“Just when I thought I couldn’t love you more,” he whispered, squeezing tighter.
“It’s the least you could do. After all, I am carrying your second child.”
“Wait until our third is on the way.” I leaned back to look at him. He laughed at my expression. “Oh, come on, Buttercup. You know I’m good at it. Look how beautiful this one turned out.”
We both glanced at our precious baby. Seeing Joey’s eyes in the face of someone who only came to be because we fell in love was truly amazing.
“You’re a very lucky man, Sullivan.”
“Don’t worry, Buttercup. That’s something I’ll remember every day for the rest of my life.”
The moment my eyes opened, I knew it was just before sunrise, the dim light coming through the curtain I hadn’t closed the night before. Right as I was about to question why my body would allow me to wake up at such an ungodly hour, I felt him. Joey was still in my bed. Heat radiated from him, making me hot. Because the warmth was overpowering, I tried squirming to the other side of the bed, but his heavy arm held me in place.
“Stop moving, B. It’s too early,” he grumbled.
“Joey, I’m sweating. Move over.”
“No. Go back to sleep.”
“Seriously, I can’t breathe.”
“Bullshit. You were snoring less than thirty seconds ago.”
“I was not!” His body shook with a chuckle. “Joey…”
“I’m not letting you go until I have to, Buttercup, so deal with it.” He loosened his grip just a bit and slightly separated his legs from mine. “Now, shut the hell up before you wake the puppy. We’ll never get back to sleep if she hears you.” Somehow, I managed to doze off.
It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed before I heard Maddie pacing on the other side of the room. “Does she need to go out?” My eyelids were too heavy to budge.
“Probably, but that’s not what got her up.” There wasn’t much movement from Joey, either.
“What is it then?”
“You’ll see,” he said, a trace of humor in his groggy voice.
Not wanting to play games, I ignored him and tried convincing myself to get out of bed. It wasn’t as if I had all the time in the world. The next two days would be nothing but a memory in the blink of an eye. My sister was going to be a married woman is less than forty-eight hours. My sister?! Oh shit! The bedroom door flew open before I could react. It was useless at that point anyway. She’d already seen what she had anticipated.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Alexa interrogated as she wished the dog a good morning. I yanked the blankets over my head, wishing she’d go back downstairs and never speak of this again. “So, what did you two do last night?” She lay across the bottom of the bed on top of our legs. Damn!
“We should’ve locked the door,” Joey complained.
“But you didn’t.” Her sugary tone was extremely annoying.
“Get out, Lex. I’m naked.”
“Don’t tell her that!” I snapped, coming out from my hiding place.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me exactly what happened here.” The nosy little bitch!
“We fell asleep watching a movie,” I uttered.
“We had sex all night,” Joey lied. “We didn’t finish until about an hour ago so, if you don’t mind, shut your trap so I can get some sleep. Your sister is a beast.”
“Joey!” I faced him. He flashed me a stupid grin.
“Well, you are!” he said innocently. Lex rolled onto her back, clearly amused.
“Arrogant bastard,” I mumbled, shoving the blankets aside and standing. Apparently, Joey was very comfortable. “Get up.”
“Why?”
“Because we have shit to do and Lex needs to see that you have clothes on.”
“I don’t have anything to do until lunch, and I highly doubt she wants to see my sexy ass.”
“I’ve seen your ass more times than I care to admit, Sullivan, so don’t flatter yourself.” Lex pushed up off the bed, removing the sheet from him at the same time. A small part of me was disappointed when she only pulled it down to his waist. While he had taken his shirt off at some point during the night, he left his shorts on. I knew that, but the thought of it was tantalizing. “Come on. Mom’s making breakfast.”
“Fine,” he groaned, sitting. The first thing he did was grab his hat from the nightstand, flip it around, and put it on. Leaving the shirt behind, he headed for the bathroom.
Once the sound of the door closing in the hallway echoed back, Lex whispered, “Damn, he has a nice body. Don’t tell him I said that.”
“I would never,” I assured her. Joey would’ve taunted her every single day for the rest of her life if he knew. Nobody deserved to endure such torture, not even Lex.
“So you really just watched a movie?”
“Yes.” Did she honestly need confirmation?
She sighed, dramatically throwing her head back. “You disappoint me, big sister.”
“Alexa…” Fixing the blankets, we stared at each other across the bed.
“All kidding aside,” she said, lowering her voice further. “What are you doing?”
“What do you mean?”
“With Sully? Why are you having him stay over?”
“I told you–”
“Yes, you told me you fell asleep watching TV, but we both know that’s not what I’m talking about.” As much as I wanted Lex to shut her face and get the hell out of my room, I had to let her say what was on her mind. “I love you, but I love Joe, too. Don’t do this to him, Brie. He’s going to be hurt all over again.”
“I’m not doing anything!” The fact I was instantly pissed spoke volumes.
“You can deny it all you want, but what you’re doing is wrong, and something tells me you know it.” I stormed over to the closet, yanking on the knob. The door flew back, hitting the wall behind it. I reached for the dress I planned on wearing. “Don’t be pissed at me. You’re the one who asked for this shit.”
“You think I wanted things this way?” I swung around, glaring at her. It wasn’t her fault, but I couldn’t control the anger. The truth was on the tip of my tongue. It was right there for me to spill and clear the air, making her understand, but I couldn’t.
“Does it matter at this point? It is what it is, but if you’re not going to do anything to change it, knock it off!”
“I didn’t ask him to come here! Whenever I turn around, he’s just…there!”
“And why do you think that is?”
I threw my hands in the air, still holding the hanger. “I have no idea, Lex, but I’m trying to make it easier on you!”
“How the hell does that make any sense?”
“I’m only here for you. This is all about you having the time of your life and not having shit screwed up because of me.”
“Let me get this straight. You think Joe spending the night with you is going to make things run smoothly at the wedding?” She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for my answer.
“Yes! No! That’s not what I meant!” Each word came out louder than the previous. Lex wouldn’t back down. The conversation had to end before someone said something they shouldn’t. A few deep breaths facilitated my calming process. “It’s not my intention to hurt anyone. I only want to be a part of your special day.”
“And then you’ll be gone again.”
“Is that what this is really about?!” My temper threatened to flare again.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Joey appeared in the doorway, not quite sure what was unfolding in front of him.
A lecture on how awful I was and why it’d be in his best interest to avoid me was expected. It was preferable to the slap in the face Lex had just handed me. “Not much. We were discussing what time Aidan said he’d be arriving later today,” she said.
Having absolutely no desire to witness Joey’s reaction, I quickly scurried from the room. In my hasty exit, I accidently brushed a
gainst his bare arm, the contact momentarily stunning me. As my heart begged me to stay, a voice in my head screamed to keep walking. Ultimately, the need to protect him drove me down the hall. Once safely inside the bathroom, a breath escaped, not providing even a slight relief to the ache in my chest. Lex was right and I hated it.
I stripped out of my clothes from the previous day, turned on the water, and climbed into the shower before it warmed. The coolness rushing over my skin offset the heat from Joey. How he could affect my body temperature was beyond any reasonable thought. What I needed to focus on was figuring out how to distance myself from the only person who had the power to make my world right again. Short of telling him exactly why he should hate me, I came up empty.
By the time I made my way into the kitchen, everybody had finished breakfast already. Mom offered to cook me something, but I wasn’t hungry. Eating in the morning had been mandatory in the Watson house since we were kids and, apparently, being an adult didn’t change anything. Before I could decline, Mom began rattling off a long list of what was on hand, not flinching when I attempted to interrupt. Giving in, I grabbed an apple from the bowl and took a large bite.
“That’s my girl,” Mom encouraged, patting my arm and walking out of the kitchen. I closed my eyes, counted to ten, then threw the piece of fruit in the garbage can.
“I’m telling,” Vince mocked from behind me.
Keeping my back to him and everyone else at the table, I told him to shut the hell up and mind his own business. A sweet bark came from just outside the door. Putting space between Joey and myself also meant doing the same with Maddie. As much as I would’ve loved to let her in, I walked down the hall and up the stairs.
As I rounded the corner to my room, I heard Vince yell, “What in the hell are you doing? We have to go.”
Thinking he was talking to me, I turned to holler back, but couldn’t form words when I saw Joey heading toward me. The expression on his face warned of anger and confusion. My heart came to a complete stop when he gently placed his hand on my hip. Our faces were only inches apart.
“I don’t know what went on between you and your sister, but you’re not doing this, B. You are not going to pull this shit.” I opened my mouth to speak, but there was nothing to say. “Whatever your problem is, shake it off by lunch because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you ignore me.” He leaned in, placed a kiss on my cheek, and walked back the way he had come.
Arrogant bastard!
“What the fuck was that?”
“What?” Lex fluffed her hair in the mirror, not nearly as concerned with my temper as she should’ve been. “Relax, Joe.”
“Relax? Did you see the way BC stormed out of here?”
She dramatically exhaled. “How could I miss it?”
“Everything was fine. Why did you have to mention him?”
Lex finally shifted to give me her undivided attention. “You think this is fine?”
“Yes. It’s actually going better than I expected.” She glared at me as if I had no idea what the word meant. “We had fun last night, Lex. She was laughing and talking like we’ve never been apart. I spent the whole night beside her…”
“Which reminds me, you look like shit. Did you sleep at all?”
“I wasn’t tired.” The real problem was I couldn’t take my eyes off BC. Memories of us prevented me from drifting off. Time was running out and I hadn’t come up with a way to keep her from leaving. Hell, I still wasn’t sure why she left in the first place.
“Stop coddling her.” I shot Lex a nasty glance. “She’s a big girl. She can handle it. Push her a bit. You’re making life too easy.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Has Brie moved home yet?”
“Why are you being such a bitch?”
“Because you’re so wrapped up in playing house, you forgot recess is almost over. If you want to know the truth, it’s quite pathetic.” She picked up a nail file off the dresser and fussed with her nails. “Unless you’ve changed your mind and you’re willing to let Aidan have her.”
“You have until she comes downstairs to fix this.” I grabbed my shirt and headed for the hall. Maddie was probably begging for food. If I didn’t hurry, Barb would probably give the dog whatever they were having.
Two steps through the door, I heard Lex’s voice, “You’d think I’d at least get a ‘thanks for helping’.”
Returning to BC’s room, I was even more livid. “You got her mad on purpose?”
“Nope.” A smirk stretched across her face. “I got you mad on purpose. Step up your game, Romeo. Time is running out.”
“I can’t fucking stand you.”
“Liar. You love me.”
“Not today.”
Eventually, BC made an appearance in the kitchen. Freshly showered, she was ready for their busy day. Her hair had been blown dry and loosely hung down her back. The short dress she wore accentuated her long legs. For a moment, I fantasized about how great it would feel to witness that every single morning. I quickly squashed those thoughts and concentrated more on the fact she hadn’t looked at me. Actually, she hadn’t really made eye contact with anyone. Lex cleared her throat. I didn’t bother turning her way, but I did flip her off. Vince laughed at the same time Maddie barked. BC tensed and left the room.
“Are you happy now?” I growled at Lex, standing.
“What did you do?” Vince asked. She rattled off some shit about trying to help, but I didn’t bother to correct her. Vince shouted a reminder about how we had to go. He’d only asked me for a ride five minutes prior, so it wasn’t as if I’d forgotten.
BC was almost in her room by the time I caught up. For whatever reason, she hadn’t expected me to follow her. Did she think I’d tolerate the silent treatment? Even when her doctor showed up, that shit wasn’t going to fly. I had absolutely no clue how I’d handle seeing her with someone, but I couldn’t stand it if she ignored me.
One second, we were ten feet apart; the next, my body collided with hers. The feel of her against me, combined with how good she smelled was overwhelming. Inadvertently, I tilted inward and, whether she meant to or not, her chin lifted toward me. Her lips were so close. If I kissed them, there’d be nothing to stop me. Reluctantly, I settled for a soft peck on her cheek, walking away before I shoved her into the bedroom. I never would’ve left if that had happened, even with her parents at home.
When I eventually strolled through my door, Maddie jumped on the couch next to Jack, bathing his face in kisses. As he tried to hold her back, he looked at me. “Do I want to know where you’ve been?”
“I need sleep.” Without pausing, I disappeared into my room, dropped my phone and keys on the nightstand, and spread out over the blankets. Despite the lonely feeling, I passed out the second my head landed on the pillow.
When we beat the girls to the restaurant by nearly thirty minutes, Rich bought us a couple rounds at the bar. For an early Friday afternoon, the place was packed. It explained why Lex had made reservations. The waitress said some businesses in the area often brought employees in at the end of the week as an incentive. It made sense. Most of the patrons wore business casual clothing.
As I swirled the last gulp of beer around the bottom of the glass, a familiar feeling came over me. I twisted on the stool until I found her. BC and Roni entered the room two steps ahead of Lex and Barb. The sight of BC eased the ache which had settled in the pit of my stomach since leaving her in the hallway. Her beautiful smile had returned, and the tense posture she had sported earlier had vanished. Both her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, as if she’d been laughing. My suspicion was confirmed when Lex leaned over, said something, and all four ladies burst into hysterics.
My heart skipped a beat the moment she glanced toward me. Even through the distraction, BC felt my presence the same way I felt hers. That meant something.
“The rest of your party is here. Would you like me to show you to your table?” The hostess appeared by my side, maki
ng Vince snicker. When we arrived, he had made some sarcastic comment about her checking me out. She could look all she wanted. I couldn’t even remember the color of her hair.
“Thank you,” Rich responded. We all got up, meeting the girls in the middle of the room. Vince swept in, grabbing his bride-to-be in a ridiculous hug and kissing her neck. She giggled loud enough that everybody in the place heard. Used to their overzealous affection for each other, our group ignored the lovebirds, stepping around them to get to our table.
Lightly touching BC’s elbow, I stopped her. “Are you better now?” I whispered. She nodded and I gestured, allowing her to continue walking to the table. Taking the seat next to her was brazen, but it was the only place I wanted to be. Since she didn’t seem to mind, I released a relieved breath. The hostess stood between the two of us, her back to BC. She handed a menu to me, asking if there was anything I needed. Her voice wasn’t as sweet as before. She must’ve figured out why I refused to give her any attention. When she walked away, BC tried to hide a chuckle behind the menu. “Oh, shut the hell up,” I groaned, causing her to laugh harder. At least she was done ignoring me.
Vince and Alexa were a lost cause, snuggling each other. Rich wanted to know how Roni’s kids were doing. Barb chimed in, saying she couldn’t wait to become a grandmother. BC was the only one actually looking at the menu. “What are you getting?” she asked me.
“Probably some kind of sandwich,” I said, closing the menu.
“All this good food and you only want a sandwich?” she wondered.
“Some of us ate breakfast like we were supposed to.” BC rolled her eyes. “Do you remember the night we went to the eighth grade dance?”
“I do,” she softly said with a sad smile. “I had a lot of fun that night.”
“Of course you did. You tortured me the whole time,” I reminded her.
“Who are you kidding? You enjoyed every minute of it.”
Sitting in the back of my parents’ car, I was sweating my ass off in the suit they bought the week prior. Being the first time I was dressed up for any occasion, I couldn’t get comfortable. Mom kept telling me to stop fidgeting because the jacket was going to wrinkle.
Subtle Reminders Page 28