The house is dark when we pull up, and we quietly open the doors. I grab Chloe and Tara in my arms, while she gets Drew out of his seat. The sound of the television comes from the family room, as we walk the kids upstairs. I drop Tara off and she splays across her pink canopy bed. Thankfully, she doesn’t have her jacket, since she was in a fit of rage when we left. I toss a blanket over her and turn around. Next is Chloe, in her purple room and she tries to kick me when I take her shoes and jacket off. Slowly waking she buries herself under the covers. “Sing to me, Trey?” she softly requests. Racking my brain for a lullaby, I only have a song that’s been embedded into my mind for a while lately. I sit down next to her and clear my throat a little before starting “Elderly Woman Behind a Counter In a Small Town” by Pearl Jam. As her eyes begin to droop, I lower my voice and slow my vocals until I know she’s fast asleep. When I stand up and turn toward the door, Kailey’s leaning against the frame, peering in at us. The light from the hallway halos her perfect body. She’s gorgeous and she’s mine. How great is my life?
“What a beautiful song? What’s the name?” she asks as I quietly shut Chloe’s door. I tell her the name of the song, and she shrugs her shoulders. “I had no idea you could sing.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” I say, leading us to the staircase.
“You sing beautifully, baby,” she tells me, leaning into me. I guess I should plan on serenading her one day.
We quietly make our way downstairs where Jen is laying propped up against Caden. They both turn our way when we take a seat on the loveseat. It still amazes how quickly this house became like a home to me. The uncomfortable feeling from my first time had vanished by my return. “So Trey, how was your first time at Showtime Pizza Palace,” Jen mimics the talk of the character bear.
“Holy shit, how come none of you warned me?” I ask. Kailey brings her legs under her, resting against my body.
“You have to experience that place to really know what it’s about,” Caden proclaims. “Thank you,” he sincerely adds.
“No problem.” I nod.
“What did you guys do?” Kailey asks, and they laugh lightly to themselves. Yeah, I’m guessing Jen wasn’t too tired.
“Why don’t you two go out?” Jen mentions, and I glance at the clock. It’s only nine o’clock, shit where did my carefree life go. A few months ago, I wouldn’t even be pre-partying yet.
Peering down at Kailey, she kind of perks up a little. “You want to?” I ask her, and she shrugs her shoulders. Kailey gives Jen a kiss on the cheek, and we leave. We climb into her Honda to drive over to my house.
The house is bustling, and I wonder when it became the party house. Oh yeah, when dipshit Rob moved back in. He and Dex have been partying day and night. Besides the small reprieve we had during graduation weekend, he’s been here all the time. That’s why I usually keep Kailey and myself holed up in my room, stopping his prying eyes from staring at her.
When we walk in the back door, half-naked girls and guys are sitting around the table laughing. Beer bottles have begun to pile up on the counter. We obviously interrupted a game of strip poker or some crazy game I would have had a part in back in the day.
“Hey, man,” Dex nods at us. “Hi, Kailey” he greets her with a half-naked girl straddling him.
“Dex,” Kailey says curtly. I’m sure she’s disgusted by the look on her face. Looking around the room, I’m happy there’s no Rob anywhere.
“You guys want to join us?” Dex asks, laying down a fan of cards and everyone sighs before beginning to disrobe another piece of their clothing.
“Nah, we’re going out in a bit,” I tell him. “You guys staying here for the night?” Crossing my fingers he answers no. I’m shocked Brady has let this go on as long as he has.
“Nope, heading over to Billy’s, Rob’s band’s playing. Y’all gonna come?” he asks, like I would even consider it.
“Sure,” Kailey excitedly agrees next to me, and I whip my head her way.
“Why the hell would we go that hell hole?” I ask her.
“It will be fun.” She shrugs her shoulders.
I’m not quite sure why she wants to go out with these guys, and I definitely don’t understand why she would want to go to Billy’s, but like everything else she wants, I don’t deny her.
“I guess we’re in,” I say to Dex.
Chapter 15
Kailey
I gasp at how beautiful Jessa looks as she walks down the aisle in her white satin gown. The wedding dress conforms to her body, displaying her curvy but slender figure. Grant’s face lights up, like a kid on prom night, when she stops at the edge of the chairs. My eyes can’t stop from watching as her dad holds out his arm, and she slips hers through his as they share a look of pure love between them. He pats her hand, and they make their way up the aisle. Once she reaches Grant, her father releases her with a kiss on the cheek. No veil to lift up, no train to hold. This is the simplest wedding I’ve ever attended, but the most romantic by far. All the guys line up behind Grant. Brady, Trey, and Dex bringing up the rear. Dressed in new matching grey suits with white shirts but each sporting a different tie. As I’m appraising all the good-looking men, my eyes stop on the drop dead gorgeous one that’s all mine. He winks and gives me a sly smile before turning his attention back to the pastor.
Once the ceremony is concluded and more than a few tears are shed, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Bishop walk down the aisle as a married couple. Brady puts his arm out for Sadie, and Trey and I follow suit before Dex and Sam bring up the rear. “Yes. I gotcha now, babe,” Jessa says to Grant once we’re all together congratulating the newlyweds. “No escaping me,” she pushes up on her tip-toes, and he rests his hand across her cheek, looking at her with nothing but love.
“I’ve never wanted to escape you, I’ve only ever wanted to draw you closer to me,” he softy says and kisses her briefly before pulling back. “I love you, Mrs. Grant Bishop,” he murmurs.
“I love you, Mr. Jessa Harrison,” she giggles.
“Yeah, I guess I kind of am,” he chuckles to himself and shrugs his shoulders in agreement.
I can’t help but feel like the six of us are intruding on what should be an intimidate moment between newlywed’s. Trey pulls me closer and kisses the top of my head. The heat from his hand resting on my own satin gown brings shivers up my spine. Visions of Trey and me in our own world after we say our ‘I do’s’ flutter to life in my mind. Would we have a big wedding or prefer to elope somewhere? Or would there never be a wedding, Trey isn’t exactly in favor of that certificate to prove your love thing. Lately, he’s changed so much, maybe that will too.
A few butterflies flutter around as Grant and Jessa walk hand in hand and climb into their limo. “Whose lame ass idea was it to do these butterflies?” Dex asks, and Sam elbows him the stomach. Immediately, he straightens his body, glancing down at Sam, annoyed and confused.
“Mine,” Sadie lowers her eyes to the cement ground, staring at the scattered dead butterflies and Brady wraps his arm around her.
“It was a great idea, it was beautiful, baby! Right, Dex?” Brady’s stern fatherly voice requests Dex to agree.
Dex shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah,” he mumbles and Brady kicks his foot. Dex raises his annoyed eyes toward Brady now, “It was, Sadie, really,” he attempts to make up for his foot in mouth comment, but everyone knows it’s forced.
“Jeez, Dex, manners?” Sam maddeningly spouts, and Dex holds his hands out at his waist as though he has no idea what she’s talking about. She swings her arm around Sadie’s shoulders, and they walk off to the cars.
“Dipshit,” Brady murmurs under his breath as the rest of us follow the two.