Love Me Always (The Invisibles)

by Michelle Lynn

  He steps into the bathroom, spritzing on his cologne and brushing his teeth.

  “Trying to impress Grandma Ida?” I eye him through the mirror.

  “Well, you know how much she likes to ogle me.”

  I cringe and roll my eyes. “That’s gross.”

  He breaks the distance between us and wraps his arms around my waist, nuzzling his head in my neck. “You are the only one I try to impress.” He casts an open kiss to the hollow of my neck and tingles zing to my core. Brady knows exactly how to make me want him and feeling what’s pressing along my thigh, he wants me too.

  “Thank God our room is on the third floor, because I plan on having a repeat tonight.” He winks and leaves the room.

  I don’t say anything because I think in the past few months I can count on one hand how many times we’ve had sex. It wasn’t anything horrible, except he was annoyed with my wedding obsession and I was annoyed because he didn’t seem to care. After the talk about Theo, Brady’s definitely happier, which I guess means his sex drive returned.

  The doorbell rings and I eye my watch. Surprise, surprise, they’re forty minutes early. But I can’t complain because I haven’t seen them in six months. I dodge past Brady on the stairs to reach the door first and he chuckles. “In a rush, babe?”

  When I open the door, I don’t even allow them to walk inside before I wrap my arms around each of their necks. Tears prick my eyes and I beg them to stay in. These two women can see through me like a glass window. If they see the guilt that’s taken over my mind, I won’t need Dr. Hinkle because they’ll make me talk about it until I scream.

  I pull back and my mom’s investigative eyes search mine, but she says nothing. Hopefully, I’ve gotten better at masking my problems over the years.

  My mom’s blonde hair is short and chic and she’s wearing a pair of capri’s and a cardigan with a blouse tucked under. I guess you can take the girl out of the country club, but not the country club out of the girl. Since my dad and her divorced, she’s moved down to Florida to be closer to my grandma. From the gossip I hear, mind you from Grandma Ida, she has numerous men trying to court her. I hope she finds someone to spend her future with; she deserves it.

  “It’s so good to see you both.” I swarm them in a hug again and my grandma hits my arm.

  “Get off me, girl; where is your sexy beast?”

  I laugh and back up. Brady leans against the door, chuckling to himself.

  “You can’t talk about him like that once he’s my husband,” I say. Her little body slowly moves to Brady and he hugs her, kissing her on the cheek. I don’t know if it’s the time gone by or if she looks older, but she does. She’s walking slower, she’s bearing more wrinkles, and she seems incredibly tired. My smile fades and she turns to me, and tilts her head.

  “Stop it, girl.”

  “What?” I ask, making room for my mom to come into the house.

  “You look at me like I’m a second from dying.”

  “No, no.” I try to fight it. Remember how I said, I’m as see through as a glass window to these two.

  “Yes, you do and stop it. I’m not going to tell you again. Secondly, once you give me great-grandbabies, I’ll stop making remarks about your man.” She bypasses everyone, drops her purse on the table and moves into the family room at a snail’s pace. “That would be inappropriate.”

  “It’s not inappropriate now? He’s my future husband.” I follow her, half laughing, half serious, because it’s a little creepy how much she likes Brady.

  “Oh, please, Sadie. Sometimes you’re too serious. Lighten up. Right, Brady?” she says.

  Brady holds his hands up in the air and backs up. “I’m staying out of it. You can ogle Ida, as long as you understand I belong to your grand-daughter.”

  “Bring me your single friends.” She plops down on our couch and picks up the US Weekly magazine, thumbing through it.

  “None of his friends are single anymore,” I say and she huffs.

  “Okay, Mom let’s talk about the wedding.” My mom pins her eyes on me and my breath lodges in my throat. She sees it—I know she does. “What do you need us to do?” She pretends to be ignorant and I half wonder if she’s going to plan out her attack on me.

  “Nothing, everything is good.” I smile and her eyes veer to the television Grandma has now convinced Brady to turn on. I guess Family Feud is on and heaven forbid she miss it.

  Her lips purse as though she’s thinking hard about something and then she smiles. “I’m sure there’s something that still needs to be done.”

  Yep, she knows. Great.

  Brady

  SADIE’S ON EDGE again; her mom practically has her sitting in a chair with a lamp over her head like on those cop shows. Ida is busy watching television with her feet on the table, screaming out the answers to Family Feud. Then yelling at the contestants about what morons they are for not answering correctly. Great life, right here. Excusing myself, I escape into the kitchen to order the pizza. Just as I’m finishing with them, our doorbell rings and I roll my eyes. Sadie must answer it because Dex, Chrissy, Paige, Rob, and Matty all file in, making a beeline for Sadie’s mom and Ida. Knowing we’ll have more guests, I order double the amount of pizzas and reluctantly give the ditzy girl on the other end of the phone my credit card. I swear this wedding is costing us a small fortune, but it’s worth it, right? I mean you only get married once? As long as the person stays.

  Rob and Dex seek me out in the kitchen and sit down at the table. I knew our house would have everyone in it this whole week, so I prepared. I open the fridge and wait for them to tell me what they want from an array of drinks. Each of them taking a beer, I grab a water and we sit down.

  “Man, that woman needs to get laid,” Rob says and shakes his body.

  “Her hands were veering way too close to my ass,” Dex chimes in and we all laugh.

  “From what Sadie says, she has men down in Florida.” All of our faces mimic the others in pure disgust.

  “So, everything’s going good with you two again?” Rob asks, which still shocks the shit out of me. He never used to give a shit about anything, let alone my relationship problems.

  “Yeah,” I answer.

  “Good.” Dex nods and takes a long pull of his beer.

  I hear the girls egging Ida on about the men she sleeps with. Sadie’s practically gagging and Sadie’s mom, Maggie, is asking a slew of questions to Matty. She hasn’t denied how much she wants grandchildren. Our house is full and I have to say I like it this way. I joke that Sadie isn’t good in a quiet house, but I don’t like either. It reminds me too much when I was younger and my dad would be passed out upstairs. Especially after my mom left. I hated it and still do. Maybe that’s where that baby comment came from earlier to Sadie. I heard her footsteps stop and I’m sure she was surprised. We’ve discussed it and we’d like to wait for a few years, but lately I don’t want to. Maybe it’s because every one of my friends has a kid except for Dex.

  “What do you think, Brady?” Dex asks and I shake my head to come back to the present conversation.

  “I’m sorry, what?” I ask, gulping down a drink of my water.

  “For your bachelor party. You want low key, right?”

  I nod. Hopefully, my very committed friends understand no strippers. I don’t think Sadie would care, but I’m not really into it. Never have been.

  “What a buzz kill,” Rob says and shakes his head in repulsion.

  Dex and I laugh because Rob was that one friend of ours who would sit up front with a fist of dollar bills in his hand, but now I can’t see it.

  “I don’t want anything big. Those days ended when I met Sadie.”

  Our doorbell rings and there’s no way it’s the pizza.

  “Aww . . .” they both say in unison and I throw my empty water bottle at them, exiting the room.

  Sadie and I reach the door at the same time. She shakes her head and I chuckle.

  “You like hearing about your grand
ma’s conquests.” I joke and she rolls her eyes.

  “I had to send Matty out of the room when she started showing lengths with her fingers.”

  I clench my teeth.

  “Yeah, welcome to my hell.” She opens the door and there stands Grant, Jessa, and Addy. Did I not know we were having a damn party?

  “We heard your mom and grandma were in.” Jessa doesn’t even wait before she steps over the doorway, handing Addy to me.

  Grant follows, his arms filled with a diaper bag, some chair thing and another bag filled with toys.

  Addy’s fingers touch my lips and I kiss her forehead. She’s the spitting image of her mom, except for her dad’s bright blue eyes.

  Grant drops it all to the ground and Jessa turns around giving him the death stare.

  My eyes shift from her to him and Grants shrugs. “She’s in a mood.”

  “The guys are in the kitchen. Give me a second.”

  Grant moves down the hall and I cut across with Addy to the family room. I’m not even in the room for more than a second before Chrissy snatches her from my arms. Mission complete.

  I join the guys and Grant’s already got a beer in his hands, Dex is on his second and Rob’s nursing one.

  I’m not even seated before the doorbell rings again. “What the hell?” I say and move to the front door again. This time Sadie doesn’t join me.

  I open the door and find no one at first. Then my eyes cast down and two little bodies rush into the house, each hugging my leg.

  “Hey, Uncle Brady,” Chloe and Tara say and scurry into the family room.

  “Matty!” they both scream and start chasing each other around.

  Did I say I wanted kids? My mistake.

  Drew slowly makes his way with Trey behind him, moving his hand in the air as though that would get him going faster. Kailey grabs his hand and shakes her head. He rolls his eyes in exasperation. I squat down and hold my arms out to entice Drew. He smiles and his feet pick up speed until he falls into my waiting arms. I spin him around and he squeals.

  “Down,” he hits me and I draw back.

  “Alright, Buddy.” I drop him to the floor and he runs into the family room. I guess everyone knows where to hang out. “Hitting?” I ask Trey.

  He shakes his head. “I swear he’s going to be the death of us.” Kailey tilts her head at him and he changes course. “I mean, he’s trying, but we love him.” He accentuates the end part as though he’s happy about it.

  “He’s just testing his limits,” Kailey says and hands Trey the bags. “Hey, Brady.” She lifts to her tiptoes and kisses my cheek.

  “Hi, Kailey,” I greet her and before I can even ask a question, she’s gone into the family room with everyone else.

  “Welcome to my impromptu party. Guys are in the kitchen, I gotta go add more pizza to the order.”

  I turn to my right into the living room and dial up the pizza place. No problem on adding four more pizzas to the order. I know how my friends eat—way too fucking much.

  As much as I wasn’t expecting all these people tonight, it’s nice to hear the noise filling all the empty space. The guys are trying to plan my bachelor party, which truthfully I don’t give a shit about. The fact they waited until the week of the event screams how busy all of our lives are. I’m more than okay not having one.

  Sadie has gotten all the girls to fold the wedding programs and attached small bows to the top. They’re all circled around the dining table, filling each other in on their lives. Sadie catches me in the doorway and our eyes lock. She thinks I’m blind, because I still see her reverence about Theo not being able to be here. Or the fact he’ll never have his own wedding. She’s a smidge better, but I’m hoping her mom and grandma can help her through the issues. Speaking of, Maggie walks over and places her hand on my shoulder, now holding Addy.

  “She’ll get there. I’m planning to talk to her tomorrow,” she says softly, but Sadie catches us talking and then her eyes move to Jessa, rambling about her pregnancy.

  “Thanks, I think she needs it,” I say and she gives me a weak smile.

  I pray in Sadie’s case, Mom fixes everything. Even if my mom didn’t.

  Finally, after a lifetime the doorbell rings.

  “Grant, give me a hand.” I tap his shoulder and he puts his beer down and follows me to the front door.

  “I’m starving,” he says and I agree, my stomach has been rumbling for the past fifteen minutes.

  I twist the doorknob and this feeling of gloom washes through my body. Shaking it off as something for the wedding, I open the door. Grant gasps and I slam the door shut.

  Our eyes fly to one another. “No fucking way,” he whispers and my heart pounds against my chest.

  “Couldn’t be,” I tell him and he shakes his head as though he’s not about to deal with this. He’s withdrawing as he inches back.

  “Jessa,” Grant calls out. “Grab Addy.”

  Jessa walks out to the foyer without Addy, confused to what’s going on. The doorbell rings again, alarming Sadie to join her. The two loves our lives stare at us in the archway, wondering what the hell’s going on.

  “I told you to get Addy. We’re leaving,” Grant instructs her. As if Jessa listens to instruction like that.

  “Um, No. We’re not.”

  Grant’s teeth grit and I see his face getting redder. Now a knock on the door.

  “Fuck,” I mumble. My eyes seek out Grant trying to figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do.

  Sadie steps forward. “Brady, who’s at the door?” She lays her hand on my forearm and my whole body tenses. She has enough going on, the last thing she needs to deal with is me as a basket case.

  “No one. I want you and Jessa to go into the kitchen. Don’t come out.” My eyes don’t reach hers because I know I’ll break seeing what’s looking back.

  “You know I’m not going to do that.” She pulls the curtain next to the door to the side, but I quickly step in front.

  “Please, Sadie. Just go into the kitchen.”

  She narrows her eyes. “What is going on?”

  “I second that,” Jessa says and steps forward, her eyes boring into Grant’s.

  “Can you please listen to me right now?” Grant pleas. “I don’t ask for much, baby. Get Addy and stay in the kitchen.”

  “You’re scaring me,” she says and Sadie nods her head to me.

  “Me too.” Those green eyes plead with me to open up, but this is off limits. I can’t do it.

  “Give me a second.” I open the door and slide through the sliver.

  She looks old. Old and wrinkled with her tan skin. Her hair long like always, pulled to a low ponytail in the back. She smiles. Fucking smiles. Mom, strike that, the woman who gave birth to me, stands before me and actually thinks I’d welcome her. Fuck her and the piece of shit to her left.

  “Leave,” I say and point to what I assume is their SUV on the street.

  “Brady,” her voice sweet and surly, like she gives one shit about me.

  “Listen, Brady.” Grant’s dad, Keith, tries to intercept.

  “No. You listen to me.” I shove my hands in my pockets before I hit one or both of them. “You’re going to leave. And never return. You aren’t welcome here. I’m not sure why you decided to come back—”

  “We heard you were getting married,” she says, her eyes lighting up.

  “Your invitation didn’t get lost. There never was one,” I say, my own eyes sending daggers to hers.

  The door squeaks open and I whip around, afraid it’s Sadie.

  “Grant, honey. You’re so grown up.” My mom compliments him and I catch Sadie and Jessa staring out the window. It’s only a matter of time before they join us.

  “I am. You missed those years,” he sneers and doesn’t meet either my mom or his dad’s eyes. He leans into me and whispers, “We have about five seconds before they follow.”

  I nod. “Again, you aren’t welcome. Leave,” I demand, but they continue to st
and in front of us, not moving an inch. Glowering over each of us with happiness in their eyes. Yeah jackass, we grew up just fine without your help.

  “Please, I know we should have called but we figured you’d dodge the calls,” Keith says, staring right into Grant’s eyes.

  “We would have,” I say. Grant has shut down which happens with him, but me, I refuse to let them stand here and admire the men we’ve become. She left me with an alcoholic father who couldn’t take care of himself. I was a damn teenager.

  “Grant honey, we heard you got married too,” She doesn’t mention the baby and I doubt he’ll tell them.

  “Where are you hearing your information?” I ask, my arms crossing over each other.

  “We saw your wedding announcement in the newspaper. Keith was up here for an interview with Western again.” Mother Effers, they are going to move up here again. Might as well put a for sale sign in the front yard. Never. “The matron of honor and best man were listed as Grant and Jessa Bishop.”

  “Listen, I’m trying to be polite. Neither one of us wants to see you, okay?” I try to be diplomatic. I’m thankful Sadie and Jessa haven’t made their way out here yet, but they’ll know as soon as we walk in.

  “We want to apologize,” Keith says, stepping forward. Grant and I both step back, our backs pressed to the front door.

  The pizza guy barrels into the driveway and slams on his breaks finding a line of cars in his path.

  “We don’t want your apologies.” Grant speaks up and nods his head to me to get the pizza.

  I jump down the cement stoop and sign the credit card receipt. It’s evident that the whole house knows what’s going on when Trey, Dex and Rob walk out the backdoor and take the pizza from my hands.

  “You okay, man?” Trey asks and I nod.

  “We’ll keep the masses inside,” he says.

  “Thanks,” I mumble. Rob clasps my shoulder and gives it a squeeze before he follows the boys to the backdoor.

  By the time I’m back in the front, Grant’s finger is jamming into Keith’s chest. Shit, this escalated fast. I knew Grant had many more problems with them than I did. I mean, at least I had my dad, but Grant he was left with no one after his dad left.