“Are you asking me to meet your parents?”
His eyes came up along with his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You survived mine, plus Bobby’s so I guess I should suck it up and meet yours. They sound pretty cool from what you’ve told me,” I replied, and his eyes sparkled.
“They’re going to love you.”
“We’ll see about that. I don’t have the best record with boyfriend’s parents.”
West shook his head. “Alec loves you.”
“Yeah.” My eyes fogged a bit before focusing on the yard and anything but West. “Now.”
West leaned forward and squeezed my hand, eyes determined. “They’ll love you.”
~~~
I ripped off the fourth shirt and huffed, plopping down on the bed and leaning back.
“What the heck are you doing up there?” West called from the living room.
I leaned up and stared at the clothes scattered on the floor.
“I have nothing appropriate to wear,” I called back before going to look in the closet again.
“Wow, it looks like a clothes bomb went off in here,” West said, and I could hear him kicking the piles aside as he made his way to the closet.
I didn’t turn, and he placed a kiss on my neck. My eyes fluttered shut as my chest rose.
“Calm down.” His hands found my arms, his stubble tickling my shoulder as he rested his chin there. “You’ll look beautiful in anything.”
I turned and pointed at the clothes on the floor. “Too slutty, too tight, too frumpy and just no.”
West blinked at me hard and nodded towards the bed. “Go sit down.”
I did as he said and I heard the hangers scratching against their wooden pole before he came out and handed me a flowy tank top with a floral design on it and a green sweater that matched. He went to my dresser and pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans, tossing them my way and then looking at my bare feet. He went back into the closet, and he came out a second later with a pair of wedge booties.
“Tadah,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I looked at the outfit in my arms and then back up at him.
“How did you do that?”
He crossed his arms, muscles bulging underneath the Henley he wore. “Easy. You look good in green. I found something green and went from there.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he flopped back onto the bed, propping his arms behind his head.
West tipped his chin towards the outfit. “Are you going to get dressed?”
I stood and slipped into the clothes before turning to my mirror. It wasn’t the one Adam bought me with the frosted butterflies, and the thought made my heart stall. It was just a plain framed one. I shook my head and then concentrated on my reflection instead of the mirror. West nailed the outfit and a sense of relief washed over me as he stood and came up behind me.
“Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We spent the drive to the ferry in silence, and when we got on it, West went and bought us each coffee. It was burned, and I wished we had thought of stopping at Starbucks before coming here, but then again, I wasted so much time picking out an outfit that we would’ve missed the boat. We took a window seat and West put his arm around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head as I leaned into him.
“Riv, it’s not going to be that bad,” he said, tilting my chin up, so our eyes met.
I chewed the inside of my lip as my stomach rolled. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the way the ferry was rocking with the rough waves or if it was because of the thought on repeat in my head. Or more, the name.
Sophia.
How did I compare to her? He was going to marry her. My eyes dropped to the words I could see peeking out from where his shirt was unbuttoned. He had a tattoo for her.
“Don’t do that,” West said, and my eyes met his. “You shouldn’t compare yourself to her — and my parents won’t either.”
I swallowed. “Did your family like Sophia?”
“Everyone loved Soph.” His gaze moved into the distance, and he chuckled before moving a hair out of my eyes. “But everyone loves you, too. You have that in common. You both could light up a room with your smile.”
“Are we alike, Sophia and I?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Not really, but I was a different person then…and from the way things ended, she might not have been what I needed. I certainly wasn’t what she needed.” His hands went into his hair, and his jaw tensed. There was a flicker of guilt in his eyes, and my throat constricted.
I shouldn’t have asked. I wanted to say it wasn’t your fault, but I knew that no matter what I said, West would feel it was. He’d gotten in the car drunk. I knew what I could tell him to ease the pain, but as the words rose in my throat, I swallowed them.
“I really like the person you are,” I said instead, and a smile twitched at the edge of his lips.
“I’m glad you really like me.” His lips lowered to mine for a brief kiss that left my body tingling. “I really like you, too.”
I opened my mouth, and he placed his index finger over it.
“And they will too.”
I glanced out the window at the rolling waves, and my heart fluttered in my chest. I could see the island already. Heat flushed up to my cheeks.
West squeezed my hand. “Almost there.”
I forced a smile, and West blinked at me, knowing it was fake. We remained quiet as we waited to get off of the ferry, and my body tensed as a couple, about my parent’s age, waved at us.
West waved back. “That’s them…and see; they’re smiling. They’re happy you’re here. Just like I am.”
We walked up to them, and I rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans as discreetly as I could. His parents brought him into a hug and then stood back to look at me.
“I’m River.” I reached my hand out, already dampening with anxiety.
West’s mom tilted her chin, a smile on her lips as she shook her head. “Oh no, we’re the hugging type.”
Then, I was in her warm embrace. She smelled like lilacs and vanilla, comforting and delicate. As she pulled away, she looked over at West’s dad.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” she said.
“West always knew how to pick them! I’m Jack, and you don’t have to hug me if you don’t feel comfortable. I’m well aware our family can be overly friendly at times.” West’s dad winked, his eyes the same color as his son’s. “And my wife forgot to mention her name is Margo.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr–“
“Nope.” Margo cut me off. “First names.”
I glanced over at West, who tipped back on his heels with a smirk.
“Shall we?” Margo asked, nodding over her shoulder before linking her arm in mine. “West has told us so much about you. Twenty-eight and already a successful businesswoman. Quite impressive. He told us how you helped him with that contract. Ingenious.”
I looked up ahead at West who walked with his dad. West’s eyes locked on mine, that devilish twinkle there as I narrowed mine on him. He wiggled his brows before turning back to his conversation with Jack.
“You’re the first girl West’s talked about, let alone brought around us since…Sophia.” Her voice took a sad tone when she said her name. “It’s great to see him in love again, and I think this time it’s right.”
I couldn’t stop myself. “Right?”
Margo’s shoulders lifted. “Young love is fabulous. It’s fast and furious, but it’s often too rushed to last. The fire is bright, and sometimes it burns. Sometimes, it’s just not the right fit for either person… and sometimes it ends badly.”
I licked my lips as I stared at my feet. It reminded me so much of Adam and I. My throat thickened as I nodded. Margo squeezed my arm.
“I can see it in West; you make him a better person. That’s the way loves supposed to be.” She looked down at my tattoo, resting just where our arms met, only half-covered by my sweater
. She tapped two fingers on it and smiled at me. “It’s the same for you, isn’t it?”
West and Jack already stood at the car, and my heart pounded hard as West’s gaze met mine.
“Yeah. I hadn’t felt like myself for a long time before I met West. I’m starting to see exactly who I am.”
Margo’s eyes wrinkled in the corners. “Isn’t that what we all need? Someone who helps us take off our blinders?”
I laughed to myself. “I think so.”
Chapter 12
Not only had West convinced me to go to meet his family, but he’d also managed to convince me to take more time off on the ferry ride back. Every day he’d supplied me with some new adventure and spoiled me with fantastic breakfasts. Thanksgiving morning was no different.
“Don’t look so smug,” I said to West as he slid the plate of pancakes topped with my homemade strawberry jam across the table to me.
“What?” He cocked his head. “I’m not smug. I can just tell you’re enjoying having a whole week off to yourself.”
I rolled my eyes. It was the first whole week I’d taken off since Bobby died. The thought made my jaw clench and West reached over and tapped the plate in front of me.
“No, none of that. It’s okay to take time off when it’s not for bad things.” Our eyes met, and my chest rose.
“You’re right,” I said as he came around to sit next to me at the island. “And it’s been great adventuring around Boston.”
West took a sip of his coffee before wiggling his brows at me. “Favorite part so far?”
“Mhmm.” I looked at the ceiling and then down at him. “Jesse’s reaction when I called him on Monday and said I wasn’t coming in until next week.”
“I think I’m seriously failing if that’s your favorite part of this whole thing.” West popped a piece of pancake in his mouth, and I laughed as his eyes sparkled, a spot of whipped cream on his lips.
Whipped cream, now that was definitely one of the highlights. West licked it off his lips, and I shook my head.
“Was that your favorite part?” I asked.
His chest rumbled with that perfect laugh, making my body warm. “No, actually it was watching you with that little laser and the penguins. Your expression was priceless.”
“Come on! Penguins chasing a laser shaped like a fish? Like a cat would do?” I put my head in my hand. “It was adorable.”
“Just like you.” West leaned over and gave me a strawberry-tasting kiss.
I closed my eyes. “This is my favorite part.”
“What?” West’s hand cupped my cheek, and I turned my lips to his palm.
“Being with you.”
“We’ll just have to make sure we do this more often than,” West replied as I opened my eyes. “And find more things for you to be adorably fascinated by.”
My phone buzzed on the counter, showing a text.
DAD – You’re still coming, right? Three o’clock?
“My dad is convinced I’m going to bail on this whole Thanksgiving thing.” I shifted in my chair as my body flushed with uncomfortable heat. The memories washed over me. Bobby’s face when he lost the game of pool and called out mine and Adam’s ‘magical tattoos.’ The way Mom looked at me with such disgust, and the way Adam crumbled against me later on. I swallowed the lump in my throat. Approaching the end of the year meant the bad memories were becoming fresh wounds again. “I kind of want to.”
West pulled me into his arms, and I sunk into them. The memories kept flashing, but his warmth eased the steady ache in my chest from overcoming me. “The first year is the worst. It’ll get better with each one.”
He looked down at me and kissed my forehead. “And I’m going to be right here making sure that you don’t drown.”
“You know what I’m most thankful for?” West’s chin shook. “You.”
My cell phone buzzed again. Another text from Dad. I picked up the phone, and West took it from me, standing and putting it to his ear.
“Sometimes a phone call is better,” he said to me. “Hey, Joel, it’s West…yeah, I just wanted to reassure you that we’ll be there. Are you certain there’s nothing we can bring? Pumpkin pie?”
He went to the cabinets and opened a few before answering, “I think we can pull that off. Sorry to hear the dog got into it! Yeah, we know how that is.”
“Dog?” I mouthed.
“Dog sitting can be a handful,” West said, giving me a wink. “Glad to know you’re willing if we ever decide to head off… Las Vegas?” He laughed, but it had an awkward tinge to it. “I can’t even get Riv to go to Connecticut to gamble!”
My eyes widened, and I wondered if the mention of Las Vegas had less to do with gambling and more to do with something else. I stood and went to get the ingredients to start making the pie.
West slipped my phone into my back pocket. He lowered his head, his breath easing over my neck. “Let me help with that.”
“I can handle this.” I looked up at him. “Why don’t you make some more of your famous whipped cream?”
He raised an eyebrow before pulling me into his arms. “How much should I make?”
“More than for the pie,” I replied.
~~~
I smiled over at West as the dining room began to hum with conversations. Dinner was my favorite part because Mom and Vickie wouldn’t be paying attention to me. West squeezed my knee underneath the table.
“This isn’t so bad,” West said, leaning over and whispering in my ear.
I nodded as I held back the urge to say yet. I wanted to be positive like West, but my stomach clenched as I glanced over at Vickie and Mom talking to a cousin of mine. Angela was a few years older than Bobby, already in her thirties and married with two kids.
“So, I saw a picture of Adam the other day,” Angela began, and I felt my whole body tense. West looked up, following my gaze. “Quite the tattoos. Kind of like David Beckham.”
West choked on his dinner roll. He was far more like David Beckham than Adam. Adam hardly had the build, hair or nearly enough tattoos. I glanced over at West, and he shook his head, opening his mouth to start a conversation to distract me. I narrowed my eyes at him before looking down at my plate and tilting my head to hear better.
Mom replied, “If you like that sort of thing. No offense, Vicks, but it’s kind of dirty looking.”
My stomach flipped.
“No offense taken,” Vickie replied, and her tone was cool and clipped. “I agree completely, but he’s still not talking to me.”
My eyes drifted up to Angela who looked down at her plate of food with her shoulders tense. “Well, the artist did a good job.”
West’s hand went to my knee again, gripping hard. My face burned.
Mom’s head jerked back as she scoffed. “If you call that art.”
I looked over at West, who stared down at his food, thin lips set in a hard line.
“Don’t listen to them,” I whispered to him and he shook his head.
“West,” Mom called across the table, and he squeezed his eyes shut before plastering on a smile and looking up. “You’re an artist. What do you think of tattoos? Is that art?”
It was Dad’s turn to choke on his food. Our eyes locked and I tried to beg him to help silently. He reached over and squeezed Mom’s hand. “You know, dear, some people, especially those of our kids’ ages actually like tattoos.”
It was too hot in the room, and sweat began to bead on my neck. I slid my sweater off without thinking, and West’s mouth dropped open.
“Shit,” I said to myself as my eyes fell on my arm. I looked up at Mom, but she was still looking at West and hadn’t noticed. I tucked my arms under the table and West relaxed a bit, but there was no way for me to pull my sweater back on without showing the ink on my arm.
“I know Adam through my work. I appreciate his tattoos,” West finally replied. “They have a lot of meaning to him, so they’re more than art or just tattoos.”
Mom blinked at him bef
ore nodding. My jaw went slack. Was she going to drop it?
“Did Adam buy one of your pieces?” Vickie asked.
West’s lips moved up as he nodded. “Yeah, a few.”
“Mhmm,” Vickie said as she reached for her wine glass. “And what does a piece cost?”
He shrugged. “Depends on size and intricacy. They’re all custom.”
“That’d explain that lovely car you have,” Mom added, winking at me. There was the word lovely again.
“The job certainly does pay well, and I get to do what I love every day,” he said before picking up his fork to begin eating again.
“I’d love to see some of your work sometime,” Mom said, and I couldn’t help smiling.
“I’m sure you’ve seen some of it and didn’t even know it,” he replied, glancing over at me as he took a bite of stuffing.
“That popular?” Vickie asked.
“Yeah, you probably see it everywhere and don’t even notice,” I said, finally finding my voice. I was guilty for enjoying this, and Dad could tell. He raised an eyebrow at me and my stomach clenched. I leaned over to whisper in West’s ear. “We should tell her tonight.”
West nodded. “Once the crowd has thinned out?”
“Yeah,” I said.
“We’ll make sure it’s not too much of a surprise, break it to her easy.”
I looked over at him, and he sighed before leaning back in his chair. He was just as nervous as I was.
Chapter 13
I watched as Mom kissed yet another relative goodbye. The knot in my stomach tightened as I glanced at West. His eyes met mine, and his lips twitched a smile as he pressed his palms together. He nodded to what Dad said, but I could tell he was hardly listening. Dad’s eyes flicked to mine, and West leaned back, saying something I couldn’t decipher. Dad’s brows rose, and then his chin dipped in agreement. They stood, and my body rushed with chills as Vickie and Mom came back into the room. There were a handful of relatives left, and I knew now was as good a time as any.
“West was just offering to help with the dishes,” Dad said, smiling at me.
Finding Perfection Page 6