Sweet Contradiction (18 page)

“Who told you about LeighAnn?” he asked.
LeighAnn
. So, the ex-fiancé had a name and didn’t it just suit her perky little demeanor perfectly.

“Who told me really isn’t the point, is it?” I asked with a huff. Matt ran his hand through his hair, causing it to stand up even more wildly than had been before. I almost smiled at the sight.

“No, I guess it isn’t,” Matt replied. “I was engaged to LeighAnn for almost a year before I called the engagement off.” His voice was low and steady, but I knew I’d hit a sore spot. He didn’t like to talk about her. “We got engaged right out of high school. I was young and stupid and it took me a year to figure out how wrong we were together.”

“What made you wrong for each other?” I probed. I really felt like I needed to know. Matt’s eyes glanced over at a bird that had landed on a birdfeeder a few feet away from the porch as he spoke.

“Nothing,” he murmured. I blinked several times, wondering if he’d misspoken. He smiled wryly and glanced over at me out of the side of his eye. “Weren’t expecting that answer, were you?” he chuckled and then turned his eyes back to the birdfeeder before continuing. “Everything seemed perfect. She liked the things I liked, she had the same friends I did, she went to the same church I went to, had the same faith I did, and had the same goals in life that I did.” My face grew hot and my heart had begun to ache half way through his speech. I focused on the birdfeeder too, gritting my teeth so hard I thought they might crack under the pressure. I
had
asked after all. Matt chuckled under his breath again.

“It took me a long time to see through all those …
things
.” I watched the muscle in his jaw as he spoke. “To see past the stuff we had in common and to finally notice all of what we were missing.” He sighed deeply.

“What were you missing?” I asked, half afraid to hear the answer.

“Passion. A deep, abiding kind of love, the ability to talk about any little thing as if it were the most important thing on earth, or even to sit with each other in absolute silence and yet in absolute communion.” His face turned toward me and his gaze captured mine. “Sharing interests and faith isn’t the most important thing to me, Beth. But, a sharing of souls, like you and I do? That’s something I’ve never had before and I’ll do everything in my ability to strengthen that bond.” His hand clasped mine and he rubbed his thumb gently back and forth over my knuckles. “I just hope you feel the same way.” He place a kiss on the edge of my mouth and my eyes fluttered closed. His scent enveloped me and I melted into his embrace, allowing him to kiss away all the fears, if but for a moment. Matt pulled back, his eyes glazed with passion and love. I smiled softly and sighed as I laid my head on his shoulder as we leaned back into the swing.

“We come from such different places in life, Matt. If you met my parents, you’d understand.” I closed my eyes. “I just don’t know if I can be the woman you need and the woman you deserve in your life,” I whispered.

“I don’t need you to be anyone other than the amazing woman you are,” he said roughly into my hair.
Until you take over your dad’s church
, I thought crossly.

“So, let’s do it.” My eyes cracked open. What? What had I missed? What were we doing? I leaned back and met Matt’s evil twin grin.

“Um, do what now?” I asked carefully.

“Meet your parents,” he answered joyfully. I nearly catapulted off the swing.

“Why would we do that?” I shrieked like a cat, who’s tail had just been stepped on. Matt only grinned broader.

“I think it will help you see that you can’t scare me away, not even with your insane father, who I’d like to give a good, old-fashioned, beating to for hurting you for so many years.” I swallowed and sat back down gingerly on the swing. “Besides, would you like to go to see them for the first time in over four years alone, or with a little backup?” I chewed on my bottom lip, thinking over his crazy proposition. If he did go, I wouldn’t be alone and just maybe I’d be able to get through the visit without murdering one of my parents. And on top of that, he’d get to see firsthand where the woman he was in a relationship came from, so if he wanted to bail, it would definitely be after said visit.

“Alright,” I groused.

“Really?” Matt asked with disbelief coloring his voice.

“Yeah. Tomorrow night,” I grumbled. “Rip the band aide off and get it over with type of thing.” Matt’s chest rumbled as he laughed.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll be there with you, sweetheart.” He pulled me back into his arms and we both sat there watching the birds fight over the bird seeds for another hour before he kissed me goodbye.

“Oh, wait! I can’t leave Jen by herself tomorrow night. Maybe we should put this off a few days,” I said, trying not to sound too hopeful. Matt clucked his tongue and smiled over his shoulder as he walked down the pathway.

“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry, and stop trying to come up with ways to get out of it.” I crossed my arms over my chest watched as Matt grinned wickedly before getting into his truck. I went inside to let Jen know that I’d lost my ever lovin’ mind.

She only laughed.

’ll get it,” Jen shouted from the living room as the doorbell rang out. I sprinted to get there first, but she was swinging the door open before I could make it. I grimaced. I hadn’t been able to prepare her for what I thought Matt have had up his sleeve. “What are you doing here?” Jen asked a little caustically.

“Well, hello to you too sunshine,” Hunter snapped as he walked through the front door. “Nice pajama bottoms.” He grinned and raised a brow at her sugar daddy pajama shorts and red tank top. Jen crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Hunter and Matt. Matt shrugged and gave me an apologetic smile.

“What’s going on?” Jen asked, her ponytail bouncing while her foot tapped. Hunter held out the box he’d carried in and then his trademark not-a-care-in-the-world smirk showed up.

“I’m hanging out with you tonight.” He sat the box down on the table near the couch.

“Who said I wanted you here?” Jen asked with a too-sweet smile.

“Oh, I know you want me … here … there …
everywhere
.” Hunter teased. Jen’s face heated and her mouth hung open with an astonished look slapped across her face.

“That’s not …” Jen sputtered. Matt cut off his laugh with a cough. Very smart man.

“Anyway, I’ve already ordered pizza, so you don’t have a choice. I’m starved.” Hunter pulled popcorn out of the box and waved it around. “I even have popcorn.” He pulled some more stuff out of his goody box. “Twizzlers? Check. Rootbeers? Check. Movies? Check.” He glanced up from his box and looked Jen up and down. “Don’t tell me you’ve got better things to do.” Jen huffed.

“What movies did you bring?” she snapped.

“I’ve got Batman Begins, Beetlejuice, Braveheart, and … Footloose.” I was grinning ear to ear, surely his mom had suggested Footloose. For the first time he looked just a tiny bit uncertain as Jen stood there and stared him down. She final sighed deeply and took the rootbeers from him.

“Alright. I’ll put the drinks in the freezer. You can get the show started.”

“So, which one first? Footloose?” The look on Hunter’s face was priceless, he definitely was not a Kevin Bacon dance-a-thon fan. Jen made a sound of dismissal in the back of her throat.

“Please. As if I’d choose that movie over a half-dressed, Scottish-accented Mel Gibson.” Jen’s pony tail swung as she spun on her heel and left to go to the kitchen. Hunter just stood there in awe.

“You might wanna …” I wiped at the corner of my own mouth. “You got a little something on the corner of your mouth.” I pointed and Hunter gave me the look of death as he snapped out of his trance and went to get the movie ready. Matt came over and took my hand in his.

“You ready for this?” I gazed up into his eyes and nodded my head. Inside I was a mess though.

“Jen, we’re leaving!” I shouted out.

“Okay, be careful and good luck!” she hollered back.

“See ya later, Hunter. Have a good time, but not
too
good a time.” Hunter snorted. When Matt helped me into the truck, I was so very close to running back inside and refusing to ever come out again. I’d been dreading this day since the day I’d left over four years ago. My mom was so shocked that I said I would be coming over that she didn’t have a proper reaction to the fact that I said I was bringing a guy with me. This couldn’t end well.

The drive was a lot shorter than I remembered and hoped it would be. We pulled onto the gravel road that led to the house and I had to keep telling myself that this had to be done, that I could never really be free if I didn’t face my past, if Matt didn’t see exactly what he was getting into.

The house was smaller than I remembered. The tiny porch and screen door were exactly the same, the house looked like it might have had a fresh coat of paint at some point in the last four years, but other than that, nothing was different. Same small, wooden framed farm house without a welcome-matt, without any flowers to take away the sterility of the yard, and without any real feelings except dread blossoming in my heart.

Matt came around to open the door for me. I got out and wiped my clammy hands on the long jean skirt I’d worn. I straightened my short sleeve plaid shirt and ran a hand nervously over my hair. Matt took my hand in his and kissed it.