10. Heartache and Hope Go Hand in Hand
CELESTE
Wesley lookedhot with his dark tan skin and tight polo shirt. He had grown bigger over the summer, not in height, but in width. His shoulders were broader and his arms looked more muscular in a way that made me do a double take. I could tell he noticed the changes in my body right away (thank you, puberty, for FINALLY showing up!) and it would be a lie to say it didn’t make me feel a bit full of myself. I liked the way his eyes roamed my body, the smolder he started to give me when I caught him staring…it was a heady rush to know that I had the power to bring out that reaction in him.
But then when he kissed me, it was like a rocket shot me straight to the stars. My body was no longer my own, fully prepared to do something reckless and crazy, because nothing could be reckless or crazy with Wesley Madden. Our bodies fit together like Legos, perfectly aligned and contoured to one another, and it made me want to shout to everyone in the River’s Run town square: WESLEY LIKES ME BACK!
Had I not remembered Mama’s warnings to always keep it slow with boys, things might have really escalated in there. I was aware how much his body wanted me since it definitely wasn’t a tv remote pressing against his jeans, but we still needed to take things down a notch. Stepping away from him felt like backing away from a hot grill; there was so much cold air all at once that you felt even more cautious of the flames in front of you.
I meant it when I said Hillary wouldn’t like it. She made no secret out of her intent to pursue him once he returned to River’s Run, and had pestered me with questions all summer long. Crossing the line from best friend to romantic relationship sounded terrific in theory, but in actuality, wasn’t practical. Hillary tended to always get her way, and Mama had never advised me on what to do about that.
Now, though, with his hand laced through mine on the way to The Comfy Cushion, it was hard to remember why Mama warned me off boys in the first place. I knew my bubble of happiness was about to burst when we arrived at the restaurant and Hillary set her eyes on Wesley again, but it didn’t seem right to let the opportunity pass by. Knowing what it felt like to hold Wes’ hand in mine was something she didn’t deserve to take from me.
As we got nearer, my anxiety began to grow and I dropped his hand before he could feel the sweat gathering on my palms. I stopped a few feet away and turned to face him, my back to The Comfy Cushion.
“Desiree will probably be there because she rarely lets Daddy out of her sight,” I explained quietly, looking at the ground. Seeing his anger would only make it harder to accept something that was already crushing my soul. “Hillary usually hangs out in the corner booth with all of her friends. Jeremy might be back from football practice by now, too.”
Wesley leaned down to capture my gaze, tilting my head up once again to face him. It was just as awful as I imagined it would be, his face already contorting with anger mixed with a heavy dose of confusion. “And all of this happened in three short months? I wasn’t gone all that long, Celeste…”
I nodded, sucking in a shaky breath to stop myself from breaking down. “Daddy’s been doing a lot of weird things lately. He even let them move in already even though they aren’t married yet.”
While that probably didn’t sound like a big deal to most people, for someone as traditional as my daddy, it nearly made me choke on my breakfast when he told me a few weeks ago.
“You don’t have a guest room anymore?” Wesley asked in surprise. He had slept in that room often enough that we used to keep a drawer of pajamas for him in the dresser.
I shook my head sadly. “When Daddy let Desiree and the kids move in, he gave Jeremy your room…and Hillary took mine.” I paused knowing this part was going to make Wesley’s anger flare.
Right on cue, he choked out, “So where are you sleeping?”
“We moved all my stuff up to the tower.” I shrugged like it was no big deal, but deep down inside, it still broke my spirit to admit out loud. It shouldn’t have meant so much to me but that had been my bedroom since the day I was born. My mama and Nana had hand painted the flowers on the wall in anticipation of my arrival, and on a single Saturday, Desiree and her daughter covered up every one. The whole time I kept reminding myself that Mama said to sprinkle kindness around like confetti, and that I should be excited at the prospect of siblings, but it was hard to bear that in mind as the ugly mint green paint Hillary selected buried the reminders of my mama’s love from view.
Wesley was indignant on my behalf. He was breathing heavily, his nostrils flaring, and his hands became fists at his sides. The veins popped out on his forearms as he tried to control his temper.
“What is your dad thinking?!” he burst out angrily.
I just shrugged my shoulder before turning back to the restaurant. Wesley was immediately at my side and tried to lace his fingers through mine again, but I dropped them like I had been burned, crossing my arms across my chest. Hillary would be on the war path if she realized anything had developed between Wesley and me, and if the past summer had been any indication, Desiree always took her daughter’s side. As much as I loved Wesley, I didn’t want his homecoming to be ruined with a fight.
Just as I predicted, Hillary and her followers were all huddled in a corner booth, jabbering loudly over one another and filming videos on their cell phones. Several of her friends were already high school sophomores and juniors who flocked to Hillary’s side because of her beauty pageant titles. She was Queen Bee, and The Comfy Cushion now served as her royal court.
Hillary’s eyes lit up the moment Wesley stepped through the door behind me.
“Wesley Madden, is that you?!” She pushed two of her friends out of the booth so she could rush over to him and throw her arms around him, a fake smile frozen on her face.
Or at least, she attempted to. Wes caught her wrists as they neared his neck and halted their trajectory.
“Don’t touch me,” he warned her firmly.
Hillary’s face dropped instantly, a flare of anger flashing in her eyes before she quickly schooled her features into an exaggerated pout. “Didn’t you miss me, Wesley? I’ve been thinking about you all summer! Celeste wouldn’t give me any details!” She shot a glare my way as if I had done something wrong.
Wesley gave her a cruel smirk. “That’s funny since Celeste had to remind me of your name.” He threw an arm around my shoulder and led me around the table to my left so we could go down the other aisle, away from Hillary.
“Wes!” I whispered furiously. “You know that’s not true!”
He shot me one of his megawatt smiles. “But she doesn’t, does she?” he whispered back.
Right as we reached the hallway entrance that would lead to the back kitchen and my father’s office, Desiree came into view. She was several years younger than Daddy, having had her kids early in life. Her dark brown hair was nearly black, falling in a thick bob around her face. She and Hillary went to Savannah at least twice a month to get heavy eyelash extensions, and their eyebrows were waxed to perfection. They both kept their makeup impeccably pristine, regardless of weather or time of day. Desiree usually wore tight pencil skirts or dresses with high stiletto heels that made her tower over me. She was very attractive in a way that I had come to associate with city life, but looked pretty out of place in River’s Run.
Now, she arched one carefully manicured eyebrow at me before looking back at Hillary. “And what have we here?” she asked.
“We’re just going back to see Daddy,” I explained.
Desiree’s lips pursed. “He’s got another migraine and will be heading home for the evening.” Daddy’s migraines were becoming almost a daily occurrence. Most of the time they were so bad that he lost vision and became sensitive to light and sound.
I nodded and Wesley’s arm slid from my shoulders to my waist. Desiree’s eyes zeroed in on the movement like lasers, making me take an awkward step away from him.
Wesley didn’t skip a beat, however. “Guess we better catch him before he leaves, then.”
Desiree crossed her arms across her chest, glaring down her nose at him. “I don’t believe I know your name,” she responded coldly.
Hillary’s voice came from behind me. “That’s Wesley Madden, Mom.”
She surveyed Wesley again, this time with newfound interest. Her gaze softened as she noted his designer apparel and expensive watch. “As in Madden Markets?”
Beside me, Wesley stiffened at her inquiry. He clenched his teeth and eyed her with disdain. “My father’s business is exactly that—his.” Without another word, he grabbed my hand and pulled us both around her towards my daddy’s office.
Wesley’s audacity never ceased to amaze me. I never would have had the gumption to speak to an adult like that, particularly one as scary as Desiree. She was so stern, full of hard angles and harsh lines—the kind of customer who wants filet mignon at a place like The Comfy Cushion.
I heard Wesley’s sharp intake of breath as we walked into Daddy’s office. He was packing up for the day, powering off the computer, and shuffling papers into the appropriate place on the bookcase behind his desk. With my best friend by my side, it made me realize how pale Daddy was starting to look, and how the round belly that had always crushed me in a bear hug was starting to disappear. As much as I hated to accept it, Daddy didn’t look like himself either, which was just as upsetting as his behavior.
“Wesley!” Daddy boomed out in surprise when he saw us. He held out his arms, and as he wrapped them around Wes, I suddenly noticed how loose Daddy’s shirt hung on his frame and how sharply his elbow popped out now. “It’s so good to see you! We weren’t expecting you around here for a few more days.”
Wes nodded. “All part of my master plan to surprise Celeste.” He flashed me his megawatt smile, his tongue just barely poking out between his white teeth, and my heart leapt.
“Desiree said you have a migraine again?” I inquired.
Daddy grimaced before shrugging his shoulders. “It’s not that bad. It’ll pass, sugar bee. Are you gonna come over for dinner?” he asked Wesley.
Desiree’s voice barked out from behind us. “Doug, you have to put your health first!”
She shuffled past us, all but knocking Wesley out of the way, and made a big show of fussing over Daddy, smoothing back his hair and rubbing his back. A flash of a glare in our direction told me she blamed me for Daddy’s selfless behavior.
He offered her a soft smile in return. “Now, honey, Wes is practically a member of the family. It wouldn’t be right not to celebrate his return.” As Daddy wrapped his arm around her waist, a surge of fury shot through my body, and I had to actively stop myself from ripping Desiree away from him. She would never be my mother, so she had no business at Daddy’s side.
“Tell you what—I’ll plan something for later this week!” Desiree beamed like it was the best idea in the world, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “We want you to feel better before we celebrate, dear!”
I stole a glance at Wesley and found his face pinched in concentration. The gears in his head were turning as he watched the exchange, no doubt taking notes on their behavior like he seemed to do with everyone else. Judging by the scrunch of his nose, like he smelled sour milk, he didn’t like what he saw.
Daddy sheepishly looked at Wesley with an apologetic smile. “How does that sound to you, Wes? I’m sorry, I’ve just been getting these headaches here and there. Today’s not a good day.”
“Of course, Mr. Hendricks,” Wesley replied. “Celeste and I will have dinner with Aunt Shirley tonight so we can catch up and you can rest.”
“Oh, now that just won’t do.” Desiree tsked and shook her head, looking wide-eyed between the two of us, then back to Daddy. “Ms. Shirley can’t be expected to run Celeste back out to our place later this evening, and I’m gonna have to go home now with you, Doug. She’ll have to come home now, too, and see you another time, Wesley. In fact, y’all are getting to the age where it’s not decent for a girl to spend so much time with a boy. People might talk.”
My head was spinning at her words. Wesley and I had done this over 100 times in the two years we had been best friends. Ms. Shirley never once protested giving me a ride, nor had Daddy ever refused to come get me. He knew it wasn’t my fault that our family’s land was too far out of town to walk.
And as for people talking about us, the idea was laughable in my mind. No one had ever said anything about that, even when Wes spent the night at our house. We spent every day together from sun up to sun down from the day he moved to River’s Run to the beginning of this summer. Even on days we were sick, we spent hours on the phone until we badgered one of the adults in our lives to have pity on us and let the other one go take care of the sick one. It was just how things were between Wesley and me.
There were tears in my eyes as I waited for Daddy to say as much to Desiree, to remind her that I was his daughter, not hers. Daddy held my gaze for a moment before averting his eyes to his desk. He let out a long sigh.
“Perhaps you’re right, honey,” he finally agreed. “I don’t know nearly as much about raising a teenage daughter as you do.”
“But Daddy!” I protested.
Desiree held up a hand. “Your father is sick, Celeste! How can you be so selfish?”
A lone tear escaped, something I didn’t want Desiree to see, but Wesley grabbed my hand again and started pulling me out of Daddy’s office. “We’ll just step outside to say our goodbyes,” he told them.
Daddy nodded. “Meet me at the truck in five minutes, sugar bee.”
Wesley wound his way through the dining tables in the front of the restaurant, ignoring Hillary’s tittering call for him, and dragged me outside around the corner to the extra parking spaces on the side of The Comfy Cushion. Once we were safely outside of anyone’s earshot, he dropped my hand and began furiously kicking the side of the restaurant.
“That stupid fucking bitch!” he seethed with each kick.
“Wes!” There was no telling if she could hear us or not, and we certainly didn’t need more trouble.
“I’ve been waiting all summer to see you and she’s taking that away!” he yelled. “Don’t you see what’s happening?”
His anger left me speechless, opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish as I tried to find the right words to calm him down. Instead he slammed his palm into the wall between us.
“She’s trying to keep me away from you so that I focus more on her ugly ass daughter! Like I’d ever look twice at Hillary!”
I shook my head. As much as I loved hearing that he didn’t care about my new stepsister, I didn’t think Desiree would sink that low. Daddy certainly wouldn’t be attracted to her if she was that mean of a person. “That’s not what she’s trying to do, Wes,” I insisted. “You heard her—people will talk. I don’t want to start high school already having a reputation.”
Wesley’s blue eyes seared right through me. “I’d beat the shit out of anyone who tried to say something about you. Don’t drink her poison!”
Instead, I pulled him in tightly, my hand tucking his head in above my shoulder. His arms instantly wound around my waist and I stroked his shaggy hair soothingly for a few moments before I finally heard Wes’ loud sigh of relief. The fight had gone out in him.
As I leaned back to look at his face, Wesley’s soft lips pressed against my own. This kiss was sweet—tender, even—and didn’t last nearly long enough. He stood straighter to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. “For my whole life,” Wesley whispered, making me smile against his throat.
The sounds of Daddy and Desiree’s voice drifted around the corner, breaking the spell of the moment. Begrudgingly, I pulled away from Wesley and walked sadly towards their truck. Wesley followed closely behind.
“You have a good night, Wes,” Daddy said. “It’s good to have you home.”
Wesley smiled tightly and nodded at him.
Daddy had already shut the car door behind him when Desiree turned to us with another cold smile. “Since you’re such an upstanding gentleman, Wesley, why don’t you join Hillary and her friends inside. I’m sure they would all appreciate a fine young man walking them home.”
“Hillary doesn’t have to come home now?” I tried to ask casually, but my voice shook a bit. Was Wesley right? Did Desiree want to keep us apart?
Desiree’s face tightened. “Some of her friends are already licensed drivers. She’ll be along after a while.”
My best friend shrugged one shoulder, leaning back and fixing my soon-to-be-stepmother with a glare that should have incinerated her on the spot. “I’ve got better things to do.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond before pulling me into a one-armed hug and whispering, “I’ll come get you first thing in the morning.” Wesley flashed me a wink that sent a bolt of lust right through me, and sauntered off down the street.
I couldn’t help the flush that heated my face and it was apparent that Desiree saw. “Your father and I are going to have a little chat about this,” she hissed at me. She climbed into Daddy’s waiting truck and slammed the door.
My heart felt torn as I wistfully watched Wesley head down towards the alleyway that would serve as a shortcut to Ms. Shirley’s. Yearning for what was just out of reach was hardly a new concept, but it wasn’t a struggle I was familiar with. Daddy and I had been a team for so long now, with Wesley always caught up in the mix, that it made my entire body tremble to see him walking away from us. I doubted Desiree would let this go; she wasn’t the type of person to allow Wesley’s rude behavior go unnoticed.
Sighing heavily at the barren night that awaited me, I climbed into the tailgate of the pickup and knocked on the window to let Daddy know I was ready to go home.