I sat staring at the different font options I had up for the branding plan for yet another company when a knock came at the door.
“Can I come in?” Tara asked as I turned and looked over my shoulder at her.
“Sure,” I replied as I took her in. She was dressed more casually than usual in black slacks, a white pinstripe button-up and ballet flats. The white of the shirt didn’t help the pallor of her face.
She sat down in the chair slowly.
“Saturday—” she began.
“Look, Tara, I’m so sorry that happened. Adam didn’t mean for you to get hurt,” I explained.
She smiled softly as she sighed.
“It’s not really Adam’s fault. Bobby was being an ass, we all know that,” she said.
“Still, he feels awful, and so do I. I should’ve—”
“Warned me? I’ve known for years there was a feud between the two of them over you. It didn’t stop me from sleeping with Bobby, or falling head over heels for him,” she said, pausing to shake her head at my open mouth so I wouldn’t interrupt. “I knew exactly what I was getting into, Riv. I’m stubborn—so is Bobby. I know he cares about me, and I can’t pretend I know what’s going on in his head about you, but I do know he cares about me. That’s enough, River, whether or not you agree with it.”
“I just want you to be happy,” I whispered back, my eyes falling to my keyboard before they met hers. “I don’t want Bobby to hurt you, especially not because of me.”
“You took a risk with Adam, didn’t you?” Tara asked, her eyes obstinate as she locked them on mine.
I smiled and nodded.
“I took a risk with Bobby. It’s a risk staying with him, but I think it’s worth it. I can’t go back now, Riv. I really do love him. I’ve been in god knows how many relationships, and not one of them have been serious—you know that. You have to admit that this one is different.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“I need you to tell me the truth when I ask you this. Do you think it’s different for Bobby too?”
I sat back in my chair and took a deep breath. I knew it was. The way they looked at each other and tolerated one another’s flaws showed they did love each other. There would be no other explanation for dealing with someone’s shit than that. You love them all the more for it, even if they drive you crazy.
“I’ve never seen him so torn before,” I admitted.
She got up and leaned over to squeeze my hands.
“Then let’s hope that means this is different. Maybe we can all be happy then,” she said.
Chapter 42
I stood on the balcony watching my breath come out in plumes as I thought over what the next few hours could be. I used to look forward to Thanksgiving; to the family gathering—eating too much, laughing and smiling until my face felt like it would crack. There was always the anticipation of what might happen, though, and this one was no different in that aspect. It was worse than usual, because now it wasn’t just what Adam’s parents might attack him with, or what Adam’s mom might attack me with—it was the first time Adam and I were us. The fact we had forgotten to tell anyone but Bobby was lingering on my mind too. His reaction had been acidic enough on its own.
I was wondered how it was possible in Bobby’s irritation he hadn’t told his mom. Tara confirmed he hadn’t though. I kind of wished he had; it would have been easier that way. It was going to be hard to explain why we hadn’t mentioned it when we’d been dating for over four months now. In my mind Thanksgiving was bound to be as much of a disaster as the volleyball tournament had been.
Except this time I was going to be the one coming back with a concussion—an emotional one.
“Hey,” Adam said as he stuck his head out the window. “There you are…aren’t you freezing?”
I laughed and my breath froze in the air. “Yeah, maybe.”
Adam smiled at me, and my insides warmed after the frigid thoughts I’d been having.
He held out his hand. “You ready?”
I shook my head before responding differently, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I climbed in the window, and Adam rubbed my arms. “It’ll be alright.”
“As long as Bobby doesn’t throw another hissy fit.”
“Good thing we’re not driving together,” he said with a smirk.
I nodded in agreement.
The drive out of Boston wasn’t as bad as I feared it might be; most of its residents had made their way to their destinations earlier in the day. Bobby and Tara had been one of them. Bobby always spent the entire day with his parents and Tara was more than willing to help our moms with preparing the meal. She’d admitted she was nervous as she dragged me into her apartment to try to pick out something that was cute, but not too revealing of her shapely body.
In the end I’d convinced her to wear jeans and a cardigan set with rhinestones on the shoulders that I lent her. It was something she would never have bought in a million years, but she agreed it was perfect for the occasion.
“What you thinking about?” Adam asked as he shifted the car and put the cruise control on.
I shrugged. “Wondering how Tara is doing with the Moms. I texted her, but she hasn’t responded.”
“They’ll love her—my mom tends to love everyone…well, except you.”
I must have looked as green as I felt because Adam reached over and squeezed my knee.
“It’s going to be fine,” he reassured me.
“She won’t suspect anything is up from us driving in together, but she’s going to die if you kiss me or something.”
“That’s the first thing I’m going to do…stick my tongue down your throat,” he said, pulling his lip ring into his mouth. “Oh, baby!”
I tipped my head back against the seat before turning to face him.
“Whoa! What did you just think of?” Adam asked with a chuckle at my expression.
“That!” I pointed at his lip ring. “Does she know about that yet?”
He moved his lips back and forth as he pursed them. “Not exactly.”
“Explain!”
“Well, I took it out the past couple of times I went over and saw them.”
“You sissy!”
“Now she gets to see it and my tongue down your throat!”
“Are you trying to give her a heart attack?” I asked.
“I’m not really going to stick my tongue down your throat,” he reminded me.
“Really? I think the effect of your arm around my waist will pretty much be the same,” I said as I sunk into my seat.
“Come on, Riv. It will be fine—I promise.”
“I hope Tara is ready to rein Bobby in,” I said as I took a deep breath.
“River…”
“Adam…” I repeated, copying his tone.
He looked over at me, his light brown eyebrows rising over his matching eyes.
I stuck my tongue out at him, and he squeezed my leg until I wriggled free.
“Ass,” I hissed.
“You know you love me,” he reminded me.
“Whatever,” I mumbled as I reached for the radio and turned it up.
I relaxed into the racing seats and watched the rolling hills of New England as they spread out before we turned off the highway back into suburbia.
“Almost there,” Adam said, and I watched as his thumb echoed him playing slap bass against the steering wheel.
“You’re nervous, too?”
Adam shrugged. “No more nervous than I ever am when I go see my parents.”
I nodded and sat up as the familiar houses began to pass until we turned onto the dead end we’d grown up on. When Adam parked in the driveway behind Bobby’s behemoth of a truck we both sat and stared at the front door.
“Ready?” I asked after a moment.
Adam looked at me, lips curled to one side, brow furrowed, and I knew he was thinking the same thing, here we go.
Adam met me at the front of the car and held his hand
out for me. He squeezed it tightly over mine as we headed up the steps, and the front door began to open.
Adam’s mom greeted us with a huge smile that instantly became suspicious as her eyes darted down to our hands.
Yup, she was going to flip shit.
“Adam, love!” she cooed, pulling him into her arms and yanking his hand out of mine.
“Hi Mom,” Adam’s muffled response came before he pulled away and slid off his jacket.
“Hi Vickie,” I finally greeted as she took his jacket away from him and ignored me.
“Oh, hi River. Your parents are in the living room with Bobby and Tara. She’s such a sweetheart!” her voice was sugar sweet, yet filled with venom.
I could never get used to the odd mix.
Adam went behind me to slide my jacket gently off my shoulders, which only made his mom’s fake smile twitch more.
“Yeah, she’s been one of my best friends for a few years now,” I replied. “She’s had a crush on Bobby the whole time. It’s nice to see them together.”
“I didn’t realize,” she began.
“Tara didn’t tell you?” I asked.
“I was just so thrilled to meet her…” Her voice trailed off.
“Riv!” Tara called, as she came in the hallway and wrapped her arms around me. “What took you two so long? Your parents—both of them are great!”
I looked over Tara’s shoulder at Vickie as Tara hugged me. Vickie looked like her eyeballs were going to pop out of her head.
We all headed into the living room, and Tara plopped back down with Bobby as my parents hugged Adam and me.
When we sat, Adam put his arm around me and pulled me close to him, leaning over and kissing my head.
Dad burst into the biggest smile ever, Mom looked confused, Vickie’s nails dug into Alec’s arm and Alec tilted his head in curiosity before wincing in pain and peeling her hand off his arm.
“Are you two?” Dad asked, pointing between the two of us.
“Yeah,” I replied, looking up at Adam who was smiling down at me. He was enjoying his parent’s reaction almost as much as I was dreading it.
“How long?” Mom asked, and her tone of voice didn’t seem surprised or upset. I let the breath I’d been holding out slowly. One set of approval was better than none.
“Four months,” Bobby interrupted.
Tara looked up at him with her lips pursed and hissed something quietly to him. He turned red and sunk deeper into the couch.
“That long?” Vickie finally snapped to.
“Probably closer to five,” Adam answered, and his voice portrayed a bit of amusement as his mom swallowed and blinked quickly at him.
“So almost a half of a year?” Alec said.
Adam nodded. “I guess you could say that.”
“And,” Vickie’s voice pitched; “you couldn’t have found time to tell us?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you tell us?” Dad added, looking slightly hurt.
“It never came up,” I admitted.
“Same,” Adam echoed.
“And you knew, Robert?” Vickie popped out the full name, and Bobby cringed.
“Not for a good bulk of it. They didn’t tell me either,” Bobby said.
“You live with him,” Vickie said through clenched teeth.
Just then the doorbell rang again, and Vickie was pulled away. Bobby shot us a look of how did I get in trouble for what you did, and I shrugged innocently.
He deserved it for being such an ass.
The doorbell continued to ring until the room was milling with all of our relatives and several neighbors. It was a welcome distraction from Vickie’s dagger eyes as we made our way around the room greeting people who were all happy that we’d finally come to our senses about each other.
Dinner was spent in the same fashion, and there were too many voices talking and moving around for Vickie to throw more accusations.
Dad pulled me aside in a hug as Mom, Tara and Vickie set the desserts out.
“Congrats, Duckie,” he said as he hugged me. “How’d you finally wrangle him in?”
“He actually came to me,” I replied with a smile as Adam came around the corner to join us.
Dad pulled him into a guy hug that involved a fist grab and clap on the back before reminding him, “You better be good to her.”
“Have I ever not been?” Adam asked.
Dad nodded and pointed his beer at him. “Good point. Hey, did you see the pool table your parents put in the basement?”
Adam shook his head.
“Did someone say pool table?” Bobby shouted from across the room, and I shook my head at his listening from so far away.
He made his way towards us with Tara.
“I think I hear a challenge in your voice,” Adam said as he crossed his arms and leaned back with a pout.
“You heard right, brother!” Bobby replied. “We’ll see if you and Riv here have the same talent for pool as volleyball…doubtful!”
“Sounds good to me,” Adam answered.
“Pool Challenge downstairs!” Bobby shouted as he headed towards the stairs.
When we got downstairs to the newly refinished basement Bobby was already setting up the table.
“Lucky thing you taught me how to play a few weeks ago, huh?” I asked Adam as we headed over.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he answered me before shouting over to Bobby. “Hope you’re not as sore a loser at this as you are volleyball!”
“Shove it!” Bobby called back.
I took my stick and rubbed the blue chalk on it as I watched the entire family fill into the downstairs.
This was going to be a disaster. Adam was just as good at pool, if not better than volleyball. He played every week with the boys when it was too cold for volleyball—or when the weather wouldn’t permit it.
I was right, because with each ball in, Bobby’s face got redder until the final ball finished the game.
Bobby’s eyes narrowed at us hugging as he leaned on the stick until he placed it down on the table. Tara reached for his arm as his mouth opened loud enough for everyone to hear, “I guess the matching tattoos do have superpowers.”
Adam and I stared at each other, mortified, as we stopped mid-celebration, and all talking in the room ceased.
“Matching WHAT?” our mother’s screeched together.
“Tattoos,” Bobby called back, and that evil smile was plastered on his face as all eyes zeroed in on Adam and me.
“You fucking bastard,” Adam said under his breath, and I grabbed his arm for both support and to prevent him from attacking Bobby.
Adam’s eyes washed over mine as I began to tremble.
“It’s going to be okay,” he reassured me.
I shook my head. “No, it’s not. My mother is never going to talk to me again.”
“Speaking of,” Adam said as he took a deep breath.
We turned to our red-faced mothers.
“You two—” Vickie began.
“Have matching tattoos?” Mom finished with her voice a high-pitched squeal.
“We didn’t plan it,” I began.
“So you didn’t get them on the same day?” Vickie demanded.
“Not exactly,” Adam tried to explain only to be cut off.
“It’s a yes or no answer,” Mom ordered.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Yes, you got them on the same day?” she clarified. I nodded and she grabbed at her hair. “What were you thinking? That’s the most sluttish thing I’ve ever heard of.”
“We didn’t plan it,” I rasped out.
Adam’s arm tightened around my waist. “Your daughter is not a slut because she has a tattoo.”
“Yours is disgusting enough as it is!” Mom hissed back at him.
“We’re that similar, okay? We didn’t plan on getting the same tattoos! We got them at different places on the same day by coincidence,” Adam fired back at her in defense.
“Great, you’re both delinquen
ts!” Vickie snapped.
“You’ve never had an issue with my tattoo before,” Adam replied.
“Not that I’ve told you, but now that you have the same one as her,” Vickie shot back, and I felt the tears pricking in my eyes. “Not to mention whatever the hell that thing in your face is.”
Adam ignored the shot at his lip ring as he spoke, “She’s perfect for me. Got it? Perfect, so you can hate her all you want, and be pissed because she chose me over your beloved Bobby!” Adam’s composure snapped. “She doesn’t care that I’m a teacher! She loves me more for it! She doesn’t constantly compare me to Bobby—but lets me be me, because she loves me.”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Vickie was taken aback by Adam defending himself.
“It means you’ve always had a favorite,” I fired back.
Mom was still shaking her head at me.
“Where is this thing?” Mom finally asked.
I shook my head at her, and she yelled in my face. “Where is it?”
I stepped back, pulling Adam with me.
“Screw you!” I said. “Screw the both of you!”
I ran up the stairs, past Bobby who was suddenly looking panicked and like he cared what he had just done. He’d known before he said it what it would do. Mom was still harping on Adam’s tattoo after he’d had it for six years. She was still saying how disgusting and awful it was, and Bobby had put me directly in the line of fire to hurt Adam not realizing how much his mom’s words would hurt me as well.
When I reached Adam’s car I was sobbing as I bent over against it. The cold November air sent even more daggers into my chest as my breath came out in soft, yet unforgiving plumes.
Adam came up and pulled my trembling body into his arms.
“I’m never going to forgive him,” Adam whispered into my hair.
“He’s a bad person…I never realized how bad of a person he is,” I sobbed with my head buried in his shoulder.
Adam’s body shuttered against mine, and I knew he was crying too. It was only confirmed when I felt a tear drop hit my bare shoulder where his chin was resting.
Flawed Perfection Page 18
