Convinced the group would successfully fulfill its duties, Diana only made us practice exiting the church one time. As Joey and I came together behind Lex and Vince, he smirked. “Not only are you the most beautiful girl in the room, now you’re also the luckiest.” His elbow extended for me to wrap my arm through.
“Lex takes the prize on that one.”
“Why? Because she’s getting hitched?” I nodded. “She’s marrying Lyons. That’s nothing to brag about.”
“Screw you, Sullivan,” Vince taunted without looking back.
“Not in this lifetime,” Joey grumbled.
“You two are in church. Behave!” Lex scolded.
“Sorry, babe,” they both said at the same time.
Aidan returned as we filed into the back of the church. His phone was nowhere in sight. My arm was still looped through Joey’s, and the guilt gnawed at me. If Aidan knew the two of us had dated, he may have gotten upset. Separating from Joey and walking over to stand next to Aidan all but destroyed me. I silently cursed myself for inviting Aidan in the first place. He knew nothing about my life at home and it was important it stayed that way.
“I had to take the call. It was Roger. He’s seeing a patient for me and–”
I shook my head, interrupting him. “Don’t ever apologize for doing what you do best,” I whispered.
He smiled and kissed my forehead. “I’m already getting used to this not hiding thing. It works for us.”
Fortunately, Mr. Lyons picked that exact moment to share his personal words of wisdom. “Last fool to the restaurant pays the bill!” There was a collective round of laughter and a rush to the parking lot. Vince’s dad tended to be quite the comedian, but his serious tone sounded awfully similar to his playful one.
As always, Aidan was an amazing date and was extremely courteous to anyone else he spoke with the entire evening. He opened the car for me, as well as my mom when Dad parked next to us. He held the door for everyone else before entering the restaurant himself. He pulled out my chair and waited until I sat. The poor guy even endured a game of twenty questions with my dad while the whole table pretended not to notice. He patiently listened to stories about Lex and Vince, as if he’d known them forever. Aidan didn’t seem the least bit uncomfortable being with my family and friends. I, on the other hand, could barely breathe knowing Joey watched every move Aidan made, especially when he was close to me.
When the meal ended, Veronica and Brian were the first to leave. Considering the busy schedule the next day, getting the kids in bed at a decent hour was definitely a good idea. Shortly afterward, I asked Aidan if he was ready to go. He had to be exhausted from the long drive. We said a quick goodbye to everybody and headed for the exit. I couldn’t even look at Joey as Aidan guided me with a hand on the small of my back. I wasn’t sure what felt worse…going with Aidan or abandoning Joey.
As we came to the main doors, Aidan noticed it had started raining. “Wait here. I’ll get the car.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I protested.
“No, it’s not.” He took off out the door before I could stop him.
Aidan hadn’t even made it down the sidewalk when somebody called my name. I turned, instantly regretting it. Nervously, Donnie scratched his short beard, then ran his hands down the front of a filthy apron. He’d aged more than most over the last seven years. Wrinkles formed by his eyes. Gray specks ran through his hair. He appeared worn out. “Um, sorry.” He gestured at his grimy shirt embroidered with the restaurant’s name. “I’m working a double today.” My shocked silence frightened him. “I heard you were in town for the wedding and thought about stopping by. I see you’re with someone tonight, but maybe we could get a cup of coffee sometime before you leave, or–”
“No.” I decided standing in the rain was the lesser of the two evils, but Donnie grabbed my arm, preventing me from walking out. “Let. Go.” The words came out as harsh as I meant them. He released me, but positioned himself to block my only way out.
“Please, Brie. I only need ten minutes of your time, then I’ll be out of your hair.”
“No.” I started to step by him, but he moved, too.
“Look,” he pleaded. “I’ve been in and out of rehab since the night you were at my house. This time, I’m serious about it. I have a kid on the way.” His lips formed a smile, but all I gave him was a blank stare. “It’s a girl. She’ll be here in September. We went for an ultrasound last week. She’s perfect.”
September? The same month my angel was stolen from me? Not being happy for someone wasn’t a familiar feeling for me, but I absolutely hated the fact that the person who was partially responsible for the eternal void in my soul could receive such a special gift. After everything he had done, how was that fair?
“Good for you.” Once more, he refused to let me pass. When I tried again, he grabbed my wrists. The expression on my face not only had him releasing his grasp, but also moving backward.
“You don’t understand. I need this for my little girl. Apologizing is part of the process.”
“That’s your problem, not mine.” It wasn’t that I thought he didn’t deserve to get the help he needed. I just wanted nothing to do with it, nor did I care to hear how wonderful his life would be. Finally, he gave me the space to exit.
“I’m going to Joe,” he said, stopping me in my tracks.
Facing Donnie caused me physical pain. “No.”
“I have to.”
“No, you don’t.”
“He’s one of the people on my list.”
“Take him off.”
“My counselor won’t allow that.”
“Do it anyway.”
“It was a really bad time in my life. I found out my dad lost his job because he messed with the wrong people. My mom was divorcing him. Everything just got so fucked up.”
“It’s called life, Don. Good and bad things happen all the time. It was your own fault you turned to drugs to deal with it.” A while back, Alexa had filled me in on his family and his overall decline but, for obvious reasons, I couldn’t care less.
“I know, but now I’m trying to fix it.”
“Leave Joey out of it.”
“Why? Because you’re a selfish bitch?”
“Fuck you!” The hostess noticed the commotion, so I lowered my voice. “This has never had anything to do with me. From the beginning, it’s only ever been about protecting Joey. He’s the only one who will ever matter to me.”
“You have a funny way of showing it.” He looked over my shoulder, so I did, as well. Aidan, holding an umbrella, was getting out of his car.
“You don’t know anything. Just keep your mouth shut and stay the hell away from Joey. I don’t care how you fix your own shit.”
The door opened. “Brie, are you okay?” Aidan questioned, looking from me to Donnie.
“I’m fine. Let’s go.” With that, I turned and walked toward Aidan. He held still, wordlessly demanding an explanation. “It’s nothing. Please, just take me home.” Doing as I asked, he escorted me outside. When we got in the car, he asked who Donnie was. “Someone with whom I went to school.”
“When I see old friends, I don’t look like I’m about to rip their hearts right out of their chests.”
“He wasn’t a friend.”
“What happened?”
“Can we just drop it? It was years ago and nothing I care to think about, let alone discuss.”
“Okay.” His hand stretched over the center console, clutching my fingers. “Looks like staying in Connecticut was the right move for you. The sooner we get you back there, the better.”
Finally able to distract him, Aidan gave me the rundown on how the week went. All was good, or how we expected it to be anyway. Mrs. Moore took the bad news he had called to tell me fairly well, given the circumstances, and hopped on board with Aidan’s next plan. She’d need a lot of support, but her boys would be there every step of the way. As it turned out, she had reconnected with an old friend who lived
nearby and offered help whenever she needed it.
At my parents’ house, we went to the kitchen. Aidan stole a quick peek into the living room, commenting about my senior picture hanging on the wall. I let it slide, making a mental note to find an old picture of him to get even. We were halfway through a beer when Mom and Dad walked in.
“Where’s Lex?” I wondered.
“Vince is bringing her home.” Mom laughed. “The poor guy may be here until we leave for church tomorrow. He’s terrified she’ll change her mind and skip town.”
“He’s so dumb,” I joked. “She’s his problem now. Everything was very nice tonight.”
“It was,” Dad agreed, sitting next to me and across from Aidan. “I knew it would be. The Lyons are a perfect match for Lex. She already has them wrapped around her little finger.”
“Alexa manages to do that with anyone she meets,” Mom added.
“It’s sweet. They definitely adore her.” I thought back to earlier in the night when Mrs. Lyons spoke about the first time she met my sister and how she loved her from the beginning. Mr. Lyons told Vince he was proud of him for many things, but choosing Lex was his best accomplishment to date. Roni and the kids gushed over her every chance they got. Even Brian welcomed Lex with open arms. I smiled, knowing my sister had a bright, exciting future ahead of her.
“I’m going to head out and get some sleep,” Aidan announced. He was giving us time as a family.
“Where are you going?” Mom questioned.
“Back to the hotel.”
“I’m sure Brielle offered for you to stay here, Aidan. This is as much her home as it is ours. Guests are always welcome.”
“She did, and I appreciate it, but I figured Lex would need her sister tonight.”
“Will you be comfortable there? We have two extra rooms upstairs.” Mom was referring to the guest room and Lex’s bedroom. She must’ve assumed, just as I did, Lex would sleep with me.
“Absolutely. Thank you for your generosity, though.”
“Anytime.” She stood as he did. Dad shook his hand from his spot at the table, not budging.
“I’ll walk you out,” I told him.
Aidan wished my family goodnight, and we wandered out to his car, hand-in-hand. He rested his back on the driver’s door, holding my waist. “I had a nice time tonight. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
He pulled me into him. The rain had tapered off while we were in the house. For the first time since Aidan arrived, I took a deep breath as a gentle, cool breeze blew through the small space between us. Our heads tilted inward. The moment passed as quickly as it had started when both Vince’s car and Joey’s SUV barreled down our street, rounded Aidan’s car, and parked in the driveway. Music blared from both vehicles, as if it were a competition.
Despite the interruption, Aidan grinned. “Are they always like this?” He glanced over as Alexa climbed out of the car, hysterically laughing.
I sighed. “Pretty much.” My expression was probably funnier than my actual response.
“Everyone talked about separate families all night but, as an outsider looking in, it seems as if there’s only ever been one big family.”
“We grew up together. All of us are about the same age, so we went through the same milestones at the same time. Our parents were always close because we were. Thick or thin, everyone stuck by each other. Sometimes it actually sucked. There was no sneaking around when at least one parent lurked around every corner.”
“That’s actually nice. We moved a bit early on, my parents trying to find a house they liked. I still keep in contact with a couple people, but nothing like this.” He gestured toward the three of them. Both ignitions had been switched off and the music had stopped. I guessed Mom was right about Vince not leaving. “Do you miss them?”
“I do. As you said, they are family.”
“That guy at the restaurant… Is he the reason why?”
“Not exactly.” My hesitant answer derailed his line of questioning. It was neither the time nor the place for such a conversation.
“Will you ever talk about it?” I shrugged. He lifted my chin as I tried averting my eyes. “You deserve more than the mostly distant relationship we have. I want to be able to spend time with you without worrying about who knows. It doesn’t even matter what we do. Do you have any idea how amazing it would be to spend a whole weekend taking you wherever the hell I wanted? I understand your feelings when it comes to being at work, but I don’t think that’s relevant anymore. I’m not your boss. I’m not usually even at the office most days. If it means we can openly be together, I’ll find another job. My contract is up in a few months anyway.”
“What? No! You can’t leave! Our patients need you!”
“Then tell me what I need to do, Brielle. I’m done hiding how much I care for you. I’m sick of pretending you aren’t the most important person in the world. I’m certainly done with people trying to set me up with women who don’t compare to you. You couldn’t be any more perfect for me. We’re perfect for each other. Nobody gets me the way you do. Just by looking in your eyes, I see how wrong I was in assuming helping people would make me successful, even happy. There’s nothing better than being with you. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Brie. It took finding you to realize I haven’t had anything worth having in my life until now.”
“Aidan…”
He leaned in closer. “Brielle, every single day that passes, I fall more in love with you.” No. No. No! This shit is not happening! “I’m not expecting you to say you feel the same way. We went into this thing between us with no expectations, other than keeping it simple. I’ll stay there if it’s the only way I can have you, but…” He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, “all you have to do is say the word and I’ll give you everything.”
My thoughts scattered out of control. The mix of emotions made it impossible to string any of them together enough to make sense. The inside of my chest exploded with an anxiety I’d never experienced before. What the hell was I supposed to say? The nerves morphed into an excruciating amount of guilt. I’d been honest with Aidan from day one. I gave strict conditions that couldn’t be altered, and he accepted them all. I should’ve said no. None of that would’ve happened if I had told him no. Despite my efforts, I somehow succeeded in hurting another person who didn’t deserve to be. How many people would I destroy in one lifetime? What the hell was wrong with me?
Lex, Vince, and Joey didn’t try to hide the fact they were waiting for us to hurry and finish but, with Aidan blindsiding me, I momentarily forgot about them…until Joey grabbed my hand and lifted me off the ground. Before any type of reaction was feasible, Joey rushed toward the house as I dangled over his shoulder. There were two positives that immediately came to me. First, Joey had the decency to hold down the bottom of my dress so my ass wasn’t hanging out. Secondly, when I looked over, Aidan clearly thought the situation was comical, most likely assuming my friends were screwing with me.
“Joey! Put me down!” I hollered. He didn’t, but he did temporarily stop in the middle of the lawn and twisted to face Aidan.
“Sorry, man. The bride says my best man duties include making sure the maid of honor gets her beauty sleep. Lex will flip out if BC looks like shit in the pictures. I know nothing about this nonsense. Evidently, it has something to do with the photographer costing her a ton of money or some shit.”
“Understandable,” Aidan remarked, chuckling. “Have a good night.”
“See ya,” Joey said, continuing up the lawn. I squirmed, smacked his back, shouted his name a few more times, but nothing fazed him.
“Don’t drop her!” Lex yelled, not even pretending to be worried. Those two followed us into the foyer, closing the door once we all were inside.
When Joey finally set me back on my feet, I glared at him, snapping, “What the fuck is your problem?”
“No problem here.” Smirking, he stood, blocking the doorway. He to
ok in my demeanor, only faintly easing up on the grin. “Sorry, Buttercup. That shit was not happening on my watch.”
“We were talking, Joey!”
“Maybe, but he clearly wasn’t going to be just talking much longer.”
Anger poured from me and I hated how loud my voice sounded. I had no clue why I was so furious but, yet again, Joey stepped in and saved me at the most appropriate time. “Why do you care?!”
His amused appearance promptly vanished, replaced with one he’d never used with me. Joey quickly closed the gap between us. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“Calm down, Sullivan,” Vince warned.
“Nobody fucking asked you.” Joey pointed at his best friend, then refocused on me. “I know damn well you’re much smarter than you’re acting, so turn your ass around and get the hell up the fucking stairs.” He stood tall, crossing his arms over his chest, waiting to see if I’d defy him by trying to go back out to Aidan. Joey was right, though. I knew better. He’d never allow it.
His face was so close, I could barely breathe. For a split second, I wanted to slap him for tearing me away from Aidan the way he did. Aidan would definitely ask more questions he wouldn’t particularly like hearing the answers to. The fleeting urge passed and left me craving the feeling of Joey’s lips pressed into mine. At the same time, our bodies unwound from the rage. We were captivated with each other, neither one backing away. His thumbs slid down my sides until he rested his hands on my hips, then he gently tugged me in. When I wore heels, we stood eye-to-eye.
“I…I…I should go upstairs,” I stuttered.
The Sullivan grin spread across his face. “You better,” he responded. From the living room, someone cleared his or her throat. I stepped back, as if being caught doing something I shouldn’t have been doing. His smile intensified.
Subtle Reminders Page 30
