Rediscovered Love

by Celeste Carrara

  I would believe his words when I saw the guys in person. How they acted with me in the room with David would be the true test to see how they really felt about it. Especially Jason. There was a part of me that couldn’t believe they were all as good about it as they claimed. Maybe I was just cynical. Maybe a small part of me wanted Jason to be angrier about it. His attitude only solidified what I assumed. He really never loved me the way I loved him. It hurt, just a little.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

  “I can see the wheels turning in your head. What are you thinking about?”

  “I’m just worried about how they will treat me when they see me, that’s all.”

  “Well, don’t waste your time worrying. It’ll be fine. Now tell me, how did it go when you told your family?”

  “They all came by today and when I told them about us, they acted like it was no big deal. My dad said he always liked you, my sister said good for me cause you’re hot, and when I called my mother, she said great and then went on about her new boyfriend. Oh, and did I mention that after I told them my happy news, my sister announced she was engaged? Again.”

  “Shit, really? Wow.”

  “Yeah. She wants us all to go out to dinner so she can introduce us to him.”

  “Am I invited?”

  “Yup! Sorry.”

  We shared a laugh and he agreed to go with me to the dinner.

  Chapter Sixteen

  My sister wanted us to meet her new boyfriend. Her fiancé. A guy she knew all of three months whom she claimed to love and want to marry. It would be her third marriage and I prayed she wouldn’t go through with it. She never listened to my advice, so I chose to keep my opinions to myself about her love life. Meeting the boyfriend was my way of supporting her without really having to. If she asked me to be her maid of honor again, I would have to turn her down. Sometimes I wondered if she got married just for the big party and gifts.

  Maybe I was bitter. I finally had a real relationship. It was my turn. If there was going to be a wedding in our family, I wanted it to be mine, not another one of Maggie’s. Then again, eloping might be a better idea. My mother would never let me have all the attention at any wedding, including my own. Just the thought of her gave me a stomachache. She would be at the dinner as well and it would make for an interesting night, to say the least. David was a saint for getting involved with me with a family like mine. He knew all too well about their crazy escapades and he still wanted to be with me, and that said a lot about him. It also said a lot about how he felt about me.

  At the restaurant, David and I waited at the table with my father for my sister, her fiancé, and my mother to arrive. My dad seemed happy to see David and me together. Before he had too much to drink, he was actually nice to talk to. Once my mother walked in, my dad told the waiter, “Keep this glass full.”

  We were there to meet and get to know Matthew, yet my mother found a way to turn every conversation into one about her. David kept his hand on my leg under the table in an effort to calm me down. My mother had a way of getting under my skin. Everything was a competition for her. If my sister and I had boyfriends, suddenly she had one too that we had to hear all about. She even went so far to say that they were looking at rings! Then she started in on my sister about her weight. The girl wasn’t even a hundred twenty pounds soaking wet yet my mother insisted she was too heavy. When it was my turn, she complained I was too thin.

  It was always the same with my mother. We were either too fat or too skinny. We were never good enough in her eyes. She had to tell us how well her friend’s kids were doing with their degrees and marriages. Not once did she ever compliment us or say she was proud of us. If I bought a new pair of shoes, she would have the same pair the next day. If I thought something was a good idea, she would shoot it down only to talk to someone about it the next day as if it was her idea. And when it was her idea, it was the best fucking idea ever! As a kid, she drove me to drink, literally, and caused me to have an eating disorder and act out in other ways such as stealing and running away.

  She wasn’t the only one to blame. During all her craziness, my father was doped up or drunk and hardly around at all. It was no wonder I grew up so fast, experimented with boys so early, and almost ended up following in my father’s footsteps. But then Jason came into my life and showed me a different way. As my mind swirled with memories of my past, I looked at David as he sat next to me. It was only then that it dawned on me. He was always there too. Every time I ran away, every time Jason broke my heart, every fight I had with my mom, he was there to cheer me up, to listen, or to help me however he could. All the guys were. It wasn’t just Jason. Why didn’t I see that?

  With no care for the family that sat around us, I leaned over and kissed him. Of course he returned my kiss and I heard my mother scoff, but I didn’t care. After our kiss, he looked at me and I at him. Love poured between us.

  Maggie interrupted, “Let’s make a toast! To new and rekindled relationships!”

  After coffee, the dinner was finally over and I couldn’t wait to get back to my place and be alone with David. We said our goodbyes and I wished my sister well in her new relationship. Matthew seemed okay, but he had to be a little off if he was with my sister. It was a terrible thing to think, but I couldn’t help it. She had so much baggage and things to get straight in her life before ever bringing someone else into the picture to complicate things even further. With a heavy heart, I sat in David’s car thinking about her.

  For my own sanity, I had to let it go. After being around my family, it would take a few hours to get them completely out of my head. David understood and when we got back to my place, we popped some popcorn and watched a movie. When the movie ended, David decided to head home because he had an early morning.

  “Before I go, I wanted to ask you about the holidays. Is it okay if we do Christmas Eve with my family and then Christmas Day with yours? The Eve is a bigger deal in my family, and everyone will be happy to have you.”

  “Of course. That sounds perfect. Hey, I never did ask you what your parents said about us.”

  “They said it was about time.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from pulling him into my arms. “They knew all this time?”

  “Of course they did. I don’t hide my feelings very well, especially in front of my mom. That woman knows me better than I know myself. It’s scary sometimes.”

  We laughed and kissed and before he walked out the door, I stopped him. I had one more thing I needed to say before he left.

  “Thank you for being there for me tonight. Thank you for always being there for me. I’m sorry it took me so long to notice.”

  “Don’t ever apologize to me about that.”

  He held me in his arms and looked at me, and I couldn’t stop the words from falling out of my mouth.

  “I love you.”

  He smiled and kissed me and said, “I love you too. God, you have no idea how great it feels to hear you say that.”

  His early morning no longer mattered. He tore off his coat, shut the door, and carried me to the bedroom.

  * * *

  ***

  “He proposed!” David exclaimed a few days later.

  “Who proposed? What are you talking about?”

  “Mike. He proposed to Amanda on Christmas day. That was him on the phone. He wants us all to meet up with them tomorrow night to celebrate.”

  I took a seat next to him on the couch as I folded my laundry. “Wow, that’s fantastic. Good for them.”

  It was true, it was great news and I was really happy for the pair. But I couldn’t help but feel nervous. Yes, it was selfish of me to only think of how the night of celebration would affect David and me. I couldn’t help it. It would be the first time we would be in the same room with everyone as a couple. Even though Jason and the guys hadn’t given David any shit about the two of us being together, I couldn’t help but feel like they were hiding their t
rue feelings. I knew them all well enough to know what was going on. They weren’t making a big deal out of it because they thought it wouldn’t last. They thought I was just doing it to get back at Jason and that David was just taking advantage of the situation because he had wanted me for so long. That angered me. They had no idea that David and I were together because we were in love. We were each other’s perfect match and I’d be damned if I let anyone cheapen our relationship by saying that we were only trying to get back at Jason.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I lied. “Where are we meeting them to celebrate?”

  “Butch’s place. Mike said to get there by seven. Butch reserved a private room for us.”

  “That sounds cool.”

  “Don’t worry, Tori. Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”

  It was sad to see how optimistic he was. Maybe he just really wanted to believe what he was saying. But I didn’t question him. He wanted to believe the best of our friends and I didn’t want to be the one to rain on his parade. Hopefully, they would prove me wrong.

  “You’re right. I’m worrying for nothing. So are the other guys bringing dates, too? Didn’t you say that Brian was dating someone?”

  “Yeah, he is. I guess he’ll bring her.”

  “Cool. It’ll be nice to meet her.”

  David knew I was lying, but he was nice enough to go along with it. New girlfriends never liked me. The guys always had big mouths. They never learned to keep them shut when it came to telling their girlfriends about me. Why they felt the need to tell a new girlfriend all about the past baffled me. How stupid can guys be? I was immediately the enemy and it was impossible to ever get on any of their good sides. At least Amanda was nice to me. She even called before the holidays to wish me a Merry Christmas. Hopefully she would help with Brian’s girlfriend and make her see I wasn’t a threat.

  Chapter Seventeen

  We drove to the restaurant in silence. David had warmed up the car for me, but I still shivered in my seat. I knew it was my nerves getting the best of me. If luck was on my side, we would walk in, be welcomed with open arms, and treated like the best friends we’ve always been. The pessimistic side of me just couldn’t accept that things would go so smoothly. The look on David’s face confirmed my thoughts. He was worried too, even though he denied it. He just hid it better than me.

  The walk to the back room took forever. I felt like a lamb headed for slaughter. Everyone was already there when we arrived. Familiar and unfamiliar faces greeted us. The only one who looked truly happy to see us walk in was Amanda.

  “Hi guys. Thanks for coming. It’s great to see you two!”

  “Hi. Thanks for the invite. Okay, let me see it. Where’s the ring?”

  She held her hand out and we ogled it appropriately. It was a beautiful ring. Mike did good.

  “Congratulations, Amanda. We are really happy for you two.”

  Mike walked over and gave David a hand slap with a half hug and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for coming.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it,” I said enthusiastically. Maybe too enthusiastic.

  Everyone was standing with drinks in hand and slowly, couple by couple, they approached David and me. Brian introduced us to the girl he was with. Her name was Becky and she had a pierced lip and a strand of purple hair. She looked like his perfect match, and surprisingly she was very nice when she said hello. Joey came over next and his date Holly seemed like a very sweet girl. So sweet that she greeted us with hugs as if we were old friends. I was relieved. Maybe the guys had actually learned to keep quiet about me.

  Then there was Jason and he wasn’t alone. He made his way over and David pulled me to his side. Since this was my first meeting with Jason after getting together with David, I thought it was strange that he would boldly put his arm around me, as if he was trying to make a point and claim me as his.

  “Hi guys. Good to see you. Dave, you know Casey. Casey, this is Tori.”

  David’s arm tightened around my shoulders and I realized why he held on to me. It was to stop me from punching Jason, or Casey, or both. I shouldn’t have cared, and I really didn’t. Well, I did. But it wasn’t because Jason was there with someone. It was the fact that he had the nerve to bring Casey. The one sore spot he knew would get under my skin. He thought it was a game. We disrespected him, so he had to do something to get back at me. I would be damned if I gave him any satisfaction.

  “Casey? The Casey? Oh wow. It really is a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. Don’t worry, only good things.”

  I even pulled her in for a hug. She knew exactly who I was and looked very uncomfortable. She was nothing to write home about, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was about her that made Jason stay with her for two years. The bigger question was, what the hell was she doing there with Jason?

  “It’s nice to meet you too, Tori. Hi David. It’s nice to see you again.”

  He said hello to her but stayed right by my side. A silence fell over the room at the look he gave Jason. Thank goodness for the waitresses that came in and asked us all to have a seat so they could take our orders. Drink requests were taken first and everyone indulged except for me. A toast was made to the happy couple and everyone cheered for the two. Their happiness was contagious and it was hard not to get swept up in it. I looked at David and wondered if that would be us one day. Our eyes met. We were seated next to each other, so he placed his arm around me and gave me a hug. We couldn’t help getting caught up in the moment. We forgot where we were and shared a brief kiss. You could’ve heard a pin drop in the room. Jason’s cough brought us back to reality and I looked over to see him order another drink. Conversation around us resumed. David quickly withdrew his arm and chatted with Joey, who was sitting next to him.

  It didn’t escape my notice that Jason was on his fourth drink. That wasn’t like him at all, and nothing good would come out of it. Neither David nor I said a word, but I wished someone would tell him to cool it with the alcohol.

  Becky sat next to me and spoke to me casually. And then it happened. She asked the question I hoped wouldn’t be brought up.

  “So, do you know everyone through David?”

  I could have lied, but there was no point in it. “No. Actually, I know all the guys from back in the day. We kind of grew up together. I’m meeting Holly and Casey for the first time as well, but Amanda and I met over the summer.”

  “Oh, that’s cool. Brian didn’t mention that. Hey Brian!” she asked as she turned in her chair to face him. “How come you didn’t tell me that you grew up with Tori? You made it seem like she was just David’s date.”

  He was pale and I could tell he wanted to avoid any conversation that had to do with me.

  “Yeah Brian, why didn’t you tell Becky about Tori?” Jason exclaimed while laughing.

  No one else joined him, but everyone’s attention was now on the conversation. Silence filled the room as we waited for Brian’s response. Jason continued to goad him and I didn’t know why. I wanted to redirect the conversation before things got bad. Unfortunately, I couldn’t think of anything to say to help him.

  “Is there something I need to know about Tori? It’s okay, I’m not the jealous type. There’s no need to hide anything, Brian. It’s cool.”

  I wanted to hug her. Poor Brian looked so relieved, but Jason looked pissed. It was obvious he didn’t get what he wanted.

  “There’s nothing to hide. Tori is like a little sister to all of us. We’ve all been close since we were kids.”

  “That’s so sweet,” Becky replied. She put her arm around Brian and kissed his cheek.

  Jason laughed and downed the shot that the waitress had placed in front of him. He was gearing up for whatever he had planned and I wanted to jump across the table and shut him up before his next words flew out of his mouth.

  Jason said casually, “Last time I checked, you don’t fuck your little sister.”

  And there
it was. My hand squeezed David’s thigh to keep him seated. Jason wanted to get him riled up and I didn’t want him to fall for it. Besides, I was very capable of sticking up for myself. But someone else beat me to it.

  “Dude, that’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” Joey asked.

  “Shut up, Joey. You’re just mad because you’re the only guy at this table who hasn’t fucked her. Unless you did and you’d like to confess?”

  “Fuck you, you know I didn’t.”

  “Yeah, but you wanted to.”

  I jumped right into the fray. “Wow Jason, I never knew you cared so much about who I fucked.”

  “I don’t!”

  “Could’ve fooled me.”

  We stared each other down, daring the other to say something. Casey whispered something into his ear and he looked away from me and into her eyes. Whatever he saw there seemed to calm him.

  Holly raised her glass, “I think it’s time for another toast to the newly engaged couple!”

  We all raised our glasses and tapped the sides of them with our spoons, the universal signal that it was time for the couple to kiss. Mike and Amanda obliged, sharing a quick peck on the lips before they sat back down. Thankfully, the waitresses came in with our food. With his mouth full, Jason was finally quiet. The chatter went on during dinner, but I barely paid attention to what was happening around me. Before dessert, I excused myself to use the bathroom. I needed the reprieve. There was a chair in front of the mirror and I sat in it and stared at my reflection. Jason had no right to disrespect me. David and I belonged together and I didn’t give a damn about the people who thought it was wrong. Especially Jason. The door creaked open and I sighed. I could’ve used a few more moments alone. Especially when I saw who walked in.

  “Do you mind if I come in?” Casey asked.

  “It’s a public bathroom, of course not.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened earlier. He’s just not happy about you and David and even though he promised he would be on his best behavior, you can imagine it’s hard under the circumstances.”