“It’s going to be fine, Eight Ball.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my ear. “They have it coming, remember?”
“Right,” I whisper as my lips find his and stay there a moment too long, drinking this man down like an exotic elixir—one I have craved all of my life, and to this day can never get enough of. “They have it coming.”
My father clears his throat and gathers the masses around Mom and Deb who stand dutifully next to a three-tiered white cake adorned with dozens of pastel roses.
Mom waves me over, and Jax and I comply a little slower than necessary.
“Look at the lovebirds!” Mom beams as she picks up my hand.
Not to be outdone, Deb picks up both my mother’s hand and Jaxson’s as the four of us form a circle.
Mom coos at Jax and me. “As wonderful as this evening is, seeing the two of you together is a thousand times greater.”
Deb offers a circular nod, tears already glittering in her eyes. “Just knowing that genuine feelings have blossomed between you makes my heart sing.”
“Strong feelings?” Jax muses as he gives a sly wink my way. “Poppy and I are in love.” He wraps his arms around me.
Jaxson’s eyes press to mine as he says each word, and the fool in me demands to believe they’re true.
“Oh God!” Mom cries as both she and Deb engage in a series of sighs and choking sounds.
“We’re very much in love.” I give his hand a squeeze, but my gaze never leaves his. I wrap my arms around Jaxson. His body tenses for a moment before relaxing against me. I swallow hard because I can feel it coming. “I have loved you, Jaxson Stade, for as far back as I can remember. You were my first friend, my first kiss, my first love and heartbreak.” He winces into me as I say it, and his chest depresses as if he knew it were true. “But when I came back and we reconnected?” I nod into him, letting him know this is from the heart, and his features soften just this side of crumbling. “It was magic. Being near you—in your arms—made me realize I never want the two of us to be apart again. Your eyes, your gorgeous face, they can’t rival that heart of gold you have.” Mom and Deb break out into audible sobs, but Jax continues to hold my gaze, the loving curve of a smile caressing his face. “When I saw you with your nephew, Jensen—I knew you were the man I would want as the father of my future children. You are the man I want for the rest of my life, Jaxson. You were my past, you are my present, and I hope you will be my future. I can’t imagine leaving you again, Jax. I can’t imagine a life without you.”
“I can’t take it!” Mom cries as she and Deb silently sob into one another, each of them dabbing tissues into their eyes.
Jaxson pulls me in close, his gaze still trained on mine.
“Poppy Montgomery”—his Adam’s apple rises and falls—“you were my best friend from the moment you arrived in this world, and I for one am glad that some things never change.” A sweep of light laughter circles the crowd. “You were the reason I got up in the morning. Each and every day, I looked forward to seeing you—to being with you, and that, too, has not changed one bit.” His eyes soften as he takes a deep breath. “When I was old enough to realize that I wanted you in my life as something more than a friend, things went a little south for us.” He glances down a moment. “And when you moved away for good, I thought that might be the end of what we had forever. But here you are, in my arms, the love of my life right where you need to be, where I want you most, and where I hope you’ll always stay. I’m not sure there are enough words in the English language to convey how deeply, how whole and happy you make me feel. I was dead, and now I’m alive. You brought the oxygen that I need to survive. I can’t seem to do it without you. Without you, life is a dark and lonely place to be. I love you with all my heart, my every breath, my soul, Pops. You are my everything. You always will be.”
Every fiber of our being gets locked in that stare. I’m so in love with this man it physically hurts to take my next breath.
Jax leans in and seals his sentiment with a kiss, and a swell of relief fills me as wide as a football field. And here it is, our final kiss. I pull back—determined not to show one ounce of emotion, when all I want to do is bawl because I will never taste those pillow soft lips again. Jaxson Stade is perfection, and his kiss is the answer to the ache that’s haunted my heart for so long.
A round of applause breaks out, and the two of us pull apart, only to find an entire sea of faces staring back at us. Sadie offers me a wink and thumbs-up with tears in her eyes. Hunter is beside her. Conner and a sour-faced Larissa stand with arms folded aggressively over their chests as if they were our sour-faced chaperones for the evening. Mack and her family, Jules and Jensen, Kali—even my father stands witness with his own eyes glittering with emotion. All of my mother’s friends hold their hands pressed to their chests, the look of tenderness written on their faces. They’re all mesmerized as if we’ve just exchanged vows, and for the most part, we exchanged something equally as sacred.
Mom steps forward and waves the crowd to a quiet hush. “My good friend Debra Stade and I would love to thank all of you for coming out tonight.” Another round of applause breaks out. “A lot has happened in our storied lives, but what we’ve witnessed tonight was an event twenty-six years in the making. Jaxson and Poppy, you have brought so much joy to us through the years, but never quite the way you have tonight. Getting to watch as your love for one another blossomed over the last few weeks has been one of the greatest joys of our lives.” Her voice breaks, and Deb pats her on the back while clearing her throat.
“I think I speak for Charlene when I say we would like to rededicate this evening as a celebration of our children’s newfound affections for one another. Jax and Poppy, may you live long and happy lives in one another’s arms. May you have many beautiful children when the time is right, and may you have a big and beautiful wedding soon while we both still have the sight to witness the event!” A light laugh circles the room. “We dedicate this night to the celebration of your beautiful love. Now, let us eat cake!” The room breaks out into wild cheers.
Jaxson tightens his grip around me. “Pops”—he touches his forehead to mine a moment—“there’s something I want to tell—”
My brother gives an obnoxious whistle and deafens the room to silence. “What about this big announcement you’ve been teasing?” Conner gives a jovial shout from the crowd. Personally, I’m shocked he didn’t step forward and rip Jax a new one after he professed his undying affection for me.
My heart thuds because there was something Jax wanted to tell me, and now I’ll forever be left in suspense.
Mom and Deb calm the crowd once again with Mom clapping her hands as if calling court to order. “As most of you know, Deborah and I have been lifelong friends. We went to school together, we married at the same time, we had our children at the same time. We have always had impeccable timing and done just about everything together.” The room fills with a friendly chortle. “We have had our fair share of ups and downs, but over the years we’ve strengthened our bonds by making others miserable.” The crowd chortles once again right along with them. “All in good fun, of course! But as most of you know, our tomfoolery led to the advent of our blog where we’re able to showcase our talents, among the best and tastiest of which is our great love of baking.” They coo at one another with pride.
“And”—Deb takes over with a nod from my mother—“about a month ago, we were contacted by the kind people over at Good Morning Denver to step onboard as culinary hosts!”
The crowd takes in a collective gasp.
Deb taps her hands once again. “You are looking at the new baking consultants for the show! In fact, smile! You’re all on camera! This entire event is being documented as a part of the bio pictorial the network is putting together in an effort to introduce us to the public. And”—she holds up a finger, stifling the loose applause already breaking out in pockets—“the best part is that we have a permanent memento of our children’s love for one another,
and it will be broadcast for all of Denver to see! Cake for everyone!” she shouts, and the room breaks out into a riot of cheers.
Holy shit.
The vast wait staff Deb has hired for the event gets right to the task of doling out slices of the delicious looking confection, and it feels as if this entire night has been lost in a whirlwind.
“They’ve documented our demented deed,” I whisper to Jax. This entire not-so funny joke has clearly gone to hell in a handbasket.
“I heard.” Jax expires a slow breath. “It’ll all work out. I promise, Pops.” He gives a little wink, but that disconcerting look on his face says just about anything else.
Mack runs up and lands her arms around us. “You two were brilliant! God!” She’s practically reeling. “Who knew you could act so well? I swear, when this is said and done, you should both get a film agent. Hollywood ain’t seen two liars like you.” She guffaws so loud my left eardrum begs to implode. “Okay, so now that the masses are busy stuffing their faces with frosting, I think the time is right to lower the boom,” she whispers, but her laughter still titters right through.
I glance to Jax. “We can do it in the morning. Why ruin the night?”
“Are you kidding?” Mack shuttles us over in their direction. “Did they wait until prom was over before showing up like a couple of prostitutes that have seen their pimp-lovin’ heyday? What about the time they spontaneously took over the morning announcements your first day of freshman year and told all the other kids the two of you just got over a bad bout of mono—the kissing disease?”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Mom told me to put ointment on my ‘rash’ between classes. I forgot all about that horrific nightmare!” It’s really not a wonder why it took years to score my first date.
Jax gives a serious nod. “And the time they showed up at summer camp and spent the afternoon with us in the pool?” He looks just as livid as I suddenly feel. “In string bikinis?”
“Payback is a bitch, and her name is Karma.” Mack gives us a little push in their direction, and the two of us falter. “What’s this?” She balks at our inability to move. “Don’t tell me you’ve changed your minds. None of that touchy-feely crap was real, right?”
Jax and I lock eyes once again. For the first time in weeks, it feels as if that impenetrable distance we shared for so long is creeping right back. Jax closes his eyes and dips his chin to the floor. Oh God. He realizes I meant everything I said, and he feels sorry for me.
“None of it was real.” My throat burns as I push the words out past that painful lump still forming. There. Jax doesn’t have to worry about me getting my heart broken. At least not in front of him.
“Then get to it.” Mack marches us right to ground zero as Mom and Deb hop over with ear-to-ear grins plastered to their jubilant faces.
“Here’s the happy couple now!” Mom engages in an awkward and slightly dangerous looking version of the happy dance.
“What a night!” Deb howls to the forty-foot ceiling. “I say we get some serious music in here, and we get a little groovy.” She shakes what her mama gave her, and Jax turns his head and moans as if he’s going to be sick.
“In a moment”—Mack scoots us in just a touch closer toward killing our mothers’ dreams—“the kids here have a little confession to make.”
I shoot my sister a dirty look. Way to introduce their heartbreak—and mine.
“Yes.” I take in a breath that I wish would never end because I hate what comes next.
Jax picks up my hand and gives it a squeeze before placing it carefully back by my side. “This was all a joke.”
Mom and Deb continue to ogle us as if we were the second coming of Elvis—a resurrection they once swore was upon us. I had never been so afraid of a blue-eyed dead man. Some people were afraid of the boogieman. I was terrified of a zombified singer from ages past making a beyond the grave reprisal under my bed.
“What’s a joke, dear?” Deb wraps an arm around my mother’s shoulder. “Is it the cake? I thought it was a touch dry myself. That’s what you get when you hire someone else to do what you could have done yourself.” She tosses a hand in the air.
“Not the cake,” I say boldly and more than a little pissed at Jax’s eagerness to get the sick show on the road. “Us. We are. Jax and I are a fake. We’re not in love, and we never were.” Lies, all of it lies, I want to scream, but at this point there’s no telling what I’m referring to anymore. And for that matter, I guess it’s only a lie on my part.
Mom’s features are the first to crumble. Deb takes in a quick breath before looking to her son. “What’s this?”
Jax groans as if he’s about to burst. His eyes cut to mine, and gone is any trace of joy or happiness from his face. He takes a solid breath. “Poppy and I thought it would be hysterical to make you think that we had finally succumbed to those feelings you both tried your hardest to push on us. It wasn’t real. Those feelings don’t exist.”
My heart slams to the floor without any hope of ever crawling back where it needs to be. I don’t want it. It’s far too damaged to ever work again.
“Poppy?” Mom staggers forward as if she’s about to fall over. “Is this true?”
“It’s true. The joke’s on you.” I blink back tears. “This was just some elaborate scheme to make you believe that the very thing you wanted for us was finally coming true.” How cruel. How stunningly callous of us to ever stoop so low.
“But you were naked.” Mom’s tone grows incredulous. “I saw you bending over to kiss his—”
“What’s this?” Dad comes up, and Mack sweeps him to the side to fill him in on the fun. “Oh, for shit’s sake!” he tosses up his arms and heads for the bar.
“Wait a minute,” Deb snaps as she wags her finger between us. “Are you two telling us all of those sentiments you’ve shared, the affections you’ve displayed over the last few weeks were some long-drawn-out hoax just to get a rise out of the two of us?” Her jaw goes slack. “What have we ever done to you to deserve this?”
Mom straightens as the two of them share a look of horror recounting all those oh-so-innocent bouts of insanity they’ve engaged in over the years.
“Never mind.” Deb glowers at the two of us. “I hope you are both proud of yourselves.” She jabs Jax and me hard in the chest with her finger. “I will spend the rest of my life reliving these past few weeks as some of the best memories I have ever had. Way to break your mother’s heart, Jaxson Livingston Stade!”
As a kid, I would giggle incessantly whenever Deb invoked Jaxson’s middle name, but now it just seems sad and disconcerting.
Mom leans in with a look of sheer malice. “And that goes double for me, young lady. I dare you to look this tall, dark, and handsome young man in the eyes and tell him that those precious words you exchanged meant nothing to you.”
I glance to Jax with a heavy heart. “I didn’t mean a word of what I said,” I whisper like a child about to break down in tears after being scolded.
“Neither did I,” he says it so low it sounded like a series of clicks.
There you have it. He didn’t mean any of it. My heart might be broken, but my blood is beginning to boil.
“I’m glad,” I flatline. “Because I think you’re an egotistical, self-absorbed womanizer that can never be tamed.” I couldn’t help it. Getting the last word in has always been my Achilles’ heel.
His lips purse as he winces at me a moment. “And I think you’re a cold-hearted brat who holds on to grudges because they make you feel like you’re in control.”
I step into the man I just professed my love to with a newfound annoyance. “And what exactly would this grudge be regarding?”
A tiny smirk tugs at his lips as his eyes grow heavy with sudden disdain. “The fact you didn’t have me.”
A wild cry of frustration that’s been bottled up for the last five solid years escapes me.
Mack pokes her head between the two of us and smiles over at our mothers. “It’s nic
e to see things have gotten right back to the way they used to be. Gotcha! And that, my friends, is a wrap!”
“It’s a wrap all right.” I take off for the door, threading my way through the crowd. I spot Sadie in the foyer and pull her right out the door with me.
“Where are you off to in such a rush?” she shouts as I drag her into the night.
“The Denver airport. I’m headed back to L.A.”
Goodbye, Oak Grove.
You will never see me again.
Jaxson
And that, my friend, is how Poppy Montgomery skewered my balls and left me to die while taking off to L.A. in the night with my heart still stuck to the heal of her stiletto.
I still love her. I’ve finally come to realize that the aching feeling clawing at my chest all these years is simply my need to have her. It’s true. I meant what I said. Poppy is the air I need to breathe, and without her near me I simply can’t survive.
As soon as she took off running, I tried to follow her out, just to be tackled by Mackenzie letting me know it was all a part of the act. After an hour and not one returned call or text, I went to the Montgomery home, only to find her things cleared out. Sadie took her to the airport. Poppy was back in Los Angeles before I ever went to bed that night. Not that I’ve slept since she’s been gone. A solid week has gone by without her cheery smile to brighten my day. I’ve tried to make contact with her, but somehow we’ve managed to set the reset button, and the cold war seems to be on again.
I’ve all but set up camp at Starry Nights. My seat at the end of the bar has become my new home. I haven’t said much to Mother. Can’t seem to face her. Jules is glad it’s over between Poppy and me. Kali couldn’t care less either way.
Hunter brings over another beer and takes away my empty glass. “You look like shit, dude.”
“Good. I feel like shit. It’s about time I shed a little honesty.”
A floral perfume breezes by, and I glance over to find Larissa flailing into the seat next to me. “Been missing you at the office.” She nods to Hunter and orders a beer. “You remember that place, don’t you? Built by the steel company you’re in charge of?”
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