Chapter 4
— Scout —
Throughout dinner and speeches, I couldn’t stop glancing in Remmy’s direction, still perplexed as fuck and getting increasingly annoyed that I couldn’t place her. Every time I was on the cusp of grabbing hold of the memory, one I could practically feel on my fingertips, I’d lose it all over again. And whenever our eyes snagged, I’d hold hers for as long as I could, hoping it would spark the recollection. But each time, Remmy would simply smirk, wiggle her eyebrows a couple of times, then reconnect to the conversations around her.
“Want another beer, Scout?” Nath asked from my right as he pushed out of his chair.
“Yeah, dude. An alcohol-free one, please.”
After his eyes briefly flicked to my elbow, now in a sling thanks to it aching, he nodded. “No problem.”
I wasn’t a big drinker anyway, but thanks to my injury, I’d stopped drinking for the night.
Nath returned just as the band prepared for the first dance, and I’d managed one swig from the non-alcoholic beer before Ella came up behind me and slapped my left shoulder.
“Up you get. We’re dancing soon.”
I looked up at the pint-sized princess dressed in the lightest of purples. “You always this bossy?”
“Yeah.” She grinned.
Taking another sip, I watched Beckett begin to spin Mercedes around the dance floor in a reckless fashion, then rose to my feet when the rest of the bridal party made a move, removing the sling as I went.
I pressed my hand between Ella’s shoulder blades and propelled her forward. “Get your ass out there, but go easy on me,” I teased.
She snickered over her shoulder. “Never. But I’ll mind your elbow, of course.”
I wasn’t entirely sure who manhandled who onto the dance floor, but I led Ella with my left hand as she wildly twirled and danced in and out of my space, narrowly avoiding the other groomsmen and bridesmaids. I felt eyes boring into my back, and when I strategically turned Ella one-eighty degrees, my focus immediately connected with Remmy’s.
In a room full of people, all I could see was her.
While her expression stayed carefully neutral, a hardened edge had entered her eyes, pinching them slightly at the corners.
Ella’s long hair whipping my neck as she spun broke my focus on Remmy. I couldn’t help but smile as Ella laughed and danced like she was a gypsy by a campfire. She was fun, and in all honesty, a much-needed distraction from the woman who currently had my mind in knots.
When the band kicked into another song, I politely bowed out and left Ella dancing with the rest of the bridesmaids while I went back to my table to take more pain meds. The ache in my elbow hadn’t settled like I was hoping by resting it, and in hindsight, I should have taken painkillers an hour ago.
Remmy slid into the seat beside me just as I downed two pills. “She’s cute.”
I snickered. “She’s a handful.”
Remmy’s bright eyes searched mine. “So am I.”
Another chuckle vibrated in my chest. “I’ve noticed. Gotta admit though, it’s frustrating the fuck out of me.”
Her red lips puckered into a teasing pout. “I can’t have been very memorable for you, then.”
“The opposite actually.” I put on my sling and adjusted it under my arm, then angled closer. My knee bumped with hers, and my free hand touched down lightly on the outside of her thigh. “I just can’t think of where.”
She tilted her head and leaned in a fraction as if contemplating kissing me. “Have a guess.”
“At the ball park.”
“Nope.”
“At a charity event.”
“Nope.”
“At a club.”
A little hint of something made her green irises clearer, and she hummed. “Closer, but still nope.”
I grinned and adjusted to have my knees on either side of hers. “So, out somewhere, then?”
My eyes immediately dropped to her red-lipped smile as she laughed.
“Your smile is stunning, by the way,” I added, wanting nothing more than to run my thumb across the plump red curve of her lower lip.
It grew wider. “Thanks. Yours is too. We’d make pretty babies.”
Taken off-guard, I damn near choked on my tongue. “Well, I’ll be damned, that was unexpected.” I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck—she’d well and truly stolen my tongue.
“Loosen your bowtie, Ace. It wasn’t a marriage proposal. Although, it’s true.”
I took a long sip from my imitation beer, studying Remmy while I swallowed. The brief pause was interrupted by Ella’s arrival.
“Hey Scout, come dance again.”
Remmy cut in before I got a word out. “Not right now, babe. We’re just planning our hookup for later. He’ll be with you in five minutes, yeah?”
Ella’s blue eyes widened comically, and she had nothing more than a moment’s discomposure before she snorted. “There shouldn’t be much to plan: clothes come off, then you bone. Five minutes seems like overkill if you ask me.”
Laughing, I intervened before Remmy shot daggers from her mouth as well as her eyes. “Give me a few minutes, Ella; I’ve just taken some pain meds. Once they kick in, I’ll find you on the dance floor.”
Undeterred and unphased by Remmy, Ella started dancing backward while pointing finger guns at me. “See you soon.”
Remmy cracked a laugh. “I like her.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. “You do? Shit, if that’s you being friendly, I’d hate to you see you disliking someone.”
“I’m actually a really kind person, but I’m up-front and some people can’t handle that.” She pointed in Ella’s direction. “She obviously can without getting her claws out.”
I scoffed. “Honestly, I only met her yesterday, but nothing seems to faze her.”
Remmy hummed. “Wish I was like that.”
That was an interesting comment. I cocked my head and eyed her. “Really? You definitely give off no fucks given vibes.”
She zoned out for a hot second, her gaze clouding with ghosts before shaking them free. “I’m good at hiding what I don’t want people to see.”
Despite the nonchalant tone, I felt the invisible weight within her words. I inhaled and let out a long, controlled breath while studying her. The outcome of tonight rode on her answer to my next question.
“And what version of you am I getting today?”
Her expression softened to a surprising degree. “The real version. I’ll admit that I’m hard to handle at times, but I’m also sweet too.”
I grinned and teased, “I’ve yet to see that part.”
Without hesitation, she leaned in and landed a firm and lingering kiss directly under my eye. My fingers automatically found the back of her bicep and held her close, delaying her withdrawing from my space for as long as possible.
“See?” She beamed, sitting back with a smile. “Sweet.”
Ignoring the erratic rhythm within my chest was impossible. “Do it again,” I dared, wanting more of the fuzzy feeling I wasn’t accustomed to.
Remmy threw her head back and laughed. “Sorry, I’m all sweetened out now. You’ll need to wait for it to reload.” She then stood and towered over me. “On that note, I’m going to the bathroom.”
It took all my willpower not to grab the back of her knees and haul her onto my lap, especially when she took two steps away, then swiveled to face me again.
“Oh, and say hi to Holly from me next time you see her.”