Page 6 of Without You

“Of course.”

“Thanks for the meal, Han Han!”

“Ugh! You’re so annoying, John!”

“It’s Johnny!”

Cameron might have been civil, which is impressive considering I just acted like a drunken asshole, but Hannah is clearly not of the same mindset. She clears her throat to get my attention. “So that’s it, huh? You just wanted to brag about your new job? Is this really the tactic you’re using now?”

“Tactic?” I question.

“To get me back,” she says in a bored tone. She stands up and shrugs off Cameron when he tries to stop her, walks around the table, and comes to stand in front of me. I’ve long forgotten the microphone in my hand, not needing it because the entire room is silent, waiting with bated breath for what’s about to happen and be said. Hannah pokes me in the chest, her eyes close to shooting fire in my direction. “Lying about some big company that miraculously found you. Brody Redding. You’re nothing but a guy with zero goals and nothing to offer anyone. There’s no way what you’re saying is true.”

Instantly, my ire kicks up and I squeeze the metal handle tightly. Until this moment, I’ve been the one doing the digging and now it’s her turn. I work hard to not let it show that she got to me. She didn’t, at least not in the way that she was trying, but it does irritate me because I’m a guy and don’t like someone telling me that I don’t have ambition. “Lying, huh?”

“Of course you’re lying.”

“And… I’m nothing?”

“You heard me. Proof of that is you showing up here tonight. What kind of dickhead does that? I’m so glad I dropped you. I should have done it months before I did, actually. Especially since that’s how long I’d been cheating on you.” She shrugs as if she now has an upper hand. What she doesn’t know, though, is that I found that out long ago. Because the woman Cameron was with was being cheated on as well. She tracked me down on social media and let me know, even though Hannah and I had been broken up for a year and I no longer cared, she wanted to make sure I knew. She wasn’t quite as over the breakup as I was, apparently.

I snap my fingers and make an a-ha motion. “I heard something about that. Too bad I don’t give. a. shit. Didn’t when I heard about it from the girl Cameron cast off and definitely don’t now. But, you’re right, coming here was kind of a dickhead move. I’m sorry for interrupting your fine evening,” I say into the microphone before lowering it and leaning in close. “I’m sorry for putting a damper on your wedding reception but something tells me, this won’t be your only one. Best of luck to you and Cameron, Hannah. I want you to have everything in life you deserve.”

Before walking away, I stop at her parents’ table and notice that the couple sitting with them, who I assume are Cameron’s parents, are sitting quietly, barely paying attention. Huh. I would have thought that at least someone would have stopped the insanity of me being here brought on. Apparently not.

“Sincerely apologize, sir. I shouldn’t have stopped in tonight. I hope you know this isn’t normal for me.”

“Apology accepted, Brody. Congratulations to you. Never met a harder working man and I have no doubt you’ll do great things.”

“Thank you, sir. Means a lot to me. We’ll leave now,” I say to him, gathering Chad and Johnny.

With one last look over my shoulder, I make eye contact with the one person I wished was coming with us. Not Uncle Zeb. Though, that would be fun. Definitely not Hannah.

Katie.

With a small smile, she offers up a wave and I give her one in return.

It’s crazy that I haven’t thought of Katie in years, but something tells me now I won’t get her out of my mind for quite some time.

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