Buried in the Stars

by Gretchen Tubbs

  Sutton laughs, but there’s no humor involved. “I’ve never seen friends act like that. If I hadn’t interrupted you’d have walked in on the two of them fucking on the couch instead of the two of us fighting.”

  “Watch your damn mouth.” Easton tries to break free from Doc’s hold. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

  “You gonna come at me again, little brother?” He wipes at the corner of his mouth. “Try me.”

  Easton powers forward and the two of them start grappling again, a blur of arms and fists and grunts. Mrs. Vera is crying, Emily is hysterical, and I’ve had enough.

  “Easton,” I scream over the noise.

  He stops immediately at the sound of my voice. He shoves his brother and Sutton bends down, hands to knees, trying to catch his breath. Easton takes the same position. He looks at me and I cringe when I see his face. His lip is split and his face is starting to turn various shades of blue and purple. He’s got a nasty gash above his left eye.

  I walk over to him and brush his messy curls off his forehead. He leans into my touch, exhausted from the fight.

  “We need to go,” I tell him. “I think we’ve worn out our welcome.”

  He tries to grin, but winces instead. He glances back at his brother, who is looking at us with an odd mixture of hurt and anger. I’m so mad at the two of them right now.

  The only person I should be mad at, though, is myself. I’m the reason they did this to each other.

  “I’ll drive.” He’s in no condition to get behind the wheel of our rental car.

  Emily has stopped her shrieking. I turn back to her and give her a quiet apology, telling her I’ll call her when I get Easton settled. I don’t even know if she’ll want us at the wedding tomorrow.

  Keeping his eyes locked on his brother, Easton takes my hand, kisses my palm, and leads me out of the house.

  Sutton’s reaction to his display can be heard even after we reach the car.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Keep that ice on your face.”

  “I’ll put it back on there if you tell me what you and my cousin just talked about.”

  “How do you know I called her?” I don’t know why I bother asking him; Easton knows everything about me. He can practically read my mind.

  He tries to smile at me but he groans. His face is a mess. “You took way too long to get this ice,” he says, lifting the baggie in his hand. “Are you going to tell me what the two of you talked about?”

  I take it from his hand and press it to his cheekbone, trying to be as gentle as possible. He sucks in a harsh breath through his clenched teeth. “Sorry. I would think the topic of our discussion was obvious.”

  “Humor me.”

  “I did some groveling on behalf of your childish behavior and had to promise her some things that will be fairly difficult to deliver on, but we’re all set for tomorrow.”

  He wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls my hand from his face. “Are you okay with that?”

  “I’m in the wedding. I didn’t fly to California to miss it.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Sutton will be there. Will you be able-,”

  “We aren’t talking about your brother.”

  “If we aren’t talking about my brother, can we talk about that kiss?” His thumb traces my bottom lip and I can feel the heat creeping into my cheeks. My eyes fall to the bedspread, but he tilts my chin up. When I look into his light green eyes, they’re dancing.

  “I don’t know how that even happened,” I whisper.

  Some of the light in his eyes dims with my statement. “I kissed you when I saw how bad you were hurting. I couldn’t help myself. When I pulled away, though, knowing we shouldn’t be doing that, you begged me for more.” I expect him to be angry, but he’s not. When he gives me his next words, I can tell he’s hurt, plain and simple. “I need to know if that was for him. Did you do it because you knew it would hurt him?”

  The two Winters brothers take up most of the space in my heart. I love them both, but the love that I have for each of them is vastly different. I wouldn’t ever do anything to intentionally hurt either one of them.

  I shake my head. “I did it for you. And for me.”

  He runs his thumb back and forth across my mouth once more and makes me forget about his brother. He makes my mind drift back to that kiss. “I’ve been waiting for that to happen for years, Scarlett. If my brother wouldn’t have fucked up my mouth, I’d be doing it again right now.”

  My heart jerks in my chest. I refuse to let my mind go to a time when I was the one with the busted lip and his brother was the one dying to kiss me. Instead, I lean over and close the space between us, placing my lips on his, just barely touching him.

  Just like the first kisses we shared, I know it’s wrong, but I let it happen anyway.

  “You’re killing me,” he exhales against my mouth.

  “Sorry,” I whisper back, but I’m really not. It feels nice to have his confession of feelings out in the open.

  Now I feel like there’s nothing between us.

  “I want to do this,” he tells me, a steely look of determination taking over his battered face. “I’ve been waiting, none too patiently, for the right time. Was that kiss just a one-time thing, or are we going to see where this goes?”

  Guilt slams into me, practically knocking the breath from my lungs. I want to see where this could go, desperately, but I know it’s impossible. There’s no way I could give my heart to Easton, not when his brother has shattered it. The hope that was making his green eyes flare just seconds ago disappears when I slowly shake my head back and forth. A tear falls from each of my eyes at the look of disappointment on his face.

  “I’m sorry, Easton, but I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to either one of us. Your brother destroyed something inside of me. I’ll never be the kind of person you deserve.”

  Anger flashes across his face before he quickly shuts it down. I’m not sure if it’s meant for me or his brother, but if I had to guess, Sutton’s the cause. “Don’t say that about yourself. You’re perfect. And don’t ever apologize for how you feel.” He traces the trail of my tears and gives me a sad smile. “You know how I feel, how I’ve felt for a long time now. That’s not going to change. Just say the word, Scarlett, and I’m yours.”

  “I love you, Easton, but I can’t ever do that… to you or your brother,” I whisper.

  He pulls me into his chest and rubs my back for a few minutes, letting me know that everything is alright between us. “Let’s get ready for bed. I’m wiped, and we have a big day tomorrow,” he says into the top of my head.

  ***

  The courage and bravery I was feeling in the hotel room last night and this morning flies out the window the second we pull up at Sutton’s beach house for the wedding. Easton and I spent a lazy day at the hotel, deciding how we were going to handle dealing with his family and the scene we caused last night. Easton seems to think things will be easier if we let everyone think we’re together. I wasn’t on board with this, but when he brought up the fact that it would keep Sutton away from me, I jumped on the plan. I want him to suffer… let him feel some of the pain that I’ve been dealing with since he betrayed me.

  Vans are lining the driveway, advertising various catering and decorating companies. People clad in white dress shirts and black slacks are listening to a woman decked out in all white and mile high stilettos bark out orders. Easton and I sit in the rental car and take in the scene before us, both reluctant to leave the comfort of the inside.

  “We need a signal,” I tell him. “You know, in case things get to be too much.”

  “Like yesterday?” he jokes.

  “Maybe something a bit more subtle.”

  “No signal required, Scarlett. I’m not planning on leaving your side.”

  “You know how Emily is. You sticking to my side may mess up her vision for pictures.”

  He laughs and points to his face. “Consider the pictures a lost cause.�
�� His smile fades. “I’m not leaving you alone. I’m worried about you.”

  I take him in, from his brown hair curling around his collar to his bruised cheek and eye and finally his split lip. There probably hasn’t been a time since we were in seventh grade that Easton Winters hasn’t been worried about me. It’s just what he does. “Don’t you worry about me. I’m more concerned about you and your brother.”

  His gaze slides from me to the window. “Fuck him. The second he started his bullshit yesterday, I was done.”

  My stomach starts to clench. “Don’t say that. You can’t stay in a fight with him. He’s family.” I won’t let him throw that away. Not when there’s no guarantee that you’ll have your family forever.

  He shakes his head. “I’m not fighting with him anymore. He and I are done. I think it’s better this way.”

  I feel moisture hitting my eyes. “Please don’t say that. I won’t let that happen.”

  “Shh,” he whispers, but it doesn’t do any good. “Let’s not talk about it anymore today. This is a happy day. He knows to stay away from us.”

  I wipe away a tear. “How?”

  “I called him earlier when you were in the shower. The conversation didn’t need to happen in the middle of Em’s wedding or reception. I explained that he either had to accept the fact that we’re together or he isn’t going to be a part of my life. Based on his lack of response, I guess he chose the latter.”

  My pulse hammers in my throat. “But we aren’t together, Easton. We’re friends.”

  “He thinks we’re together. They all do. Besides, his reaction yesterday was completely unwarranted. I don’t want him around you if he’s that unstable.”

  “He was just blindsided and upset.” I don’t know why I’m defending him, but the idea of the two of them on the outs with each other is not something I want. “I won’t be responsible for tearing the two of you apart.”

  “It’s his decision,” he says, rubbing up and down my arm and shoulder, trying to calm the impending panic attack. I jerk away slightly when his thumb grazes my freckles. “It’s not your fault. Now, are you sure you’ll be okay today?”

  If I can manage to avoid any interactions with his family today, I just might survive it. “Yeah,” I tell him. It’s hardly convincing.

  “Time to go, love.”

  My belly flutters and warmth spreads through me.

  Love.

  I wish I could let myself just be with him.

  I close my eyes while I wait for him to come around to my side of the car and open my door. I can do this… I can make it through the night.

  Emily’s rushing toward us, champagne in hand, before we can make it up the front walk. Her hair’s in curlers and she’s clasping the front of her silk robe closed with her empty hand. She moves her hand from her robe to Easton’s chin when she reaches us, moving his face back and forth, tsking at the sight.

  “I thought you were going to try to cover some of this up?”

  “We were running late,” I give her as an excuse. I know there was no way that he would have let me try to mask the evidence of the fight with some concealer and foundation.

  Her hand flies from his face to her hip, the glass of champagne sloshing as she thrusts it toward him. “Let me tell you something, Easton Winters. You stay away from your brother tonight. I don’t even want to see the two of you making eye contact. If you ruin my day I will Never. Forgive. You.” She jabs him in the chest to get her point across. “Do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal,” he mutters.

  She smiles, sips her champagne, and squeezes his arm. “Perfect. Let’s get inside. I need to finish getting ready, and I’m stealing your girl. Stay out of trouble. I locked your brother in his room until the ceremony starts, but Estella is running around with Claudia. You should go bond with your niece or something.”

  He reluctantly releases me and starts to walk to the side entrance of the house. A blur of tulle comes running toward him, screaming his name.

  “Uncle Easton!”

  “Hi beautiful.” He scoops her up and swings her around.

  Emily is talking about the wedding and walking back inside. I’m sure she expects me to follow, but I can’t move my eyes away from Easton and Estella. She’s beautiful, just like he says. I watch as her little hand gently traces the bruise around his eye.

  “You look just like Daddy.”

  Easton opens his mouth to respond, but before anything comes out, a stunning brunette comes stomping from the house. “Estella Winters. You can’t run off like that.” She scoots closer and mock-whispers. “And if you get anything on that dress, your Aunt Emily might hurt me.”

  “Sorry,” she says in her tiny voice, but she’s smiling. “Uncle Easton’s here.”

  “Hi Uncle Easton,” she says, a dazzling smile taking over her face.

  “Claudia.” She gets a chin nod, but nothing more.

  Questions start running through my brain about this Claudia person. They obviously know each other. Is she Estella’s mother? Sutton’s girlfriend?

  No. It’s not my business anymore. He has his life here in California, and I have mine back home.

  “Come on, Scarlett.” Emily tugs at my elbow and I follow her inside, only tearing my eyes away from what’s happening in the front yard when I can’t see them anymore.

  We pass through the chaos of the front of the house, and she takes us into a fairly empty room. Stations are set up and several girls are having their hair and make-up done. Emily makes quick introductions, telling the other girls in her wedding party that I’m her oldest and dearest friend. I’m forced into a chair and the work I did on myself this morning is erased- I didn’t fix myself in a way fitting for Emily’s vision.

  The woman in white from earlier comes in the room, tapping on the clipboard. “You have half an hour left to get in your dress. I’ll be back in twenty.” She pivots on her spiked heels and walks out.

  Following right behind her is Emily’s mom and Mrs. Vera. I lower my head, ashamed of what happened yesterday. Both of the women greet me, but I don’t get the warm fuzzies I usually do. Mrs. Vera barely says two words to me.

  Everyone cries when Emily slips on her sleek, fitted, custom made gown. She looks like she should be gracing the cover of Vogue instead of walking down to the beach for a wedding, but Em wouldn’t have it any other way. We all look lovely in our white bridesmaid dresses, each one varying in style, but we pale in comparison to her. The photographer snaps away, capturing the moments leading up to the wedding. We laugh, we cry, we sip champagne. The afternoon is a good one, but I can feel tension coming from Mrs. Vera. I should probably apologize about yesterday, but I don’t want to bring it up. Today is about Emily.

  Claudia comes in with Estella near the end of our thirty minutes. “You look like a princess,” Estella tells her. She’s in awe.

  “So do you, baby.” Emily turns to Claudia. “Thanks for keeping her clean. I didn’t want to put her in the dress so early, but avoiding a meltdown was a must today.”

  Claudia laughs. “Story of my life.” She bends down to give Estella a kiss and straightens again, looking at Emily. “The beach is filling up, so I’m going to head out there.”

  “I’ve got her,” Mrs. Vera says. “Thank you, Claudia.”

  “Of course.”

  She leaves the room, and I want to dissect the interactions between the two of them, but I’ve had too much champagne for that. We take a few more pictures with Estella and have one more toast, just as the wedding planner comes back in.

  “Ready?” she asks.

  “Absolutely.”

  She assesses our heights and lines us up, tucking in stray pieces of hair and dabbing at smeared lipstick. We walk to the back of the house, where will we lead the way for Emily and her father. The door opens and the music starts to play. The lapping waves of the ocean can be heard over the mini orchestra tucked away on the side of the house. The sun is just about to dip down below the horizon, paint
ing the sky beautiful shades of pink and purple. Torches are lit and lining the aisle.

  Each of us makes our way down to the makeshift altar. Once I take my place, I search the crowd of white for Easton. Sutton catches my eye first. He’s banged up pretty bad. Estella was right; they do look alike.

  He’s watching me. I can’t decide if the look on his face is one of sadness, anger, or a mix of both. I don’t linger too long before I pull my eyes away from him and look for Easton. I see him a few rows back, beaming. His look is much easier to read. It also scares me.

  It’s love.

  Pure, unfiltered, raw love.

  Emily’s music starts to play and gives me the perfect excuse to break eye contact and turn toward to my friend. Her smile rivals the beauty of the sunset as she and her father walk toward her future husband. The closer she gets the happier she looks.

  There’s not a dry eye on the beach as Gregory and Emily exchange their vows. The sun disappears behind the horizon as they seal their union with a kiss that would make anyone blush. The ceremony was short, sweet, and pure Emily. I’m genuinely happy for my friend.

  The reception becomes a game of dodging Sutton and trying to fend off Easton. Not that I don’t like all the attention from him, but he’s been drinking, getting handsy, and I don’t want to provoke his brother. Doc and Mrs. Vera have barely spoken to us, and I’ve never felt worse in my life. Sure, I’ve managed to anger my mother more times than I can count, but none of those times were my fault. She would get mad at me and verbally and physically assault me because she was a drunk. Unlike those times, I brought this on myself. It’s hard to celebrate Emily’s happiness and the joy of my new relationship with Easton when I’m chastising myself for how we went about entering it.

  The beach house isn’t a very large space, so the chances of running into Sutton tonight are pretty high. My eyes stay trained on him, Claudia, and Estella all night, trying to figure out the dynamics of the relationship between the three of them. I refuse to ask Easton about this woman- I’m not supposed to care who or what Sutton does. But I do, so very much.