Face-Off at the Altar
Page 77
“Hell yeah, they are,” he said, crushing his mouth to Lucy’s as the room erupted into cheers.
But Mekena wasn’t cheering, she was crying.
Happy tears.
Because she wanted the same thing Lucy and Benji had.
She was supposed to be taking pictures, and she prayed Libby caught what she missed since she just had to look at him. But when she found him at the front, sitting next to Lucy’s mom, Markus wasn’t watching Lucy and Benji kiss.
He was watching her.
And with a wide grin, he mouthed, “I love you.”
Right then, she knew her world was complete.
After cleaning up her face and shooting a ton of family pictures, along with photos of just Lucy, Benji, and Angie, Mekena leaned against the door while she waited for Benji and Lucy to come out of her dressing room. Lucy had to change into her reception dress…or at least that’s what she claimed she was doing. But that was fine, it gave Mekena a moment to just breathe.
The wedding had been overwhelming.
Lucy was so happy, so in love, and Mekena knew she felt the same. The overpowering love for another person knocked the breath out of her. She knew she loved Markus, she knew she always would, but when he wanted to give up his family for her, it had never rung truer. He was an all-or-nothing kind of person, they both were, but it overwhelmed her. It was all happening so fast. She was happy, she was, but she was also scared.
What if his parents still hated her, and he decided he couldn’t let them go once more for her? She had heard him on the phone and his conditions, but was that fair of her? He loved his parents—though, they were more full of themselves than of him, but that was beside the point. He shouldn’t have to have one or the other; he should get it all, the whole world.
Did that mean they wouldn’t make it?
Wait, no, she wouldn’t put a time limit on them. She wouldn’t wait for the other shoe to drop. No, she would be fucking happy because she loved him. She wouldn’t be a Libby. She would be a Mekena, and while she was usually a very planned-out and cautious person, she was done with that. She’d throw all caution to the wind, she would live each day to its fullest because she knew he loved her and she loved him. If she didn’t get the job, she didn’t care. They’d work it out. And if she did and he was sent back to Florida, that was fine, too. They would make it work because he deserved everything that made him happy, and that was Mekena.
She was his happiness as he was hers.
Leaning her head against the wall, she heard Lucy laugh and she smiled. She wanted to be a Benji and Lucy, and damn it, she was going to make that happen.
“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.”
Looking to her left, she found Libby coming toward her, camera in her hand. “I have a lot to be happy about,” she said, eyeing her aunt who, for the first time since yesterday, wasn’t glaring at her. “What are you doing? Are we trading off?”
Libby shook her head. “No, everyone is seated, waiting on Lucy and Benji. So I decided to come talk to you since I’m sure they’ll be a little longer. Thank God the wine is flowing.” Mekena didn’t say anything as she looked down, tinkering with her camera. Libby leaned against the wall before letting out a loud sigh. “I was an asshole yesterday.”
“You were,” she agreed and Libby sighed again.
“I’m sorry for that.” Mekena looked up, holding her gaze. “I got used to you being with me. Being all pathetic and lonely with me. What can I say, kid? I’m a poor excuse for a human. I’m holding on to something that happened almost thirty years ago, still so bitter, and I was happy to have someone who was bitter and upset like me. But I had no right to judge or be a bitch to you when you decided to get your head out your ass and take what makes you happy. For that, I’m sorry.”
Mekena nodded. “You don’t have to hold on, Libby. Let go. Be happy.”
“Eh, I’m set in my ways. I’ll grow old, be alone, and I’m okay with that. But you have such a long, beautiful life to look forward to, and my God, the way he looks at you. It’s breathtaking.”
“He’s amazing.”
“He is,” she said with a smile. “I’ve watched him, and he loves you, Mekena.”
“He does,” she agreed, her heart skipping a beat. “I want you to meet him.”
“I want that too.” Coming closer to Mekena, she asked, “Do you forgive me?”
Mekena didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.”
“Good,” Libby said as an exhale. “I felt horrible for being a dick to you.”
“It’s okay, it happens. And I should have told you about the job.”
“Yeah, but it’s such a great opportunity. You’ll do great, you love shooting games.”
“I do. A lot.”
“It’ll be excellent, I just know it,” Libby decided with a nod. “You won’t fly out tomorrow, right?”
“Nope, I don’t know when I will. I might fly later, and drive back with the rest of my stuff. I don’t know yet.”
“Okay, well, I’ll start packing up for you. I have nothing else to do.”
“You could make an eHarmony page.”
“Or join Tinder.”
“Or Match.”
“Or Plenty of Fish.”
Mekena gave her a dry look. “I’m trying to get you a relationship, and you just want sex.”
Libby shrugged. “Hey, sex is enough for me.”
Rolling her eyes, she leaned into her aunt, laying her head on her shoulder. “I want you to be happy.”
“Eh, how about you be happy for both of us?”
Mekena smiled, knowing her aunt wouldn’t budge. She was right; she was set in her ways, and the sooner everyone accepted that, the better. “Done.”
They stood in silence for a moment before Libby exhaled. “She moved out.”
Mekena’s breath stopped. “Who?”
“Skylar. Your parents told her she had to get help or get out. She got out.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, they’re worried.”
“She’s a big girl.”
“You’re right, but she needs help.”
“And she’s the only one who can help herself,” Mekena said, looking to Libby, and she nodded. As much as she knew she should feel something more, she couldn’t shake the anger. She couldn’t believe what her sister had done, but one thing was for sure, she wouldn’t make excuses for her.
But Mekena wasn’t cheering, she was crying.
Happy tears.
Because she wanted the same thing Lucy and Benji had.
She was supposed to be taking pictures, and she prayed Libby caught what she missed since she just had to look at him. But when she found him at the front, sitting next to Lucy’s mom, Markus wasn’t watching Lucy and Benji kiss.
He was watching her.
And with a wide grin, he mouthed, “I love you.”
Right then, she knew her world was complete.
After cleaning up her face and shooting a ton of family pictures, along with photos of just Lucy, Benji, and Angie, Mekena leaned against the door while she waited for Benji and Lucy to come out of her dressing room. Lucy had to change into her reception dress…or at least that’s what she claimed she was doing. But that was fine, it gave Mekena a moment to just breathe.
The wedding had been overwhelming.
Lucy was so happy, so in love, and Mekena knew she felt the same. The overpowering love for another person knocked the breath out of her. She knew she loved Markus, she knew she always would, but when he wanted to give up his family for her, it had never rung truer. He was an all-or-nothing kind of person, they both were, but it overwhelmed her. It was all happening so fast. She was happy, she was, but she was also scared.
What if his parents still hated her, and he decided he couldn’t let them go once more for her? She had heard him on the phone and his conditions, but was that fair of her? He loved his parents—though, they were more full of themselves than of him, but that was beside the point. He shouldn’t have to have one or the other; he should get it all, the whole world.
Did that mean they wouldn’t make it?
Wait, no, she wouldn’t put a time limit on them. She wouldn’t wait for the other shoe to drop. No, she would be fucking happy because she loved him. She wouldn’t be a Libby. She would be a Mekena, and while she was usually a very planned-out and cautious person, she was done with that. She’d throw all caution to the wind, she would live each day to its fullest because she knew he loved her and she loved him. If she didn’t get the job, she didn’t care. They’d work it out. And if she did and he was sent back to Florida, that was fine, too. They would make it work because he deserved everything that made him happy, and that was Mekena.
She was his happiness as he was hers.
Leaning her head against the wall, she heard Lucy laugh and she smiled. She wanted to be a Benji and Lucy, and damn it, she was going to make that happen.
“I haven’t seen you this happy in a long time.”
Looking to her left, she found Libby coming toward her, camera in her hand. “I have a lot to be happy about,” she said, eyeing her aunt who, for the first time since yesterday, wasn’t glaring at her. “What are you doing? Are we trading off?”
Libby shook her head. “No, everyone is seated, waiting on Lucy and Benji. So I decided to come talk to you since I’m sure they’ll be a little longer. Thank God the wine is flowing.” Mekena didn’t say anything as she looked down, tinkering with her camera. Libby leaned against the wall before letting out a loud sigh. “I was an asshole yesterday.”
“You were,” she agreed and Libby sighed again.
“I’m sorry for that.” Mekena looked up, holding her gaze. “I got used to you being with me. Being all pathetic and lonely with me. What can I say, kid? I’m a poor excuse for a human. I’m holding on to something that happened almost thirty years ago, still so bitter, and I was happy to have someone who was bitter and upset like me. But I had no right to judge or be a bitch to you when you decided to get your head out your ass and take what makes you happy. For that, I’m sorry.”
Mekena nodded. “You don’t have to hold on, Libby. Let go. Be happy.”
“Eh, I’m set in my ways. I’ll grow old, be alone, and I’m okay with that. But you have such a long, beautiful life to look forward to, and my God, the way he looks at you. It’s breathtaking.”
“He’s amazing.”
“He is,” she said with a smile. “I’ve watched him, and he loves you, Mekena.”
“He does,” she agreed, her heart skipping a beat. “I want you to meet him.”
“I want that too.” Coming closer to Mekena, she asked, “Do you forgive me?”
Mekena didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.”
“Good,” Libby said as an exhale. “I felt horrible for being a dick to you.”
“It’s okay, it happens. And I should have told you about the job.”
“Yeah, but it’s such a great opportunity. You’ll do great, you love shooting games.”
“I do. A lot.”
“It’ll be excellent, I just know it,” Libby decided with a nod. “You won’t fly out tomorrow, right?”
“Nope, I don’t know when I will. I might fly later, and drive back with the rest of my stuff. I don’t know yet.”
“Okay, well, I’ll start packing up for you. I have nothing else to do.”
“You could make an eHarmony page.”
“Or join Tinder.”
“Or Match.”
“Or Plenty of Fish.”
Mekena gave her a dry look. “I’m trying to get you a relationship, and you just want sex.”
Libby shrugged. “Hey, sex is enough for me.”
Rolling her eyes, she leaned into her aunt, laying her head on her shoulder. “I want you to be happy.”
“Eh, how about you be happy for both of us?”
Mekena smiled, knowing her aunt wouldn’t budge. She was right; she was set in her ways, and the sooner everyone accepted that, the better. “Done.”
They stood in silence for a moment before Libby exhaled. “She moved out.”
Mekena’s breath stopped. “Who?”
“Skylar. Your parents told her she had to get help or get out. She got out.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, they’re worried.”
“She’s a big girl.”
“You’re right, but she needs help.”
“And she’s the only one who can help herself,” Mekena said, looking to Libby, and she nodded. As much as she knew she should feel something more, she couldn’t shake the anger. She couldn’t believe what her sister had done, but one thing was for sure, she wouldn’t make excuses for her.
