Trying Not to Love You
Page 4
I rolled my eyes at him. "You always bring him up, why?"
"Because I don't think he deserves you. Is he actually going to make it here tomorrow for the party, or is he going to blow you off again?"
"He promised he would make it this time. He didn't blow me off the last time. He got held up at practice, and it didn't make any sense for him to come all the way here, and turn right back around." He made it up to me by sending me flowers the next day. Yeah, I was still mad, but it is not as if he could drop what he was doing just to come home to see me. I knew football was his life.
"If I was him, and you were my girlfriend, I would make damn sure I was home every chance I got." I noticed when he said this, that he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, and his knuckles were turning white.
"He's trying, Hunter."
As we were pulling into the driveway of my house, he mumbled under his breath something that sounded like, "He needs to try harder."
"What did you say?" I asked, wanting to clarify what I thought he said.
Shaking his head, he responded, "Nothing. What time do you want me back to pick you and Hailey up?"
"You don't have too; I'm going to drive my car down in the morning. I just need you to make sure my brothers are there by seven. I don't care what you have to tell them, just get them there." I reached over the seat and shook Hailey's leg and said "Hails, wake up. We're home."
The next morning Hailey and I were up before Mason and Cooper. We quickly got ready, and made our way back down to the shore house to start getting set up for the party. Finally, after all the food was out, and everything was set up, Hailey and I went up to my room and started to get ready for the party.
"So what are you planning on wearing? I know we packed a bunch of different shit." Hailey said as she pulled out everything from the bags we had packed last night before we fell asleep.
"I'm wearing my white shorts, and that,"—I pointed to the black low cut halter-top she had in her hand—"with my black peep toe pumps." I picked this because Dominic could never keep his hands off me. He always told me that wearing white shorts made my legs look miles long.
"Your brothers are going to throw a fit. That shirt barely covers the girls."
I smiled, looking at her through the mirror in front of me, and just shrugged my shoulders. I knew she was right, but I didn't care. "You should wear those hot pink shorts on the pillow over there, with the white strapless shirt and those cute white pumps with the pink underneath them. The white shirt will bring out your tan."
Hailey picked up the outfit and held it up to herself in the mirror, "Yeah, I think you are right. I do look pretty hot in those pink shorts."
Hailey was gorgeous. She was tall with long blonde hair, dark olive skin, dark blue eyes and flawless skin. I never could understand why she felt so insecure about herself.
After Hailey and I finished getting ready, we made our way downstairs to start greeting everyone arriving for the surprise party. We had our next-door neighbor Jimmy have everyone park in his parent's driveway. Hunter and my brothers would think it was Jimmy throwing the party. Around six-thirty, I got a text from Hunter saying they would be there a little after seven.
Wondering why Dominic was not here yet, I sent him a text to find out where he was. I didn't want him ruining the surprise by showing up late.
Me – 6:36pm: Where r u?
Dominic – 6:38pm: on my way stuck in traffic
Me – 6:40pm: text me when you cross the bridge
Dominic – 6:41pm: I'll be there by 10
Me – 6:42pm: Y so late?
Dominic – 6:44pm: Traffic
Of course, he was going to be late; he would be late to his own damn wedding. I knew I should not act pissy, but he had known about this for weeks. He should have been here hours ago, but at least he was coming this time.
"Everyone, please find a hiding place. They will be here in the next few minutes." Hailey yelled over all the chatter in the house.
You would think finding hiding places for 75 people would be somewhat hard, but somehow, everyone found a place.
I heard their street bikes pulling into the driveway so I "shushed" everyone to give a warning that the boys were here.
They walked in laughing, and flipped the light switch on. Everyone screamed "Surprise!"
Cooper and Mason's eyes flew wide open. When they noticed everyone, they were in complete shock. When their eyes landed on Hailey, Jaylinn and me standing in front of the stairs, they smiled and shook their heads.
After being greeted by a few of their friends, they made their way over to us. Mason pulled me into his arms, "I knew you were up to no good." He let go of me and grabbed Hailey, while Cooper hugged me. "I can't believe you two did this. Mason said you girls were out on dates tonight."
Cooper released me, and leaned me against the wall beside Jaylinn. "Is that why you left so early this morning? I was surprised when mom said you left around ten. Your ass never gets up before noon."
Hunter walked up next to me and leaned his elbow against my shoulder; I looked up at him, then back to Cooper. "I knew you and Mason wouldn't let us leave without a fight, so we had to disappear early."
"You're damn straight we wouldn't. Oh, this," Cooper motioned behind Hunter, "is Jessica, Alexis, and Angel."
I knocked Hunter's elbow off my shoulder, and then turned towards them. I was surprised to see Alexis standing there with two other girls I did not recognize. "Hi, I'm MacKenzie, their sister, and this is my best friend Hailey, and Jaylinn over there is Hunter's sister." Alexis rolled her eyes, which she did a lot, and the other two girls just mumbled hello's.
I excused myself and walked into the kitchen to grab a drink when my older brother Jackson and his pregnant fiancé Chloe walked in. "Hey, you guys made it! How are you feeling Chloe?" I reached over to rub her baby bump.
"This morning sickness is seriously kicking my ass. I don't know how long we will be able to stay, but we wanted to show up for a little while."
"You and Hailey did an excellent job Kenzie. Mase and Coop were freaking the f**k out all day. Hunter and I had to keep them from coming to search for you girls." Jackson said.
"Well, thanks for covering for us. I am so glad they had no idea; you know how hard it is to surprise those two with anything. Hey, why don't you guys just stay in your room upstairs?" I looked over at Chloe, "That way, if you don't feel good, you can go upstairs to lie down. All the doors are locked, so no one can get into them."
"Because I don't think he deserves you. Is he actually going to make it here tomorrow for the party, or is he going to blow you off again?"
"He promised he would make it this time. He didn't blow me off the last time. He got held up at practice, and it didn't make any sense for him to come all the way here, and turn right back around." He made it up to me by sending me flowers the next day. Yeah, I was still mad, but it is not as if he could drop what he was doing just to come home to see me. I knew football was his life.
"If I was him, and you were my girlfriend, I would make damn sure I was home every chance I got." I noticed when he said this, that he gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, and his knuckles were turning white.
"He's trying, Hunter."
As we were pulling into the driveway of my house, he mumbled under his breath something that sounded like, "He needs to try harder."
"What did you say?" I asked, wanting to clarify what I thought he said.
Shaking his head, he responded, "Nothing. What time do you want me back to pick you and Hailey up?"
"You don't have too; I'm going to drive my car down in the morning. I just need you to make sure my brothers are there by seven. I don't care what you have to tell them, just get them there." I reached over the seat and shook Hailey's leg and said "Hails, wake up. We're home."
The next morning Hailey and I were up before Mason and Cooper. We quickly got ready, and made our way back down to the shore house to start getting set up for the party. Finally, after all the food was out, and everything was set up, Hailey and I went up to my room and started to get ready for the party.
"So what are you planning on wearing? I know we packed a bunch of different shit." Hailey said as she pulled out everything from the bags we had packed last night before we fell asleep.
"I'm wearing my white shorts, and that,"—I pointed to the black low cut halter-top she had in her hand—"with my black peep toe pumps." I picked this because Dominic could never keep his hands off me. He always told me that wearing white shorts made my legs look miles long.
"Your brothers are going to throw a fit. That shirt barely covers the girls."
I smiled, looking at her through the mirror in front of me, and just shrugged my shoulders. I knew she was right, but I didn't care. "You should wear those hot pink shorts on the pillow over there, with the white strapless shirt and those cute white pumps with the pink underneath them. The white shirt will bring out your tan."
Hailey picked up the outfit and held it up to herself in the mirror, "Yeah, I think you are right. I do look pretty hot in those pink shorts."
Hailey was gorgeous. She was tall with long blonde hair, dark olive skin, dark blue eyes and flawless skin. I never could understand why she felt so insecure about herself.
After Hailey and I finished getting ready, we made our way downstairs to start greeting everyone arriving for the surprise party. We had our next-door neighbor Jimmy have everyone park in his parent's driveway. Hunter and my brothers would think it was Jimmy throwing the party. Around six-thirty, I got a text from Hunter saying they would be there a little after seven.
Wondering why Dominic was not here yet, I sent him a text to find out where he was. I didn't want him ruining the surprise by showing up late.
Me – 6:36pm: Where r u?
Dominic – 6:38pm: on my way stuck in traffic
Me – 6:40pm: text me when you cross the bridge
Dominic – 6:41pm: I'll be there by 10
Me – 6:42pm: Y so late?
Dominic – 6:44pm: Traffic
Of course, he was going to be late; he would be late to his own damn wedding. I knew I should not act pissy, but he had known about this for weeks. He should have been here hours ago, but at least he was coming this time.
"Everyone, please find a hiding place. They will be here in the next few minutes." Hailey yelled over all the chatter in the house.
You would think finding hiding places for 75 people would be somewhat hard, but somehow, everyone found a place.
I heard their street bikes pulling into the driveway so I "shushed" everyone to give a warning that the boys were here.
They walked in laughing, and flipped the light switch on. Everyone screamed "Surprise!"
Cooper and Mason's eyes flew wide open. When they noticed everyone, they were in complete shock. When their eyes landed on Hailey, Jaylinn and me standing in front of the stairs, they smiled and shook their heads.
After being greeted by a few of their friends, they made their way over to us. Mason pulled me into his arms, "I knew you were up to no good." He let go of me and grabbed Hailey, while Cooper hugged me. "I can't believe you two did this. Mason said you girls were out on dates tonight."
Cooper released me, and leaned me against the wall beside Jaylinn. "Is that why you left so early this morning? I was surprised when mom said you left around ten. Your ass never gets up before noon."
Hunter walked up next to me and leaned his elbow against my shoulder; I looked up at him, then back to Cooper. "I knew you and Mason wouldn't let us leave without a fight, so we had to disappear early."
"You're damn straight we wouldn't. Oh, this," Cooper motioned behind Hunter, "is Jessica, Alexis, and Angel."
I knocked Hunter's elbow off my shoulder, and then turned towards them. I was surprised to see Alexis standing there with two other girls I did not recognize. "Hi, I'm MacKenzie, their sister, and this is my best friend Hailey, and Jaylinn over there is Hunter's sister." Alexis rolled her eyes, which she did a lot, and the other two girls just mumbled hello's.
I excused myself and walked into the kitchen to grab a drink when my older brother Jackson and his pregnant fiancé Chloe walked in. "Hey, you guys made it! How are you feeling Chloe?" I reached over to rub her baby bump.
"This morning sickness is seriously kicking my ass. I don't know how long we will be able to stay, but we wanted to show up for a little while."
"You and Hailey did an excellent job Kenzie. Mase and Coop were freaking the f**k out all day. Hunter and I had to keep them from coming to search for you girls." Jackson said.
"Well, thanks for covering for us. I am so glad they had no idea; you know how hard it is to surprise those two with anything. Hey, why don't you guys just stay in your room upstairs?" I looked over at Chloe, "That way, if you don't feel good, you can go upstairs to lie down. All the doors are locked, so no one can get into them."
