Chapter Thirty-Two #2
Drew shifted as though to stand in front of me. To protect me.
I laid my hand on his chest and faced my father.
While Dad wasn’t as overtly cruel as Mom and Celia, he was still complicit in it all. He let it happen, or like right now, interjected his opinion. Which was never in my favor.
“Grace is something I give to people who offer it back. Kyle and Celia never have. Have you forgotten Kyle cheated on me with her?”
Dad’s mouth opened, but I was already shaking my head. “I’ve spent my life making myself smaller so she could shine. I’m done with that.”
I slid my hand into Drew’s and we walked away, leaving Dad standing in the shade and wondering if he’d ever realize all he missed and what a relationship with me might have been like.
We moved further away, slipping behind a few trees. Drew wrapped his arms around me. “I’m so proud of you, babe.”
I let out a shuddery breath. “Yeah, it needed to be said, but it still sucks. I’d always held out hope that someday he might support me instead of them.”
Drew rubbed his hands up and down my back. “I’m sorry.”
And what else was there to say?
Nothing.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Glamma called for us all to participate in the final game of Tug-of-War before we sat down for tea time at 4:00 pm by the lake. As Drew and I rounded the enormous old sycamore, I was surprised by the number of people from town that had arrived.
Celia was apparently just as surprised as she exited the back door and stopped short. I smothered my laughter as Mom bumped into her. Quick to recover, Celia gave a wave, like the Lady of the Manor to the crowd, who mostly ignored her.
“I was told there was food being served,” Reggie from the diner yelled out, clearly disgruntled by the lack of options as he picked up a finger sandwich from a passing server and tossed it into a rose bush after sniffing it.
“Shut it, Reggie!” Anita, his nemisis, yelled back.
I giggled.
By the time the rope had been dragged to the center of the lawn to accommodate all the spectators, it seemed like half the town had migrated to Glamma’s yard.
The lake shimmered behind us, butterflies flitting out over the gardens as the sun began to set, and all eyes seemed to be fixed on the rope.
“Final round!” Glamma announced, lifting her hands like she was the Goddess of Lawn Sports, her bangles, rings, and caftan sparkling in the fading light. “Tug-of-war, my darlings!”
Kyle smirked as he picked up his end of the rope, biceps flexed for the cameras. “Easy win,” he told his team. Then, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Ellie can’t even keep a man, how’s she going to hold on to a rope?”
The jab landed like a fist to my gut. I jerked in an unsteady breath, and for a second, I wanted to step back, and let someone else take my place.
Beside me, Drew went still. His hand rested on my lower back protectively. His eyes locked on Kyle’s across the rope, sharp as blades. “You don’t get to talk to her like that. Not ever again,” he said, his voice low enough to chill summer air.
I swallowed hard, wrapping my hands around the rough fibers of the rope. My palms burned just from the contact, but I wasn’t letting go.
Not today.
The two teams formed fast. Kyle, most of his groomsmen, and Celia’s friends on their side.
Drew, me, Angie, John, Grace, Wyatt and—because of course—Glamma, who tied the rope around her waist like a glittering general, made up our team.
“I was Miss Rhode Island Calf-Strength 1964, my loves. Don’t underestimate me. ”
I loved how confidently Glamma could sell fictional titles. I needed to get her on my marketing team when my book released.
The crowd whooped and hollered, quickly taking sides. I didn’t miss that most of them were rooting for our team.
“Ready?” The ref, Marc, looking equal parts annoyed and amused, raised his arm.
Kyle leaned down the rope, eyes fixed on me. “Don’t mess this up too, Ellie.”
The words sliced deep. Before I could flinch, Drew’s voice thundered across the rope. “Shut your damn mouth, Kyle, and have some respect. You’re just jealous Ellie has moved on from you.”
Gasps rippled.
My pulse spiked.
Kyle’s smirk faltered.
Celia looked between Kyle and me with a jealous frown twisting her lips.
Marc blew the whistle.
The rope jerked taut, nearly yanking me off my feet. I stumbled, my palms screaming. I prayed that Glamma, who was at the end of our rope, didn’t fall and break a hip.
“I’ve got you,” Drew growled.
Kyle’s team heaved, muscles straining, sneakers digging into the grass. They had size, bulk, and swagger. “Pathetic! You’ll never measure up, Ellie. Not to Celia, not to me. Clearly I traded up.”
His words didn’t hit as hard this time.
I turned to look at Drew. He anchored our line even though Glamma had that last spot, and he anchored me. His feet were braced, jaw clenched, biceps flexing under his t-shirt. He looked carved from stone, immovable, every pull radiating down the rope. His teeth bared as he growled, “Pull!”
I swung my gaze forward, dug in, my heartbeat pounding as I pulled. Angie and John leaned their weight back, Wyatt cackled something obscene, and Glamma let out a war cry that echoed all around us.
My arms grew tired. Damn it.
“Don’t stop, Ellie!” Drew shouted, recognizing I was about to falter. “You’re stronger than he’ll ever admit. Show him!”
I clenched my teeth and reached deep inside of me. Rage at all Celia and Kyle had put me through surged. All the years of being dismissed, all the times I was told to shrink, all the times they called me less. I let out a yell and pulled with everything I had.
The rope slid an inch toward our side.
“You think you can win? One little inch changes nothing!” Kyle bellowed, sweat dripping down his face.
“It changes everything!” Drew roared back.
Drew grunted, the line grew taut behind me. He yelled one more time for us to pull. One final heave. Our line surged backward, dragging theirs across the painted line on the grass.
Kyle stumbled, cursed, and then went face-first into the grass with Celia being dragged down on top of him. His whole team collapsed, Celia shrieking about the dirt smearing her dress.
The whistle blew, and the lawn erupted in cheers. People clapped and chanted. Glamma raised her arms like a prizefighter and I was happy to notice she’d worn gloves to protect her hands. Coco barked furiously and leapt onto the heap of fallen groomsmen, yapping like she’d delivered the final blow.
I dropped the rope, chest heaving, my hands raw and stinging. But I didn’t care. All I saw was Drew, sweat dampened, chest rising and falling, eyes locked on me.
He’d done it for me. Every single pull.
“You were incredible,” he whispered fiercely, pulling me against him. His heart pounded hard against my cheek. “He’ll never get to tear you down again. Not while I’m here.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, but my laughter bubbled out, loud and free. “That was so damn sexy. Thank goodness I wasn’t behind you. I’d have been too distracted watching your perfect butt.”
Drew barked out a laugh, hazel eyes crinkling. “Is that right?” Then he kissed me, full and deep, while the crowd went wild behind us.
Kyle’s voice shattered the moment. “This was rigged!”
Silence fell.
His face was red, his hair full of grass.
Celia swiped ineffectively at her dress.
Then Wyatt drawled from somewhere in the crowd. “Funny, I didn’t see the rope dragging you into the grass by itself.”
Kyle whipped around. “Shut up, Wyatt. You don’t know—”
“What’s next, Kyle?” Wyatt continued, clearly enjoying himself. “Gonna blame the grass for being too slippery? The sun for being in your eyes?”
Laughter rippled through the guests.
Glamma sipped her champagne, serene as a queen. “Darling, some men are simply better at games of skill, some at games of life. And some,” she glanced at Kyle’s dirt-smeared face, “at neither.”
More laughter, Kyle’s jaw clenched. “This is bullshit,” he muttered, but his voice carried.
John snorted from the sidelines. “Rigged? Man, we all saw you give up halfway through.”
One of the bridesmaids, Sarah, shook her head. “Honestly, Kyle, this is embarrassing. For all of us.”
Another bridesmaid whispered, not quite under her breath, “God, Celia could’ve done better.”
The crowd’s energy shifted. What had been an awkward silence became a wave of judgment, all directed at Kyle.
Even some of his groomsmen looked uncomfortable. One of them stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck. “Dude, just take the L. You’re making it worse.”
Kyle’s face turned a deeper shade of red. “I’m making it worse? I’m not the one—”
“Kyle, darling,” Glamma interrupted, setting down her champagne flute.
“Knowing you cheated on Ellie, I thought you couldn’t sink any lower.
But watching you lose gracefully would require grace—something you’ve clearly never possessed.
” She paused, her smile sharp. “My grandson learned character from his family. I shudder to think where you learned yours.”
Holy wow! This was the first time ever that the cheating had been mentioned in public. From the shocked looks on some of the guests’ faces—and those in the wedding party—I had a feeling they didn’t know.
Kudos to Glamma for hitting Kyle where he deserved.
In his ego.
Someone called out, “At least now we know why he needed to cheat.”
Kyle’s hands balled into fists. Celia grabbed his arm, whispering frantically, but he shook her off.
“You know what? Fuck this. Fuck all of you.” He started toward the driveway, but Glamma’s voice stopped him cold.
“Leaving so soon?” Her tone was light, almost pleasant. “I was about to toast to sportsmanship. Though I suppose you wouldn’t know much about that, would you?”
Kyle froze mid-step, his back rigid.
Glamma continued, her voice carrying across the lawn. “Celia dear, you traded a woman who would have had your back for a man who can’t even stay on his feet. Some choices really do speak for themselves.”
Gasps and murmurs went through the crowd. Celia’s face went pale, then flushed scarlet.
“How dare you—” Celia started, but her voice cracked.
One of the cameramen muttered to the other, not quite quietly enough, “This is going to get so many views.”
That was the final straw. Kyle stormed off, shoving past the rest of the guests as the camera crew scrambled after him like ducklings chasing their mother. Celia hesitated, torn between following him and salvaging her dignity before finally hurrying after him.
The moment they disappeared, the tension broke. Guests erupted into excited chatter and laughter.
Wyatt raised his beer. “Best lawn games party ever!”
I turned back to Drew, my body shaking from the absolute joy of finally having so many people fight for me. And especially the one standing in front of me.
And God, he looked at me like I was worth every battle.
I knew what we felt was real, but could we hold on to it forever?