“You have issues,” I remarked, heading for the steps.
“Yes, I do, but I’d bet you’d be able to fix the problem in a heartbeat if I came up there with you.” I briefly paused, wondering if I’d heard him right. When he snickered, I knew I had. In my head, I called him out on it and asked him to follow me. In reality, I bit my tongue and went upstairs alone. It was going to be another long night.
There wasn’t anything worse than feeling powerless. I despised it so much, I tried my best to avoid it at all costs. Being professional or personal had no bearing on how hard I’d work. Nothing stung harder than not being able to fix a situation. I needed some sense of control. Unfortunately, powerless was exactly how I felt when BC released her hold on my arm and went to Aidan. Lex meant well when she tried to distract me, but the only thing I saw was some random guy with my heart in his hands.
I drove to the restaurant alone, thinking how BC had been sitting beside me on the ride to the church. Her scent still lingered in the air. Listening to any music would’ve sucked, so I kept the radio off. Two traffic lights before arriving at the restaurant, Aidan’s car disappeared from sight. I couldn’t decide if it hurt more seeing the two of them together or not being able to see them at all.
Once we were seated at the table, I caught every move the guy made. Did he have to sit so close to her? She needed room to breathe. Was resting his arm on the back of BC’s chair necessary? She didn’t need him rubbing her bare skin. How was he so responsive to everything she did? Why couldn’t he just be a douchebag I wouldn’t mind punching in the face? Then I started wondering why she hadn’t let him stay the night with her. Normally, I had pretty good instincts when meeting new people. Other than the fact he had my girl, there were no red flags. Hell, he even took Rich’s intrusive line of questioning like a champ. At one point, I thought maybe Rich was softening up to him, but when they left, he looked at me questioningly. I got out of my seat and walked over to sit with him.
“Are you really going to let him take her home?” he mumbled.
I leaned my forearms on the edge of the table. “What the fuck am I supposed to do?”
“Wow. I didn’t take you for a quitter, Sullivan.” The bastard smirked, picking up his beer.
I stalled for a minute too long. By the time I reached the main entrance, Aidan was holding an umbrella over BC’s beautiful head as she got into the passenger side of his bright red Mercedes. The only reason I decided against running out there was she never looked back. She wanted to go with him. After being curled up next to me, she still left. What was the point?
“Hey, Joe.” I vaguely remembered my mom mentioning how my cousin had finally landed a job at a local restaurant, but I hadn’t cared enough to find out which one. Seeing him standing there only confirmed why I wouldn’t ever give a shit about him again.
“Don,” I responded curtly, itching to return to the table and bury my head.
“I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you. Your mom says you’re pretty busy, though.” He looked terrible. I had no tolerance for people who drowned their sorrows with any kind of substance. In my line of work, I’d seen too many lives ruined because of drugs or alcohol.
“Why?” We hadn’t spoken in years. A trip down that road wouldn’t lead us anywhere worth going.
“To apologize.”
“For what?”
Don nervously shifted in place. “Do you think we could meet up somewhere sooner rather than later? This probably isn’t the best place to talk.”
“Sure. Let me know when you’re free,” I said, having absolutely no intention of meeting him anywhere or anytime.
“Thanks, man. This means a lot to me and Izzy.”
“Who the hell is Izzy?”
“My girlfriend… I guess my fiancé now.” He smiled, revealing teeth destroyed by years of drug use. The sad thing was that she couldn’t have been much better than he. It was usually how that shit worked out. They could have each other. Without another word, I walked away.
Rich glared at me when I re-entered the room. He obviously expected BC would be there. Hell, so did I. Not having the slightest desire to discuss it, I shook my head and flopped back into my original chair. The vacant seat on the other side of the table only reminded me BC was gone. If he would have stayed in Connecticut where he belonged, she’d still be here, sitting right beside me where she belonged.
Not much later, the rest of us left. As we did, Donnie stopped Vince and Lex to congratulate them, also mentioning to me how he’d text on Sunday or Monday. Vince asked me what he meant, and I gave him the short version of the story. He suggested maybe I should hear my cousin out. I replied, “You’re right. I should. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing the second he calls. Too bad he doesn’t have my number.” When I changed carriers a while ago, I asked for a new number. I just didn’t forward it to everyone.
“I have to swing by my place before going to the Watson’s. Lex forgot one of her hundred bags,” Vince mocked.
“I don’t have that many, jerk!”
“Are you sure you aren’t already married?” I jokingly asked.
“Follow us. Vince is staying there for a bit anyway.”
“Thanks, but I’ll just wait at your house.” Hanging around and watching BC and her boyfriend wouldn’t end well.
“What if I told you Aidan won’t be there?” Lex said, batting her eyes. She looked exactly like her sister when she did that shit.
“BC?”
“I guess you’ll have to come and see.” She winked.
“The guy drove all this way and he’s not even staying with her?”
“Nope. Not tonight. I don’t know about tomorrow.”
“What the hell are we waiting for then?”
“Why do you do this shit to yourself?” Vince asked. In less than twenty-four hours, he’d be married to the only girl he ever loved. Why was this so difficult for him to understand?
When we got to their house, Alexa was in and out in record time. From the moment they first told me they were searching for a place in our hometown, I was relieved. It would suck if they moved away. Once back on the road, I followed them to the Watson’s.
When I pulled into the driveway, the Mercedes parked by the curb was the first thing I noticed. It wasn’t until I got out of my truck that I saw them standing next to it. No breath was deep enough to calm the annoyance I felt.
“Again with his fucking hands on her?” I mumbled. Vince sighed. He was all too familiar with how I ticked.
“Couldn’t you have taken five more minutes looking for your shit?” he asked Lex. Vince had gotten out of the car, but Lex was still inside.
“Chill out, Sully. It’s not like they are going to have sex right there up against the car. At least, not with us standing out here.” She burst out laughing when I threatened a severe ass kicking to the next person who made one more comment about BC being with anyone. They couldn’t have forgotten that was rule number one. Besides, experience taught me how possible that was.
It was Jack’s twenty-fifth birthday. BC insisted we have a surprise party for him, planning it for weeks with his roommate. The two-bedroom house they were renting served as the perfect bachelor pad, which meant having the party there was our best option. While we set up and the roommate went to the liquor store, Pop kept Jack busy with errands. We were somehow able to pull it off and had one of the greatest nights ever.
As it was winding down and people began leaving, BC and I were dancing in the small kitchen. By the third song, she started kissing my neck and whispering in my ear. I lifted her up and put her on the counter. Even buzzed, she felt uncomfortable, pulling away from our kiss. I wouldn’t have done much more anyway. Not with other people around. Taking her in my arms, I thought about carrying her into my brother’s room, but BC would’ve been afraid he’d walk in. There was no key to the bedroom, but who knew if the locks were any good. Besides, he was a cop. If he wanted to get in, he’d succeed. Setting her down, I ran through the lim
ited options in my mind, then took her by the hand and went out back. There were still guests smoking and chatting on the patio, so we went around the side of the house and found my Wrangler parked along the edge of the driveway. On the far side was nothing but a patch of woods. Having sex right there where anyone could see wasn’t my intention. However, sometimes it just happens and you completely forget other people even exist. Thankfully, the Jeep was tall enough so nobody even noticed us.
I didn’t dwell on the memory too long. No fucking way was I going to tolerate her repeating history with him. “All right. I’m done.” I shoved off the side of the truck and jogged toward them.
“Joe! Where are you going?” Lex shouted a little louder than necessary, but it wasn’t really at me. She was warning her sister.
BC saw us pull in the damn driveway. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know we were waiting for her. I heard nothing they said, but witnessing the intimacy between them was more than I could handle. Her fingers were lightly resting on his arm, so they lifted easily as I tugged on her. Not only did she come willingly, but I swear I saw gratitude flash in her eyes. In case she suddenly changed her mind, I threw her over my shoulder and started to walk to the house. For whatever reason, I apologized to Aidan, but it wasn’t genuine. There was no chance I’d stand by and watch him touch her for another second. Besides, it was his own fault. He should’ve held her tighter.
BC’s dramatics were amusing until she asked why I cared. One minute, I was laughing; the next, she stabbed me so damn deep, instantly obliterating my composure. How she did that shit was one of the greatest mysteries of the world. Perhaps it was simply because no one else’s opinion mattered all that much.
Moving into BC’s personal space was a bold move. The situation could’ve quickly escalated out of control. However, once I did, the game changed. The lead now belonged to me and I was going to run with it. The longing she felt was displayed as clear as day. Not even she could deny it. Her eyes shimmered. Her breath caught. Her stance relaxed. Instinctively, her tongue ran over her lower lip, leaving it moist. Plain and simple, I desperately wanted and needed her.
When I ordered her to her room, she scrambled up the stairs like a pissed off teenager. Her feet stomped on each one, then all the way down the hall. I waited for the echo of the slamming door, but it never came.
“Man, you sure do know how to make a woman angry.” Vince leaned on the entryway to the living room, taking a swig of beer. He didn’t even pretend not to be eavesdropping.
“I should knock your fucking teeth out,” I growled.
“For what?”
“Interfering.” She was so focused on us, she had jumped when the prick cleared his throat.
“What did I do?” He smirked, irritating me more. “Oh, right. Well, that was payback for what you did to Aidan outside.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“Honestly, Sully, I’m just watching your back. When she leaves next week, you’re going to go through hell all over again.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Fine.” He raised both hands. “I’m gonna hang out for a bit.” Once he retreated into the living room, I went up the stairs. I had absolutely no clue what to say, but it had to be something good. Knowing she was upset made my heart ache.
The bedroom door was wide open and light radiated into the hall. Nervously, I walked just inside the room and stopped. BC’s back was to me. She stood facing the window on the far side of the room, as if she didn’t know what to do. She seemed lost.
“Hey,” I sighed.
She jumped, turning around. “Hey.”
“I just came to apologize for acting like an ass.” A tear dripped down her cheek. I raced to her side, nestling her against me, her head resting on my chest. She griped my shirt in her fists. “I’m so sorry, Buttercup.” How could I have done this?
An eternity passed. She remained quiet and motionless, but didn’t cry. Eventually, she lifted her head to look at me, still saying nothing. The look in her eyes from before reappeared. She wanted me as much as I wanted her. Risking it all, I leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. She exhaled in relief. I pulled back to gauge her reaction. It hadn’t changed. When I tilted in a second time, neither of us held back. We both poured everything we had into an incredible, long overdue kiss.
BC released her grip on my shirt, running her fingertips over my chest, down my arms, settling at my waist. A small moan escaped her when my tongue traveled from her mouth to her neck. Her head fell back, granting access to her exposed skin. I felt her nails dig into me when I paid special attention to the one spot on her neck that never failed to drive her insane.
“Joey…,” she breathed out.
My hands roamed over every inch of her body I could reach without altering my position. She pulled me closer, pressing our bodies together. Suddenly, doubt crept in. Was she this way because she was with me? Or was it because of whatever the fuck went on with Aidan? I had to know. Halting any advancement, I held her jaw steady, staring directly into her creamy brown eyes. I’d be happy there forever. “If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?”
BC knew the meaning behind the question. She raised her chin until her lips met mine, paused, then kissed my cheek before answering. “I’m already there and have no plans of leaving anytime soon.”
“Don’t move,” I whispered, releasing her.
As if there wasn’t a single worry in the world, I crossed the room, closed and locked the door, then strolled back toward the love of my life. Using only one finger, I traced the top of her shoulder, pulling the thin strap of the dress down her arm. She watched it slide off, then I repeated the process on the other side. I knew the dress had a zipper running along the side, and releasing it allowed the material to slip to the floor. Completely confident in a red lace strapless bra and matching panties, BC stood before me. I took her in, trying to figure out if it were a dream or if we were truly in the same room.
Naturally, BC countered my actions. Deliberately slower than I had, she lifted the bottom of my shirt up and over my head. Dropping it somewhere behind us, she focused on the tattoo I had scrolled across my upper arm.
“I remember the day you got this done.”
“Me, too. Like it was yesterday.”
“Hi, beautiful.” I greeted BC with a kiss at the end of the school day. It was mid-week, which sort of sucked. Celebrating my birthday with our friends had to wait until the weekend, but she was with me. That was the only thing that mattered.
“Hey Joey,” she giggled.
“I missed you.”
“You saw me an hour ago.” We went through this charade nearly every day where she pretended only I was hung up on her. It never got old.
“Longest hour of my life.” She mockingly rolled her eyes. “Let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”
“Where are we going?” I hadn’t told her my plan because she’d try to talk me out of it.
“We have to meet Jack.” Technically, it wasn’t a lie. He’d be there, too.
When we arrived, my brother was standing at the counter inside the tattoo parlor chatting with an old friend of his.
“What are we doing here?” she asked for the fifth time.
“You’ll see.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Ah, there’s the birthday boy.” I reached over the wooden counter to shake hands with Mike. They knew each other through Mike’s older sister. Jack probably dated her at one time or another.
“Happy birthday, little brother.” Jack grabbed me in a headlock and lightly punched my chest. “Mike, this is Joe’s girlfriend, Babycakes. Don’t call her that, though. It’ll just piss him off.” Everyone laughed, except me. “Let’s get this show on the road. I have to work tonight.”
We followed Mike to his station. Everything was already set up.
“What the hell is going on?” BC was starting to get nervous.
“I’m getting a tattoo.” It seemed self-
explanatory.
“Obviously,” she sighed. “When did you decide this?”
“A while ago.”
“What are you getting?”
“You’ll see.” I smirked.
“Say that one more time and I’m going to strangle you. I don’t care if it is your birthday.”
I chuckled. “Okay, fine. I’ll show you when it’s done. Have a seat.” Jack dragged a stool over for her.
“Why can’t you just tell me now?” I didn’t answer. “I won’t like it, will I?”
“It’s not bad,” Jack chimed in.
“You told Jack, but you can’t tell me?”
“Relax, Brie.” Jack helped her onto the stool, positioning her on the opposite side of my body from where Mike was working. “I wouldn’t let him do something completely stupid.” She shot an “I know you both better than you think I do” look. Now she was the one who wasn’t very amused.
While Mike performed his magic, BC kept trying to sneak a peek, but Jack did the job I asked of him and held her back. After she threatened him multiple times, he told Mike to hurry up before the girl lost her mind.
“You can’t rush this shit, Jack. Sweetheart, you need to chill.” When her anger shifted to him, his tone changed. “I mean… I’ll be finished in a minute, ma’am.” Without another word, he went back to work, probably wishing I never came in.
By the time he was done, BC had resorted to pacing around the shop. The three of us checked out the tattoo before she realized I was finished. Once she did, I held my breath. As she walked over, Jack and Mike took a step back, unsure of how she’d react.
“Joey…” Her hands went into her hair, a sure sign she was stressing out, as she stared at my arm now branded with her initials. “Why… Why would you do that?”
I grabbed her hands so she wouldn’t pull out every last strand. “Because I love you. Why the hell else would I do it?”
“What if…”
“What?”
“What if something happens to us? You’ll be scarred forever.”
“If something happens to us, Buttercup, it won’t be the tattoo that wounds me.”
Subtle Reminders Page 31
