“Athena—”
“No, it’s fine, really.” With her lips forming a smile, she moves away from me and heads for the bar.
Fuck.
This is not what I wanted on today of all days.
Growling in frustration, I join Sophia outside, pulling my tie off as I walk and stuffing it in my pocket. Sophia hands me the tie, and I loop it over my head and around my neck. She batters my hands away and ties it for me.
“Oh, stop being so melodramatic. Your high school girlfriend will be fine. She’s waited this long for you, I’m sure she won’t mind waiting a little longer.”
Sophia places her hand in mine, smiles, and moves toward the throng of reporters.
Chapter Twenty
Athena
The smile I’m wearing is all for show as I order bubbles and make my way back to the bridal table. TB and Ashlea have taken their seats, and when I get to them, I lean down and kiss both their cheeks.
“Do you two need anything?”
“Water,” replies Ashlea. Her face is flushed.
“I’ll second that. Who knew that dancing could be so good for getting the heart rate up?”
Ashlea leans in and kisses him. “I love you, Ares Boswell.”
“Not as much as I love you, Ashlea Boswell.”
“Dear Lord, I think I’m going to be sick.”
TB gives me a withering look. “Go get the water, woman!”
Walking up to the bar, Tommy Baker smiles at me.
“What can I get you?”
Looking over my shoulder at TB and Ashlea, I say, “Water for the oh-so-happy couple.”
Opening a refrigerator, he places two bottles of water on the bar.
“Do I detect sarcasm in that tone?”
Shaking my head, I grasp the bottles. “Not from me, never.”
Tommy bursts out laughing, and I go back to the bridal table. TB swipes a bottle and grins at me.
“You are the bestest sister ever.”
“I second that,” replies Ashlea as I hand over a bottle to her.
TB looks around the room. “Where’s Kris?”
Smiling sweetly at him, I answer, “He and Sophia are having photos taken.”
“Now?” asks Ashlea.
“Yep, apparently, it couldn’t wait.”
Sitting next to Ashlea, I look around the room. Todd waves at me, and I smile back at him. Picking his way through the tables, he crouches down next to me.
“You okay?”
“No, Kris left to go have photos taken with Sophia. And he changed his tie.”
Todd laughs. “It’s nothing. Did you see the way he was looking at you in the church? I’m surprised God didn’t strike him down.”
“Stop it.” I burst out laughing.
“Girl, you stop it. That man is in love with you.” The air whooshes out of my lungs, and I shake my head. “Of course, he is.”
“N-No. He’s, he’s…”
“He is what?”
Shaking my head, I feel tears prick the backs of my eyelids. “C-Can’t do this now.”
Todd frowns and pats my leg. “Okay, honey. Keep it together. How about we take a trip to the ladies’ room?”
Todd stands and pulls me to my feet, then escorts me into the ladies’ room. He pushes each door open to make sure we are alone, then turns to me. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know. I think I’m just feeling…” I pause as I search myself for the answer, “… jealous.”
“Of who?” Todd throws his arms up in the air. “Not Sophia? Jesus, Athena, he never looked at her the way he looks at you.”
“Really?”
Todd pulls me into the warmth of his body. “Yes, you idiot, really.”
The door to the ladies’ room opens, and we immediately separate. Todd smiles, taps on the counter, and looks at the woman.
“Everything in here appears to be in order.” Then he nods a couple of times and walks out.
The woman smiles and says, “I was young once, too, but it’s kind of early in the festivities to be making out in here.” She pats my arm and goes into a cubicle.
I stumble outside to a waiting Todd. His face is red, and we both start to laugh.
“You know she thought…” I begin to say.
“Oh, yeah. My reputation is ruined,” Todd replies dramatically. “Come on, you loose woman, let’s get you back to your table.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Kris
As Sophia and I walk back into the yacht club, she stops me and smiles. Tilting my head to the side, I wait for her to say something, and when she doesn’t, I go to walk away, but she tugs on my hand. Turning back to her, Sophia cups my face and kisses me hard on the lips. Wolf whistles sound throughout the room, and I pull away from her in disgust.
Pouting, she uses her thumb to wipe off her lipstick, then leans in smiling. “I’m not feeling well. You can make my apologies to the bride and groom.” Sophia turns to walk away, then stops and looks over her shoulder at me. “Have fun with your high school sweetheart, it’ll never last.” Then she winks and walks away.
I watch her leave, shake my head, and walk toward the bridal table. Athena looks shocked, TB looks fit to be tied, and Ashlea has a vice-like grip on his arm.
Sitting down next to TB, he levels me with a furious glare. “What the fuck was that?”
“What the fuck was what?”
“You’re kissing another woman in front of my sister?”
“No, that was Sophia kissing me and trying to stir up trouble, which she’s done, going by your reaction. TB, you know me.”
Squinting his eyes, he leans in. “Yeah, I do, and I remember how you left.”
Shocked, I sit back in my chair and stare at him. Slowly, TB lowers his gaze, purses his lips, and sits back.
Flicking his eyes to Athena then back to me, he asks, “What are your intentions?”
“Fuck me, TB. What is this, the fifteenth century? My intentions?”
Leaning in again, TB nods. “Do you care for her at all?”
I lean in too, our noses almost touch, and I whisper, “Care for her?” I shake my head. “No.” TB moves back an inch. “It’s far more than that. It always has been. I’ve loved Athena since I was seventeen years old but now? Now it’s so much more.”
His eyes widen, and a grin slowly spreads across his face. I think I’ve won him over, then he scowls at me.
“And Sophia?”
“The Ice Queen by any other name means nothing to me.”
TB thumps me on the back and laughs. “About time you got your head out of your ass, and that Shakespeare shit won’t work on her or me. Now, get over there and profess your love lest she find another.”
“Thought you said that Shakespeare shit wouldn’t work?”
“Some of us have a talent, and some don’t.”
Smirking at him, I look past him to his sister, who’s doing her best to smile at the people around her while she keeps an eye on both of us. Standing, I move around the happy couple and hold out my hand to her.
Athena looks at my hand, then up at me, then back to my hand.