Page 38 of Four Simple Rules
My arm rests on his as we walk through the hotel's main lobby. My heels click along the marble, echoing through the vast room, announcing our entrance. Several heads swivel our way, taking in Jesse’s tall frame and handsome looks. He smiles politely at them, nodding, but those eyes immediately return to me.
“You already mentioned that,” I whisper, keeping my voice as low as possible so it doesn’t echo through the room.
“And I’ll keep telling you until you believe how gorgeous you are,” he chuckles confidently, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and holding me close.
A permanent heat takes over my cheeks when his voice booms through the lobby, drawing more eyes our way. “You’re making me blush,” I grumble, attempting to pull away from him and get some distance. He’s clouding my every thought with his existence and sexy words, pulling me further into his web.
God. I need to get away from him before I slip further into his grasp and fall for all his gentlemanly ways.
“That’s the point,” he quips, stealing a kiss on my cheek. I try to swat him away from me to no avail. He does it again, laughing when I yelp. “I’ll tell ya every day until you finally believe how beautiful you are, inside and out, Tulip. I’ll be the one to remind you. No matter what, I’m not running from this anymore.” Leaning down further, his voice drops again, igniting an explosion beneath my skin. “Are you?” he whispers, flicking his tongue over my ear lobe and pulling away with a deep chuckle. Dirtbag. Goosebumps spread all over my body, sending sharp shivers down my spine.
Am I? Am I running from this thing we have anymore? This connection we’ve cultivated from the moment we said hello as kids and became best friends. Our fate was sealed from that moment on. There’s no running from it anymore. That’s all I’ve done for years. I ran when I’d had enough. I ran when Jared ripped my heart out. Perhaps it’s time to look the devil in the eyes and face my past head-on without running in the opposite direction.
Holy frick on a cracker. His words burrow further into me until they live behind my wildly beating heart and are sewn into my soul. Down the rabbit hole I go, following Jesse wherever he wanders. He’s so hard to hate. Way too easy to adore and love. Even when I loathed him for what he did, I still held a brightly lit candle for him deep inside me. Even in the darkest of times, that light never faltered.
“You ready?” he murmurs as we stand in front of two large wooden doors blocking our view of the reception that is well underway.
Loud voices and soft music pierce through, giving me a hint of the crowd waiting inside, helping to celebrate the happy couple.
“As I’ll ever be,” I say, shrugging when he opens one side and ushers us in.
“You know, this will be where our reunion is held next weekend,” he says, slyly grinning at me.
“I still don’t want to go,” I say over the loud voices echoing through the large room filled with light blue balloons and streamers decorated in the same color Jesse and I adorn.
“But the bet,” he gently reminds me again, smiling when I roll my eyes.
“Fine,” I grumble.
My eyes wander over the hundreds of people packed into the ballroom. People from my father’s past float around the room, rubbing elbows with each other. Happiness fills the air. Not an ounce of tension. Everyone is so dang joyous over the union of my father and Jesse’s mother. Me included. My father and I may have a rocky past that hasn’t been fully repaired yet, but I’m willing to sit with him and talk.
My breath hitches in my throat. Warmth invades my chest when my father’s laugh booms from across the room. He shakes hands with a fellow officer I recognize and smiles as he holds Grace close to his side. Love encases them in a tight cocoon, binding them together.
“He’s so happy,” I whisper with tears burning the backs of my eyes. “I’ve never seen him so…”
“Joyful?” Jesse asks, finishing my sentence when I’m unable to. His arm wraps around my shoulders, tugging me to his side. “They’re more than happy, Tulip. They’re perfect for each other. Who knew my best friend’s dad was the man my mom had been waiting for all her life? We just had to go through some shit first.” He shakes his head, watching with misty eyes as they throw their heads back and laugh.
“Yeah. Even with my mom, he wasn’t this happy. But with her…” My father seems to be happier with Grace than he ever was with my mom. She compliments him so well, standing beside him with an equally cheerful grin adorning her face and lighting her up. Although, thinking back, I saw my parent’s relationship through my kid eyes and not as an adult. I don’t know what their struggles were together, I only saw the major fallout after something tragic happened. Staring off at Grace and my dad, I can only hope their relationship will continue to blossom into something great and doesn’t turn sour.
I rarely saw her as a kid. Jesse was always at my house, not vice versa. On the occasion she walked outside, she hid herself, folding her body so no one could see the abuse she suffered. Something I didn’t know about until I was a teenager. She hid it well, not wanting anyone to see her pain.
And look at her now.
“From my experience, Tulip, your father is a changed man.” Jesse’s eyes follow our parents as they catch us standing, with me in Jesse’s arms.
A place that seems so inviting and perfect for me. I melt into him, relaxing for the first time in days. Something clicks. The candle burns brighter. And feelings I’ve repressed for years come barreling back through my mind.
I’m meant to be here.
I’m meant for him.
Always have been. Always will be.
Now I just have to figure out how to unlock my heart from all the pain it has suffered through and wade through the churning waters of a new relationship. If that’s where this is headed, anyway. I could climb into a sinking ship without plugging up the holes first.
One day at a time.
My father says one last thing to his friend before leading Grace to us with the brightest grin, lighting up the entire ballroom.
