Page 20 of It's Only Love

Chapter 8

Taylor drove Christy and Justine back to the bar, together they went inside and started putting out the food the caterer had delivered.

“Christy, you don’t need to help,” Taylor said over her shoulder.

Christy shrugged, “I know, but I need to do something. I feel all…itchy. I need to keep myself occupied.”

“In that case, you can occupy yourself with getting me a drink,”

“Oh, me too, please!” Justine called after her. Christy chuckled to herself as grabbed three beers from the fridge. She twisted the tops off and slid them across the bar to Justine and Taylor. Just as Christy raised the bottle to her lips, Taylor cleared her throat.

“To Thomas,” she said quietly, raising her bottle slightly in the air. Justine lifted hers too and repeated the sentiment. Christy felt a lump rise in her throat, she raised her bottle and then swiftly brought it to her lips and took a large gulp, the liquid burning as she forced it passed the lump that had formed.

They finished putting the food out, both women scolding her and swatting at her as she tried to help. Then everyone started to arrive and some gentle music began playing in the background.

Christy glanced towards the door every time it opened and each time it wasn’t Dean that entered, she felt a flare of disappointment. Seriously? It’s your father’s funeral and you’re man hunting? That’s gotta be a new kind of low. She couldn’t help it, ever since Dean had comforted her she was beginning to, how could she put it, dislike him less?

Twice now, he was there for her during emotional moments, she found herself confused as to why, after all their history. He had changed, there was no doubt about it, she was starting to see signs that he was someone who could be counted on and she was beginning to trust him, something she found very difficult. But she was still guarded, she had been burned before, badly and was still stamping out the charred remains of that experience. She scowled and shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She needed a distraction, so she began mingling with those that she vaguely recognized.

As she spoke to each person, and they all said variations of the same thing, she became more and more emotional.

“What a wonderful person your father was.”

“He missed you so much, how come you never visited?”

“He loved you so much, it’s a shame you didn’t come back and see him more.”

She wanted to cry and scream, “I’m not the villain here!”

She had to leave, he couldn’t love her, and her breaking heart couldn’t take it anymore. All these protests rose up in her throat, choking her and begging to be let free. But looking around this crowd and seeing the love they had for her father, she knew they wouldn’t understand.

She swallowed her pride and decided there was only one way to get through this; alcohol. She went to the bar and ordered a double whiskey from Kayleigh, she downed the drink immediately and asked for another, then followed that with a shot of tequila.

*

Dean entered the bar and his gaze immediately sought out Christy. He spotted her talking to an elderly couple and instantly felt at ease. Ever since he left the crematorium, he was worrying about her. He had to swing by the garage as he had been working on a car of some fancy politician Beau knew and the guy wanted to collect it now, now, now! The asshole had been late and then given Dean shit about how much he charged so he had been longer than he planned. When he saw she was doing fine, he went to the bar to get a drink.

“Hey Kayleigh, how ya doing?” he asked, the timid girl looked up at him with wide eyes.

“Fine thanks, you?” He nodded in lieu of a reply and looked around for Taylor but couldn’t see her.

“Taylor in the back?” he asked, Kayleigh nodded and then scurried off to find her. He looked over to Christy again and as he watched her, he noticed her cheeks were flushed, her eyes appeared a little glassy and she had a wan smile on her face. Was she swaying? Just then, Taylor appeared looking flustered.

“I’ve been trying to call you,” she huffed.

“Well hello to you too, sis,” he joked, and she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. Listen I need you to take Christy home, like, right this second.”

“What, why?”

“Because this one here doesn’t know when to cut someone off yet!” she said, hiking her thumb at Kayleigh who hung her head in shame. Taylor grabbed his arm and pulled him to the end of the bar for some privacy.

“Christy is trashed and needs to go home pronto. I’ve got to stay here with Kayleigh and Justine has been drinking too.”

“Nothing wrong with a little alcohol, puts the fun into funeral,” he teased.

“No, you don’t understand. Christy is dangerously close to losing it and we need to get her away from these people, okay?”

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