by Ashley Jade
“Just calling it like I see it.” He lights the clipped blunt Oakley left in the ashtray and plops down in the seat across from me. “Fucking moron.”
“Trust me, I know how amazing Sawyer is. That’s not the problem.”
“Then what is the problem?”
“I just…you wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
“Mom didn’t love me.”
He huffs. “Jesus Christ, here we fucking go.”
“You know what? Fuck you. I’m not gonna explain shit to you when you keep dismissing it.”
His expression changes to one of sincerity. “Fine. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” He jabs his finger in the table. “But for the record, Mom loved all her kids, so don’t come at me with that bullshit.”
“That may be true, but it was different with me.”
He starts to open his mouth, but I cut him off. “You know I’m right. I was her least favorite. Hell, Jace. You raised me more than she did.”
He blows out a cloud of smoke. “No arguments here. But, man. You fought her tooth and fucking nail on everything. Even when she did something nice for you, you still raked her over the coals…like she was never good enough.”
He’s not wrong.
“Because I knew she loved Liam more.”
Whenever she was kind to me it felt disingenuous…fake. I couldn’t stand it.
“She didn’t love Liam more.” He breaks eye contact. “Liam just made it easier to love him.”
The truth doesn’t just hurt…it fucking obliterates.
“I get that,” I tell him. “But I loved her.”
Even if she didn’t feel the same way…I still loved her.
“I know you did, Cole. What I can’t wrap my head around is why you’re fucking shit up with Sawyer.”
“Because she loves me.”
He raises an eyebrow. “That really clears everything up.”
“I can’t love her back.”
I don’t know how.
He makes a face. “Why?”
I tell him the truth. “Because I have no idea how to love anyone...not even myself.”
I spent so much time hating myself after Mom and Liam died, it’s like a switch that can’t be turned back on.
“But Sawyer…despite all the shit I put her through…the shit I’ve done. She still loves me.” Exhaling sharply, I look at him. “She loves me so much I forget what hating myself feels like whenever she’s around.”
I feel so fucking much for this girl she fills all the hollowed-out spaces. Makes me whole again.
Jace assesses me for the better part of a minute before he speaks. “Like I said…you’re an idiot.”
It’s all I can do not to deck him. “Seriously? You just said it yourself, I’m hard to love.” I punch my chest. “It’s only a matter of time before I fuck it up and hurt her so bad she never comes back.”
Just like I did with Mom and Liam.
“I said you were hard to love, motherfucker. I didn’t say you were impossible to love.” He clips the remaining blunt in the ashtray. “Fix this shit with her before it’s too late.” His expression turns solemn as he stands up. “I know you don’t believe in God…or anything. But I can’t help thinking that maybe, just fucking maybe…Mom and Liam sent her to you for a reason.” He slaps my back. “This is your wakeup call, brother. Don’t fucking blow it.”
My chest coils. He’s right.
I don’t want to add Sawyer to my list of mistakes.
“Shit.”
He blinks. “What?”
“I can’t let her go to that wedding alone.”
It’s important to her, ergo it’s important to me.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “You think?”
I’m about to walk outside, but Oakley treks through the front door.
Alone.
“Where’s Sawyer?”
He hikes a thumb behind him. “On her way to the airport. Evidently, there's some kind of wedding emergency and the bride is freaking, so they're taking the next flight out.”
Jace rolls his eyes as he pulls out his phone.
“Fucking moron,” he mutters as he brings it to his ear. “Hello, I was wondering when the next flight from California to North Carolina is.” He looks at his watch. “Okay, if everything is booked up for tonight, when is the next one?” He gives me a thumbs up. “Great, I’d like to book the eight a.m. flight for my brother.”
Perfect. Now I’ll have plenty of time to apologize to Sawyer and help set up.
Hell, putting in an effort might even make her father hate me less.
“What?” Jace exclaims. “There’s a chance it might be canceled? Why?” His eyes widen. “Well, fuck.” He cups the receiver. “Evidently the Carolinas are expecting a hurricane tomorrow.”
Oakley looks at me. “That must be the emergency.”
Chapter 76
Cole
“According to my research, there’s only been one recorded hurricane in March,” Oakley says from the backseat of Jace’s car. “Back in 1908.”
“Thirty-two more fucking hours,” Jace mutters, his hand clenching the steering wheel.
We’ve already been in the car for six.
Apparently it takes almost two days to drive from California to North Carolina.
However, I didn’t want to take a chance on not getting a flight out at all, so Jace and Oakley offered to split the drive with me.
And by offered—I mean they bitched that I’d run myself off the road driving straight through without any sleep, so they begrudgingly came with.
By the time I make it to Knightdale, the reception will almost be over.
But I’ll be there, and that’s all that matters.
“You’re supposed to be sleeping, Oak,” Jace reminds him. “Not reading hurricane facts on your phone.”
Oakley brings his blunt to his lips and inhales. “I told you I wanted the first shift since I’m a night owl, but no, you—”
“Thirty-two more hours,” Jace repeats, glaring at me. “You fucking owe me.”
“I need to take a piss,” Oakley says. “Pull over.”
Fuck that. He should have peed at the last stop. I can’t afford to lose any more time.
We only have five more hours until we’re there.
I slam my foot on the gas. “No. We stopped three hours ago.”
“Three hours is a long ass time, man,” he whines. “Come on, dude. Have a heart.”
I do have a heart…and right now, it’s in North Carolina.
Last time I spoke to Sawyer, she said her flight landed safely, but her sister’s outdoor wedding needed to be moved inside and she was having a bridezilla meltdown about it.
Shortly after that, she rushed off the phone.
I was going to tell her I was on my way there, but I didn’t want to, A—freak her out about me driving through a hurricane.
And B—ruin the element of surprise.
It’s worked well for me in the past—namely the time I pulled Izzy’s head off and asked her to be my girlfriend—and I don’t want to ruin my track record.
I might be the shittiest boyfriend in the world, but if there’s one thing I know how to do well in our relationship…it’s woo her.
And from this day forward, I will always woo her when she least expects it.
A groggy Jace passes Oakley an empty water bottle. “Piss in here.”
“If you think any part of my dick will fit in there, you are sorely mistaken, my friend.”
Jace looks at me. “Pull over so he can pee.”
“It’s called aim, motherfucker,” I grit through my teeth.
“Fine, but if I get piss all over Jace’s leather—”
“Pull over, Cole,” Jace growls. “Now.”
Grinding my molars, I veer to the right and slam on the brakes. “If you’re not done in one minute, I’m leaving your ass on the side of the road.”
Oakley looks around. “Where are we? You know…just in
case?”
Jace’s lips twitch. “Knoxville, Tennessee.”
“Nuh-uh,” Oakley argues. “Leave my ass somewhere else.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jace gripes. “Get out of the damn car before Cole has an aneurysm.”
“Fine.” Oakley looks at me. “But don’t you leave me here, Covington. I know where you live.”
Closing my eyes, I force myself to remain calm and not throttle my best friend.
I’m coming, Bible thumper.
Eventually.
“Tropical storm,” Oakley declares from the back seat. “Like I tried to tell you mofos, hurricanes in March don’t happen. With the exception of 1908, of course. You should have just taken the flight.”
Jace and I exchange an irritated glance.
We’ll be arriving in Knightdale in forty minutes. Now is not the time for shoulda-coulda-woulda.
“Now a tornado, on the other hand,” Oak continues. “That could happen. In fact, there was a deadly outbreak of them back in nineteen eighty—”
“Should we duct tape his mouth shut?” Jace grunts.
“I vote we put him in the trunk.”
Oakley sits up in his seat. “My incisors are sharper than a vampire’s. Not only will I scream stranger danger, I will gnaw your arms off.”
Jace turns around in his seat. “His incisors look normal to me. I say we do it, then bury him in the desert on the way back.”
Oakley smiles arrogantly. “Go ahead. But have fun explaining my disappearance to Dylan.”
Jace contemplates this before he turns back around. “Can’t hurt him. Dylan will go postal.” He checks his watch. “How much longer before we arrive at the venue?”
I swallow hard. I have no fucking idea.
“What venue?”
“The venue where the reception is?”
“Yeah, about that…”
I remember Sawyer talking about the wedding once, but she was wearing a low-cut sweater and my focus was elsewhere.
Jace’s nostrils flare. “You don’t know where the reception is?”
“No.” Fetching my phone from my pocket, I toss it to Oakley. “Here, Wikipedia. Make yourself useful and start calling around.”
“Well, well, well,” Oakley sings. “Look who needs my help now.”
“Fucking hell,” I roar. “Will you stop that?”
It’s a lot harder to shave in a car than I thought.
Especially when Jace keeps hydroplaning all over the goddamn road.
“I can’t stop mother nature, jackass.”
Oakley sighs. “Should have just taken the flig—”
“Would you shut up!” we both scream at the same time.
We are three minutes away from being at the hotel and I am done with Oakley’s I told you so’s.
Everything will be perfect.
I’m gonna storm in there and woo the ever-loving hell out of her.
She’ll be so taken aback by my woo, tears will spring to her eyes and she’ll offer to blow me in the bathroom.
But because I’m a gentleman…I won’t let her.
I’ll tell her she can do it after the reception.
“Where’s my tie?” I growl.
“You didn’t bring one,” Oakley answers. “But don’t worry, I did.”
“Why the hell did you bring a tie?” Jace questions.
“Hot bridesmaid sex.”
Jace looks like he’s trying his hardest not to laugh. “Hot bridesmaid sex with who?”
He shrugs. “Whoever wants the D. I’m not picky.”
That’s when I realize. “You are not crashing the wedding, motherfucker.”
Hell, I don’t even think I’m invited at this point.
“The fuck I’m not.” He looks around the car. “I’ve been trapped in this prison for over thirty hours. I’m getting me some hot southern bridesmaid pussy.”
“Just let him do what he does,” Jace says. “The important thing is that you are going to make it in time to be there for the end of the reception.”
He’s right.
I snatch the tie. “Fine. But don’t do anything to embarrass Sawyer or me. Get your pussy and get out.”
“Deal.”
A moment later, Jace pulls up in front of the hotel. “You go in and get your girl. I’m gonna get us a room for the night, call Dylan, and crash.” He looks at Oakley. “On second thought, make that two rooms.”
My heart hammers in my chest as I make my way inside…with Oakley in tow.
I have no idea what to say when I see her.
Which seems pretty damn important in order to woo. Whatever. I’m sure it will come to me.
“Sawyer said you couldn’t make it,” a deep voice calls out before I walk into the hall.
Fuck.
I stop short. “Hey, Mr. Church.”
“Oh, shit,” Oakley whispers. “I’ll distract him. You make a run for it before he shoots you.”
“He is not going to shoot me,” I snap.
Mr. Church’s eyes narrow into tiny slits. “I might.”
“Well, in that case, can I go inside and apologize to your daughter for being an asshole first?” I look at my watch. “I spent the last thirty-seven and a half hours in a car so I could be here.”
His eyebrows shoot up to the ceiling. “Why?”
“Because there was a hurricane warning and I thought they were going to ground the flights. I knew being here was important to her, and I didn’t want to miss it.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “It’s March. There might be a little storm every now and then like today, but no hurricanes.”
“Told you,” Oakley hisses.
He gestures to the hall. “Sawyer’s at table two.”
I hold out my hand. “Thank you.”
Shaking it, he looks at Oakley. “Who’s your friend?”
“Oakley. He’s—”
“Here for the bridesmaids.”
I was going to say mine and Sawyer’s mutual friend, but that’s out the window now.
Mr. Church chuckles. “Well, today’s your lucky day, boy. My daughter Catherine’s in a sorority.”
“Sweet. Is she hot?”
“She’s the bride,” I grit through my teeth.
Mr. Church laughs. “I like you. If you touch my daughters, I’ll kill you…but I like you.” He clears his throat. “What I meant was that a few of the bridesmaids are sorority girls. However, they’re a little older than you are, so you better play your cards right.”
That’s like catnip to Oakley.
Oakley fist pumps the air. “Thank you, Jesus.”
I leave Oakley and Mr. Church to talk about sorority girls and head into the hall.
Sawyer’s not sitting at her table and the purple hue of the room combined with the neon flashing lights on the dance floor makes it hard to find her. However, I do spot Sawyer’s grandfather.
I promptly walk over and shake his hand. “Hey, do you know where Sawyer is? I’ve been looking all over for her.”
He points across the room. “Sure do. She’s over there.”
The second I see her; my heart stops cold. For two reasons.
One—she’s so gorgeous it takes my breath away.
And two—she’s laughing and talking to some guy.
A little too closely for my liking.
“Who is he?”
“Abbott Carney. They’ve known each other since they were in diapers. He helps out at the local church a lot. Real nice kid.”
Chapter 77
Sawyer
“So I said, you should come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world.” Abbott Carney laughs like it’s the funniest thing he’s ever heard in his life. “Get it? Because hea—”
“Heaven, yes.” I force another laugh. “That is a good one.”
I really hope God is feeling extra merciful right now and takes pity on me, because I don’t know how much more I
can take of this.
“I’m gonna go to the bar and get a drink.”
Winking, he points his finger at me like a gun. “Hope it’s a virgin.”
Good Lord, how I wish that fake gun was the real thing right now.
For years I had the biggest crush on this idiot and I honestly have no idea why.
I blame it on Knightdale being a small town. Not enough variety.
I pull my phone out of my clutch, debating if I should call Cole.
No. Don’t be desperate.
He knew how important being here was to me and he still chose not to come.
“Be right ba—”
Words jam in my throat, and for a minute I think I must be seeing things because Cole Covington is standing in front of me.
Looking more gorgeous than any guy has any right to.
I want to pinch myself to make sure it’s real. “You’re here.”
He sucks in a breath. “I’m here.”
“I thought you weren’t—”
“Who’s your friend, sugar?” Abbott drawls, slinging an arm around my waist.
Abbott’s been calling me sugar ever since I can remember, but I don’t have a chance to explain that to Cole—or remove Abbott’s arm—because Cole’s fist goes flying into his nose.
“I’m her motherfucking boyfriend, sugar.”
Chapter 78
Cole
I probably shouldn’t have punched him.
But he shouldn’t have put his arm around my girlfriend’s waist and called her sugar.
He fucked up my woo.
A few people gasp and rush over to us.
“Someone get some napkins and ice,” Sawyer yells, dropping to the floor beside Abbott.
She looks up at me. “Are you crazy?”
Yeah, crazy about her, but I don’t have a chance to say that because Abbott’s gushing blood so fast it’s dripping down his white suit shirt.
More people crowd around us.
“Oh, my goodness. Is he okay?” some woman calls out.
“Should we take Abbott to the hospital?” another woman yells.