Facing the facts, I know that if I stay here, her and I will never fully be over. There’s always going to be that drunken night where we fall into bed together, or those fleeting looks across crowded parties. The constant battle between Parker and I in her head will never end, and that’s no way to live. She deserves to have her dreams come true. She deserves the perfect marriage with the beautiful children and the white picket fence. She deserves to be happy.
I press call and put the phone to my ear. It only takes a couple rings for him to answer, and I can tell by his tone, he’s thrilled to hear from me.
“Mr. Brooks, I was expecting to have to call you.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Well, what can I say? You’re a very hard man to say no to. So, tell me more about this job in LA.”
27
MCKENNA
I sit on the edge of my bed, rereading the letter for what’s probably the millionth time in the last week. No matter how much it hurts, I can’t seem to stop. How did we go from what’s written on this paper, to where we are now? This isn’t how things are supposed to be. This isn’t how my life was supposed to go.
My bedroom door opens and in one swift movement, I shove the letter back into my nightstand and kick the drawer closed. Thankfully, it’s just Ivy – who rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Yeah, I’m busted.
“Reading that thing again?!”
I shrug. “I just don’t get it.”
She sits on my bed next to me and gives me a sympathetic look. “If you’re so hung up on this, why are you still getting married?”
Ah, the infamous question – why. There are a million things I could tell her, but I can predict her response to every single one. I love Parker; but you love Colton more. I see a future with Parker; if that were true, you wouldn’t be imagining a future with Colton. Parker loves me; so does Colton. The list goes on and on, but one thing remains the same. If Colton really meant what he said, he wouldn’t have pushed me away under the pretenses of it being what’s best for me.
I come to a conclusion and stand up. “You’re right, it’s stupid. I’m over it.”
“Okay, that’s not what I meant.”
“Well, in the words of the infuriating Colton Brooks, it doesn’t matter anymore. Now, where did you say my dress for this dinner is? I need to start getting ready.”
And just like that, I vow to leave this conversation and all thoughts of him where they belong – in the past.
THE WHITE LACE FABRIC clings to my body, making me glad I got so tan over the summer. Its cocktail-like length goes down to just above my knees. It’s probably a little more revealing than Parker’s mother would prefer, judging by the looks she keeps giving me, but I like it. Besides, it’s only the rehearsal dinner. It’s not like my wedding dress is this short.
“Everything alright?” Parker asks with a caring hand on my lower back.
I smile up at him. “Couldn’t be better.”
We haven’t seen each other for most of the day. His mom flew in and insisted they go to lunch together – without me. I’ve only met the woman on a few occasions, mostly when she would come and try to talk Parker into going back to England. However, each time was never very pleasant. It’s not that she doesn’t like me, it’s just that she would rather see her son with a woman of the same wealth, same social status, and preferably British. Any reason for him to stay in America is her undoing. Thoughts of Colton’s mother start to flow through my mind, but I instantly push them out. Leave it in the past.
The restaurant Parker rented out for the event is fancier than I would have preferred but gorgeous all the same. I find my comfort zone by sticking near Ivy, Tatum, Maverick, and Rome. He who shall not be named was invited, but politely declined; much to my fiancé’s satisfaction. Still, it’s probably for the best. Tonight is about Parker and I, and the marriage we’re about to embark on.
Marriage, wow. It’s a word with such strength that I never fully took into account. In two days, I will be standing in front of God and everyone we love, and promise to spend the rest of my life with him. That thought alone makes me both excited and uneasy. I embrace the former and ignore the rest. It’s just your typical cold feet – nothing to be alarmed about.
JUST BEFORE DINNER IS served, I start to feel the pressure under my future mother-in-law’s harsh glare, so I go outside to get some fresh air and a minute away. Maverick is already out there, holding his phone in his hand and looking like someone just told him some of the worst news of his life. His face is pale and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s about to cry.
“Are you okay?” I question hesitantly.
He snorts and shakes his head. “Define okay. Everything as I once knew it is gone. In a couple days, my whole life is going to be different and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.”
“Uh, what are you talking about?”
“This!” He snaps, shoving his phone into my face. “Congratulations, you did it. You pushed my best friend right out of my life.”
My heart drops as I grab the device and read over the text message.
Colton: Hey Mav. I just wanted to give you a heads up that there are boxes in the hallway. I ended up taking that job in LA. It’s a really great opportunity for me and I would be an idiot to pass it up. My flight is on Sunday.
“He’s leaving, McKenna, for good.”
Leaving? He can’t leave. What the hell is he thinking?! His whole life is here. His friends, his family, his business, everyone who loves him – me. We’re all here and he’s just going to walk away from all that?!
I sigh and run my hands over my face, careful not to smudge my makeup. Is this why he told me to marry Parker, because he wanted to take a job in California? The potential truth of that hits me right in the stomach. A job is more important to him than I am. Anger courses through me.
“I hope you realize you did this.” My brother accuses.
I scoff. “I did this?! No, you don’t get to do that. He doesn’t get to do that! Don’t you get it?! I chose him, twice! Hell, three goddamn times if you include before college. I keep choosing him, over and over and over, and for what?! So he can give some excuse as to why we can’t be together and then move away to start a new life without me?! No, fuck that. I won’t accept it. If he wants to be a coward, that’s on him, but I will not take responsibility for it.” I take the envelope from my purse and shove it into Maverick’s chest. “I was going to give him this myself, but I don’t even want to see his face. You can do it.”
Turning around, I storm back inside, feeling worse than I did when I went out there. Colton is leaving. He’s not going to be everywhere I turn anymore. And I’m stuck here – with everything that will always remind me of him. What a sick joke this turned out to be.
I sit down between Parker and Ivy, both of which watch me with concerned eyes. I give Ivy an ‘I’ll explain later’ look and smile at Parker. I can do this. I can push the mentally crippling thoughts aside for a couple more hours. I’m not going to let him ruin another night for me. He’s done enough of that lately.
My brother avoids my gaze as he comes back in and sits down beside Tatum. When he whispers something in her ear, her eyes widen. A silent conversation goes on between them and Roman before Tatum looks at me. Her expression says everything I don’t need to hear – not right now. I shake it off and mouth ‘later’ at her. To my relief, she nods.
“If I could have everyone’s attention, please.” Parker says as he stands up with his glass. “I’d just like to make a toast to my beautiful bride. McKenna, I cannot tell you how lucky I am to be able to call you my wife in just 48 short hours. You are the brightest light on my darkest days and I love you dearly.”
I blush as we all take a sip of champagne, but I don’t miss the heavy stone sitting in my stomach.
THE BAR IS LOUD, but my thoughts are louder. As soon as the rehearsal dinner was over, Ivy and Tatum informed me they were taking me out for my bachelorette party. It was
a welcome surprise, being as the last thing I need right now is to sit in a room with Parker and his parents. My ‘I’m so happy to be marrying your son’ act may not be all that convincing tonight.
Ivy smiles at something behind me, but before I can turn around, two hands cover my eyes.
“Guess who?” A voice says into my ear.
In an instant, my whole mood lightens and I spin around to find Julia standing there. “Oh my god! You’re here! You’re actually here!”
She chuckles. “Of course, I am. Couldn’t miss the wedding of the century, could I?”
When my smile falters, it doesn’t go without being noticed. After all, we spent four years in the same cramped space. I don’t think there is much I could do that she wouldn’t pick up on. My every expression, every nervous habit, every thought process – she knows it like the back of her hand.
“Okay, spill.” She says as she takes up the seat next to me.
“Spill what?”
“Don’t give me that. I can see it all over your face, something’s up.” Julia looks at Ivy and Tatum who are being unusally quiet right now. “Oh my god, did he cheat on you?! Do I have to kick some English ass?!”
I look down at the table. “If you’re going to hit anyone for cheating, it’d have to be me.”
Her jaw drops. “McKenna Rae Taylor, you little minx.” As if the lightbulb finally comes on, she gasps. “Don’t tell me it was with-”
“If you say his name, there’s a good chance she’ll be the one hitting you.” Tatum cuts her off, still rubbing the place where I punched her in the arm after she wouldn’t stop talking about the bomb he dropped on Maverick tonight.
Julia moves back an inch playfully. “Alright, tell me everything.”
And that’s exactly what I do. We spend the next hour going over all of it – how he came onto me while helping me move, the kiss in my childhood bedroom, the almost-sex in a stingy bathroom. Ivy gets a death glare from Tatum when I mention that it was her idea for me to see things through with Colton, but Julia seems to be on her side.
“Eh, if I had known how it would turn out, I probably wouldn’t have given the same advice.” Ivy explains when Jules goes to give her a high five.
“Oh god, what happened?”
That’s when the story takes a turn for the worst. I tell her about Roman’s party and my eventual humiliation when I slept with him again after my bridal shower – only for him to send me back to Parker in the end. By the time I’m done explaining everything, or at least enough for her to understand the whole affair, I’m a mess of emotions; hurt, confused, nostalgic, exhausted.
“You need to talk to him.” Julia announces.
My eyebrows furrow. “Parker?”
“Colton.”
I shake my head. “I can’t do that. For one, I don’t even know what to say to him. And two, Parker would be so pissed. He’d prefer we just forget this summer all together.”
“Yeah, well, in a perfect world, that could happen. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world. You need to get your feelings in order and your thoughts in line before you walk down that aisle. Otherwise, you’ll just end up another statistic in the ‘divorced in under a year’ category.”
Ivy beams from the other side of the table. “I like her.”
Julia chuckles but becomes serious as she places her hand over mine. “I’m serious, Mac. You may not be able to have them both, but if you lose Colton from your life entirely, you’re going to end up resenting Parker for it – and that’s no way to start a marriage.”
I feel like I want to scream, tell her she’s wrong, and lock myself away from the world, but I know she’s not. When Maverick showed me that text and I found out Colton is moving across the country, I wanted to throw up. Then, I wanted to take all my anger out on everyone around me. On Parker, for keeping me from choosing Colton months ago. On my brother, for stopping me from leaving with Colton the day of Rome’s party. On Colton himself, for pushing me away after we finally made a breakthrough. However, I couldn’t do any of that, not because I was at my rehearsal dinner, but because I’m more hurt than angry. It’s four years later, and once again, I’m in pieces over a boy I’ve loved since I was seven.
“Okay.” I all but whisper. “I’ll try talking to him tomorrow.”
Tatum crosses her arms and pouts. “Oh sure, she can say his name and get through to you, but I say it and I get punched.”
The three of us laugh at her while Ivy slides Tatum’s glass of wine into the center of the table. Just as I’m about to go get another drink, my phone starts ringing on the table. Avery Brooks.
“Uh oh.” Tatum says drunkenly. “Someone’s in trouble.”
I roll my eyes and answer it. “Hello?”
“McKenna!” She slurs. “How are you?”
“Avery? Are you drunk?”
“No.” The one word is interrupted by a hiccup. “Okay, maybe a little. I need your help. My friend wants to drive me back to her house, but she’s drunk too. Can you come get me?”
“Yeah, of course. Send me the address. I’ll be right there.”
“Thank you.”
“And Av?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you called me.”
We hang up the phone and I grab my wallet from the table. “We have to go pick up Avery. She’s drunk at a party and needs a ride.”
I look to Ivy who happens to be designated driver for tonight and she nods. The four of us close out our tab and climb into the car. I give Ivy the address. She puts it into her GPS and heads toward the house. In the meantime, I take out my phone text Colton.
McKenna: I may be the last person you want to talk to right now, but you need to meet me at the boat. It’s about your sister. P.S – Plan on sleeping there tonight, and bring an extra pair of sweats.
It takes a few minutes, but just as we’re pulling up to Avery sitting on the curb, a response comes through.
Colton: On my way.
I open the door and she climbs in, sandwiched between me and Julia in the backseat. She looks around at us, confused.
“Did it really take all of you to come get me?” She looks over my outfit and it hits her. “Oh! This was your ‘I’m getting married so let’s be sloppy’ party, wasn’t it?!”
Trying not to laugh at her choice of words, I tell Ivy to head to the docks. She gives me a look but does it anyway as Avery continues.
“I’d say I’m sorry for interrupting, but I’m not.”
I snort. “Wow, Av. Tell me how you really feel.”
She sinks down into the seat. “I would, but I’m drunk and mad at you. He’s leaving, and it’s all your fault.”
“Avery.” Ivy tries but I wave her off.
“It’s fine. She’s allowed to be mad.”
“Yeah! I’m allowed to be mad.”
For only being sixteen, she’s drunk off her ass – probably due to her very low alcohol tolerance. Still, I’ve known this girl since she was a toddler. If she wants to be angry with me, that’s her right. Besides, I probably deserve it.
We pull into the parking lot in front of the docks and find Colton leaning on the hood of his car. As soon as Avery sees him, she turns to glare at me.
“You told him?!”
“I had to.” I explain. “If your parents see you drunk, you’d be grounded for the next year. You’re going to sleep on his boat tonight.”
“His boat?!” Ivy and Tatum both ask in unison.
Avery groans. “You mean the sex boat he got for the two of you? Gross.”
I can feel three pairs of eyes staring at me, but I don’t have time for this tonight. My main concern right now is getting Avery into bed before she vomits. I climb out of the car and help her out behind me.
“Should we wait for you?” Ivy asks.
Looking at Colton, I shake my head. “No. I’ve got some things to take care of here. I can walk home.”
Ivy gives me a warm smile but then raises her eyebrows. “He bought a boat
for you?”
I shut the back door and take a step away from the car. “I’m not getting into this with you now.”
“Mhm.” She teases. “Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
Watching as they drive away, I take a deep breath and then start walking towards Colton and Avery. I can tell by her face that he’s lecturing her about the dangers of drinking so much. As soon as I’m close enough, I stop him.
“You’re wasting your breath. She’s not going to remember any of this tomorrow.” I look down at what’s in his hand. “Are those the clothes I asked for?”
He nods and hands them to me. “I thought they were for you.”
There are so many questions those words bring, but right now is not the time for them. I put one arm around Avery and guide her down the dock, holding her steady so she doesn’t fall into the water. Colton helps me get her onto the boat and I bring her down into the cabin. I’m not sure if she’s starting to fall asleep or about to puke as she sways.
“Here, put these on.” I hand her the sweatpants.
Thankfully, she does what I ask. Once I’m done helping her get changed, I open the door to allow Colton inside. The two of us get her tucked into bed and she falls asleep within seconds. I watch as he lovingly kisses her forehead and whispers that they’re going to have a long talk tomorrow.
With Avery under control, Colton and I leave her to rest. He follows me up the stairs and out of the cabin. As soon as he closes the door behind us, he sighs frustratedly.
Returning to Rockport: A Brother's Best Friend Romance Page 30