Page 16 of Keeper
I squint as I draw closer and then realise that Booker is not alone. He’s sitting on a blanket with a girl. The moonlight casts just enough light for me to make out their faces.
I stop behind a nearby tree, and my heart plummets when I see them lie down. His mouth is on hers, and her hands are running the length of his back like a spider. I gasp when I see his hand slide up her skirt.
“Booker, wait.” The girl’s voice is high-pitched and smooth. I instantly recognise her as Sidney Carmichael—one of the more popular girls in school who lives down the street from us. Everyone loves her because her family has a pool in the garden of their summer house.
Booker pulls his hand out from under her skirt, and she sits up, digging around in her purse. She pauses, looking into his eyes. “Are you sure Poppy means nothing to you? This fort you built out here together seems very special.”
My breath hitches when I hear my name, and I cover my mouth to silence myself for his response.
“She’s just a mate is all. I could never look at her the way I look at you.”
Her white teeth sparkle in the moonlight, and she pulls a tiny foil packet from her purse and holds it up to him. I watch in horror as he reaches out to grab the condom, but she holds it back and says, “I love you.”
I turn away, cupping my mouth as tears well in my eyes. I think I might be sick.
When a sob attempts to rip its way up from my throat, I begin running in the dark, tripping on a tree root and buggering up my ankle. I limp the entire way through the dark woods, tears falling down my face as my love flower morphs into complete and utter betrayal.
Of all the places Booker could have taken her, he brought her to our tree. The place where we’ve spent countless hours together. The place where we complained about our overbearing families and made our life decisions. The place where we laughed and grew closer.
The place I thought was sacred.
Witnessing what I just saw makes one thing perfectly clear. Whatever blooms I had for Booker Harris aren’t flowers of love. Not at all. They are shrivelled up weeds that need to be pulled.
I make my way down the aisle and spot Vi’s blonde hair right away. She turns and when we make eye contact, she looks like she’s just seen Santa Claus himself.
“Poppy!” she squeals and hands her baby off to the guy next to her. She rushes up the concrete steps and scoops me up in a tight squeeze. “I haven’t seen you since you were a child! Just look at you!”
Her blue eyes are raking over my entire body. I get this a lot when I come home. It’s the hair. It was a shock to my parents, too. But as soon as I cut it, I knew I’d never go back.
“Look at you,” I reply with a smile. “Vi Harris, officially grown up and a proper mummy. Congratulations on the baby. Booker said you guys call her Rocky?”
She beams. “Yes. Her name is actually Adrienne. She was a bit of a fighter when she was born, so we were inspired by Sylvester Stallone when we named her. Come and meet her!”
She grabs hold of my arm and leads me down the rest of the stairs to our seats in the front row. “This is Hayden, my fiancé. We’re getting married this summer, after football season is over, of course.”
“Oh, do you play, too?” I ask, looking up at the stunningly handsome man holding an equally stunning baby.
He laughs, his eyes narrowing on Vi. “No, but Vi is an unpaid sideline coach, so football comes before our wedding apparently.”
Her jaw drops in mock offense. “It’s not like that. We’re planning to go away for the wedding and I want all my brothers there, so we’re waiting until July when their schedules are a lot more manageable.”
“That sounds fun!” I beam, enjoying the sight of Vi and her happy little blonde family. My eyes zero in on Rocky. “Hello, you.” I reach out and clutch Rocky’s perfectly chubby baby hand. She has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen on a child, and her blonde hair is so thick and feathery, I can’t help but run my fingers through it. I laugh at the little sweatband they have around her forehead. “Vi, she is absolutely beautiful.”
Vi looks from the baby to Hayden for a moment, absorbing the compliment. “She really is. You won’t hear any arguments from me.”
Hayden chuckles. “I’ve never been more grateful for all of Vi’s brothers than I am now. When she’s older and boys start knocking down our door, I won’t hesitate to call in a Harris Shakedown.”
This makes me giggle because it’s such an easily conceived scene.
Vi gestures to the brunette standing on the other side of Hayden. “Sorry…This is Belle! Tanner’s future victim, I mean wife.”
Belle’s laugh echoes as she reaches around Hayden to shake my hand. She’s a stunning tall, dark, and curvy brunette whom I can’t help but stare at.
She cuts a look at Vi. “If anyone’s the victim, it’s him. Believe me, I’m no picnic. You should see me after a twelve-hour surgery. I’m a nightmare.”
“Please!” Vi argues. “Tanner is marrying up and there’s nothing you can say or do to change that fact.”
The two laugh with each other momentarily until the Bethnal Green Pride song starts and the players begin to march out. Hayden passes Rocky off to Vi and says he’s going to go grab some Pukka Pies for us before the match begins.
