Chapter 11
I took a deep breath of the crisp fall air around me. It was one of the things I missed living in the city. While there were trees, the smell of the cool air and crisp leaves never really made it past the exhaust fumes. While we still technically lived in a city, it was nothing compared to Boston.
“I love it when you smile like that,” West said as he handed me a hard apple cider and sat across from me at the table. “What are you thinking about?”
I bent over and picked up a bright red leaf from the deck, twirling it between my fingers. “How much I love fall and being able to see it again.”
West’s lips lifted. “Speaking of fall…the holidays are coming up.”
My chest tightened. Holidays meant time with family, and that was never enjoyable for me.
“Don’t look like that,” West said, leaning across the table and brushing my cheek with his thumb to lift the corner of my lips. “The dedication wasn’t that bad.”
I put my head in my hand. “It depends on your definition of bad.”
West snorted before taking a swig of his drink. He was quiet for a moment as he tapped his fingers against the glass.
“I thought maybe we could head to my parent’s house this weekend for an early Thanksgiving. My brother always spends the actual day with his wife’s family, so my parents move it up a week so we can still all be together.” West concentrated on his glass as he chewed the corner of his lip.
“Are you asking me to meet your parents?”
His eyes came up along with his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You survived mine, plus Bobby’s so I guess I should suck it up and meet yours. They sound pretty cool from what you’ve told me,” I replied, and his eyes sparkled.
“They’re going to love you.”
“We’ll see about that. I don’t have the best record with boyfriend’s parents.”
West shook his head. “Alec loves you.”
“Yeah.” My eyes fogged a bit before focusing on the yard and anything but West. “Now.”
West leaned forward and squeezed my hand, eyes determined. “They’ll love you.”
~~~
I ripped off the fourth shirt and huffed, plopping down on the bed and leaning back.
“What the heck are you doing up there?” West called from the living room.
I leaned up and stared at the clothes scattered on the floor.
“I have nothing appropriate to wear,” I called back before going to look in the closet again.
“Wow, it looks like a clothes bomb went off in here,” West said, and I could hear him kicking the piles aside as he made his way to the closet.
I didn’t turn, and he placed a kiss on my neck. My eyes fluttered shut as my chest rose.
“Calm down.” His hands found my arms, his stubble tickling my shoulder as he rested his chin there. “You’ll look beautiful in anything.”
I turned and pointed at the clothes on the floor. “Too slutty, too tight, too frumpy and just no.”
West blinked at me hard and nodded towards the bed. “Go sit down.”
I did as he said and I heard the hangers scratching against their wooden pole before he came out and handed me a flowy tank top with a floral design on it and a green sweater that matched. He went to my dresser and pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans, tossing them my way and then looking at my bare feet. He went back into the closet, and he came out a second later with a pair of wedge booties.
“Tadah,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. I looked at the outfit in my arms and then back up at him.
“How did you do that?”
He crossed his arms, muscles bulging underneath the Henley he wore. “Easy. You look good in green. I found something green and went from there.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, and he flopped back onto the bed, propping his arms behind his head.
West tipped his chin towards the outfit. “Are you going to get dressed?”
I stood and slipped into the clothes before turning to my mirror. It wasn’t the one Adam bought me with the frosted butterflies, and the thought made my heart stall. It was just a plain framed one. I shook my head and then concentrated on my reflection instead of the mirror. West nailed the outfit and a sense of relief washed over me as he stood and came up behind me.
“Ready?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
We spent the drive to the ferry in silence, and when we got on it, West went and bought us each coffee. It was burned, and I wished we had thought of stopping at Starbucks before coming here, but then again, I wasted so much time picking out an outfit that we would’ve missed the boat. We took a window seat and West put his arm around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head as I leaned into him.
“Riv, it’s not going to be that bad,” he said, tilting my chin up, so our eyes met.
I chewed the inside of my lip as my stomach rolled. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the way the ferry was rocking with the rough waves or if it was because of the thought on repeat in my head. Or more, the name.
Sophia.
How did I compare to her? He was going to marry her. My eyes dropped to the words I could see peeking out from where his shirt was unbuttoned. He had a tattoo for her.
“Don’t do that,” West said, and my eyes met his. “You shouldn’t compare yourself to her — and my parents won’t either.”
I swallowed. “Did your family like Sophia?”
“Everyone loved Soph.” His gaze moved into the distance, and he chuckled before moving a hair out of my eyes. “But everyone loves you, too. You have that in common. You both could light up a room with your smile.”
“Are we alike, Sophia and I?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Not really, but I was a different person then…and from the way things ended, she might not have been what I needed. I certainly wasn’t what she needed.” His hands went into his hair, and his jaw tensed. There was a flicker of guilt in his eyes, and my throat constricted.
I shouldn’t have asked. I wanted to say it wasn’t your fault, but I knew that no matter what I said, West would feel it was. He’d gotten in the car drunk. I knew what I could tell him to ease the pain, but as the words rose in my throat, I swallowed them.
“I really like the person you are,” I said instead, and a smile twitched at the edge of his lips.
“I’m glad you really like me.” His lips lowered to mine for a brief kiss that left my body tingling. “I really like you, too.”
I opened my mouth, and he placed his index finger over it.
“And they will too.”
I glanced out the window at the rolling waves, and my heart fluttered in my chest. I could see the island already. Heat flushed up to my cheeks.
West squeezed my hand. “Almost there.”
I forced a smile, and West blinked at me, knowing it was fake. We remained quiet as we waited to get off of the ferry, and my body tensed as a couple, about my parent’s age, waved at us.
West waved back. “That’s them…and see; they’re smiling. They’re happy you’re here. Just like I am.”
We walked up to them, and I rubbed my sweaty palms against my jeans as discreetly as I could. His parents brought him into a hug and then stood back to look at me.
“I’m River.” I reached my hand out, already dampening with anxiety.
West’s mom tilted her chin, a smile on her lips as she shook her head. “Oh no, we’re the hugging type.”
Then, I was in her warm embrace. She smelled like lilacs and vanilla, comforting and delicate. As she pulled away, she looked over at West’s dad.
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” she said.
“West always knew how to pick them! I’m Jack, and you don’t have to hug me if you don’t feel comfortable. I’m well aware our family can be overly friendly at times.” West’s dad winked, his eyes the same color as his son’s. “And my wife forgot to mention her name is Margo.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr–“
“Nope.” Margo cut me off. “First names.”
I glanced over at West, who tipped back on his heels with a smirk.
“Shall we?” Margo asked, nodding over her shoulder before linking her arm in mine. “West has told us so much about you. Twenty-eight and already a successful businesswoman. Quite impressive. He told us how you helped him with that contract. Ingenious.”
I looked up ahead at West who walked with his dad. West’s eyes locked on mine, that devilish twinkle there as I narrowed mine on him. He wiggled his brows before turning back to his conversation with Jack.
“You’re the first girl West’s talked about, let alone brought around us since…Sophia.” Her voice took a sad tone when she said her name. “It’s great to see him in love again, and I think this time it’s right.”
I couldn’t stop myself. “Right?”
Margo’s shoulders lifted. “Young love is fabulous. It’s fast and furious, but it’s often too rushed to last. The fire is bright, and sometimes it burns. Sometimes, it’s just not the right fit for either person… and sometimes it ends badly.”
I licked my lips as I stared at my feet. It reminded me so much of Adam and I. My throat thickened as I nodded. Margo squeezed my arm.
“I can see it in West; you make him a better person. That’s the way loves supposed to be.” She looked down at my tattoo, resting just where our arms met, only half-covered by my sweater. She tapped two fingers on it and smiled at me. “It’s the same for you, isn’t it?”
West and Jack already stood at the car, and my heart pounded hard as West’s gaze met mine.
“Yeah. I hadn’t felt like myself for a long time before I met West. I’m starting to see exactly who I am.”
Margo’s eyes wrinkled in the corners. “Isn’t that what we all need? Someone who helps us take off our blinders?”
I laughed to myself. “I think so.”