t make sense. She never avoids me.”
And goddamn I sounded pathetic and whiny, but I was having a hard time reigning it in. Kayla and I weren’t always two peas in a pod. We argued here and there. Especially when I caught her trying to sneak a fucking bucket’s worth of butter onto the popcorn before we went to see movies. But even when we fought, we were always tied together.
Separation wasn’t something either of us knew the meaning of.
Until now.
I downed the rest of the beer, gripping the empty bottle in a tight fist. It was better than paying anymore attention to the ache in my palms from not holding her. Much better than acknowledging the tightness in my chest whenever I thought about the pained look on her face during what had been a beautiful ceremony.
That look reminded me of when her parents let her down for the last time. I had promised myself afterwards that I would never let anything put that kind of expression on her face again.
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