Even though they didn’t talk about it, the wedding was looming over them, pushing them forward, rushing them through their time together, and by 10:00 a.m. they were packed up, back in the car, and ready for the last leg of their journey.
She looked over at him now, to his handsome face and his hands braced on either side of the steering wheel. His aviator glasses were shading his face, his lips serious, set in a straight line, but he was beautiful. And not just because of his outside. He was beautiful on the inside too.
Last night he’d laid himself out there, letting her see the little boy who lived inside him, hurt and broken by his father who he’d always idolized. Then about his jealous heart, that prevented them from being together all those years ago. But somehow, that was all over now. They’d overcome it.
“We finally made it,” she said softly, though she didn’t mean it just about the trip. It was said about so much more.
He glanced over at her, cracking one of his panty dropping smiles, and tilted his head down toward the GPS. “We should be there in an hour. Are you ready?”
She grinned. “That depends.”
“On what?” he asked flirtatiously.
“On what you’re asking I’m ready for.” She raised her brows. “Because if you’re asking if I’m ready to try on my bridesmaids dress, the answer is no. I sent the measurements three months ago, and I think I’ve eaten more burgers and fries in the last four days than I have in the past year.”
“Well that’s a shame,” he said, with a serious frown. “Because burgers and fries are one of God’s greatest gifts.”
Her grin widened. “But if you’re asking if I’m ready to see Renee and get out of this car, then the answer is a big fat one hundred percent yes.” She leaned forward in her seat, fetched the last stick of gum from her purse and split it in half. “How about you?” she asked, placing one half in his mouth, and the other in hers.
He nodded in thank, but shrugged.
“You’re worried about your parents aren’t you?” she asked quietly.
He shrugged again, then sped up to move around the car ahead of them. “Do you still not want to tell Renee?”
She bit her bottom lip and turned toward the window, knowing full well what he was asking her, and raked her upper teeth over the skin. “I think it’s best, don’t you?”
He was quiet for a moment, forcing her to look back over again, but he didn’t answer.
“Last I spoke to Renee,” she began, “I was still with Steven. How can I tell her only days later that I…” But she trailed off, because what she really wanted to say was something she wasn’t quite ready to. That after last night, she could feel herself falling for him, so hard and fast it scared the crap out of her.
He took his glasses from his face and placed them on the dashboard. “I understand.”
She pulled her legs up in her seat and got up on her knees to face him. “I don’t think you do. Because if we say something now, this thing between us would be out there for everyone to judge. It won’t be just ours anymore. It will be your mother’s, your father’s, Renee’s. It’s probably selfish of me, but I don’t want to share this. I don’t want to share us. I want you to myself. I also want Renee to have her wedding, and I want no one to talk about the girl who just broke out of a six year long relationship and is already falling for another man.”
He remained quiet for a good five seconds, his lip lifting in a smile as he turned to look at her. “You’re falling for me?”
The way he said it, with a shy hesitation, made her breath catch in her throat. It was innocent, and sincere, and so utterly sexy. She laughed a little, tears blurring her vision. “Hard.”
He reached out, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her toward him. “Good.” He gave her a quick kiss, then let her go.
She settled down in the seat and burrowed into his shoulder. In less than an hour they would be at the hotel. In less than an hour, she couldn’t sit this close to him anymore. He wrapped his arm around her, and she moved as close as she possibly could. Until then, she would enjoy this. Until then, she would take all of him she could get.
At just before one in the afternoon, they pulled off the freeway to the supermarket right outside the city. Tristan hopped out of the car in a hurry, then held up a finger, letting her know to stay where she was. She frowned, wondering what he was up to, because by now she knew the car well enough to know they weren’t in need of gas, and her eyebrows pinched together as she watched him walk through the double doors. He was gone longer than she expected, so long that she plugged in one of her audiobooks to pass the time. But eventually he came out carrying a brown paper sack and a bottle of soda. He opened the car door and handed her the bag as he climbed into the Mustang, then turned to face her and fasten his seat belt.
Her brows instantly furrowed and she looked at him suspiciously. “What is this?”
He gestured for her to open it, and she pulled out a long narrow box from inside. She glanced up, wrinkling her nose with amusement. “A cell phone?”
He grinned back at her and snatched the box from her hand. “If we’re going to pretend nothing is happening, I’m going to need some way to get hold of you.” He took the phone out of the box and began reading the instructions for set up.
“True,” she said, biting her lip as she watched him do his thing.
He handed the phone back to her a short time later, satisfied with his handiwork as he lifted his chin. “There. Call me. Then I’ll have your number in my phone.”
She glanced down to the cell, instantly grinning at the name in the title bar. “Wild Stallion?” she asked, barely able to contain her laughter.
He only grinned. “It’s a code name,” he said shyly. But then he lifted his eyebrows and grinned wider. “I bet you can’t guess what yours is?”
She giggled, amused by the fact that he’d given her a code name. “Oh God. What?”
“Mona.”
24
Chapter Twenty-four
Samantha’s stomach dropped as they rolled into the parking lot of the Hobart Garden Hotel. This was it, what the whole trip had been leading up to, but now that she was here, she wasn’t quite sure she was ready for it. She looked over at Tristan, thankful they’d be so busy during the wedding that she wouldn’t have time to miss him—but she feared that wasn’t true, and squeezed his hand as they came closer toward the valet stand.
Renee had explained to Samantha how much money was being spent on the wedding, but there was nothing that could have prepared her for this. The hotel was a hundred stories high, like a wall of windows looking over the big city. Pristine, beautiful, and made her instantly self-conscious about the way she was dressed. She tugged at the tattered edge of her denim shorts and waited in the car for the valet to retrieve her from her seat.
“Madame,” he said respectfully, offering his arm for her to hold onto.
She pulled down the hem of her tank top, then retrieved her backpack from the back seat before accepting his help. “Thank you,” she said, then stepped up to the curb, not knowing what else to do.
The valet turned to Tristan, offering a red ticket in exchange for his keys. “Should I send your bags ahead, sir?” the man asked, but Tristan only shook his head, set his glasses on the bridge his nose, and threw his backpack high on his shoulder.
“That won’t be necessary, but thank you.”
Samantha busied herself braiding her hair as she followed Tristan to the elevator. “Do you know where we’re supposed to go?” she asked, looking around to the masses of people, all dressed in business suits and dresses.
He shrugged and smiled down at her. “I haven’t the faintest idea.” He reached for her hand, but she immediately retreated.
“Wild Stallion, remember?”
He cracked a smile, but ignored her warning and stepped toward her anyway. “You can call me that whenever you want to, baby.” He then tugged on one of her braids and pressed the call button for the elevator.
They stepped out to the lobby a short time later, where a bus boy with a hopper full of matching luggage passed in a hurry. Samantha looked around for the reception desk, wondering if that was where they should try first. “Maybe we can call Renee—”
But before she could finish her thought, a squeal came from the other side of the elevators and traveled all the way down the hall. Not two seconds later, a flurry of light brown hair and skinny legs launched themselves to the top of Tristan’s back.
“It’s about time!” Renee shouted.
Samantha covered her mouth, watching Tristan almost tumble forward before catching his balance and reaching up over his head to flip his sister over his shoulders. She was in a headlock before she could even blink.
“Woah, woah, woah!” protested a very tall, very lean man who came to stand beside them. “That’s my future bride you have there.”
Samantha instantly grinned. She’d seen pictures of the handsome ballet dancer, but there were people who were more attractive in person, and Renee’s fiancée was one of them. He had a sort of James Dean quality about him. Inky dark hair that was both perfectly combed but messy at the same time, and his eyelashes were so thick it almost looked like a chore to hold his eyes open.
Renee glanced up, head twisted around Tristan’s death grip, and giggled. “Phin, you remember my brother Tristan.”
Tristan let go of Renee, almost dropping her, then draped his arm over her shoulder, anchoring her arms at her waist. “Sisters,” he said, holding a hand out to shake. “Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em.”
Phin only laughed, and shook Tristan’s hand. “It’s good to see you again,” he said, then he turned toward Samantha and took the backpack from her shoulder. “And you must be Samantha. Renee has been talking about you for months.”
Samantha glanced over at her friend, a lump forming in her throat as she held out a hand to Phin—but he immediately yanked her forward and into a two-armed hug. “It’s good to meet you, finally.”
Emotion hit her like a sack of onions—without warning, tears stung her eyes and she blinked them quickly way. After all this time, after all these months, she was finally meeting the man her best friend would marry. No, she wasn’t just meeting him, she was pressed into his chest barely able to breathe. Renee was as close as she had to as a sister, and until this moment Samantha wasn’t sure she liked Phin. He was a strange man who had swept in like Batman, capturing her best friend—with no plans to ever let her go.
But she did like him.
He was warm, protective, and he made Renee smile like Samantha had never seen before.
She finally closed her eyes, accepting the man who would be as close to a brother as she’d ever have, and hugged him back “The feeling’s mutual,” she said softly.
They all parted, realizing they were making a spectacle of themselves in the middle of the hotel lobby, and Renee came up to take hold of her hand. “I thought you’d never get here,” she whispered, her head resting on the top of Samantha’s shoulder in the familiar way she’d missed.
All of a sudden, it was like the last six months disappeared. Like it always did. Because Renee owned a piece of her heart. Reunions weren’t awkward or uncomfortable; they were like finding an old pair of slippers after a long summer. They were worn, comfortable, and perfectly molded to your feet. She and Renee fit together, and she immediately felt at home.
The group continued talking and moving toward the reception desk, and for the first time since Renee had moved out, Samantha realized she wasn’t losing her best friend. She would still miss her like crazy, would still have to adjust to not seeing her face every day, but you could never lose a person who held a part of your soul. Renee wouldn’t be able to get rid of her even if she tried.
They began talking about the trip, about how different the city was compared to Los Angeles, and Renee stopped. She turned around to look at Tristan and tilted her head. “That reminds me. What happened with the car?” she asked, eyeing him up and down suspiciously. It was a normal question—one that should have been expected after being almost two days late to his sister’s wedding, but he adjusted his stance and looked at Samantha. “Radiator cap. Of all things.”
Renee’s brows furrowed and she looked to Samantha. “And it delayed you for that long?”
Samantha nodded, taking hold of Renee’s hand and squeezing. “That’s what happens when you break down in the middle of Colton, Iowa,” she answered. It wasn’t a lie, but for some reason it felt like one.
They continued walking, catching up on wedding stuff, while Phin escorted them to the reception desk to check into their rooms. Tristan and Phin took the task of checking in the car, while Renee rambled on about this weekend’s itinerary.
“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it,” Renee said, playing with the ends of Samantha’s hair.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world—”
Renee interrupted, cracking a grin. “No, I mean the party.”
Samantha narrowed her eyes. “I thought I missed—”
“No.” Renee shook her head. “Phin and I decided to do them together, bachelorette and bachelor all in one.” She got quiet suddenly, then rested her head on Samantha’s shoulder again. “We only get to see you guys for a few days, and splitting up didn’t make any sense.” She turned around to look at her fiancé, causing her face to instantly soften. “I want you to get to know him, Sam. Really know him, and I’m worried we’re going to run out of time.”
Samantha frowned then, and shook her head. “There’s plenty of time…” But she was saying it for her best friend’s benefit, because the moment she thought about the days she had left, a hard knot formed in the bottom of her stomach and made her feel ill.
A buzzing noise began vibrating in Renee’s pocket and she broke away to pull her phone from her pocket. She looked down at the screen then turned toward Samantha. “Betty, my seamstress, she’s waiting for you in my room. I know you’re probably tired, but do you mind if we run over there? I’ll have the guys bring your key when they’re done.” She turned to Phin and Tristan, grabbing hold of each one of their shoulders and lifting up on her toes. “I’m taking Sam. Bring her key to my room when you’re done. Okay? Okay!” Before waiting for an answer, she turned back to Samantha and took hold of her arm again. “I’m a mess. Can you tell?”
They walked arm in arm to the elevator, where Renee told her all about the events leading up to the wedding. About the caterer canceling last minute, about how her future mother-in-law was freaking out. But somehow it all had resolved itself in the end, because some big famous baker was coming into town and agreed to take the job.
They continued on to Renee’s room on the fifth floor, all the way to the end of the long hall. The suite was almost the size of the apartment they’d shared back in LA, although there were twice as many clothes thrown about it.
“Betty!” Renee exclaimed, as she walked into the room.
A woman who looked to be about the age of Samantha’s grandmother turned in her overstuffed seat. She set the pair of pants she was stitching to the arm of the chair and patted her salt-and-pepper bun.
“This,” Renee began, “is my best friend, Samantha.” It was said in a way that said “Finally!” And she pushed Samantha toward the woman like a sacrifice to her maker.
“Ooooh…” the woman said, with a thick Italian accent. “She more beautiful than you say.” She walked toward Samantha and circled her a couple of times before looking up. She then took one of Samantha’s thick blond braids in her palm, and flipped it over. “After we sew, we cut.”
“No, no,” Samantha protested, shaking her head. “No cut.”
Renee only laughed, pushing her forward again. “She means trim, and yes! I bet you haven’t had one in two years.”
Before she could even argue, Betty fetched a garment bag from the back of the door and thrust it into Samantha’s arms. “Put on,” she ordered.
No
t wanting to argue with the tiny woman, she nodded, then turned to Renee with her eyes open wide open and did what she was told.
Just as Samantha feared, the dress was too tight. Much too tight. Getting into the thing was like trying to fit a hamburger patty into a hot dog bun. Bits of flesh were sticking out all over the place, but mostly in the top region. Betty circled her in the middle of the room, while Samantha desperately regretted all those pancakes she’d eaten on their trip.
“Okay!” Betty exclaimed. She took hold of each side panel and yanked them together. “One… Two…”
Samantha sucked in her stomach and blew out a breath.
“Three!”
The panels slammed shut behind her, and Renee, who was standing on a chair above her, tugged at the zipper. She made a few grunting noises as she tugged and stretched, while Betty shoved and stuffed Samantha with jabbing fingers. Then all of a sudden, as if the Gods had come out to show their mercy, the zipper flew up. Samantha pulled in a gasping breath, stumbling forward and steadying herself with a nearby chair, before she glanced up at Renee.
A full-length mirror was right in front of her, and her shoulders relaxed when she saw her reflection. It wasn’t half bad. Which honesty surprised the hell out of her. The fabric was a blush color, not pink or peach, but a color somewhere in between. It flattered her skin tone perfectly. There was a silky skirt that draped to the floor, somehow making her look a little taller, but the only thing she didn’t like was the A-framed bodice that pushed her breasts nearly up to her chin. And even that—aside from being completely public inappropriate, made her look gorgeous.
Betty circled a couple of times around the chair, scratching her chin and tugging at bits of the fabric as she went. “Hmmm…” she mumbled, before sticking a few pins in the hem. She came to stand right in front of Samantha. Her tongue tsked off the roof of her mouth as though deciding what to do. Then, as if not having any impulse control whatsoever, she lifted Samantha’s breasts in her hands and started bouncing them.
The Boy I Hate Page 18