Page 97 of Take Me
“Thanks.So do you.”
The sight of her in shimmery purple steals my breath.She’s clutching two bouquets and smiling like it’s her job.I guess it kind of is, though I can’t help noticing how stiff she seems.
When she looks up at me, my breath stalls.“That was nice.”
“It was.”I can’t resist being a smartass.“Despite the lack of mud or underpants.”
She laughs, but it’s almost as tense as her smile.There’s shimmery stuff on her eyelids, and her hair has tiny flowers laced through it.She’s her but not her, and also soherthat my chest aches.
“I’ve missed you,” I whisper.
She glances around like someone might hear, but we’re already out in the foyer.The buzz of the crowd masks our words, but she keeps her voice low, just in case.“I’ve missed you, too.”
From the moment she got here at noon, we’ve fulfilled all our duties like everything’s fine.But the elephant in the room is so huge and smelly, we can’t tiptoe around it much longer.I steer us toward the ballroom, hoping to steal a few minutes before the rest of the crowd pours in.She’s walking fast, so maybe she has the same plan.An urge to clear the air before the reception.
“This way, right?”
“Yeah.”I nod to a small calligraphy sign pointing down a long hallway.“Probably should have put that somewhere more prominent.”
“Your handiwork, I presume?”
“Did the flawless quality give me away?”
“No, it was the J that looks like a crooked penis.”
We almost sound normal, but I hear tension in her voice.In a way, I’m glad this place is so huge.It gives me a chance to soothe my own nerves.
I need the next few minutes to go well.
Drawing a calming breath, I turn down the next hallway.This event center is massive, hugging the southwest shore of the lake.It’s a window-filled, waterfront space designed by my uncle—back when he planned to turn the whole freakin’ lake into a rich person’s playground.Peter bought it last year, transforming the building into a community center, keeping rates low so locals can host family reunions and weddings.
Weddings like this one, maybe more for our family.We’re approaching the ballroom, so I need to act quickly.“I know this isn’t the best time to talk, but?—”
“Actually, it’s good.”Erika stops and glances around, looking tense as the crowd flows past us.“I’d like to get this over with so we can put things behind us.”
“Okay.”That wasn’t my plan, but I owe it to her to hear what she needs to get out.“Do you want to go for a walk or something?”
She looks down at her feet, encased in strappy purple heels.“I’m not really dressed for walking.”
Before I can argue, she drags me behind a tall fern in the corner.“How’s this?”
“Less than ideal,” I admit.“Unless we’re playing Tarzan and Jane.”I ruffle the fern fronds as a few of my distant cousins file past.“If so, it’s perfect.”
“Shut up, Mason.”She looks tense, but she’s trying to smile.“I’m doing my best to be brave here, okay?”
“Okay.”Something in her tone says she needs to do this her way.“You’re sure you don’t want to go somewhere more private?”
She glances at the big glass door to her right.Her gaze snags on something out the window, and I realize she’s looking at the spot where my grandparents’ home used to stand.The yard where we played, the tree we once climbed, the lakeshore where we’d swim on sunshiny days.
“God, I’ve missed you.”She breathes the words like a prayer, dragging her gaze back to mine.
“I’ve missed you, too.”My heart squeezes into a ball in my chest.
“Let’s talk outside,” she says.“Fuck the cold; I need fresh air.”
I was hoping she’d say that.We’ve always been moreuson the shore of the lake, andusis what I’ve missed more than anything.
I follow her lead, waiting while she sets both bouquets on a table by the door.Then she pulls me through the exit and onto the rain-speckled deck.It’s not raining now, and she steps to the edge of the railing that keeps us from walking straight into the lake.The water is several feet down, but we could touch it if we climbed over the rail.
