Page 15 of You're All I Need

“Well, I do agree with you there. We both know that cousin of yours isn’t the brightest crayon in the box.”

I smile, even though there’s a tinge of pain in the middle of my chest. It pisses me off they can still affect me this way, all these years later. My feet start to move, carrying me downthe sidewalk. I walk aimlessly, with no real destination in mind, obviously, since I’m going in the opposite direction of my work truck.

“I know it’s a tall ask, Caden, but I really want you there. I don’t know how much time I have left.”

I sigh. My gram is pushing eighty and is a picture of perfect health. I’m certain she’s going to be hanging around for years to come, but I can’t help but worry that maybe she knows something I don’t know. That bothers me. After my parents’ marriage exploded like the Fourth of July, she and Pap were the closest thing I had to stable role models.

“Gram, what if Scarlet and I come take you to dinner soon? Joshua will come too, if he doesn’t have basketball practice.”

Scarlet is my older sister, and Joshua is my sixteen-year-old nephew. I’d offer to include my brother-in-law, but I really don’t want that fucker anywhere near Gram. Scarlet and Warner are separated—again—due to his numerous affairs. The man doesn’t give a flying fuck if what he does is right or wrong and who he hurts in the process. He’s cheated on my sister multiple times throughout their marriage, and much to my dismay, she’s taken him back every time.

Until March. At least she’s held strong for the last couple of months or so. Back around St. Patrick’s Day, he diddled with his secretary—again—and got caught. Scarlet moved to the basement living area, refusing to sleep in the same bed as her cheating husband. I’m waiting to hear about her next steps, hoping and praying this is the final time she lets him get away with hurting her. As her brother, I’m just not sure how much more I can watch. I love her too much and she deserves so much more than she’s getting.

“While I wouldn’t be opposed to having dinner with you and your sister, I haven’t had all ten of my grandchildrentogether since Pap’s funeral. It’s been nearly a decade. It’s time, Caden.”

I sigh, wishing there were another way. The last thing I want to do is attend my cousin’s wedding. Not when the woman he’s marrying used to be engaged to me.

“They’re all coming, Caden. Please.”

Closing my eyes, I stop walking. I exhale slowly, knowing I’ll do whatever she wants, even if that means attend the wedding of my ex-fiancée and the man she cheated on me with, my cousin. “All right, Gram. I’ll go.”

“Oh, goodie,” she declares. “And don’t worry about a thing. You can sit with me and ignore those you don’t want to talk to.”

I shake my head, knowing that’s not true. I’d have to ignore almost everyone there, because I’m certain everyone will give me pitiful looks and gossip when they think I’m not listening. Lord knows everyone in my family is aware of what happened all those years ago. Hell, it divided us all from the moment Dawn told me our baby wasn’t actually mine, but that of my cousin, Tyler. Attending their wedding isn’t exactly high on my priority list. Hell, it’s not even on the list.

But I’ll go.

For Gram.

“Oh! You should bring a date.”

Again, I sigh. The last thing I want is to bring someone with me to my cousin’s wedding, because then the real questions will start.How long have you been dating? Is she the one? It’s about time you got back on the horse. When are you getting married?

Then again, I don’t know what’s worse. Listening to the questions thrown my way all night long or the fact I’d be alone. Those looks might be just as grating. You know, the sad onesthat wonder if I’m still hung up on the bride because I haven’t dated anyone since.

“I’ll think about it, Gram.”

“You do that. All right, well, I’ll let you go. I’ll RSVP for you, since it’s past the deadline, and I’ll put you down for two…just in case,” she adds before blowing kisses into the phone. “Love you.”

“Love you too.”

I hang up and stare down at the sidewalk. This sucks. My gut tells me to tell them all to get bent. I’m not going to my cheating ex-fiancée’s wedding, even if the groom is my cousin. In fact, that sort of makes it worse. But I also don’t want to disappoint my gram. I’ve already told her I’d go. Maybe I can fake the stomach bug?

Just as I slip my phone into the pocket of my athletic shorts, I survey where I am. When I was talking to Gram, I started walking, and right now, I realize I’m standing directly in front of the Mexican restaurant. My gaze automatically goes to the front windows, where Adrienne is sitting with a man and woman, all watching me. She gives me a wave as her concern-filled eyes follow my every move. I return the gesture, flashing her a grin I’m certain doesn’t reach my eyes.

Adjusting my gym bag, I make my way back to my truck. I try to push away all thoughts of the upcoming wedding I agreed to attend and focus on Adrienne. She was dining with Gary and Patti, who I’ve known most of my life. They’re not married but have lived together for years. Jack and I did some work in their house not too long ago.

I climb into my work truck and head for home. My fingers strum against the steering wheel to an inaudible beat, but there’s no music. The cab of my truck is eerily quiet, much to my dismay. I always have something playing in the background. I’ve discovered it helps me not get too lost in my own thoughts, the white noise having a calming effect on me.

That’s a big reason I went into a trade. Schoolwork just wasn’t for me. I excelled in shop and agriculture classes, always needing something to keep my hands busy. Electrical work does just that. I’m always tinkering, always thinking, always moving.

Just the way I like it.

Probably the ADHD diagnosis I received when I was in second grade.

I pull into my driveway and throw a wave at the neighbor. He’s mowing his yard for the second time this week. He has some weird competition with the neighbor on the other side of his house, as they unofficially compete for best yard. The amount of time they spend fertilizing, weeding, and mowing their lawn in their New Balance athletic shoes and King of the Grill T-shirts is wild to me, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re a middle-aged man living in the middle of Smalltown USA.

I just get inside when my phone chimes with a text. A smile crosses my lips as soon as I see my nephew’s name.

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