Who Needs Air

by Cassie Graham

  Lily takes hold of my hand again. She squeezes and I turn to her. The space between her eyes furrow and she gives me a sad smile.

  “Now what’s she singing?” I ask, desperate to know more.

  His eyebrows wrinkle and he halts at a stop sign. “She’s decided she’s going to tell him how she feels.”

  I blink, the cars around us distorting into splashes of color.

  “As she’s on her way to meet him, she stumbles upon him asking the other woman to marry him.”

  My eyes tingle.

  “He’s on his knee, saying something she can’t quite hear.”

  I breathe slowly out of my mouth. Lily sets her head on my shoulder, offering comfort and I lay my head against hers.

  “As she walks closer, she realizes he’s not asking her to marry him. He’s telling her he’s in love with another woman and he asks the woman to forgive him.” He chuckles under his breath. “He turns to look to her and, in that instant, she knows he loves her and not the other woman.”

  The song ends and the radio goes silent for a few seconds.

  “That was beautiful,” I say, feeling my posture relax. “Thank you for telling us the story.”

  Kevin winks in the mirror. “Any time.”

  The rest of the cab ride is filled with Kevin humming to songs as Lily and I look out the window.

  When we roll up to the Hilton Midtown, Kevin quickly hops out to retrieve our bags. “It was a pleasure, you two,” he offers with a twinkle in his eye.

  “Thank you, Kevin,” Lily replies.

  “It was wonderful meeting both of you.”

  Kevin bows his head slightly and hands me a card. “Make sure you call me when you need another ride. I’d love to tell you more radio stories.”

  I laugh and take the card from his hand. “Sounds wonderful.”

  With the tip of his head, he turns around and gets back into his car, pulling away from the curb.

  We check into our room and throw our bags onto our beds.

  “I’m already exhausted.” Lily falls into the bed, her head hitting the pillow.

  Shrugging off my coat, I snicker. I toss it on the chair near the desk and sit down on the edge of the bed. “Me too.”

  My phone rings and I pick it up, unlocking it to see a text message.

  August: Bachelor party tonight. Wanna come?

  I frown at the screen and then toss it to Lily. She picks it up and laughs under her breath. “We should go.”

  I wrinkle my nose. “Are you serious?”

  She throws the phone back into my lap. “It could be fun. What are they doing?”

  I quickly text him back.

  Me: What’s the plan?

  Lily reaches across the bed and clicks on the TV.

  August: Steakhouse and then a bar.

  Me: Will there be other women there?

  It takes him a few minutes to write back and I stare blindly at the television screen as I wait, the actor’s words not meeting my brain.

  My heart begins to stammer in my chest, the longer I anticipate his reply. I haven’t seen August in months.

  August: No. No way. No women allowed, but you could be there and I could run into you.

  “August is being sly.”

  Lily turns her head to me. “Why? Tomi not cool with him hanging out with his ex?”

  I give her a level look. “I officially hate that word.”

  Lily snorts. “Which one? Tomi? Or ex?”

  “Both, but I think he just wants to hang out and this is the only way we can do it without her.”

  “Then, let’s go. Tomi be dammed.”

  “Think it’s smart?” I ask, chewing on my fingernail.

  Lily turns on her side. “Since when has anything involving August been smart? Do something reckless. Just one last time.”

  “If Tomi finds out, she’ll be furious.”

  Lily rises from the bed and opens her suitcase, digging through the clothes. She tosses some heels on the ground and pulls out a black dress before returning to the depths of her bag. She then holds up another dress, this one red, and throws it at my face. “Who cares. She makes my ass itch. Let’s go.”

  “It’s only one night,” I try to rationalize. “It could be fun.”

  Lily drums her feet on the floor. “It really could be and you’d look great in that red dress.”

  I lift it up, holding it against my body. It’s a great dress. I turn around to look at myself in the mirror on the closet door.

  Another text message comes through on my phone.

  August: So, you in?

  I bite my lip through a smile.

  Me: We’re in. Details?

  See His Religion

  The dim candlelight flickers on the table, casting shadows on our faces and my knees bounce under the table. I scan the room, but August is nowhere to be found.

  I grasp the top of my dress and pull it up, unable to stop fiddling.

  “Stop fussin’ with that dress, Cam,” Lily scolds, taking a sip of her wine. “It looks great.”

  I look down at my chest, my boobs practically touching my neck. “I feel like I’m going to suffocate.”

  “The dress looks phenomenal on you. Seriously, you’re rocking the hell out of that thing.”

  I let my hand fall to the table.

  I feel him before I see him.

  August, in a dark black button up shirt, walks in the door. His dark jeans hug his backside and legs. I gulp the moisture in my mouth. He’s cut his hair, it’s short on the sides and the top is longer. He combs it back with his hand and a piece falls into his face.

  God. Why did he have to get such a great haircut? I mean, he could shave his head and be gorgeous, but still.

  Damn my ovaries for finding him so delicious.

  I shake my head and look to Lily. She notices him too and her eyes go wide.

  August hasn’t found me yet, so I allow myself a few more seconds to oogle. He finally sees me and the grin that stretches across his face nearly breaks my heart in two. In five. In ten.

  Jennings steps into the restaurant behind August. I didn’t know he’d be here. Last I talked to Whitley, she said they couldn’t come. I’m thankful their plans changed.

  August waves off the other men with them, and he walks to our table. “Hey, ladies. Fancy seeing you here.” He rubs his hands together, his eyes wiggling up into his forehead.

  His stare too intense and so sweet, I laugh into my lap, feeling that familiar hum in my belly.

  “Well, hey,” Lily says, getting up from her side of the booth, giving August a hug.

  Jennings joins us with a confused expression. “Cam! Lily! What are you guys doing here?” He gives August a side-eye and then smiles at me.

  I get up too. “Oh, you know. Having dinner.”

  “Interesting. Us, too.”

  I laugh and give him a hug when he offers his arms.

  When Jennings lets me go, I turn to August. He swallows, his eyes as big twice their size. His gaze trails the length of my body, savoring the dress and my black heels he used to love so much.

  As soon as that look of lust finds his eyes, he shakes it away. “Want to come eat with us? We reserved a room.”

  Jennings clears his throat.

  I give him an odd look and then turn to August. “Sure. Will the other guys be cool?”

  August rocks on his heels. “Yeah. Adam is here and the other guys are my cousins. You’ve met a couple of them.”

  He didn’t bring anyone from Tomi’s side of the family. Interesting.

  “Sounds good,” Lily chimes in and she grabs her wine glass.

  Jennings offers his arm to Lily. They met a few times in Georgia, so she takes it right away.

  August grabs my glass of bourbon and wraps his arm around my shoulders, hugging me from the side. “Thank you for coming, Belle. I wasn’t sure if you would.”

  I let my head fall to his shoulder. “I told you’d I’d be here.”

  August’s ar
m falls to his side and we walk to the reserved room in silence.

  When August opens the door for me, all of the guys turn toward us. Some have confused expressions while a couple smile.

  The walls of the room are a deep red, the crown molding a bright white. The table is a rich mahogany color and it’s littered with different colored confetti for the event.

  Adam pushes his chair out and comes up to me first, engulfing me in a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Cam. How’ve you been?”

  His brown hair is buzzed and his dark green shirt makes his hazel eyes jump out. “I’m good, Adam. You doing okay?”

  He lets me go and scratches his head. “I’m good. Just finished filming two days ago, actually.”

  August leaves us to sit down, but not before squeezing my hand. My lips turn up and I watch him make his way to a chair.

  “A military movie?”

  Adam laughs, looking down. He rubs his head. “Did the hair give me away?”

  “Just a little.”

  Another man, steps behind Adam. He clamps Adam on the shoulder.

  Adam leans in closer to me. “We can talk later.”

  I give him a small wave as he walks away.

  “Campbell Potter, as I live and breathe.”

  “Lyle?” I say, my eyes slitting.

  Lyle, August’s cousin, is so different than the last time I saw him. He’s no longer lanky and all-legs. There’s no charcoal eyeliner on his eyelids and his hair is not emo black anymore. In fact, he’s grown into a rather handsome man. His original blonde hair has grown out and his blue eyes, just like August’s, make him incredibly striking.

  He clearly works out. His once lean arms are muscled, practically breaking out of the sleeves of his white shirt.

  He laughs, pulling my body into him. I oomph and laugh, wrapping my arms around his middle.

  “How long’s it been?”

  Lyle releases my body and I step back, chewing on my lip. “Gosh, fifteen years? Sixteen?”

  “Sounds about right,” he says with a shake of his head. “Crazy about August, huh?” He whispers the question.

  My shoulders deflate and I sigh. “As long as he’s happy.”

  Lyle lets out a long, low sigh.

  My hand falls to his upper arm and I squeeze. “It’s so good to see you.”

  Lily calls my name, and I look around Lyle’s behemoth body. “Come sit next to me.”

  I jut my chin to let her know I heard her and smile up at Lyle. He’s a good foot taller than me. “So glad I got to see you.”

  “You too.”

  I step around him and make my way to Lily, taking a seat. August sits on the other side of me, at the head of the table.

  “So,” one of the guys says, I think it’s another one of August’s cousins, but I can’t place him. “The famous Cam and Lily. Bradshaw High’s beloved.”

  Lily sputters into her wineglass. “Oh God.”

  “Mason, shut it,” August says with the roll of his eyes.

  Oh.

  Now I remember him. He pursued both Lily and me in high school. Two years older than us, we were fair game and in his prime he was the big man on campus. Apparently, rejection runs deep in his bones.

  Get over it, man.

  “Mason,” I attempt a little levity, “how’ve you been?”

  He sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “Good. I developed an app that took off.” He smiles snidely. “Riding high.”

  His creep factor has always been ridiculously high, but now with his jet-black hair and dark coal eyes, he’s even more strange. He’s got this I’m-more-important-than-you facade that makes me want to punch him right in the balls.

  “Good for you,” Lily chimes in, turning to me to roll her eyes. If I recall correctly, he chased her a lot harder than he did me because she didn’t have August to tell him to fuck off.

  August did eventually intervene on Lily’s behalf, but Mason’s true colors were already out in full force.

  Wow, I can’t believe I forgot about him. Maybe I just blocked him out.

  Mason’s eyebrows raise and he turns to Lyle, saying something I can’t hear.

  The two other guys at the table wave and introduce themselves as Aaron and Skip, second cousins on August’s dad side. I’ve never met them. Apparently, they grew up in Nebraska and were hardly ever around August. They keep to themselves, overwhelmed with New York in general, I think. They’re all wide-eyed and shakey.

  It’s also odd no one on Tomi’s side is in August’s wedding party. Isn’t it customary to have her brothers or something stand with him? My eyes narrow as I scan the men sitting in front of me. Mason is an ass. He’s obviously here because August felt obligated by his family. Jennings is also obvious. Their relationship has gone way past bromance to full-on best friends. Brothers, really. I understand Adam, as well. He and August got close during the filming of the movie. And Lyle…well, he’s Lyle and it would be hard not to love him. Aaron and Skip are a bit of a head scratcher, but maybe August just needed to fill spots for the girls on Tomi’s side?

  I purse my lips and grab for my drink, taking a big gulp of the fruity bourbon. August clears his throat and I turn to him. “You ready, Wyatt?”

  He sets his elbows on the arms of the chair and blows air out of his mouth. “About as much as I can be.”

  “That’s a fine piece of ass you got, cousin,” Mason says with a snide tone and my skin crawls. He winks and licks his lips.

  “God, could you be any creepier, Mason?” Lily says and Lyle points at her, nodding like a bobblehead.

  Jennings chuckles under his breath and Mason shoots him a pointed look.

  Mason shrugs. “Tomi is grade A. All of New York knows it.”

  Gross.

  “Do you live here?” Lily asks. “How would you even know that?”

  Mason dips his head and Lily mumbles something about how the city isn’t safe anymore and I hide my laugh behind my hand.

  “Been here for about a year. After Google purchased my app, I bought a place.”

  My eyes find August and I make a disgusted face and shiver. He smiles and rolls his eyes at Mason. In all of my months here with August, we never once saw him. He never even mentioned Mason. Now I know why.

  Mason plucks the straw from his drink and brings it to his mouth, chewing on it with his teeth. He turns his attention to August and Lyle to tell them about a local strip club and I tune them out.

  My phone buzzes in my clutch and I pull it out, reading the text.

  Jennings: You okay with this?

  Then another message comes through.

  Jennings: Don’t look up. I’m trying to be discreet. Also, Mason is a douche.

  I giggle and Lily looks over at me, her eyes finding the phone in my lap. She snorts, reading the message and Jennings elbows her side.

  Me: I’m putting on my big girl britches for August.

  Jennings sighs and I can hear the tick-tick of his fingers hitting the screen of his phone.

  Jennings: He needs you. I’m pretty proud of you.

  A smile tugs on the corner of my mouth.

  Me: Thanks, Jennings.

  Jennings: I know you’re acting tough, but Whitley and I are here for you.

  Me: Where is she, by the way?

  Jennings: She’s flying in later tonight. She’ll land around midnight. Her class back in L.A. had a huge presentation and she wanted to stay back to make sure everything went okay.

  My body warms. Whitley is such a remarkable woman, and from the stories she and Jennings have told me, she’s an incredible teacher.

  Me: She’s so awesome. And thank you. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow.

  Jennings: You’ve got us. It’ll be okay.

  There’s that expression again. It’ll be okay. I’ll be okay.

  “I’m hungry,” Mason says, forcing me to pull my eyes from my phone. Jennings leans forward on the table and winks at me. I shove my phone back in my clutch.


  With a pinched expression, August’s foot bounces on the floor. “Let’s order some food, then.”

  Lily props her arms on the table and mumbles with a pointed look at Mason, “Hopefully I can keep my food down.”

  The rest of the table, minus Mason, bursts into laughter.

  New York City is a lot like the ocean, vast and overwhelming. The enormity can be suffocating if you allow it.

  The skyscrapers tower around us like looming, intimidating monsters and I worry they’re going to eat me alive the moment I let my guard down. I’ve never seen them from this height, intimidating and daunting.

  We found a rooftop bar after dinner. No strip club like Mason wanted, thank God. The second we could, we ditched Mason, and now he’s somewhere inside, hitting on some unsuspecting woman, I’m sure. Aaron, Skip and Adam went back to their hotel so now it’s just Lyle, Lily, Jennings, August and myself sitting on the ledge of the building outside, our feet dangling off the edge. There’s another ridge just below our feet, offering stability, otherwise, I’d be sitting at a table behind us. I don’t mind heights, but I also don’t want to fall.

  Jennings pulled a few strings and was able to reserve the roof for just us and I’m grateful. The paparazzi found out we were at the steakhouse. I’m pretty sure I was able to shield my face from any pictures. Jennings blocked me with his jacket and Lyle covered Lily with his body, which, I’m positive, wasn’t a coincidence.

  Once the photos hit the news outlets, our laid back, last night together with single August will be over.

  We’re all savoring our last few hours with him. With our August. Not the August that is marrying a woman he doesn’t love.

  “Remember when you fell in the lake, August?” Lily recollects, taking another sip of her white wine. “You thought you’d be this big man and cross that rickety bridge, but your leg fell through and your ass went tumbling down to the water.” She falls over in laughter, her body bumping into mine. I grip the edge of the roof with white knuckles.

  “Jesus, Lily,” I grumble.

  Next to Lily, Lyle holds onto her waist and I almost think she’s acting drunk just to get his hands on her. It’s not a bad tactic. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen her play the damsel in distress to get someone to pay attention.