Reception to follow
Every word hammered into me as my heart hammered in my chest. I knew it was coming. I freaking knew it, but I hoped. A single thread of hope. It was so powerful yet so dangerous.
It was that hope that caused my chest to feel like it was caving in.
It was less than twenty days away. I hoped that my brother would realize how badly he hurt me. I hoped that he would make a decision that wouldn’t completely destroy the last piece of a relationship that I was still holding onto. A relationship that was so easily destroyed by an expensive invitation. An invitation that I was sure my mother had met with several designers before she made the final decision. And Jessica I’m sure she was there, but she would have no say. She had no clue what she was walking into with my mother.
I walked into my apartment in a daze, and Tucker was sitting on my couch with his feet on the table and a beer in his hand.
My first reaction was to ask him to leave. To go into my room and bury myself in my sadness, but I wouldn’t. He deserved far better than that from me.
“Hey, Firecracker.” He smiled his perfect dimpled smile and the pressure on my chest lessened.
“Hey.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I…” I didn’t really know how to put into words what I was feeling so I just handed him the invitation before I plopped down on the couch beside him.
He was silent as he read the words on the pearlescent card in his hand then he set it along with his beer on the coffee table and pulled me into his lap.
I tucked myself into him and rested my head on his chest.
“Talk to me, Kennedy,” he whispered against the top of my head.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m just hurt. It’s stupid really.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“It’s not stupid. They don’t deserve your pain, but it’s okay that you feel it.” He rubbed his hand up and down my spine.
“I just hate that I let them hurt me. I knew this was coming, but I hoped it wouldn’t. I hoped they would change.”
Tucker nodded his head and kissed my forehead. “What can I do?”
I thought about his question for a moment and realized that he was already doing it. He was making things better by just being there.
“Just make me forget for a while.” I looked up into his eyes, which turned darker at my words.
“Now that I can do.” He lifted me in his arms, carried me to my room, and made me forget everything including my name.
…
“Not happening.” I shook my head in protest.
“Come on. Don’t be a party pooper.” Chloe bounced in her seat with excitement.
“I’m not a party pooper. I just don’t sing.”
“Don’t let her lie,” Tucker said from beside me. “She sings in the shower all the time, and it is amazing.”
I elbowed him in his stomach, which only caused him to laugh. He had just told me the other day that my voice was amazingly horrible. I didn’t take it as a dis either. I knew how bad my voice was, but I typically rocked it anyway. What I didn’t do was showcase it in a bar full of people with a karaoke mic in my hand.
“See.” Chloe waved her arms around, the alcohol she was drinking clearly loosening her up. “Come on. It will be just us girls. It will be amazeballs.”
She and Brooke both stood up and I hesitated before Tucker gave me a gentle push.
I straightened my shirt, threw a dirty look over my shoulder at Tucker, and then followed the girls on stage. The guy running the sound equipment put a microphone in each of our hands, and I stared down at the thing and prayed that it burst into flames.
Instead, the music started and Brooke hooked her arm in mine with a giant smile on her face. I was about to embarrass myself in front of this entire bar, but for that smile on my bestie’s face, I would do just about anything.
The music began to pump through the speakers and I laughed when the words “Like a Virgin” by Madonna lit up across the karaoke screen.
Then we rocked the shit out of it.
A full on girl band happened on stage, and although we probably sounded hideous, the crowd of people loved us and sang along to the words.
By the time we made it back to the table, I was sweaty, laughing, and feeling drunk on life. I leaned into Tucker and planted a kiss onto his smiling lips.
He pushed a piece of hair off my sweaty forehead. “I’ve been thinking.”
“About?”
“About how we haven’t been on a proper date.”
I had to wrack my brain, but he was right, we really hadn’t.
I put my hand on my chest, shocked. “What kind of girl am I? You haven’t even taken me on a date, and I’ve already given it up to you?”
He grinned a wicked grin. Only one dimple popping out. “I’m pretty damn persuasive. You couldn’t resist my charm.”
“Oh shit. It’s getting deep in here.”
He pulled me into his chest and chuckled against my head.
“I’m being serious though. I know you’re busy all week with shoots, but what about next weekend. Let’s get away for a few days.”
“A getaway?” I pulled away and looked back up at him. “How is that a date?”
“Well, we can go on dates during our getaway. We need some time to ourselves.” He nuzzled into my neck and I softened around him.
“How long of a getaway are we talking?”
“Maybe a week,” he said nonchalantly.
“A week?” I shrieked. “I can’t be gone a week.”
“Yes, you can. I already looked in your planner and the only thing you have scheduled that week and it’s at my restaurant. We can reschedule.”
That damn smirk. It made me want to smack him and rip off my clothes at the same time.
“Where do you plan on going?” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“That’s a surprise.”
“No. I don’t like surprises.”
“Too bad.”
“I’m not going unless you tell me.” I did a smirk of my own.
“Yeah, you are. I already spent a lot of money to book it, and you’ll feel too guilty to let me do that.”
“Seriously, Tucker?” I asked, exasperated.
“Seriously.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“I know.”
“But I love you anyway.”
“I know that too.”
I pushed him in his chest, which didn’t even cause him to budge.
“But I love you more.” He pressed his lips against mine in a gentle kiss and I shook my head. There was no way that he could love me more than I loved him.