Page 144 of For the Boys
Afterward, he took his family out to dinner, giving them his undivided attention as his mother talked about updates to their cabin on Silver Lake, which was about a half-hour drive from Lake Placid and less than three hours from where they lived in Albany.
“Whatever you need money-wise,” Brent told her, mind a million miles away, “just send me the bills.”
The cabin had been in Brent’s family for years, and when he’d signed his first major contract extension, he’d begun upgrading it to suit his family’s needs. What had started out as a tiny, 700-square-foot log structure with 200 feet of lakefront property had since tripled in size thanks to a massive addition.
He wanted to take Berkley there this summer. Hopefully his plan to win her back would go off without a hitch so he could share it with her.
When the big day arrived, Brent was a bundle of nerves. What was he doing, thinking he could give a speech at a law school commencement ceremony? He was in love; that was the only explanation. Plus, it was too late to back out, and there was a light at the end of the tunnel.
If all went well, Berkley would be his once again.
Wayne State’s law school commencement was being held at the Fox Theater, so Brent chose to park at the arena and use the walk over to give himself a pep talk.
It was a beautiful day, the sunshine warming the top of his head. While winters in Detroit weren’t nearly as brutal as they were in other parts of the state, such as in Traverse City or the entire Upper Peninsula, they were still long, and the days were short. The sun made rare appearances, often disappearing for days at a time, yielding to a sky blanketed with gray clouds. Brent was truly enjoying the warm breeze that tousled his hair while he listened to the birds as they flitted among the newly-budding leaves on the trees.
The closer he got, the more his fears ran rampant through his brain, one echoing louder and louder with each step.
What if she really doesn’t want me anymore?
No.He shook his head, clearing the thought. He refused to go down that road. He would make her see they belonged together. He had to.
As instructed, Brent entered the theater through a door around back, finding himself at the end of a long hallway. Doors opened and closed at regular intervals, men and women decked out in velvet robes and mortarboards moving in and out.
A security guard stood a few feet away, clipboard in hand.
“Name?” he asked, not looking up when Brent approached him.
“Brent Jean.”
That got his attention. “Holy shit,” the man said quietly, then cleared his throat. “Sorry, Mr. Jean. Follow this hallway down that way”—he pointed—“and ask for Pamela. She’s a short woman with bright red hair. Can’t miss her.”
Brent smiled and made his way in the direction the guard had indicated.
Pamela did prove easy to spot, and Brent walked up to introduce himself.
“I really appreciate you keeping this whole thing a secret, Pamela.”
“Oh, it was my pleasure,” she said. “It was a little too late to rerun the programs anyway.”
Brent grinned sheepishly. “Sorry about that. It’s meant to be a surprise for my girlfriend. She’s one of the graduates.
“Oh, how exciting! She’s going to be so shocked to see you up there.”
After she had instructed him on his cues, she said, “Go take a peek! It’s a packed house, and they’re going to lose it when you step on that stage.”
Desperate for even a glimpse of Berkley, he jumped at the chance. He stepped up to the heavy red velvet curtains hanging from the rafters and inched a panel to the side.
His eyes found her immediately, her blonde hair curled and swinging down her back. She turned and smiled at the guy standing next to her, then posed for a photo with a girl on her other side. Even from this faraway vantage point, he could tell the smiles never reached her eyes. It had only been two weeks since he’d last seen her, but she looked thinner. Dark circles showed under her eyes, despite the makeup she had attempted to cover them with.
Brent spotted his family on the balcony almost directly above Berkley. Mackenzie must have been watching for any sign of him, because she waved frantically and elbowed her mother, who joined in. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find a text from his brother.
Nate: You’re an idiot.
Brent scowled at his brother but was struck by the sudden realization that Nate was right.
This was supposed to be the biggest and happiest day of Berkley’s life so far, and she resembled a ghost, simply floating through it, too miserable to enjoy herself like she should be.
And here he was, about to get on that stage in front of all these people, people who were surely aware of their relationship, and make it all about him.
