Chapter 25
25
Taylor
T he next few weeks, aside from work, school, and get-togethers with our parents, Brenner and I are inseparable.
If anyone had asked me before last summer if I thought we could be any closer, I wouldn’t have believed that was possible.
But I would have been wrong.
So fucking wrong.
I never really considered that a stupid word could change so much, but boyfriend is more than a word. Knowing Brenner’s mine and I’m his makes me feel like everything’s right in the world.
When the weekend of the wedding finally arrives, Brenner and I check into the hotel on the lake, abutting the venue property.
“The whole stepbrother crew is here,” Troy says as he helps me decorate the arbor by the dock near the lake.
My mom and Troy’s mom know each other through our friendship with Atlas. They became close after Troy’s mom divorced Atlas’s asshole dad, something Mom could help her navigate, considering her own past with the Piece of Shit. Ash and Colin are here too. Their parents have gotten close with ours since Atlas’s pool party the summer before last.
“We should start a club,” Troy adds.
I glance around. Mom and Keith are busy running around, dealing with one drama or another, so I’m not worried about them overhearing. But there’s a lot of mutual friends of our parents and family here, some of whom relish gossip, so I want to make sure no one’s in earshot.
Fortunately, it’s just us.
“Don’t worry,” Troy says. “I’m good at keeping secrets. Not gonna out you and your stepbro.”
“My almost stepbro.”
“For like a day. You must be so relieved to finally get through this so you can be open.”
“You have no idea.”
“I get it. It changes things. I’m so proud of being the guy Atlas wants to be with, and I want everyone to know, especially the people most important to me.”
“It’s been hard keeping it from my mom. It’s for the best, but before I met Brenner, she was the one I confided in, especially about important shit. It’s weird having to keep this bottled in. Like, if they came out with a special edition of Remnant , I’d want to tell her all about it because I’d be so excited.” As Troy pulls a face, I say, “Shit. That doesn’t sound very romantic.”
“Trust me, coming from you, that sounds strangely sweet.”
I blush. “Brenner gets me thinking about a lot of strangely sweet things.”
“You don’t have to tell the guy who has his boyfriend’s name tattooed on him,” he says, displaying the Atlas inscribed across his wrist.
It’s not really my thing or Brenner’s, but the fact that he can display it so prominently and proudly for everyone to see is something I envy right now.
Troy says, “Good luck keeping your hands off him for the next twenty-four hours. I think we both know, the more you have to keep from touching each other, the more tempting it becomes.”
The only saving grace is that there’s so much wedding prep, I haven’t had to encounter him too much. Although, that’s also one of the things that’s annoying me.
After Troy and I finish up with the arbor, I join Atlas and Brenner, setting up tables where we’ll have the rehearsal dinner tonight and reception dinner tomorrow. Mila sets up at the bar nearby. I’m glad Brenner asked her to come along. On top of being really cool, she’s done way more than even some of my family to help get everything set up for Mom and Keith’s big day. It means a lot to me.
Once I finish up with the guys, I tackle a few more tasks before heading into the guesthouse for the rehearsal. I hurry upstairs to the bridal suite, where Mom’s been sorting things out with her bridesmates —a term she found more fitting since she wanted to include one of her guy besties. But when I head in, I’m surprised to find her on her own.
“Where your friends at?”
She’s standing by the closet where she’s hung her wedding dress. “Jane attempted an at-home perm yesterday. Thought it’d go great with the dress. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, and she’s freaking out. So Todd and Beth are trying to figure out what to do with it. I asked if they could manage it here because I don’t need any more stress right now. So I’m admiring my dress to remind myself of the fun bits before I get back to work.”
With how much there’s been to do since we arrived at the venue, I imagine she could use a breather. Unfortunately for her, I have a few things I need to get out of the way: “Sherrie has questions about the guestbook, and the catering’s running thirty minutes late, which shouldn’t be an issue. Oh, and Dakota’s really excited to be your flower girl. She wanted me to tell you that. I would jump up and down as much as she did when she said it, but I think you get the idea.”
Mom laughs. “That’s sweet.” But I can tell she’s still tense, so I take her hand.
“Breathe, Mom. And keep admiring that dress because you’re gonna have to get used to wearing it to make it worth how much it cost.”
Her gaze narrows. “It didn’t cost that much. And I stayed within the budget you drew up.”
“Still a lot for a bunch of fabric.”
“But it’s such pretty fabric.” She strokes it, her gaze settling on the dress as she runs her fingers along the train. Even though she’s looking at the dress, I can tell her mind is elsewhere. Maybe appreciating the life she’ll share with Keith.
“I’m just teasing, Mom. Tomorrow is your big day. And you get to have a fancy dress to celebrate finding such a great guy.”
For the first time since I entered the room, she takes a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing as she takes my hand. “Thank you, Taylor.”
“It’s kind of my job to make sure you’re chill for the big day.”
She chuckles. “I didn’t mean for relaxing me. Thank you for that too, but I meant being so cool about Keith. Even though we were trying to protect you and Brenner in case things didn’t work out, it was more than that. I was nervous too. Given what a terrible experience you had with your…”
“Piece of Shit.”
“I’m not calling him that,” she says, though her smile suggests she wishes she could.
“Why not? Not like the courts can come in and use it against us anymore.”
Her expression shifts to concern. “It shouldn’t have been like that. I should have left him sooner. Maybe if I had…” I can hear the regret I know she carried all through my youth.
“Mom, you’re not responsible for what that asshole did to our family. He made his choices, and given how much he’d beaten on your self-esteem by the time you left, I’m honestly shocked you were able to. Today, I see this strong, confident woman who can do anything she sets her mind to. That’s not the woman I knew when I was a kid. She was always walking on eggshells and trying to say the right thing.”
She bites her lip. “You know I wasn’t like that when I met Chris? He was charming and kind and warm. I thought I’d found the one. Looking back, it’s easy to see little signs. Things I thought of as teasing or him being playful. Chipping away little by little, and once I had you, it really started to come out. This other side of him that was just…nasty. It wasn’t directed toward you, so I think I told myself that as long as he was good to you, it was fine.”
“Sure, I remember plenty of times where Dad was nice or kind to me, but when he was unkind to you in front of me, that wasn’t kind to me either.”
“I see that now. Wish I could have seen it back then. That it hadn’t had to be after losing Aria that I woke up. And it wasn’t even me. It was when you snapped at him, and I saw that you, this kid, knew what he was saying was wrong. I saw Chris through your eyes, and that’s what did the trick. You know you saved me, right?”
In a moment, I recall the most I’ve ever seen her struggle. The pain. The sadness. And those vicious words from his mouth that made me finally let him know I’d had enough.
“Hey, Mom. You’re not the only person who’s gotten with the wrong guy. And you got out. You got me out.”
Her eyes water. “But I didn’t.”
If only it were so easy, but life never is. There was the difficult custody battle, and I had to stay with him for too many years before I was free.
“You didn’t do that to me,” I assure her. “He and the courts did.”
“Doesn’t make it any better.”
Now I’m tearing up thinking about how fucking painful that time was, how many years I went just wishing that the Piece of Shit would leave us the hell alone.
“No, it doesn’t make it better,” I tell her. “But all we can do is keep moving forward. You’re getting married tomorrow. To an amazing guy who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”
Tears burst free from Mom’s eyes, and she raises her hand to her face.
“That was supposed to cheer you up,” I say, running back through what I said to see where I fucked it up.
“Oh, Taylor.” She fans her face. “These are happy tears.” She sniffles as she pulls her hand away from her face. “I just never thought I could feel like this again. After Chris, I accepted that I’d never get to have the happily ever after I imagined. And I thought that was fine. I had you and made friends, and I didn’t think it could get better until Keith came along and changed everything.”
There’s a sparkle in her eyes. I catch glimpses of it when I see her with him, the sort that maybe can’t make up for all the pain, but at least makes it all somehow worth it.
Reminds me of what I have.
When I’m with Bren.
“I know the feeling,” I say.
This catches her attention, and she tilts her head. “What?”
Fuck.
“I meant, I understand what you mean.”
She winces, like she’s not quite sure she buys it. How could she? She knows me too well for that.
I open my mouth, like some part of me just wants to spit it out: Brenner does that for me, and I want you to know he makes me as happy as Keith makes you happy. I’d love to share this with her, but it’s not just my news to share. And this definitely isn’t the time. So I press my lips back together. I must stifle it for a little while longer.
There’s a knock at the door, saving my ass.
“Come in,” Mom says, and Brenner pokes his head in.
“Sherrie is really stressed about the guestbook,” he says.
Mom and I burst into a laugh. Really, of all our concerns, that has to be at the bottom of the list.
“Okay,” Mom says, “we both have enough to do before the rehearsal starts. So let’s get to it.” She squeezes my hand. “Just know, Taylor, you were the one who saved me. And I’m glad you’re the one giving me away to Keith.”
When Mom discussed it with Grandpa, even he said, “I wasn’t even considering it’d be anyone other than Taylor.”
I get the answers to Sherrie’s questions, and Mom promises to text Jane to make sure she doesn’t come back with anything dramatic like self-cut bangs. I give her another hug, then head out with Brenner.
We’re not far down the hall before he grabs my wrist and pulls me through a door. In no time, he’s pushing up against me, his lips against mine.
“Fuck,” I moan as he pulls away, those dark eyes set on me as he licks his lips. “Been missing that all day.”
“You and me both.”
“And if I didn’t think your cousin Sherrie would lose her mind, I’d jerk you off right here.”
Bren grabs at my crotch. “I’m already making you hard,” he says as he feels along my stiffening cock.
“You can’t tease me like this.”
“We get through today, and I somehow survive being Dad’s best man, I’ll do whatever the hell you want tonight when we get back to the room. Now shut up and make out with me for a few more minutes so I can deal with the rest of my family for the next few hours.”
We enjoy a quick make-out before prying away from each other and resuming our tasks.
Brenner helps with decorations while I deliver the word to Sherrie about the guestbook. Then we keep busy until it’s time for the rehearsal.
The wedding planner explains the order of everything, and we do a walk-through of the ceremony. He shows me how to walk Mom down the aisle, and when the rest of the groomsmen and bridesmates join us, it’s apparent Todd and Beth’s efforts haven’t done much for Jane’s perm. Unless the nest on her head is somehow better than what it was before.
Shortly after, Sherrie heads down the aisle with Dakota, and despite her earlier enthusiasm, our five-year-old flower girl looks a little shaky, but she manages to reach Mom and Keith before bursting into tears.
“Oh, baby,” Mom says as she, Keith, and Sherrie hurry to comfort her.
When Dakota’s sobbing subsides, Mom and Keith exchange a look, Mom’s lips twisting into a smile, the sunlight sparkling in her eyes like they did when we were discussing Keith earlier.
Keith’s grinning too, like even with this little hiccup, he knows he’s the luckiest man in the world to be here with my mom.
And fuck, now I’m tearing up, and this isn’t even the actual wedding.
I turn and catch Brenner’s gaze, and it’s clear by the glint in his eye that he caught the moment too. It’s nice sharing this with him, both of us getting to see just how right our parents are for each other.
It’s the sort of thing that reminds me, as much bullshit as a person can go through, even when things seem bleak, you never know what life has in store for you.
Just like I sure as hell didn’t know what it had in store for me and Bren.
*
The following morning, I wake with Brenner in my arms.
After the rehearsal dinner, we hurried back to our room, and Brenner gave me a generous blowjob before jerking off on my abs. It was the most we could muster after running around all day.
Now I’m happy to have him in my arms, clinging to me.
“Don’t wake me up,” he whispers.
I laugh. “You’re clearly already awake.”
He buries his face in my chest. “Uh-uh,” he says like a kid.
“Come on. It’s a good day. It’s the day we officially become stepbrothers.”
He peeks up at me. “Mmm. That’s more what I’m interested in. Now you’re really stuck with me.” He offers a quick kiss. “But seriously, I need a few more minutes of sleep.”
“That’s fine. You mind if I run down and grab some breakfast? I’m starving.”
He releases me, and I slip out of bed, hurrying into my sweats, tee, and Crocs. “Want me to bring you anything?”
“Nah. If you do, I can’t pretend I have to eat to delay having to do shit through breakfast.”
I chuckle and grab my key card. “Sounds good.”
As I start for the door, Brenner says, “Hey, your phone! It’s on the nightstand.”
I roll my eyes. “Bren, I’m just heading downstairs to grab a few muffins and coffee, and I can do without another fake crisis from Sherrie for like five minutes.”
He laughs. “Fair enough.”
I head out the door, and by the time I reach the first floor, I’m starting to feel a little more energy, even pre-coffee, which is promising. As I start through the lobby, a familiar face catches my attention, and I freeze in place.
A man stands at the front desk, chatting with the receptionist, who throws her head back, laughing at something he said. And as a smile plays across his lips, goose bumps prick across my flesh.
Because it’s not just any man.
It’s the Piece of Shit.