Текст книги "Storms Over Secrets"
Автор книги: J. A. DeRouen
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Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 20 страниц)
“Where I Stood” by Missy Higgins
Present Day
I PULL INTO the driveway, and my heart stutters at the sight of Cain’s truck parked in Adam’s driveway. It’s been too long since I’ve seen him. I crave him, even if it’s just for a moment, even if I know the aftermath will be crippling. A small reprieve from the constant ache is worth the hurt I’ll endure later.
I walk to my mailbox at a snail’s pace, hoping he’ll step out of the house. I flip through the mail and mentally fist pump when I see Adam’s electricity bill in my mail pile. Now I have a reason to walk next door—it’s fate, really.
There’s pep in my step as I cross the yard, and I hum to myself with a silly smile plastered on my face. I tap three times on the screen door before peeking my head in.
“Adam? Sara?”
Sara flies through the kitchen door, her eyes wide and her mouth shaped in an “O.” I giggle at her surprised look and bound through the screen door.
“Hey girl, I come bearing mail,” I sing-song, waving the envelope in front of me and walking farther into the kitchen.
“Oh, thank you.” She grabs the envelope from me and walks toward the door. “I’ll be sure to give it to Adam.”
She stands in front of the door and opens it, and if I didn’t know better, I swear she’s trying to get rid of me. I eye her suspiciously and wait for another explanation, but she remains silent.
“Sara, can I grab another beer for—oh, hello.”
Sara visibly tenses as I turn around and check out the new voice in the room. Her appearance matches the screechy quality of her voice. She’s pretty enough, but all of her features are a bit … larger than life. Hair blacker than nature intended, lips much too big for the face they inhabit, and boobs pointy enough to give Madonna a run for her money. I snap out of my rude and judgmental daze and offer her my hand in greeting. If she’s a friend of Sara’s, I’m sure she’s a sweetheart, and I instantly feel guilty for my silent insults.
“Hi, I’m so sorry to interrupt. I’m just being neighborly and dropping off some mail that was delivered to my house in error. I’m Celia, by the way.” She takes my hand and gives it a limp shake before wiping it on her stretched-to-the-limit skinny jeans.
“Kimberly,” she offers with a curt smile. Her attention reverts back to Sara, making me feel a like a child who’s been dismissed. “I wanted to grab another beer for the boys.”
For the boys?
“No time for beer, babe, the movie starts in twenty.” His voice booms from the living room. While Kimberly’s face lights up with a smile, the breath is robbed from my lungs.
Cain rounds the corner into the kitchen and wraps his hand around the back of Kimberly’s neck. “You know my favorite part of the movie is the pre—”
Cain looks as horrified as I feel, but it does little to comfort me. My fingernails dig into the palm of my hand as try to erase the image in front of me. I want to wipe it away, along with the gaping hole in my gut.
Kimberly looks back and forth between Cain and me, visibly adding up the situation, and looking less than pleased with what she finds. She wraps a territorial arm around Cain’s waist and smirks.
“I’m just gonna …” I mumble softly as I stumble to the door.
The house is eerily quiet as my footsteps echo through the room. The screeching of the screen door pierces the silence, making my ears nearly bleed. I grip the porch railing as I lower my heavy feet one by one down the steps. When Sara calls my name from the doorway, I turn and face her. I notice the pity in her eyes, and it doesn’t come close to matching the intense pain in my heart.
“I’ll stop by later, okay?” She gives me a sad smile and shrugs.
“No, it’s getting late, and I’ll be heading to bed soon,” I say, ignoring the setting sun warming my face, saying it’s way too early for bed. I call out a hasty goodbye as I run to my door and fumble with the lock.
Hurry up. Hurry up. Hurry up.
The key thankfully turns just as the first tear falls. I push through the door and slam it shut. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to keep the tears in and push out the image of Kimberly and Cain. My back slides down the door, and I lay my heavy head on my bent knees. The silent tears slide down my cheeks without much fanfare, as if my body refuses to give in to the act of crying. The tears may come, but I refuse to take part in them.
Car doors and laughter filter through the door, and I punish myself by picturing their cozy double date. Tubs of popcorn, shared sodas, a terrifying horror flick that will have Kimberly jumping into Cain’s lap. I smirk at the thought of her splitting her painted-on jeans or her pointy boob poking out Cain’s eye.
Eddie pads into the kitchen and winds her way through my legs, purring softly. I lower my knees and help her into my lap. She kneads her paws in my belly as the sound of vehicles fades into the distance.
“We’ll get through this, Eddie. I promise, we will,” I whisper, hoping I can convince myself in the process. “He deserves to be happy, even if it’s not with me.”
“Between the Lines” by Sara Bareilles
Present Day
INFECTIOUS GIGGLES FILL the kitchen as I wrangle Lily and Gage and fill the silver platter with mini quiches. A flustered Adam takes in the hectic scene with frantic eyes. Lily tugs the furry tail peeking out of Gage’s dress pants, and he pulls the ribbon of her dress, trying to unravel her perfectly tied pink bow. Dressed impeccably for the special night, they remind me of mischievous angels.
“You got this, Celia? Everything has to be perfect.” His nerves are radiating off him, turning the cheerful tone of the room.
I pull a peony out of the crystal vase on the edge of the counter and slap him on the head without ever looking up from my task.
“What the hell?”
“I’m trying to knock some sense into you, you big dummy. Sara loves you and these two little hellions,” I say, pointing at Lily and Gage stealing chocolates off the dessert platter. Adam swipes at them, causing another round of giggles. He grabs a wet washcloth off the counter and bends down to wipe sticky fingers before they stain their new clothes. I smile at the sweet chaos of it all. “Let go of perfect and just be you. She’ll love it.”
Adam stands up and kisses the top of my head. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be us if at least part of dinner didn’t end up on the floor,” he says with a laugh.
Adam enlisted my help last month, determined to give Sara the perfect proposal. I’ve searched high and low for the best food and flowers. He brought Marlo and me ring shopping. Even Marlo’s jaded view of love couldn’t ruin the magic of it all. We may have even made a tiny chip in her armor of steel.
If Adam waits one more day to pop the question, Sara may spontaneously combust. Her patience ran out long ago, and, at this point, I think she’d be happy if he just tossed the ring box in her lap. She’s more interested in starting happily ever after than the production it takes to get there.
A quick knock on the front door makes Adam’s eyes go wide. Sara’s voice fills the house as we all freeze in excitement … anticipation…
“Adam, where are you? What’s with the mysterious note?”
Adam’s lips turn up into a giant smile, and he high-fives Lily and Gage as they jump up and down excitedly.
“Showtime!” he whispers, his voice laced with forever.
I place the decadent cupcake on the crystal plate and dust everything with edible glitter. Marlo thought of everything when given the task of making the perfect dessert for tonight. Lavender cupcakes with candied petals strategically placed on top a mound of honey frosting. I hand the first plate to Lily, and she nods solemnly as she walks slowly into the dining room, the cupcake teetering dangerously. I turn around to hand Gage the other cupcake just as he pops a candied petal into his mouth.
“It’s good,” he mumbles, as he chews his stolen treat, not one ounce of guilt showing on his face.
I giggle as I rustle his perfectly coifed hair. He pulls back, scowling as he molds his faux-hawk back into place. Like father, like son.
“No stealing, little man. Marlo made Sm’oreo cupcakes for you and Lily. You can have them a little later tonight with that plate of chocolates.”
“Yes!” he says with a tiny dude fist pump.
I hand Gage the dessert plate, and he follows after Lily to the dining room. I peek through the door just in time to see Lily placing her tiara on Sara’s bent head. For those of us who know Lily, there is no greater seal of approval. Lily sharing her princess status is huge.
Tiny feet hustle back to the kitchen and grab onto my legs, peeking around into the dining room.
“This is it, right, Aunt Cece?” Lily’s eyes dance with excitement, and Gage squeezes my leg tighter.
“Yes, my sweet girl, this is it. Now shh,” I whisper with a finger to my lips.
The house is filled with electrified silence—the only sound the clanging of metal and crystal. I chance a look, and my heart fills to the brim at the adoration radiating from Adam as he watches Sara. He’s truly found his match.
He inches his chair closer to hers and reaches out. His thumb runs over her ribcage as he whispers, “I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart.”
She leans into him. “I fear no fate for you are my fate, my sweet,” she murmurs against his lips.
I smile at their exchange, knowing E.E. Cummings’s words are tattooed on each of their ribcages. We all swooned as Sara told us the story at one of our girls’ lunches.
His mouth covers hers, and their bodies relax together on a heated sigh. I cover Lily and Gage’s mouths to muffle their snickering.
Adam rests his head on Sara’s, a small smile playing on his lips. “You know, Cummings wrote verses in between those two lines.”
“He did, didn’t he? I forget what they are…”
“’I am never without it. Anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling.’ I’ve rolled those verses over in my head a million times this week. They’re inked on my skin and etched on my heart … because of you.”
“I love you so much.” Her words release on a ragged breath, emotion radiating from her every pore.
Adam’s thumb brushes across her cheek as he lightly kisses her and pulls away. “I’ve had my fair share of dark and hard in my life, but loving you and the kids is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. And I want to do it every day, for the rest of my life.”
Adam drops from his chair and onto one knee as Sara gasps into her hand. Tears well up in my eyes, and the room hums with anticipation. I put a hand on each of the children, physically holding them back from crashing the proposal.
“Let me love you forever, Sara. Say you’ll be my wife.”
He opens his hand to reveal the tiny box, but never has the chance to open it. Sara throws her hands around his neck and lunges forward, tackling him to the ground.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes…” she repeats as she peppers his face with tiny kisses and laughter.
Squeals erupt from Lily and Gage, and it’s getting harder to hold them back. “Careful lovelies,” I whisper as I open the floodgates.
They bound into the dining room, and in a flash of fur and ribbons, jump right on top of the pile.
“I want to wear a white dress, too, Ra Ra,” Lily exclaims in a fit of laughter as Adam tickles her belly.
Lily’s tiara rolls onto the carpet as Sara wraps her arms around the pile of haphazard limbs. “Of course, my sweet.”
I head into the kitchen and wrap the few leftovers in aluminum foil before sneaking out the kitchen door. This is a time for family, and I would never dream of intruding.
I traipse across the dark lawn, careful not to trip on tree knots and children’s toys. I smile to myself as I go over the events of the night in my head. These last few months have been rather solitary for me, so tonight was quite the treat.
Tonight also served as a precursor to this weekend’s activities—a chance to get my feet wet before the big shindig. After spending nearly all of my time with my head down and my thoughts buried in my work, I have to face the music that no longer plays for me. I, along with Cain and Kimberly, will be attending Alex and West’s wedding.
I avoid get-togethers, leave early with concocted excuses, and all together ignore phone calls to avoid watching it happen. I always knew Cain would move on with his life and leave me behind. That doesn’t mean I want a front row seat to the show.
I’m accustomed to living my life looking backward. Memories are what fuel me because my current life threatens to pull me under every day. So I remember Lucas before the illness. I think of Grams and her whimsical nuggets about life and love. I dream of Cain before he gave up on me—before he loved someone else.
Memories keep me breathing and sane, but sometimes the longing it creates is too much. Tonight, I’m overflowing. Tonight, the silence settling in my soul crushes me.
That’s why I dial a familiar phone number and pray for the sound of his voice, even if it’s all I can have.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
The phone connects, and my ear is filled with infectious laughter, but it’s not Cain’s voice I hear.
“Cain’s phone, how can I help you—stop it, Cain, that tickles!”
“Give me the phone, babe, and I’ll stop,” Cain says in the background with a chuckle. The warmth in his voice sends ice through my veins.
A squeal pierces my ear, and I pull the phone away, hitting the END button in a panic. God, I feel like such an idiot. What in the hell was I thinking?
The ringing of my phone startles me, and dread sinks in my bones.
With clenched teeth and a nauseous stomach, I answer the call. No reason to prolong the inevitable embarrassment.
“H-hello?”
“Hey, did you just call my phone? Is something wrong at the house?”
I shut my eyes and hold back the words I want to tell him. “Um, yeah, that was me. I just called to see how you were doing.”
I miss you every single day.
“To see how I was doing…” His voice trails off, and his tone gives nothing away.
“Yep, that’s it,” I say, trying my hardest to sound lighthearted and relaxed.
Sometimes, if I close my eyes, I can still feel your lips on mine.
He sighs into the phone, and I hear the television in the background trailing off, as if he’s leaving the room.
“Celia…” He sighs again. “You can’t just call me out of the blue anymore. It’s just … it’s not okay.”
I cover my mouth and nose to muffle the sound of my sobs. I wish for the weight of the memories, if this is the alternative. My heart splinters, slices into unsalvageable pieces.
“I know … I’m sorry,” I whisper, afraid he will hear my sorrow if I raise my voice any louder.
You were my heart, my soul, my laugh. I tried to be your sweet … your sparkle.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he says in a gentle voice, telling me I’m doing a terrible job of hiding my hurt. “Look … take care, all right?”
“Yeah, you too.”
Please save me from this empty life.
“Good night.”
He hangs up before I have a chance to reply.
Sarge whistles a tune while we rock in silence, and the beautiful sound softens my mood and feeds my soul. The faint creaking of the rocking chairs, along with his whistling, fills the evening air. His eyes are closed, and he looks as serene as I feel.
“I suggest you start sipping that mint julep, little lady. We take teatime serious in these parts,” he mutters with a cracked eye.
He goes back to rocking and sings an old Frank Sinatra tune. The only thing more captivating than Sarge’s whistling is his singing. His deep baritone flows like a perfectly aged merlot, deep and rich.
“You’d give old blue eyes a run for his money, Sarge. Did you ever think of singing professionally?” I ask as I sip my syrupy drink.
His booming laughter surprises me, and I turn to face him, curling my legs up into the chair.
“Girly, this voice was made for wooing the ladies and church on Sunday. Nothing else.”
I giggle. “Now, why do I think you wooed more ladies than sang hymns?”
He winks at me and nods his head. “Because you know a charmer when you see one. Had to beat ‘em off with a stick, I did. But I only had eyes for my sweet Rose. After fifty years, she still moves me. Some things are just written in the stars.”
“You’re lucky to have found a love like that … to live it all these years.”
“Girly, luck has nothing to do with it. We choose each other, every day. Finding love is the easy part. Living it, working your tail off to keep it? There’s no luck in that. It’s hard work.”
“But worth it, right?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“Every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears.” He chuckles and closes his eyes. “Whenever times were tough, when Rose and I didn’t see eye to eye, I always went back to the beginning. There’s an oak tree out on Highway 88. It’s where we first kissed, where I proposed, where we—well, you get the picture…”
I giggle at his comment and the boyish grin playing on his lips.
“Anytime I have doubts, I sit under that tree and remember the good times. And then I always come to the realization that even the bad times are good times, as long as my Rose is by my side.”
I wrap my arms around my legs and rest my head on top of my knees. “I wish I had a place like that—a place to center me and clear the fog.”
I have no family home to speak of, and I don’t feel Grams at the cemetery. My St. Jude necklace dangles on my neck, and I know it’s the only thing that makes her feel close. Sometimes I hold the pendant tightly in my fist, and whisper all my worries and wants, just like I used to with Grams. But an actual place? I can’t think of one.
“You just haven’t found it yet, but it’s out there.”
“Yeah,” I whisper wistfully, just as the screen door creaks.
“Celia, darling, you dress is hemmed and ready to go. I hung it on the back of the door,” Granny says as she crosses her arms and leans on the doorframe. “Is the old geezer minding his manners, or do I need to withhold his apple pie?”
“Stop your crazy talk, woman. There’s no old geezer out here.” Sarge nudges me and smiles.
I play along and clear my throat. “Nope, I only see a dashing gentleman on this porch.”
Granny walks to Sarge and steals a kiss from her all-too-eager husband. “He is dashing, isn’t he?”
I gather my purse and quickly duck inside to get my dress. Granny helped me out of a pinch, and the dress looks to be the perfect length.
“Thank you so much for your help, Granny. And, as always, thank both of you for the company.”
I give each of them a tight hug. These visits mean the world to me, and I don’t know what I would do if Cain ever asked me to stop seeing his family. It may very well be my breaking point. To a girl with no family, an evening with Granny and Sarge is priceless.
As I walk down the porch steps, Sarge’s rocker begins to creak, and his gentle whistle fills the air. I reach my car and turn to find Granny following closely behind. She crosses her arms and leans against the side of my car.
She gives me a knowing look. “Are you ready for tomorrow night, sweet girl?”
I release a sigh and give her a grim smile. “I guess I have to be, right?”
“Yes, I guess you do,” she says, brushing my hair behind my ear. “When you see my grandson, I want you to remember something.”
“What’s that, Granny?”
She stands and holds me by my shoulders. “You’ve left him with no other choice, my darling. I love you like one of my own, but the truth is the truth. You’ve left him no alternative but to move on with his life. Please remember that.”
I give her a quick nod, knowing she’s speaking the truth. No matter how seeing him with Kimberly makes my gut twist, I have no one to blame but myself. So I square my shoulders and swallow my fate.
So tomorrow, I’ll watch Alex marry the love of her life while seeing Cain happy with the love of his.
“Still” by Matt Nathanson
Present Day
KIMBERLY’S NAILS RUN up and down my sleeved arm as she clutches on to me for dear life. I chalk it up to nerves. She’s out of her comfort zone with my friends. She’s pretty clingy normally, but she’s reminding me of a damn octopus today. For the hundredth time, I regret my decision to invite her.
We sit under a massive oak tree on Alex’s family’s golf course, bathed in twinkle lights and the scent of wildflowers. Adam softly strums the guitar from the front of the makeshift altar as we wait for the bride to arrive. Come to think of it, we’re still waiting for most of the women. No doubt, they’re all crowded together pecking and squawking like a house of hens.
Alex and West have waited what I’m sure feels like a lifetime for this day. I watched them struggle and claw their way through setback after setback to be together. I sat back as they duked it out from the beginning, and it’s been quite a show. What started out as a weekly golf game between Alex and me quickly evolved into a threesome. It’s humbling, to say the least, getting my ass handed to me by a girl and a one-legged man, but the company makes it worth the shame. They are two of the coolest people I know, and I couldn’t be happier they found their way back to each other.
“Psst,” Adam whispers to get my attention. “What if Lily and Gage are holding up the show? Go check and see if they need to wait for the ceremony out here. I don’t want them causing trouble.”
I shift uncomfortably in my seat. No way do I want to walk into a crowd of women with wedding on the brain. There’s also a certain fairy I haven’t seen yet, and I’m feeling the need to postpone the inevitable pain that always comes with that. Lily and Gage are also part of the wedding party, and I’m sure they’ll be just fine staying with the girls. At Adam’s insistent glare, I sigh and roll my eyes, trying to think of another way.
“How much longer?” Kimberly pouts. Her whiny voice brings my attention back to her and gives me an idea at the same time.
“Kimberly, will you please check at the main house for Lily and Gage? I’ve got one set of balls too many to crawl up into that hen house. The kids can wait for the ceremony out here with us.”
“Of course. I’ll be right back.”
She stands and smooths out her mini dress, and I do mean mini. I’m not up to date on all the fashion shit, but I’m willing to bet her get-up is not appropriate wedding attire. She bends down, giving me a blatant shot of her Grand Canyon cleavage, and kisses me. Just like the dress, the full tongue kiss in the presence of God and everybody seems over the top. She sashays down the aisle, hips swinging too much to be natural, with a smug smile planted on her face.
I catch Adam’s rolling eyes, and I shrug. He hasn’t outwardly expressed a dislike for Kimberly, but it’s not hard to read him. Truth be told, she’s not at the top my list of favorite people, either. It’s funny how after a couple of dates here and there, she and I are right back on opposite sides of the fence. I’m just looking for an occasional date, and she’s ready pick out fucking china patterns.
Honestly, things are even more awkward between Kimberly and me now than they were the first time we dated. She offered up the goods that very first night when she spotted me at the bar, and she’s had her pussy on a platter ever since. The more I say no, the shorter her skirts get. Every time I duck her advances, she puts more cleavage on display. If her dress cuts any lower, there’s gonna be a nip slip. I’m running out of excuses. If I postpone sexy time much longer, she’ll for sure think my dick’s broken.
The old saying, “Love the one you’re with” … Yeah, I’m failing that shit in grand style. Whether or not Celia wants me, deep in my gut, being with Kimberly feels like betrayal. I can push through the hand holding, hugging, and occasional kiss, but anything more than that? I can’t go through with it. I keep waiting for it to get easier, for the edge to dull with time, but … I’m still waiting. I won’t force a relationship with Kimberly if I’m not feeling it, and I don’t feel a damn thing. No woman deserves to be second best when she’s in a man’s bed. That being said, I have a picture in my mind of Kimberly’s impatient vagina with its arms crossed and toe tapping, waiting for me to get my head in the game. The image isn’t helping matters.
After a few minutes pass, Kimberly storms back down the aisle and throws herself into her seat, crossing her arms. Her chest heaves with each breath, and unshed tears swim in her eyes. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and squeeze.
“What’s the matter, babe?”
“Sara said she had the twins under control.” She breathes a sigh and presses her fingers into the corner of her eyes to stop the tears. “Why do they always have to be so mean to me? What did I ever do to them?”
I catch Adam’s attention and shake my head, silently telling him to leave well enough alone. I inhale a deep breath in a feeble attempt to get my temper under control. They don’t have to be her best friend, but there’s no excuse for being bitches. Maybe they aren’t the people I think they are.
“Fuck ‘em. You don’t have to take that shit, Kimberly, and neither do I. We’ll take off as soon as we can,” I say, running a hand through my hair in frustration.
I feel her relax in my arms, but rustling from behind catches our attention before she can respond.
Lily and Gage stand together at the far end of the aisle, stock-still and petrified as all eyes turn to them. Sara places a kiss on top each of their heads before taking her seat next to the rest of the gang.
That’s when I see her.
Celia kneels next to Lily and Gage and whispers something. Whatever she said causes giggles to erupt, and she places her finger over her lips to quiet them.
God, I can’t pull my eyes away. She’s positively stunning. She sparkles, and I swear it has nothing to do with her damn dusting powder. She shines like a beacon, and I’m powerless, completely overtaken by her beauty.
Gage’s eyes brighten when Celia places something in his hand, and he quickly shoves it into his pocket with a sly grin. She holds her fisted hand over Lily’s head. At Celia’s command, Lily twirls with a bashful smile, and her eyes light up with magic as Celia sprinkles glitter over her head.
They both crash into her for a hug, almost toppling Celia to the ground. She gives each of them a quick squeeze and pushes them forward. They hustle back to the aisle and begin their duties as ring bearer and flower girl. Gage holds the pillow perfectly still in front of him, and Lily pelts the guests with flower petals.
Celia stands up and dusts off her knees. Our eyes meet for a brief moment, and it’s electricity, quickly followed by the sting of longing. The current that flows through me only serves as a reminder of what I’ll never have.
The music changes, and Alex starts down the aisle, looking every bit of the beautiful bride. My attention turns to West, the luckiest fucker here today. I see the look in his eyes—the realization that nothing else in the world matters more than this woman standing before him. I’m well acquainted with the feeling. It’s exactly how I feel every time my hungry eyes get the tiniest glimpse of Celia.
And isn’t that the bitch of it.
Pledges are made, rings are exchanged, and happy tears flow like fountains, but my clouded mind can’t appreciate any of it. I feel her behind me. She couldn’t be any louder than if she were screaming at the top of her lungs, although she never utters a word.
I pull Kimberly away from the festivities the first chance I get. I hate to take off without a word, but my chest will explode if I don’t. I’ll give the happy couple my congrats at their going away party. Since Alex and West don’t leave for their honeymoon until next week, our friends organized a going away honeymoon party. I need to ready my heart for another round of tap dancing.
But for tonight, I focus on yet another reason why my cock can’t come out and play with Kimberly’s over eager lady parts.
Fuck, I feel a fake headache coming on…
“What happened to you yesterday, dude? I thought we had plans to play basketball, and your flaky ass never fucking showed,” I say as I open my front door and toss my keys on the counter.
“Damn, it completely slipped my mind. Sara and I ran all over town yesterday getting ready for Alex and West’s party this weekend, and then Lily had dance. It was a shit show of an afternoon. Sorry about that.” Even now, I can hear the yelps and giggles of Lily and Gage in the background.
“Look at you, all domesticated. Is your fiancé only going to let you out to play on special occasions now?”
I balance the phone between my ear and shoulder so I can feed and water Biz. He’s lucky I’m feeding him at all with the shit he’s pulled lately. He’s taken to peeing on every surface Kimberly sits on after she leaves. My sofa is draped in towels, and the woman is questioning my obsession with her sitting on one particular barstool. I’d sell the hound to the gypsies at this point, but they’d probably return him the next day. I get that Biz isn’t her biggest fan, but there are better ways to make his point than with piss.
“Aw, so that’s how it’s gonna be from now on? Make fun of the engaged guy?” Adam chuckles.
“Nothing to get riled up about, man. It’s good to know your balls have taken up residence in Sara’s purse, though.”
“Don’t you give two seconds thought to where my balls are, fucker.”
At that, I bust out laughing.
“So, big plans tonight?” he asks with a laugh. Now it’s my turn to take the ribbing.
Adam’s quick mention of my date tonight has gravel settling in my gut. Kimberly planned the “perfect” date for us. Candlelit dinner at The Lamplight Inn with the honeymoon suite rented for the night. The message is clear: Sex tonight, at all costs.
Fuck me … literally. I don’t even remember agreeing—I swear she drugged me.
“Yeah, big plans—” I mutter. Before I can finish my sentence, my phone beeps, alerting me to an incoming call. I pull the phone away from my ear and see it’s Granny. “Look, I have to take this, man. Talk later?”
“Yeah, later.”
I hang up and switch to the new call, and adrenaline rushes through me as the speaker fills with hysterical sobs.
“Granny?”
“Oh, thank God, Cain. It’s Sarge—you need to get here now. Hurry.” Granny’s frantic voice sends chills down my spine.
I tag my keys off the counter and race out the door before she finishes her sentence. “What happened, Granny? Is he all right?”
