Her, Mara, and Vera went to some hair place and all three got their hair done. Because Belle told her mother that she was coming with her friends. Her family. Which was Them and They.
I took a deep breath and shook my head.
“What?” Belle asked.
“You look fucking beautiful,” I said.
“Stop.”
“No, angel. I can’t breathe right now.”
“Really? Vera picked out the color. I don’t know why I listened to her. Sometimes she just talks so much it’s easier to just give in.”
“Well, the psycho got this one right,” I said.
Belle walked toward me, smiling. Her hair was done up with thick curls, bouncing as she walked.
She smelled amazing.
She poked at one of the white buttons on my shirt.
“How do you look so good?” she whispered to me.
“Okay, we need a no flirting rule for a little while here,” I said.
“What?”
“I’m serious, angel. No flirting. Because I’m going to lose my mind looking at you tonight.”
Belle pushed at my chest and walked out of the room.
I followed her down the stairs. Outside Uly and Hil were on the porch, each finishing a cigarette.
Uly was in black pants and a red shirt. The shirt sort of matched Mara’s red dress.
And then there was Hil.
He was in a full fucking tuxedo.
He looked like a total douchebag.
And leave it to Vera to wear something white.
A dress that was damn near close to a wedding dress.
“What do you think?” Hil asked.
“I think you’re going to have everyone looking at you,” I said.
“Belle said she liked it,” Vera said.
I looked at Belle.
“I kind of do,” Belle said. “It’ll probably piss my mother off. Since she was planning on getting married tonight.”
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s fucking party.”
There was an SUV waiting for us, thanks to Vera.
Hil took the lead to climb into the back of the SUV.
I waited with Belle to be last.
I grabbed her hand.
She looked back at me and a sense of honesty poured from her eyes to me.
The same kind of look she gave me at the tattoo shop and on the beach.
“Hey,” I whispered.
Belle shook her head. “We have to go, Ash.”
She pulled away and got into the SUV.
She quickly pointed at Hil’s bowtie and started to laugh.
Something was hurting her.
I needed to know what.
* * *
It was going to be a surprise wedding.
Belle’s mother was going to show up in a dress and Pete in a tux, and they were going to meet in the middle of some fucking garden and just get married.
Someone must have talked sense into Belle’s mother because it was now just an engagement dinner.
A nice engagement dinner at that.
Call me an asshole for judging Belle’s mother, but I wasn’t sure what we were walking into. If it was going to be catered by a fast food place or real food.
It was nice.
And we all fit at our own table.
The niceness gave way to awkwardness and Belle looked around, then looked at me.
“I don’t know anyone here,” she whispered. “This is weird.”
“Really weird,” I said.
The only person I knew was Dr. Jo.
Dressed to kill in a black dress tight enough to cut off circulation, she sat with black sunglasses on her face even though it was dark out. And she drank glasses of wine like they were water.
There was one time when her attention came our way.
Hil lifted his glass to her and Dr. Jo quickly lifted her middle finger to him.
We were all under a big canopy with big clear bulbs that lit everything and everyone up.
There was a table at the front of the other tables.
It was a fucking wedding reception without the wedding.
I started to wonder just how messed up Belle’s mother was.
Then they showed up.
Michelle and Pete.
Walking hand in hand, dressed nice, but definitely not to get married.
I looked at Belle and saw the emotion on her face.
She was feeling it hard.
I wasn’t sure what it meant though. If she was worried about her mother. If she was angry with her mother. Or a little bit of both, all things considered.
She and Chester had split ways not that long ago at all. And now she had a new guy, a diamond on her finger and she was ready to marry him.
“Who the fuck is this guy?” Uly asked.
“Investor,” Belle said. “He’s got money.”
“Hey, you’re rich now, beauty.” Hil said.
“She’s always been rich,” I said.
“I don’t give a fuck about money,” Belle said. “You’re the rich assholes. Not me.”
The mood of the table changed.
Even Mara mouthed Whoa to me.
“Hey everyone,” Pete’s voice said through a microphone.
I raised my eyebrow.
They’re giving speeches here?
His voice was raspy. He had the grin of a car salesman.
But when Belle’s mother looked at him, it was a real look.
I put my hand to Belle’s and leaned in.
“You okay, angel?” I whispered.
“Fine,” she said.
“Thanks for coming out here tonight,” Pete said. “It’s a little crazy to be here. Right? Can we all admit that? This is…”
Pete looked at Michelle.
Michelle grabbed the microphone. “This is fucking crazy!”
She laughed as she yelled it.
Everyone clapped.
“Glad she said it,” Vera said.
“But crazy is good,” Pete said. “And I always told myself that when I found the right person, it would make sense and last forever. It would be instant. There would be no games. No waiting. No wasting time…” He looked at Michelle. “And at our age, I realized just how much time I have wasted. Now I just want to waste it away with you.”
There was a collective aww through the crowd.
“For the record, we are not getting married tonight,” Michelle said. “We were going to, but decided to wait until the actual date. But there’s food. Fun. Music. And we can all just… be here. I just want everyone here together.”
“Is she drunk?” Mara asked.
“I don’t know what she is,” Belle said.
“Maybe she’s happy,” I said.
Belle looked at me. “That’s scary in itself.”
“I like her thinking,” Hil said. “Be happy and drink.”
“Yeah,” Uly said. “And when you find love, just do whatever the fuck you want. Right?”
I kept my eyes on Belle.
She slowly smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“If she’s happy, then fine.”
Someone started to clank a fork to a glass, then everyone joined in.
That meant it was time for Pete and Michelle to kiss.
Again, it was fucking weird.
They kissed and everyone stood up.
Music started to play and the doors to a buffet in the country club we were at opened so everyone could start to get food.
“I’m going to go talk to her,” Belle said.
“Want me to join you?” I asked.
“No,” she said.
“I’m going to get food,” Vera said.
“I’m going to have a cigarette,” Uly said.
“I regret wearing this shit,” Hil said. “I feel like I’m dying.”
The table slowly cleared out and I sat alone.
There was just way too much moving through my head at once at the moment.
But watching Belle helped.
When her mother saw her, she ran to Belle and hugged her.
Pete was right there too.
He shook Belle’s hand and laughed and talked and made it all that much weirder.
I could read Belle’s face as she read their faces.
Trying to figure out what was real and what was nothing but bullshit.
Michelle had nothing to lose and everything to gain by being with Pete. But it didn’t feel like a money grab. Maybe they both found what they wanted. Love at first sight.
Belle pointed at me and Michelle waved.
I gave a quick wave back.
Then Michelle touched Belle’s face.
She was happy. Really happy.
And I knew for as happy as Michelle was, Belle wasn’t.
* * *
“Hil, what the fuck are you doing?” Vera asked.
I should have figured either Uly or Hil would have brought a flask.
Everyone had passed the damn thing around more than once.
I even took a couple sips just to take the edge off.
Hil chugged for every sip someone else took.
The flask wasn’t anywhere near big enough to get everyone drunk.
But Hil was feeling good.
And Vera was annoyed with him, which was nice to see.
“Bro, you’re going to break that statue,” I said to him.
“Just watch,” Hil said.
“I bet I know what he’s going to do,” Belle said to me.
“What?” I asked.
“The fountain thing,” she said. “The angel is pouring water, right?”
“Yeah…”
“He’s going to balance himself on the side part and make it look like-”
“Look!” Hil called out. “I’m taking a piss!”
Sure enough, Belle got it right.
Hil stood at the perfect angle so that the water pouring from the angel’s watering cup looking like Hil was… pissing.
“Well done,” Uly called out. “Now get down.”
“Hey! You can’t be up there!”
A voice echoed from somewhere.
I turned my head and saw a flashlight.
“Good job, asshole,” Vera said. “Now get down.”
“I think I’m stuck,” Hil said.
“Uh, you better hurry,” Mara said. “Someone is running our way.”
“We have to go,” I said.
“I’m not getting arrested at my mother’s engagement party,” Belle said.
“She can get us out of it,” Hil said.
“Just fucking jump,” Vera said.
“Okay,” Hil said.
He turned and jumped.
Mara let out a yell and a gasp.
Somehow Hil hit the ground and didn’t die.
And we all took off from the water fountains.
We weren’t supposed to be there at all.
It was on the opposite side of the country club.
The cliché numbing music you’d hear at every wedding and society party had gotten old fast, so we had all taken a walk to find trouble.
Whoever was chasing us gave up after a minute or so.
We hurried around the entire country club and slowed down once we could hear the music again.
I looked over at Belle and thought about the night we bolted from Raza’s party.
Except she wasn’t wet and I wasn’t going to get alone time with her in the back of my SUV.
“That looked cool, right?” Hil asked.
“No,” Vera said. “You looked like an idiot.”
“But I’m your idiot,” Hil said.
“You’re all idiots,” Belle said.
“What did I do?” Mara asked.
“You fell in love with Uly,” Belle said.
“She’s not wrong,” I said.
The tension finally felt like it was cut for good when we all started to laugh.
And as much as Hil was a pain in the ass most of the time, he always found a way to break the tension. Even if it meant climbing a statue to make it look like he was pissing. It was so dumb and childish, but it worked.
Hil lit a cigarette.
I grabbed Belle’s hand and walked her away from everyone.
“Look at that,” I said to her.
There was a giant, white trellis covered in flowers. With lights all around it.
It had its own little platform too.
I walked Belle to it and stood with her under the lights.
“Hey,” I said to her.
“What?” she asked me.
“What’s going on with you? Are you okay with everything?”
“I don’t know. It’s weird.”
“Weird is also the word that keeps coming to me.”
“And they know it’s weird,” she said. “They just want to stuff it in our face. Why?”
“Angel, maybe she’s happy for real. And this is going to be her thing.”
“You know, it’s not even about that… it’s…”
“We are gathered here today, my friends,” Hil’s voice boomed next to us.
I turned my head and saw Hil, Vera, Uly, and Mara standing there.
Hil stepped forward. “I’m going to marry these two wonderful motherfuckers right now. Does anyone object to that?”
“You’re drunk, bro,” I said. “Go sit down.”
“Can I be the flower girl?” Vera asked.
“You can be the slutty bridesmaid,” Hil said.
“Meaning I get to fool around with anyone I want?” Vera asked.
“Calm yourself,” Hil said. “I’m a man of marriage… now let me finish this…”
“A man of marriage?” Belle asked. “Oh, this should be good.”
“Just listen to me,” Hil said.
“Wait, does this make me the best man?” Uly asked.
“You’re the okay man,” I said.
“Nice,” Uly said.
Hil looked around. “So before I begin this, does anyone think these two crazy fuckers should not get married?”
“I can think of a few reasons,” Uly said.
“Like what?” I asked, looking back at him.
“I’m just fucking with you, man,” Uly said.
“That guy with the flashlight will be coming soon,” Mara said.
“So let’s get out of here,” Belle said.
“You don’t want to marry me, angel?” I asked.
Belle rolled her eyes. “Sure. No ring. No plan. Whatever you say, Ash.”
“We are gathered here,” Hil shouted. “Gathered for love. Good love. Wild love. The kind of love we sort of had… right, Belle?”
Vera punched Hil on the shoulder.
“Sorry,” Hil said. He cleared his throat. “These two love each other. They believe in each other. They believe in forever. He’s rich. She’s pretty. It works for both. But…” Hil showed his hands. “I believe in it. When they talk, kiss, and even when they argue, I can see it. I always saw it in Belle’s eyes. She wanted so hard to love me but I knew better. That’s why I had to let her go. I gave her to Ash.”
I stepped away from Belle.
Hil stepped back. “You can’t hit me, bro. You’ll go to hell.”
“I think hitting you is a ticket to heaven,” Belle said.
“Actually, a night with me is a ticket to heaven,” Hil said.
“Are we done here?” Uly asked.
“Almost,” Hil said. “Now take each other’s hands.”
I held Belle’s hands.
“These two are the picture of romance,” Hil said. “They can withstand anything together. Seeing them together makes me…”
“Don’t say anything gross,” Vera said.
“It makes everyone happy,” Mar
a said. “Just say the word happy.”
“Happy,” Hil said. “Right. Now… Ash. My brother. My stepbrother. Are you sure you want this? To be with Belle for the rest of your life? To deal with her attitude? What about when she gets sick and she’s throwing up into a trashcan? You good with that?”
“I’m fucking good with it,” I said.
“What about if she-”
“I’m good with anything,” I cut in. “I love her.”
“Fair enough,” Hil said. He looked at Belle. “Now, Belle. What about Ash? You sure about this guy? He’s kind of a dick.”
“I know,” Belle said. “I don’t mind.”
“What about when he gets sick? And he’s all weak looking. And whining like a baby over a head cold?”
“I’ll just leave,” Belle said. “He can whine to himself.”
“Nice,” Hil said. “You always have a room with me. With us, actually. Me, you, and Vera.”
Hil looked back at Vera and winked.
She wasn’t smiling at all.
Hil cleared his throat again. “Now, they love each other. They believe in forever. They want each other. They believe in the power…”
Hil put his head back and screamed the word power like a fool.
“Uh, flashlight guy is back,” Mara said.
We all looked.
There was a flashlight off in the distance.
“Ah, shit,” Hil said. “Okay. You two. You love each other. That’s great. You want to get married? That’s great too. So… you know… according to my powers, you two are together forever. Now tongue fuck so we can run.”
Everyone clapped as I kissed Belle.
“We should get out of here,” Uly said.
I stopped kissing Belle and we ran away again.
Back to her mother’s engagement party.
Just in time for a slow song to start playing.
Uly and Mara danced.
Hil and Vera attempted to dance… they basically just made out like nobody was watching.
I held Belle close and shook my head.
“Not a bad night after all,” I said to her.
She looked up at me. “No. I’m happy I have you all. Even Hil.”
“Don’t say that too loud,” I said. “Then again, he’s sort of your brother-in-law now, right?”
“Ugh. Don’t say that. If we ever really do get married someday, I don’t know if I can stomach him being related to me.”
“Only through marriage… twice… so it’s like nothing.”
“Okay, good,” Belle said.
I kissed her forehead and held her against me again.
ASH: a bay falls high novel Page 13