The Bad Boy (Black Mountain)

“I love you too.” He pulled her back toward his chest and for long moments they just lay like that, with his hand drawing lazy circles along her bared back and the feel of her warm breath moving along his chest. “And I’m going to the wedding, and I’m doing it as myself. I’m done caring what others think.” She tilted her head back and smiled up at him. “If I had known how exhilarating it was to tell them exactly how I felt, I’d have done it a long time ago.”

He didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth shut, let her strong words stay between them, and let his body, holding her close and tight, speak volumes.

25

The wedding had been beautiful, but then again there was no doubt that it wouldn’t be. Mary stood on the stone veranda at the country club where the reception was going on in full swing waiting for Alex, who’d gone to get them drinks. She stared at the crowd of elegantly dressed guests and… was thinking.

She looked over her shoulder and saw Alex at the bar speaking with her father, both of them smiling. Surprisingly—and thankfully—Alex and her family had gotten along right away. Maybe it had been the truth bomb Mary had dropped last night that had opened up their eyes to what was going on around them, or maybe it was just that Alex was incredible.

There came a time where things had melded together so seamlessly that she hadn’t wanted to bring him here only to shock her family or the socialites, but because she loved him and wanted everyone to see that they were together.

Things had been strange and different between them all after yesterday, with her mother staring at Mary with this expression that could only be one of shame and love. A strange combination, but genuine nonetheless. Then there had been her father who’d smile at her, and told her things were changing and that they loved her so much, that she was part of the family always.

And then Margo had said nothing but came up to her and embraced her, held her so tightly her back had cracked, and it had been hard to breathe. She’d whispered “sorry” as she cried silently, and although those tears could have been blamed on her nuptials, Mary knew the truth as she’d looked into her sister’s eyes.

Margo had felt her words.

And here they all were, the tension still there because a bomb of truth had been delivered twenty-four hours ago and it had rocked all of them. But mingling with that was love and a bond that she knew would grow over time. She hated that it had taken harsh words and broken hearts to create what she’d always wanted with them, and she knew it would take time, that it still wouldn’t be perfect, but this was a start.

She turned back around and stared at the perfectly manicured ground with the small intimate lights dotting the trails within the woods surrounding the property. The night was clear, and the glow of the moon washed everything in a silvery hue.

She smoothed her hands down the lilac-colored silk of her dress and felt a sincere smile tilt her lips. She was… happy, and not just because she loved Alex and had his love in return, but because she actually saw that light at the end of the tunnel. Finally.

Mary walked to the gardens, the scent of the flowers that had bloomed. She walked a little further, the small white lights that had been put up gave the entire place a very fairytale-like feel. She reached out and touched one of the roses, the petals like silk.

She felt someone come up behind her and smiled, wanting to feel Alex’s hands on her, his lips on the side of her neck, his body pressing her down on a mattress. God, he lit her up and all she had to do was think about him.

“Didn’t think it would be this easy.” The deeply slurred words came from behind her and every part of Mary’s body tensed.

She turned around but kept her composure, didn’t look afraid or startled as she stared into the eyes of Lance, who was very clearly drunk. His breath reeked like booze, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had an overall disheveled look. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair messy as if he’d been running his fingers through it all day. And he looked like he hadn’t slept the last twenty-four hours.

“You have a lot of balls coming here after I said I wanted nothing to do with you, and my father said you are no longer welcome anywhere around us.” He smiled, but it was sloppy, just like his appearance.

He looked like shit, and she felt a sick thrill at that fact. She’d never seen him look so bad, and the fact it was because of her had a smile curving her lips. He narrowed his eyes at that. Although there were hundreds of guests milling around, they were all up by the bar and dancefloor. The gardens were more off to the back of the property, not much lighting illuminating it aside from the twinkling Christmas lights.