Twenty-Four

 

 

Linc

 

The entire night was tense. I could barely dance with Indie when I was supposed to. I couldn’t look at her. And I sure as hell couldn’t look at her parents. They busted us kissing in a dark corner, and it immediately made me feel like I was back in high school. The look on the Kellermans’ faces nearly killed me. Shock. Anger. Disappointment. I never wanted them to be disappointed in me, let alone Indie. Was it really that bad if we were together? The idea that they thought so little of me, that they wouldn’t approve of Indie and me, was devastating.

I spent as much time with my parents as I possibly could. They’d flown in that morning and were flying back tonight because my dad had a big case he was working on and couldn’t afford to take the time off. I was surprised they even made the trip, but I was grateful to them for doing so. Having them here gave me a reason to avoid everyone else, when all I wanted to do was speak to Indie.

“Something’s wrong, honey.” My mum patted my cheek in that caring way she did and gave me a half smile the moment Dad excused himself to the bathroom. “Did you and Indie have a fight?”

“What? No. Of course not. Nothing’s wrong. Why would you even ask that?” She had always been perceptive. Even growing up, she always knew when I’d done something I didn’t want her to know about. Like the time I snuck Indie into my room when she was seventeen because she’d had too much to drink, and I couldn’t risk her parents finding out. Mum knew.

Like each and every time I scared off one of the losers who wanted to date her, give her flowers, touch her ass. Mum knew.

Like the time I got engaged to Jasmine because I was trying to get over a broken heart. Mum knew.

“I’m not stupid, Lincoln. I have eyes, and that girl over there,” she pointed at Indie making her way around the room, talking to guests with a forced smile, “has not stopped looking at you since you both walked in here, but this time she doesn’t look happy like she usually is when she sees you. This time she looks like she wants to cry.”

Dammit. I clenched my jaw. I didn’t want her to cry. There was nothing I hated more than Indie feeling sad. But I couldn’t have this discussion with my mother right now without speaking to Indie’s parents first.

“Everything is fine.” Yeah, that sounded believable. I rolled my eyes at myself.

“Lincoln Andrews, don’t you dare lie to me,” my mother scolded. She hadn’t used that voice on me since I dragged mud through the house after getting caught in the rain while helping Nate and his dad build a shed in the back yard.

I caught Indie’s eye and smiled, but she didn’t return it. She really was scared. I wanted nothing more than to go over there and hug her and tell her it would be okay, promise her everything would work out. I knew she hadn’t spoken to her parents much tonight either, choosing to be overly social and not stay in one place for more than a minute or two. Yeah, my eyes hadn’t left her either.

“I screwed up, and I don’t know how to make it right.” I sighed and looked at my mum for advice, even though she had no idea what happened. How could I fix the disappointment in the Kellermans’ eyes? How could I turn back time and not have dragged Indie into that corner?

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want an honest answer.” She reached forward and clasped my hands between hers. I nodded.

“Do you love her?” she asked softly. I couldn’t process how she would even know that. I was too shocked.

I nodded. Of course. I always had.

She smiled, wide and bright, and let out a little laugh.

I guessed that made her happy. If only Indie’s parents had the same reaction.

“Enough to risk losing Nate as a friend?”

I nodded again, because it was no contest. I loved Nate. He’d always been there, but I was in love with Indie. Everything was about her. It always had been.

“Can you walk out of this room and never see her again?”

“Hell, no.” I clenched my fists between Mum’s hands, making her release me. There was no way I could walk away from her. I’d fight hell and high water to keep her beside me.

“Then you need to go over there and make sure that girl knows, no matter what, you’re not giving up.”

“How? I mean…how?” I glanced at Indie again; she was still watching me. How could I reassure her that we were in this together, no matter what?

“You’re a smart boy. You’ll figure it out,” Mum said.

“How did you know? I never told anyone how I felt.”

“I’m your mother. I know these things. Now, go!” She gave my shoulders a light push.

She knew these things. Maybe I hadn’t been as good at hiding my feelings as I thought. After all, Brody had worked it out too. I stood and hesitated. I didn’t know what the hell to do.

“Go big, or go home. That’s what I always say,” Mum said encouragingly.

“You’ve never once said that.” I raised my eyebrow in disbelief.

“I am now.”

Taking a deep breath and letting it out gently, I turned to face Indie. There must have been something on my face that revealed my intentions, even if I didn’t know them myself, because she stopped her conversation with one of her uncles and took a step toward me, her hands twisting together in front of her. She looked so damn beautiful in that dress, biting her bottom lip in nervous anticipation.

Nate appeared in front me. “Hey, man. Can I talk to you about something?”

“Not right now,” I said and sidestepped him.

“But it’s—”

“Sorry, I have something important to do.” I walked away before pausing and turning back to him. “Can you just not beat the shit out of me until after the reception?”

I really didn’t want to ruin his parents’ wedding day, and a fist fight between their son and his best mate over their daughter would absolutely do that.

“Okay,” he said slowly, a look of confusion on his face.

I spun on my heel and marched directly to Indie, not giving much thought to anything or anyone other than wanting to see her happy smile once more.

Screw it.

“Linc,” she breathed as I got closer. My body crashed into hers as I grabbed her face between my hands and kissed her. For a moment, everything else faded away, and it was just us. Her body warm and soft against mine, her hands around my neck and fingers twisting into my hair.

“Go big, or go home,” I breathed against her mouth.

“What?” She chuckled.

“Nothing.” I kissed her again, quickly. Too afraid to let her go and too terrified to turn around and see everyone’s reactions, I rested my forehead against hers. “Everything is going to be okay, yeah?”

“But—”

“No buts. It will be fine.” It had to be fine; I wasn’t losing her.

“Okay.”

“Ready?”

She sniffed and nodded, her eyes wide with fright, but I figured if Nate hadn’t smashed my head through a table yet, maybe it wasn’t going to be so bad. Or he was making good on his promise to not beat the shit out of me until after the reception.

I didn’t know what I expected when we pulled apart and looked around the room, but it wasn’t the reaction we got. Well, lack of reaction, rather.

Indie released a breath slowly and looked at me with one eyebrow raised in question. I shrugged in response because I didn’t know how to answer.

No one even spared us a glance, except for my mother, who was smiling into her wine glass. But no one else cared. No one saw. No one said anything.