by Amber Nation
Therapeutically, of course.
I wrapped up our conversation along with my purchase and invited her to the wedding before I took off.
Snapping out of my little haze, I realized that it was time for me to get back to work. I had been running ragged since early in the morning, trying to make sure everything was set up in the hall for the reception that would take place after the ceremony, so I had decided to hide out and take a little break.
I was nestled away at the end of a long corridor in the church, just trying to get away from everything and to get my head back on track.
“Julia!” I heard a man’s voice hollering my name and coming closer to where I was hiding away. And then suddenly Bentley appeared in front of me, a huge smile forming on his lips. The man truly was beautiful. As fast as his smile appeared it was quickly replaced with a grim line. “Eden needs you, she’s freaking out. I’ve never seen her this way before.”
And that was my cue.
I knew her meltdown would happen sooner or later. I just hoped like hell it wasn’t so bad that she would mess up her already gorgeously styled hair.
I took a deep breath, then quickly released it and said, “Come on.”
As we retreated back down the hallway to the room where Eden was tucked away, we came across Dean, who eyed us suspiciously.
“Hey Deano! What’s shaking? Had to go have a quickie with Jules, you know how it is.”
“What the fuck?” I yelled, not believing Bentley just said that, and to Dean no less. Dean’s glare was murderous once again, but this time it was directed towards Bentley. At least he’d branched out from his cocky smirk. I was desperately grasping at straws trying to find the positivity in this situation, not sure there really was any, though.
Bentley’s arm wrapped around my torso as he dragged me along to Eden’s room. “Come along, Jules, no use denying it. And don’t act like you didn’t love it.” I was beginning to wonder if Baylor would miss not having a younger brother around. My morbid brain was already coming up with so many various ways in which I could kill him; slowly torturing him was becoming the frontrunner. Once we were far enough out of earshot, he leaned into me and apologized, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t let him know that Eden was freaking out or else he would tell Baylor. It was best this way.”
“Oh yes, it was best for you to tell Dean, of all people, that you fucked me in the hallway. Right,” I stated bluntly.
“Oh, Jules, don’t be so bitter,” he said in a condescending tone. “Besides, I may have helped you out a little in the Dean department. I see how you two look at one another. It’s all good, girl.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t be hearing him correctly. These past five minutes had to have all been a dream.
Bentley stopped once he noticed I wasn’t keeping up with him. He braced his hands on his hips, then raised one arm over his shoulder, pointing in the direction we needed to be going. “No more stalling, Julia, Eden needs you.”
Shit.
Bentley caught me off-guard, making me forget about my best friend who could very well be on the verge of a panic attack…or a severe massacre. Either way, I’d have her back, armed with a paper bag to calm her breathing, or a shovel and trash bag to bury the body and hide the evidence.
The last thing I expected to see when I opened the door to the nursery, aka Eden’s dressing room, was the sight of her jumping up and down on the bed. Don’t ask me why there was a bed in the nursery, but there was, a twin, shoved up against the far wall, but that’s beside the point. She was already dressed in her custom-made white chiffon lace wedding dress, and it was floating around her as she bounced in the air. The bodice was made out of silk material, while white lace covered her collarbone and ran down her arms. She was laughing away as she jumped on the bed like a child as if she were a free spirit. Bette Richardt, Eden’s mom, glanced at me nervously, not knowing how to calm her daughter.
This wasn’t the freak-out that I was preparing for, but Bette knew just as well as I did that Eden was soon going to combust.
“Jules, get your ass up here.” I was still dressed in my plaid buttoned-up shirt and leggings with only my makeup applied, so it wasn’t as odd for me to join in on the jumping as it was for her.
I threw off my shoes and lifted myself onto the bed, one leg at a time, and slowly started bouncing on the balls on my feet, barely lifting off of the bedding. I would hardly consider myself a spring chicken, but I got up there and followed Eden’s actions with ease.
“Isn’t this fun?” Eden asked, her breath running ragged due to her prolonged exertion. One moment she was laughing, having the biggest smile, and the next she started sobbing uncontrollably.
And the walls came tumbling down.
She flopped down on the twin bed, her dress poufing out around her. “I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think I can marry Baylor.” Her tears streamed relentlessly down her face.
I looked over to Bentley, whose face instantly paled once Eden stated those words. Even though he lived in his brother’s shadow, the love he had for Baylor was clearly evident.
I held my hand up to Bentley in a calming manner, I had to make sure that he knew this little blip stayed amongst the four of us. My eyes silently conveyed what I didn’t need to bring out into the open. Not until he nodded his head in affirmation did I turn back to my best friend.
Really, she was more than my bestie, though, much more. She was my only family, my life.
Gently grasping both of her hands in mine, I brought them into my lap. Busying myself by slowly rubbing my fingers along hers in a soothing way, in a low voice I asked, “What brought this on? You love Baylor.”
In between sobs she was finally able to speak. “I do love Baylor, more than anything. I’m just scared of how our future will unfold. I don’t want to end up divorced and all alone like you.”
I flinched, but didn’t miss a beat while continuing to rub her arm. Even though I came across as not giving much of a shit, I wasn’t entirely immune to her stab in the chest. I released a calming breath, trying to force myself to remember that she needed to get this all out in the open. Beside me her mother let out a shocked gasp and I knew she was on the verge of berating her thirty-three year old daughter. I shook my head, silently asking her not to bother because even though it hurt, ultimately Eden was right.
“Babe, there is a huge difference between you and Baylor and me and my ex-husbands. Baylor would move heaven and earth to make sure you’re happy. You two have a love that I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m even jealous of.” Her eyes continued to search mine as I told her the absolute truth. “You’ve loved him for over fifteen years, there is no doubt in my mind that you two have what it takes to make it for the long haul.”
She released a long, drawn-out sigh that had my body relaxing. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am,” I teased before releasing her hands and bending down to retrieve her discarded shoes. Something on the bottom sole of her satin heel caught my attention and a smile flittered across my face. This just further proved my point that they were completely, 100% meant for each other. He knew just what she needed even before she did.
“This just further reiterates my jealousy.” I thrust the shoe in front of her so she could read the inscription written by her fiancé’s hand.
You’re my love, my life, my own personal Eden. I can’t wait to seal the deal and make you my wife. I’ll be the man in the tux down in front with the big smile on my face.
Love Always,
Baylor
She wiped one last remaining tear from her cheek as it slid its way down her skin, “I’m so sorry, Jules. I’m sure my face is all blotchy and my hair must be a mess.”
“Yes…Yes it is,” I replied, but with a smile on my face, not beating around the bush, “but lucky for you, I’m a professional.” I winked at her then turned back around to Bentley. “I know people compare you to your brother, and since he’s
not here right now, I can say this.” I thrust my forefinger in his direction. “With the heartfelt sentiment he just conveyed, you’ve got major shoes to fill. Major. To me, you’re way hotter than Baylor,” his cheeks actually turned a deep shade of red, which was a glorious sight. I made Bentley Jenkins blush and for some reason I didn’t think that happened all too often. “I know you have your flirty and playboy ways, I’m not here to judge, but I hope you live up to the potential you possess and fall head over heels in love with someone.” I spoke with such enthusiasm and determination that he had to know that this was nowhere near a joking matter. I was adamant about what I was conveying to him. “I hope you love her so fiercely that you don’t want to know what it’s like to spend one second of your life without her.”
Towards the end of my mini rant, my voice began cracking at the conviction in what I was relaying to Bentley. Baylor Jenkins was a hard act to follow, but I knew that under Bentley’s flirty exterior was a man just waiting for a woman to knock him on his ass.
He tried to brush off my little speech with a wave of his hand, thinking he was immune to falling in love. Oh, it would happen to him all right, and when he least expected it, too.
It was now time for Eden to take my hand in her embrace, trying to console me, which made my breath hitch again. I looked down at our intertwined fingers as she gave me a soft squeeze. Bentley continued to stare at me, then he licked his lips and paused a brief moment before asking, “Have you ever had a love that strong Jules?”
Wasn’t that the million dollar question? Did I even have the right to hope that I would find that type of love?
My heart panged in my chest, reminding me that I was still alive. I nodded my head, “At one time I thought I had, but it ended up being one-sided. But that’s not something we need to rehash today.” I released Eden’s hand and stood from the bed. “Now come on, Bride, let’s get your hair fixed and get you aisle-walking ready.”
After I fixed the tendrils of hair that had loosened out of Eden’s twist, I took my trusty can of aerosol hairspray and began over-obsessively dousing her hair.
Coughing from the fumes that I no longer noticed anymore, Eden sputtered, “You think that’s enough?”
I shrugged a shoulder, and muttered honestly, “Just doing my part in the further destruction of the ozone layer. Also, I want to make sure that your hair isn’t going anywhere today.”
Chapter 9
Dean
Pacing.
That’s what I was currently doing. Pacing back and forth along the carpet, more than likely wearing a path as I went. I couldn’t get the image of Bentley and Julia hand in hand coming out from a deserted hallway out of my head. I was ready to go find him and rip him a new asshole. I wasn’t used to dealing with this growing jealousy that festered inside of me.
It had been hard enough to keep away from her as it was. She’d constantly been trying to get my attention the past few days, but I thought it better for everyone involved if I tried to ignore her. I couldn’t wrap my head around the kind of game she was playing the night of the auction, bidding on me as if it was a bit of fun. I could tell by our interaction afterwards that she had no qualms about expressing her attraction towards me, I just didn’t know what her intentions were. Sure, I’ve been married and divorced two times but that doesn’t mean it completely turned me off of love or women in general; I was a man, after all. Just when I put into my head that my job title was a hindrance to finding love, in strutted Julia Callaway. Did that mean that I wanted her for more than just a romp between the sheets? I hadn’t the slightest idea, but the thought of her being with another man, that being Bentley, shook me to my core and downright pissed me off.
Anger wasn’t an emotion that I often had and that seemed to be the recurring theme around Julia. I enjoyed making digs at her and wearing on her nerves, but her bidding on me at the auction, and five thousand dollars no less, shifted something inside of me, so I stayed away. Even while she was cutting my hair, flaunting her mouth-watering chest directly in my line of sight, I kept my distance. She knew what she was doing, trying to get a rise out of me and I almost couldn’t keep my lust tampered down. But I suppressed my urge to fill both my palms full of her ass and thrust her onto my lap. It was hard as hell to act indifferent, but I did. I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to push her completely away, but the scene that I had caught the ending to earlier told me that I had succeeded.
“Dude, would you seriously calm down? I’m the one getting married, it should be me pacing the floor,” Baylor addressed, dissipating some of my anger.
“What? Sorry,” I ceased my movements, trying to stand rooted in one place, but my legs were itching to pace again. That seemed to be when I did my best thinking, while I was stalking across the floor.
“Mind telling me what’s got you pissed?”
I shoved my hands in the pockets of my tux and shrugged a shoulder. I couldn’t fool him, no matter how hard I tried, and in my day that had been many a time. Baylor and I had been friends for well over half of our lives and it was virtually impossible to get anything past him.
“Are you upset that I’m marrying Eden?” He thought he was addressing the elephant in the room and a few months ago I would’ve actually said yes.
At that moment you could’ve tipped me over with a feather. Evidently I hadn’t been as inconspicuous with my attraction to Eden as I had initially thought. With the three of us growing up together, we had formed a bond that I didn’t think could’ve been broken until Eden walked away from both of us the day after graduation without a backwards glance. I often felt like the middleman having to constantly hear about Baylor’s attraction to Eden and vice versa. It never occurred to either of them that I could have feelings for the girl as well. But like the dutiful friend that I was, I kept my feelings towards Eden bottled up inside. The thing was, I never would’ve acted on those feelings because that’s not what true friends did, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t find myself asking time and time again why it couldn’t have been me instead of Baylor.
A few months before, when Eden first came back to Cottage Grove, I confronted her as to why I hadn’t been good enough for her. I was feeling at an all-time low, having two failed marriages against me. If that wasn’t a blow to a man’s ego, then I didn’t know what was. Somehow I had gotten it into my stupid brain that I wasn’t cut out for all of this love shit, and that being a divorce lawyer hindered me from having a fully functional, successful relationship. But any remaining attraction that I had towards Eden completely dissipated the moment I laid eyes on Julia.
Releasing a breath, I stated, “Nah, man, I’m genuinely overjoyed for the both of you. The two of you are perfect for each other.” And it wasn’t a lie, I didn’t know two better people who were a better match. “But I will tell you this, even though you are my brother from another mother, if you hurt her you will have to answer to me.” I lifted my mouth in a small smile and turned to have a seat in a nearby chair, “No, a completely different woman has me tied up in knots.”
He followed suit, sitting down in the chair beside mine. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Julia, would it?”
I leaned forward, bracing my elbows on my knees, “I don’t know what the hell is going on. We are constantly at each other’s throats, and what’s more, I enjoy it. I thought…I thought something might have been there, especially when she responded to me so desperately after the little stunt she pulled at the auction. But I must’ve imagined it, because your brother blatantly confirmed them hooking up in the hallway about fifteen minutes ago.” I supposed Bentley Jenkins had met his equal in Julia, and I had always thought that Maisie was a slut.
“Listen, I don’t know what the hell went on between her and Bentley, but what happened at the auction wasn’t what you think. She tried to cover it up when explaining it to me, but I saw it in her eyes. She was jealous of Maisie. She said that she caught her in the bathroom bragging that she was going to nail you. I think in some t
wisted Julia fashion that was her way of protecting you from the crazy bitch that is Maisie and not being able to hide her jealousy while doing so.”
Julia, jealous? I didn’t know how to wrap my brain around this new information. But did it change anything?
“Here I am being a pussy needing the comforting today, when it should be you. How’re you holding up, man?”
“Better than I thought I would be. When you know, you know. Eden has always been it for me, even though I let Kristina and her controlling ways cloud my judgment.”
Wasn’t that the truth? Kristina was Baylor’s first wife and the mother of his daughter, Norah. Truths had come to light a few months earlier when Eden returned for our fifteen year high school reunion, revealing that it was Kristina who had made Eden run away all those years ago. I knew Baylor didn’t regret his time with the bitch Kristina, because otherwise he wouldn’t have my niece, but he missed out on a lot of time with Eden because of her.
The door flew open and I quickly looked up to reveal Bentley sauntering inside, a gloating smirk playing on his lips. I was ready to knock that stupid grin right off his face. “YOU!” I ground out between my clenched teeth, my jaw set to complete stone. I jerked my body up off of the chair and stalked his way, my anger growing more and more the closer to him I got.
He immediately threw his hands up in front of him, in a surrendering manner. “Hey man, what’s got you so hostile?” He had yet to wipe that smirk off his face, not even letting it slip when he saw how pissed off I was.
Baylor calmly protested from behind me, “Guys, today is not the day for this.”
“Well, then your fucking brother should have thought of that before he went sticking his dick in Julia. And in a hallway? No wonder she’s so fucking cynical and comes off as such a bitch all the time, she deserves more than a fucking wall!” My voice was growing residually louder the more I talked. At this rate, I would be at a full blown yell and everyone in the church would be able to hear me. And what was more, I really didn’t care.