Chapter Three Star Gazer
Liberty
How the fuck did this happen? Me and this uppity, infuriating woman working together to plan a wedding? I hid my anxiety well behind a grin. No way would Belle see how much I detested this whole idea.
Justice looked amused as Dad declared this to be happening. Fate had been standing there too and he looked like he was about to burst into laughter.
Looking satisfied by the decision, Dad and the girls’ mother left the room finally.
I stared at Justice and asked, “So, when is this lovely event taking place?”
He blinked at me and looked over at Scarlet.
Laughing, she shrugged. “Heck if I know?”
“So, not soon then?” I asked with hope blooming in my chest.
“Don’t get all excited there, Liberty,” Justice said. “I have to propose with a ring first.”
I let out a relieved breath. “Oh wow, so this may be months away.”
He stared at me. “No. And how do you figure months, anyway?” he asked me.
I shrugged. “We can”t leave the property, so how are you getting a ring?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “I’ve got a plan and I will share it with you later.”
I smiled at him while realizing I had been upset over something that wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
Justice scoffed at my obvious relief. “I’ll have the ring soon, brother. So the wedding planning needs to happen right away.”
I badly wanted to get out of this mess. Yet, I really couldn’t, not with being his Best Man and I sure as hell did not intend to run from Belle. I could handle her just fine. I glanced over at Belle to see her shaking her head. “What?” I asked her.
“If you really don’t think you”re up to this, then leave the plan to me,” she said with a wave of her hand.
This woman was again insulting me, even if it was passive-aggressive shit. “Up to it? Hell, how hard could it be?”
“Well, that depends on how many will attend,” Belle said. “And what kind of wedding the couple wants.”
I shook my head and said, “We aren’t exactly living a normal existence here, ya know?” I looked over at my brother. “We are still at war, Justice.”
“So?” he replied. “That just makes it even more important. The family living here is the wedding party. We have Ma and you to do the cooking along with lots of helpers.” He placed an arm around Scarlet. “It shouldn’t be too hard.”
Scarlet nodded. “I have Cinnamon making my dress and we don’t need anything really fancy. I mean this place has room for a dance floor, a banquet and us. That’s all we need.”
I stared at Scarlet then at my brother.
Justice gave me that lopsided grin of his. “It is called living our lives and being in love, brother. We don”t need much. We are lucky as it is.” With a wink at me, he maneuvered his woman out through the doorway.
Fate shook his head and smiled at me. “Mr. Wedding Planner, eh? Is there even a trophy for that?” He chuckled and headed the other way.
This left me and my wedding planning partner alone in the room.
“That is Fate, right?” Belle asked as she motioned her head at him as he went through the other doorway.
I nodded.
“Your twin, correct?”
I again nodded at her.
“He doesn”t look like you,” she noted.
I shrugged and said, “Fraternal, not identical.”
“Yeah, that is for sure.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “And what is that supposed to mean?”
“He just seems ….” She shook her head. “Really different from you.”
“He is,” I had to agree with her. “We are like night and day.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
I felt a little niggle of something…I paused to wonder what it was. “What differences did you see?” I asked outright.
She looked back over at me as she stood from the table with the food tray in her hand. “He’s funny and…” she paused and let out a sigh. “Look, I think we should avoid having this kind of conversation.”
“This kind?” I stared at her. “Come on. Tell me exactly what differences you”re talking about.”
“No. We aren’t going there. Why do you think we are in this mess now?” She marched across the room.
I followed her…yeah, I know…why? But I just couldn’t seem to help myself. “Let’s try to make the best of it,” I suggested.
She shook her head as we went into the kitchen. “Are you for real, Liberty?”
I stopped in my tracks and said, “What you see is what you get.”
“Yeah, I know…” She laughed as she headed over to the sink.
“What is so funny?” I asked as I knew I had just been insulted somehow.
She proceeded to wash her dishes and silverware as she answered, “You are. Like we have been arguing since the moment we met. You know this and so do I. So, we shouldn’t discuss what I really think of you. Nor should you share any more of your opinions about me.”
I laughed as she was absolutely correct. We argued more than we ever talked. “Ok, so how are we going to do this wedding thing?”
“How?” she repeated.
“Yeah. If we don’t get along.”
Turning, she grabbed a dish towel and dried her hands. “I will do all the bride’s stuff. You do the groom’s stuff. Then we shouldn’t have to spend any time together really.”
“Our parents thought we would have to. But you’re saying we don’t?”
“Yep…Groom stuff would be making sure the guys dress nice. Maybe throw Justice a stag party, but you cannot have strippers out here, so IDK on that.”
I laughed. “We have plenty of strippers.”
Staring at me in astonishment, her jaw dropped. “Oh, my God! How could you say something like that?”
I shrugged. “Dang, maybe you should chill a bit and realize it was just a joke.”
She scoffed in disgust. “Not funny, Liberty. These women are with their boyfriends now, they can’t be strippers for a stag party for their own family!”
I raised my hands up. “I know that. It was a joke, Belle. God, where is your sense of humor?”
“Well, it isn’t in the gutter where yours must be!” She tossed the towel down onto the counter. “Guys like you are so old school. I mean you do know that women can have male strippers too, right?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “But I doubt you will find any Chippendale models out here.”
Shaking her head, Belle went around me. “I am done here. So done.” She headed through the swinging door.
I again followed her. Glutton for punishment I suppose. Or was it something else? Maybe my brothers were right. It bothered me that this woman hated my guts when she should be falling into my arms. Wow, a challenge that was it! The answer to why I just couldn”t leave this alone. I’d never lost any kind of fight. I suddenly realized it did bother me that she might actually like Fate and did not like me. Holy shit. This was a deep rabbit hole that I knew better than to go down. A path that could end in a chaotic disaster.
She headed out the back door to the patio.
Yep, following her, I went down that path I knew better than to take. Insane as it was, I just didn’t like to lose. Darkness had fallen and the lights weren’t on out there. I stopped at the exit door and flipped them on.
Suddenly, Belle turned around and came back in to tap the light switch. Darkness fell on the porch again. She barely looked at me as she huffed and went back outside.
I felt curious as to why she would want to sit in the dark. So, yes…I went out too. Pausing, I looked all around and did not see her. Finally, I saw movement and swung my gaze over to the cement stairs at the back.
She sat on the steps and not on the patio.
Pushing the challenge even further, I went over and sat on the wide step next to her. My eyes were now adjusting and I could see her better.
Belle seemed to ignore me while gazing upward at the night sky.
I sort of felt surprised to find that she was a star gazer. A girl like her did not seem to be free spirited enough. I stayed quiet as doubts crept in now. Maybe I got this girl all wrong? I didn’t think so before as everything she did and said fit the uptight kind who knew everything and acted entitled.
I tilted my head back and was astounded at how bright the sky was here. Back home, we would sit on our front verandah and look up at the stars. Or we were sometimes out on the open plains, camping under the inky endless heavens. My brothers and I knew all the constellations. We were well versed on astronomy as our dad had taught us that very science when we were boys.
“Orion is really stunning tonight,” Belle said softly.
I paused. She knew the constellations? Ok, back the fuck up here. “It really is and I’m surprised. It usually doesn”t show well at this time of year.”
“Yeah, winter is when it happens in this part of the world.”
Whoa, she’s for real on this knowledge. “You know a lot about astronomy?” I asked in shock.
“I should, I took a class on it in college.”
I halted. Another shocker. “And why did you do that?”
“You’ll laugh, so let’s skip it.”
“Hell no, I won’t laugh. Astronomy is like my most favorite science!”
Shrugging, she leaned back some more and said, “I wanted to be an astronaut.”
I bit at my lip to keep my chuckle in. It came out as a snort.
“You’re laughing!” Belle exclaimed. “I knew it. You are such a liar!”
“No, no!” I then laughed loudly. “Ok, yes, yes.” I burst into a fit of laughter.
Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest. “You are such an asshole!”
I slowed my laughing. “I’m sorry. I mean I just pictured you in the whole space suit and helmet thing. And I have never met a girl who wanted to be an astronaut,” I admitted.
“See? Like stereotyping. Just cause I’m a female. That doesn’t mean I can’t be one.”
“I agree,” I replied. “I truly never met a woman who wanted to be one is all. Or a female who seemed even halfway interested in star gazing. Except for my sis Glory and that is because all of us were taught about constellations and such by our dad.”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t get the idea from my dad,” she grumbled.
I slowly shook my head. Yes, it had been well established about her father being an addict.
“I got it as an escape,” she whispered. “I literally escaped my life and went to the stars. It saved my sanity and one time it even saved my life.”
I felt sorry now that this all even came up, but I did feel curious, so I asked, “Saved your life?”
“Yes, one of my dad’s dealers came to the house one night and my mom was at work. He tore the place apart, but I was safe upon the roof, looking at my stars.”
“Wow,” I said softly. “You just don’t seem like the kind of person who had it rough. I mean you”re so confident and tough, ya know?”
“What am I supposed to do? Plead for pity? Blame my father for any failings I might have? No, I decided a long time ago that most people would not care nor would they understand what my life was like. So, I ceased to discuss it or share it. My coworkers and bosses know nothing about it. And I planned on keeping it like that too.” She stood from the steps. “Except now, I probably lost my job. It took me years to get it. Good ole Deacon just had to play his fucking game on me, didn’t he? Now, I will have to start all over again. If anyone will hire me. So, no Liberty, no pity parties here.” Stomping up the steps, Belle stalked back indoors.
I sat there, stunned. So, what I had perceived as uppity and uptight was her defense line against pity or allowing anyone to know of her painful childhood. What I thought was her arrogance was not ego, it was strength to stand on her own.
The fuck did I do?
Maybe I got this chick all wrong.