In Love with My Brother's Best Friend: Complete Box Set (8 page)

When
Tina's eyes moved down, I realized my hand was still on Bridget's
back from when she tripped. Her eyes stopped and lingered there. Why,
I wondered? She was so flustered and didn't think I noticed. It had
been a long time, but I'd known her pretty darn well for nine years
before she took off.

So
many emotions crossed her face in those few minutes we stood there. I
wasn't sure exactly what they were, but I could have sworn I saw
sadness and disgust on her features. She definitely looked more grown
up than she had when I saw her last, but so much was still the same.
Her eyes were big, dark, and beautiful. The way she looked at me when
our eyes connected was the same as that night so long ago. There was
something there. I didn't care who was standing next to her, I
couldn't help but want to know what she was really thinking and
feeling. She was fighting herself every second we stood there, and I
wished I knew why.

Then
it all changed. The quiet girl I knew was gone. Her lips curved into
a smile and her voice was happy and loud as she introduced that punk
as her boyfriend. I would have been just fine without hearing that
word come from her lips. Those lips that were once red and plump from
me kissing them. Her words were directed only at me. She was letting
me know that I meant nothing to her. It took all I had not to grab
the back of her neck and claim her mouth. I felt my hands shaking and
wasn't sure how long I could go on before I lost it and did just
that.

When
he put his hand out to shake mine, I wanted to smack the shit out of
him. I wanted to pull her away from his side. Then I looked over at
Tim. I couldn't do it, and it was driving me crazy. Whoever the guy
was, he didn't deserve her. It didn't matter who he was or what he
did, he wasn't good enough for her. It took everything in me to
extend my hand and shake his.

“
You
too,” I said in the deepest, roughest voice I could find.

It
was going to be the longest weekend of my life.

Tina

There
was no way I was going to look up to see the look on Chris' face. He
was going to kill me. I couldn't help it. I had to do something, and
that had flown out of my mouth before I could stop it.

“
Tina,”
Tim said, as he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms.

I
didn't miss the fact that he had pulled me away from Chris.

“
Did
you say boyfriend?” he asked sternly. “Why have I not
heard this before now?”

“
You
don't know everything about my life, Tim,” I said, as I hugged
him back.

My
mom and dad were there in seconds. She was already crying, as she
pulled me from my brother into her own arms.

“
I
can't believe my baby's home,” she said.

I
felt bad instantly for staying away from them for so long and
couldn't stop the few tears that ran from my eyes. It was my fault
she was crying. My mom released me and turned to Chris.

“
Who
is this handsome man?” she asked, as she pulled him into a hug.
“How did you manage to get my baby girl?”

Chris
let out a laugh and hugged her back. I pulled him free and wrapped my
arm around his lower back. My brother looked him up and down before
extending his hand to Chris. He shook Chris' hand roughly, and I
smiled.

“
How
did the two of you meet?” Tim asked in his always deep big
brother voice.

He
had his shoulders pulled back and was standing tall, even though
Chris was much larger than him. There was no smile on his face at
all.

“
We
work together at the restaurant. He's also a teacher. Knock your crap
off. Did I get all fifty questions on Renee when I met her?” I
asked.

“
It's
different,” he said. “You're my little sister.”

“
Younger
by ten minutes. I think it's time you got over that. The whole big
brother thing doesn't work anymore. I'm not a little girl. I'm a
grown woman. I've been with way more than just him since I left
here,” I said with a loud laugh.

I
heard Jackson take a deep breath and grumble something under his
breath. My brother looked at me. His eyes were wide, and his mouth
was open. Better get used to the new me, I thought to myself. I
looked up at Chris. He had a huge smile on his face. Then I looked at
my brother.

“
Is
that shocked look on your face because your little sister hasn't been
a hermit all her life, or is it that I said that in front of Chris?”
I asked. “We've been very good friends for over five years. He
knows more about me than he probably wants to.”

“
What
the heck happened to you?” Tim asked.

“
I
woke up and realized that the person I was wasn't good enough, so I
made some changes,” I said.

I
watched Jackson's jaw tighten and his chest puff out.

“
Don't
we have something to rehearse for?” I asked.

I
grabbed Chris by the hand and started to pull him along with me down
the aisle. He leaned down close to my ear.

“
We
will be discussing this, woman. You owe me huge after what I'm about
to go through,” he whispered, as he reached down and grabbed my
butt.

I
let out a laugh, as I looked up at him, puckered my lips, and got him
right on the cheek.

“
You
can sit here while we rehearse, honey,” I said. “It won't
be too long.”

“
Anything
for you, dear,” he said.

I
knew I was going to pay big for what I had done.

Tina

Everyone
else that was in the wedding walked to the front of the church. I
walked behind them and happened to be right behind Jackson. There was
no way I could help but look at his ass. It was tight and looked
perfect in those pants. I swear those pants were made just for him.
It was like they held onto his ass perfectly. I was starting to see a
pattern in the way I looked at asses. I'd heard men say they were a
breast man or an ass man. I guess I was an ass woman.

I
heard Chris clear his throat. When I looked back at him, he narrowed
his eyes at me. Busted, I thought. I let out a laugh that had
everyone turning to look at me.

“
Sorry,”
I said.

When
we got to the front, I noticed the woman that Jackson was touching
standing there with us. Renee began introducing the other girls in
the wedding party to me. When she introduced Jackson's woman as
Bridget, the maid of honor and her best friend, it took all I had not
to puke everywhere. I looked between Jackson and my brother and
pulled out the Tina I had become.

“
How
sweet are you guys,” I said without thinking. “Best
friends dating best friends. Isn't that just the cutest thing I've
ever seen?”

A
huge smile spread across Bridget's face and she giggled. When
Jackson's eyes shot over at me, I could see his nostrils flare. He
quickly narrowed his eyes. That seemed to be happening to me a lot
since I'd walked in those doors.

“
I
just met Bridget a little bit ago. It was while we were all passing
time while we waited for you to arrive considerably late, Tiny,”
he said sarcastically.

Who
the heck did he think he was? I felt my blood beginning to boil. That
punk wasn't going to get away with scolding me for being late.

“
There
wasn't much I could do since there was no plane at the gate. If there
had been, I would have flown it myself just so I could be on time,
Jackie,” I said, being sure to say Jackie as harshly as
possible. “I'm so sorry if I wasted any of your precious time.
I'm sure you have so much to do. If I knew it was going to bother you
so much, I would have gone to the hotel so I didn't have to come here
looking like this. That would have made the crap you're giving me
worth it.”

Everyone
stood silent for a moment, even Jackson. His eyes were wide, as he
stared at me. That's right, buddy, I thought. I'm not the pushover I
used to be. Better get used to the new me, I thought, as I looked
right back at him with a stern look. Come on, punk. I dare you, my
eyes challenged.

“
I
told her we were waiting for her,” my brother said, as he
looked over at Jackson.

Tim
had always been protective of me, even when it came to his best
friend. He made no exceptions for anyone. I knew I should feel good
about that, but there were so many times it wasn't helpful when we
were in school. He interfered way more than he should have.

“
Back
to rehearsal,” I said with a smile. “I'm tired, and I
can't wait to get some sleep.”

“
We
have dinner after this,” my mom interrupted.

“
I'm
not sure I'm going,” I said.

“
Yes
you are,” my mom said in her bossy little tone. “You've
made it so hard to see you. There is no way you are missing dinner. I
will drag you there myself if I need to.”

I
looked up to see Jackson with a smile on his face and stuck my tongue
out at him. It only made him smile even more. He was enjoying the
fact that my mom was telling me how it was going to be.

That
was the moment it hit me. How had I missed it? I had been so wrapped
up in being jealous and pissed that I hadn't even registered what he
had said. He wasn't with Bridget. They had just met. He had come to
the wedding alone.

I
looked over my shoulder at Chris who was looking down and playing on
his phone. Then I looked back to Jackson who still had that smile
plastered on his face and hoped I hadn't made a huge mistake.

Jackson

Who
the hell did she think she was getting snotty with me? She was lucky
we were surrounded by her family. If not, I would have taken her over
my knee and shown her she wasn't going to treat me like that. Nobody
treated me that way. I definitely wasn't used to women speaking to me
like that. Most women did exactly as I said and took any kind of shit
I gave them. Tiny was really pissing me off. I was the one making the
rules in my life. I didn't take shit from anyone, and she wasn't
going to be the exception to that rule.

Where
was the girl I grew up with? What the heck happened to her? She was
loud and cocky, hooking up, joking around, and talking back. Who was
she, I wondered?

I
was pulled from my thoughts when Bridget grabbed my hand.

“
You
need to be over here, Jackson,” she said in a soft whisper.

That
was how women treated me. They were sweet and kissed my ass.

“
Yeah,
Jackie,” Tiny snapped. “Quit holding everything up.”

I
looked over at her and snarled. There was no helping it. It was
taking everything I had not to stomp over, throw her over my
shoulder, take her someplace private, and demand an explanation of
who she thought she was and where the hell my Tiny had gone.

“
Really?”
she asked with a laugh.

“
Enough,
Tina,” Tim snapped out at her. “We need to get moving.”

Funny
how that worked, she was giving me shit. He yelled at her, and I
wanted to get in his face and tell him not to speak to her that way.
Nothing was making sense anymore. It never did when she was around.
She was messing with my head and turning my world upside down and had
only been back for minutes.

“
Yes,
sir,” she answered in a serious tone.

Those
words sounded so sweet rolling off her tongue. They'd have been much
better if they were directed at me though. I couldn't help the smile
that crossed my face. Of course Tina didn't miss my reaction. When
she walked by me, she stood up on her toes and whispered in my ear.