Page 46 of All the Beautiful Things
The room broke out in a small laugh, equally thick with happiness and sadness. Through my tears, I could barely see Hudson standing at that table as he fought to control his own emotions. If there was a dry eye in the room, they had to be robots. Next to me, Shawn pinched his nose and cleared his throat.
“But today isn’t about Melissa, even though we can all admit she was always right because she’d like to hear it. It’s about Jenna and Brandon and their love for each other.” He faced them both, microphone in one hand, glass of champagne held at his chest. “I have been with you from the first time you met at a football game and through so many ups and downs. I have seen you two laugh with abandon and fight to stay together when it was anything but easy. We have all witnessed you grow, from twenty-year-olds who didn’t truly understand the word commitment and what it meant to love someone with your whole heart, to being shining examples to all of us on how to weather storms and not only fall in love but fight to keep that love alive above everything else you’ve faced. I am honored to know both of you, pleased that your roads in life merged and you’ve found your way to each other. But most of all…” He trailed off, held his champagne in the air and he turned, finding me immediately. “My greatest wish tonight is that all of us in here will experience a love like yours. A love that’s unconditional and full of grace and a hell of a lot of fun along the way.”
Cheers and congratulations rang through the room as Hudson lifted his glass high in the air and finished the toast, but I was frozen, staring at him, a burn creeping to my cheeks so heated I was certain it could be seen from space.
I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Or the way he looked at me so intently, so passionately and so honestly.
“Just friends?” Shawn asked, lifting a brow and turning to me.
I cleared my throat and could still barely choke out a reply. “It’s complicated.”
His champagne glass paused halfway to his mouth and he wore a sly smile. “The best things in life usually are.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
15
Hudson
Spending hours with Lilly so close but only being able to watch her from a distance was a special form of torture. The dress she wore made it worse. She was so stunningly beautiful in such an effortless way on a typical day. The effort she put into today made her the most stunning creature I’d ever laid eyes on.
And I couldn’t touch her.
Nor could I speak to her. At least not yet.
Sitting at the head table while my cousin, Shawn, was able to talk to her, flirt with her, a guy who never had problems finding women to be with him made my blood pulse in a way I hadn’t expected.
Shawn was a cop. A good guy and we were great friends. He also lived several hours away in Kansas. He wasn’t competition.
But when he leaned in to speak with her, I was on my feet, giving a toast and a speech well before I was supposed to simply so I could break their connection. The green-eyed jealousy monster made me do it despite the logic telling me to calm down. Unable to take my eyes off Lilly the entire time, even though I was speaking to Brandon and Jenna, I hoped she understood what I meant.
I wanted what they had—and I wanted it with her. Brandon was right. I pushed people away. But I had the experience of losing so many, I typically approached fear of always losing anyone new with one hand up.
During that speech, I lowered that hand. I gave Lilly everything I felt in a speech spoke for others, but with my heart on a platter.
Hers for the taking. Whenever the days finally ticked down and she was willing to give me another shot.
Shortly after the speech was done, Lilly excused herself from the table. I kept my eyes on her until she disappeared out of the reception hall, running toward the restrooms. The desire I had to protect her and love her raised up the overwhelming urge to chase her down and ensure she was okay. It took everything I had in me not to, especially when I saw her swiping tears from her cheeks. I went to the bar to wait for her return, not surprised at all when Shawn saddled up next to me. I pulled him into a quick hug with a back slap before we ordered our drinks. While we waited, he turned to me with a smile on his face that made me know exactly what was going to come out of his mouth.
“So, you and Lilly?”
I shook my head, grinning at him. The guy was nothing but predictable. “It’s a long story.”
“Funny. She said it was complicated.”
Complicated didn’t mean over. I took that as a positive and turned so I was facing my cousin. “Did she?”
“She also went pale as a sheet when I said I was a cop.” The bartender returned with our drinks, gin and tonic for me, a simple Miller Lite bottle for him. My cousin liked simple pleasures. “What’s that about?”
“Long story,” I repeated. Lilly’s story wasn’t mine to share.
“What the hell. You two writing a novel?”
I laughed and took a sip of my own drink. “Any chance you could help me find some people? Get me their address?”
Her parents couldn’t be that hard to find. I wanted that information in case she ever wanted to do anything with it. Just in case.
“Not exactly something I’m supposed to do.” I’d also never asked for his help and by the way he arched his brows, brought his beer slowly to his mouth, he was curious. “Who is it?”
