Page 59 of Beneath the Scars
“Are you taking me to the drive-in?” I squeal in excitement.
Michael chuckles but doesn’t confirm my suspicion. Instead, he holds my hand until he has to turn into the drive-in movie theater’s entrance.
“I haven’t been here in forever,” I tell him.
“Me neither. I read in the paper that they had a showing ofLittle Womentonight, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
I swear, this man. Of course he’d remember that’s my favorite movie. He backs into a spot and then starts pulling stuff out of the tiny back seat. It only takes him a few minutes to turn the bed of his truck into a comfortable place to watch the movie. I grab our food, and we both settle into the blankets to eat.
We’re not even doing anything all that scandalous, but it still feels as if we have eyes on us. “Do you feel like we’re being watched?” I ask him.
“We probably are. The town loves a good story to tell, and we’re going to be the talk of the night. For starters, I never go out, so they’ll see my truck and get nosy immediately. Then they’ll see you, and tongues will be wagging so fast we’ll have to take them to your clinic to check if they’ve turned into rabid dogs.”
I throw my head back with a laugh. The picture he paints is more than I can handle. It’s beyond accurate, and now I’m picturing a bunch of old biddies with their hands covering their mouths, whispering to each other.
Michael’s boyish smile makes me fall for him even further than I already have. I lean in, silently asking for a kiss, which he obliges. It’s not a chaste kiss either. With his palm on the side of my neck, Michael shows the entire town that I’m his.
“That’ll definitely make the front page of the paper,” I whisper against his lips.
“Good. I’m ready for the whole world to know that you’re mine, Adalaide Jackson. I’m sorry I can’t give you the words you should be showered in, but I hope you know I’m feeling it all right here.” He presses my hand to his chest, right over his heart. The fact that he’s using my touch to show where he’s talking about is evidence enough of how he feels about me.
“I don’t need the words, Michael. I just need you.”
“You have me. Heart and fucking soul, you have me.”
Chapter 32
Michael
“You sure you’re ready for this?” Ryan asks from the backseat of Addie’s car.
We’re parked on the street in front of Carson’s parents’ house. It seems as if every car our family owns is here tonight.
I look over at Addie. “I am. How ’bout you?”
“More than.”
The noise of the party can be heard from the street as we make our way around the house to the backyard. I should be anxious about walking in with Addie’s hand in mine. Instead, I’m about to burst with pride. After Adalaide went to college, I used to worry endlessly if she’d be in attendance at family events. I’d shore up my feelings until they were locked down tighter than a bank vault. The relief was swift if she wasn’t, followed quickly by disappointment. Those events were the rare moments I got to see her, and I both hated and longed for them.
Walking in with her on my arm is the best feeling in the world.
We don’t say anything as we make our way across the yard.It takes a minute before anyone notices, but when Carson’s mom, Natalie, shouts, “I knew it!” everyone turns to look at us.
“You owe me twenty bucks!” Lottie’s dad, Cooper, hollers at Uncle Levi.
“I don’t owe you shit,” Addie’s dad shouts back. “I’ve known for like months.”
“You have not,” Addie argues. “A few weeks at most.”
“Hush, you!” Levi points at Addie. “I finally got one up on my big brother. I’m going to take the win.”
Uncle Levi’s words are met with raucous laughter from the rest of the family. Aunt Hope brings over plastic cups filled with drinks. “You’re going to need these. Michael, yours is just lemonade, but I topped Addie’s with a bit of vodka.”
Addie giggles. “Thanks, Mom.”
Hope kisses Ryan on his cheek to say hello. “Are you two ready for the inquisition?”
“Probably not,” Addie responds. “But we’re in it now, so there’s no take-backs.”
