Let Me Love (17 page)

“Let’s go, girl.” Grandma Ida pokes me in the side with her long fingernail for the umpteenth time. When I look up, the ceremony is over and everyone has already started filing out of the auditorium. “She’s nice, but kind of ding-batty,” I hear her whisper to Sadie’s Mom.

A little annoyed at this point, I follow the others inch by inch to the end of the row. Not sure why Ida was so insistent to move, it’s not like we’re going anywhere. After about twenty minutes, I inhale a big breath, relieved we’re out of the claustrophobic surroundings. I don’t have much time to recoup before I’m swept up into someone’s arms. “I’m a college graduate, baby!” Trey swings me around in utter excitement.

“Congratulations.” I kiss his cheek, and he places me on the ground. My feet don’t hit the linoleum floor before his family rushes over. I begin to back up slowly, but he grabs my hand between the throng of people and brings me back to him. As his family gives him hugs and kisses, he keeps my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

“Pictures,” Trey’s dad calls out, and you would think a drill sergeant just screamed at them the way the group scrambles into formation. It’s as though everyone knows exactly where they are assigned to stand. Trey is swallowed whole by his family, so I slowly back up. After a few shots, I ask Pete if he would like for me to take the picture, so they can have one with the whole family. He kindly hands over his camera, but Grant comes over and takes it from my hands.

“Thanks, man,” Trey head nods to him. “Come on, Kailey,” he calls me over, and everyone parts to give me space next to him. He tugs me against him so hard, his hand snakes across and grabs my ass, and I paste a perfectly wide smile on, trying not give away where Trey’s hand has currently taken residence. “It’s mine later,” he whispers, and I jokingly roll my eyes, even though I secretly love it when he talks like that.

“We’ll see about that,” I tease. “Hey, what did Dean Girardo tell you on stage?” I can’t hold out any longer. If he’s leaving me, I need to know.

A distraught look quickly comes over his face. “We’ll talk about it later,” he says before shuffling all of us down to the cars.

Trey

––––––––

I
can’t believe I’m a college graduate. It’s the most liberating feeling I’ve ever had. Well, when Kailey told me she loved will always be the top, but this is definitely my second. No more classes, no more exams, or papers. Hallelujah and after what Dean Girardo told me when I got my diploma, I can finally rest easy. Kailey will be just as excited as me, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime, and I’m sure she’ll feel the same way.

Once we get back to the house, the few family members that couldn’t actually go to the ceremony quickly come outside to congratulate me. I never thought this many members of my huge family would make the trip down here. I love my family. Luckily, they love Kailey too, not that I didn’t think they would. I mean, how could anyone not love her?

We all enter the house and my mouth waters, smelling the food that’s been cooking all day. I told my parents we should cater, but they just don’t do things that way. Thankfully, Brady had no problem with them taking over the house. But I’m pretty sure he didn’t expect it would be this intense either.

A few hours later, most of our friends have shown up, and some of the family has left with the exception of our immediate ones. Tonight is a big night for Brady, anyone who knows him can clearly notice he’s about two seconds from throwing up at any moment. Sadie leans over him, constantly asking him if he’s feeling okay, placing the back of her hand on his forehead and her palm on his neck. He just shakes his head and tries his best to convince her that he’s fine. After she finally goes upstairs, per Jessa’s request for a sweatshirt, all the guys start to file outside.

Kailey seems pretty occupied with her sister and Caden, so I just point to the backyard, and she nods. The stage was already set up earlier, so all we have to worry about is some minor details. We turn on the streams of white twinkling lights from tree to tree illuminate the dark area along with small mason jars hanging from the trees. We all scramble around, trying to light each candle. The most amusing part is Sadie did most of the prep work for her own moment. Grandma Ida hollers for everyone to come outside. I take my spot behind my drums as Grant and Dex swing their instruments around them. Maura, Brady’s sister along with her family and his Dad, know what’s going on when they find Brady on stage with the microphone in his hand.

When Kailey walks out the back door, I wink her way, and she smiles at me. You can see the sweat dripping from Brady and every once in a while he closes his eyes. Why he’s so scared, I have no idea. Their love is clear as day to everyone. No way his proposal won’t go well.

Then Jessa comes out and gives two thumbs to Brady and us. He takes a deep breath, and I raise my sticks to count us off. When Sadie appears in the doorway, confused about where everyone went, we start playing “Never Stop” by SafetySuit. Tears automatically fill her eyes, and Jessa gives her a little nudge to walk forward. She follows the rainbow colored daisy path, looking into Brady’s eyes the whole time. When their hands meet, you can see a calmness come over Brady’s body. He places her in the sole chair in front of the stage and gets down on his knee, singing every word only to her.

We fade our instruments as the song ends, and Brady places the mic on the ground and digs in his pocket. “Sadie, you are my one and only. You’ve taught me how to love, showed me how wonderful life can be when you trust someone with your whole heart. From the moment I saw you on that hill, I knew, you owned me. So, what do you say? Do you want me?” He smirks up at her, and she laughs through the tears streaming down her face.

Sadie wipes her tears with her back of her hand. “Yes, always, as long as we don’t let go,” she finally says.

“I’ll never let go, baby. Marry me, make a family with me, and grow old with your hand in mine?” he asks, and if I thought the tears were going before, it’s like a damn flood now.

She nods, and Brady places the ring on her finger. He picks her up and whispers something in her ear, and she looks like a damn bobble head she’s nodding so much.

I step out from behind the drums and grab the microphone. “Ladies and gentleman, the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Brady Carsen,” I exclaim, and the whole backyard claps. All the girls have tears in their eyes while the guys move over to the coolers for more beer and drinks. When I spot Brady and Sadie sneaking off into the house, I know we just lost our singer. “So, everyone, looks like we need a new singer for at least an hour or so,” I joke, and everyone laughs. “Let’s have open mic night,” I announce.

Before I can put the microphone back on the stand, Kailey’s sister Jen comes running up and snatches it out of my hand. This lady amazes me. Yesterday she was lying on the couch for most of the day while Kailey and I watched the kids. But I shouldn’t be surprised, ever since I’ve met Kailey, Jen’s health has been a rollercoaster of good and bad days. She huddles all of us together and tucks the mic behind her back, so no one hears her. “Okay, guys, let’s do ‘I Love Rock ‘N Roll’ by—,”

“Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, we know it,” Dex interrupts and strings a few chords for her.

“Great,” she exclaims, beaming from ear to ear. I sit behind my drums really wishing that I had Kailey with me. Maybe I can convince her to come and sit on my lap for a few songs. But right now she’s rallied the troops to watch their mom perform. Caden holds Drew in his arms, shaking his head in amusement at his outrageous wife. Kailey sits on the ground with the two wide-eyed girls in her lap, staring in awe at their mother. Our eyes catch briefly before I’m about to start the beat. As I cross my arms and my foot presses on the petal, my sticks start drumming. She licks her lips and images of that tongue in my mouth, or around me, has me shifting on my stool.

Jen starts singing the words, strutting back and forth on the make shift stage. Grant and Dex laugh while joining in singing when she places the microphone in their face. All the guests are front and center, with a few couples dancing, my parents included. Kailey, Chloe, and Tara clap their hands to the beat, and Jen walks off stage and sings right in their faces before stomping her way back up to us. Everyone is engaged and loving her, she should have been a performer. Then it’s time and Grant steps up, playing his solo and Jessa screams, “Go baby,” and raises her hands with a rock on hand symbol.

Jen drags the girls up on stage and gets down on her knees, allowing them to scream into the microphone. After what seems like a zillion ‘I love rock ‘n rolls’ we fade the song, and Jen wraps her arms around the two small girls, kissing both their heads. She gets down on the grass, and Caden hands Drew off to Kailey before dipping his wife and kissing her. Chloe screams, “Gross,” while Kailey and I share an amused laugh.

Before I can blink, Grandma Ida has the mic and is talking to Dex. He raises his eyebrows my way and she grabs his face, bringing his attention back down to her. I take his continuous head shakes to mean we don’t know any of the songs she’s requesting. Finally, his head nods, and I wonder how long I’m going to be up here. Dex looks at me with an exasperated look before walking my way. Grant follows suit. “She wants ‘Do You Love Me’,” he whispers.

“Shit, are you sure?” Grant’s eyes follow to Ida as she practices her twist.

“Alright,” I agree. “Hopefully she doesn’t break a hip,” I joke.

“This should be fun.” Dex plasters a smile across his face, and she smacks his ass on the way back to his side of the stage.

If I thought Jen hit it out of the park, Ida made it clear across the river. Everyone circled around in the small yard, doing the mash potato and the twist. Not one person’s body isn’t moving. Chloe and Kailey hold hands while their ankles twist and hips bob back and forth. Shit, Kailey’s ass looks fucking delicious right now. My eyes are so fixated on her tight jeans, hugging her ass as she shimmies back and forth that I don’t notice a tall figure coming her way until his hands obstruct my view. Fucking Nate Gibson, what the hell is he doing at my party? Kailey looks back, and then turns making his hands fall off of her. That a girl. Chloe now between them, she continues to concentrate on the small girl in front of her, but Nate isn’t allowing her to distract him. I see his lips keep moving as she keeps backing up, then apologizing to people after bumping into them. Shit, when will this song ever end? Running out of options, she picks Chloe up, and my brother Derek steps between her and Nate. Thanks, little bro. A few choice words back and forth between Derek and Nate happen before Nate turns around. Finally the song ends, at least I hope it was supposed to end. Because I’m not wasting my graduation night on this fucking stool unless her ass is in my lap.

With determined steps, I reach Kailey, and the anxiousness in her eyes tells me she’s scared I’m about to start a fight. Instead of chasing down Nate, I pull her toward me with Chloe in between. “What did he say?” I whisper, and she shakes her head. She bends down, releasing Chloe and the little girl runs to her parents, who are already walking toward us. “Kailey, what did he say?” My voice sterner this time around.

“He just asked if he could cut in. It’s nothing.” She waves me off, but her mannerisms tell me it was more. “What I don’t understand Trey, is why he’s pursuing me now, after he dumped my ass after only two dates and one lackluster fuck?” I’ve never heard Kailey so angry.

“It’s kind of stupid, but I’ll be putting a stop to it,” I attempt to appease her, but she won’t stop huffing, and Jen is getting closer with every sigh from her lips. The last thing I need is her big sister finding out Nate and I have always had a pissing contest involving girls.

Kailey doesn’t speak, just crosses her arms over those perky breasts I was just admiring and shifts the hips attached the ass I had wanted to grab only moments ago. Impatiently waiting for my answer, those damn eyes bore into me like always when she wants to know I’m telling the truth.

Releasing a heavy sigh, I begin to reveal a pretty immature and stupid fault. “Nate and I, we kind of compete for girls.” Her arms collapse and her shoulders slump in disappointment. “Not like that, it’s just occasionally if he saw me with a chick—.”

“Nice, Trey,” she rolls her eyes at my word choice.

“Girl,” I correct it, but it does nothing to change her stance. “Anyways, if he saw me starting to get with a
girl
and I left to go get a drink or something, he would try to step in and grab her before I did.” I swipe my hand over my head, completely humiliated to admit it to her.

“And would you do the same thing?” she asks, hands on hips now and Jen standing right beside me, sighing.

“Yeah,” I shamefully admit softly as though she won’t hear it. “It was a different time, before you,” I add, but she just shakes her head and walks away.

“I’ll talk to her,” Jen says beside me. “It’s not like we didn’t know you were a himbo,” she mentions with her back toward me.

“What the fuck is a himbo?” I ask to myself.

“It’s another word for male slut,” a familiar girl’s voice answers from behind me.

When I turn around, I wish I hadn’t. “Hey, Bridg,” I say.

“Hey, Trey.” She fiddles with her red solo cup with her name written on it with small heart over the i and her B looks like a set of tits. “Nice playing,” she compliments me.

“Thanks. Listen, I gotta go.” I take steps back toward the house.

“Yeah, go get your crying debutant. Would hate for her to be upset,” she sneers.

“Rein in the claws, Bridgette,” I warn, but she continues to run her mouth. I look around thankful that everyone is wrapped up in their own conversations.

“Why would you choose her? She has nothing you want, or, for that matter, need.” She steps closer and rakes her finger nail down my chest. “I know how you like your cock sucked, I can make you hard just by my dirty talk. What does she do? ‘Oh, Trey’. Just a bunch of lame moans, I’m sure. I would bet you come thinking about someone else,” she keeps ranting, and I’ve heard enough.