Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
S aturday evening, Adam stood in the opulent ballroom of the luxurious Lakeshore Hotel on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue where Miguel’s wedding reception was being held.
He’d known Camille’s family had money, but he’d never guessed anything like this. From the enormous fresh floral arrangements decorating all the tables, to the small orchestra playing softly in the corner of the gigantic space, it was all like something straight out of a millionaire’s dream, with a little Tijuana flair thrown in for flavor by the mariachi band roaming amongst the tables, playing festive music between the orchestra sets.
All this decadence was so far from Adam’s reality growing up he didn’t even know how to process it. Not to say he wasn’t fully enjoying the reception. The whole trip really. Way more than he’d expected to.
They’d made the trip to Chicago in Mel’s Camry and once they’d left the town limits of Point Beacon, it had felt like the restraints and expectations he’d been saddled with his whole life had fallen away. Yes, he was still concerned about how to break Mel’s fall when all this was over, but at least, right now, he felt like he had a bit of breathing room for a change.
After they’d checked in at the hotel last night, they’d unpacked then spent the evening alone together, ordering room service and watching the latest superhero movie on pay-per-view.
This morning, they’d gotten up early, showered together, then headed downstairs to enjoy the pre-wedding breakfast put on by Miguel and his fiancée and their families. The whole time Miguel’s sister, Gina, had barked out orders to the caterers and the wedding planner, but the yelling seemed to have paid off later, because the ceremony had gone off without a hitch.
Now everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves at the reception.
Adam sat at a table near the wall and watched Miguel twirl his glowing bride in an elegant underarm turn as the bittersweet Mexican waltz they’d chosen for their first dance played. Adam was no fashion expert, but even he could admire the beauty of Camille’s traditional Latin-style wedding dress, the white satin fitted expertly through the top and hips then flaring out at the bottom to a hem and train embroidered in bright pink and red flowers. Her baby bump was proudly displayed and both bride and groom had kicked off their shoes long ago to dance barefoot. Adam didn’t think he’d ever seen Miguel look happier, and both he and Camille seemed to only have eyes for each other .
A touch of envy mingled with joy in his chest before Adam could stop it, the reflection of his buddy’s deep devotion and love for his partner only serving to reflect the distinct lack of it in his own life. He’d always thought being alone meant being safe, but Mel had shown him differently and Adam still didn’t know what to do with that.
Since he’d made that deal with her, his days had seemed happy, sunny somehow, but it wasn’t real. He knew that, regardless of how he might yearn to make it so.
He had no business being with Mel after their deal. He didn’t have the first clue how to have a healthy relationship. He had no clue how to love someone and stick around. So, no.
After this weekend, he’d go back to his ordinary life and make it work. It had been fine a few weeks ago and it would be again. He took a long swig of his beer and swallowed hard.
Even if it felt like he’d have a huge Mel shaped hole in his center.
All the more reason to end it now and be done. That was their deal and he needed to stick to it. He couldn’t be that guy for her, the knight in shining armor she deserved. He was a player, the town bad boy, the guy you messed around with on your way to forever. Nothing more.
Then a murmur when through the crowd seated near him and Adam turned to see Mel standing in the doorway to the ballroom. She’d insisted on going back to the room to change after the wedding, saying she’d bought a dress better for dancing than the white sheath dress she’d worn to the wedding earlier. So, Adam had come downstairs by himself to stake out their seats .
Now, he drank in the sight of her beauty like fine wine, the air seizing in his lungs. She’d put her hair up again in a messy topknot that revealed her long, graceful neck. As she scanned the room for him, her cheeks were flushed with excitement, and her eyes sparkled with anticipation. When they’d made love last night, Adam had felt a sense of desperation, knowing it would be one of their last times together. He’d let Mel take charge, demanding her pleasure, the memory of her soft cries still setting his body tingling.
Afterward, she’d snuggled into his side and held on tight, like she might never let him go.
He’d do what she couldn’t, but later. After the were back in Point Beacon. For now, he couldn’t have stopped himself from going to Mel if he’d tried. He stood to walk over to the door to get her, when Camille came up beside him and grabbed his arm. He’d been so distracted my Mel that Adam hadn’t even noticed the bride leaving the dance floor.
“Come on,” Camille said, tugging him toward the center of the room. “Time for a group dance.”
“Wait, I—” He tried to pull free to get Mel, but to no avail. Camille yanked Adam onto the floor and into the middle of a gathered circle of friends and family, including the other guys from Victory Vets and their partners. Mel soon arrived as well, thanks to Miguel, and Adam put his arm around her waist to keep her close, swaying gently to the strains of a Spanish melody he hadn’t heard before.
Miguel then took the mic from the orchestra conductor to announce, “Thank you all for being here to celebrate our union. It wouldn’t have been the same without all of you.” His dark gaze then brightened with tears as he glanced as his beautiful bride. “Camille, mi corazón, the mother of my child.”
Camille blew him a kiss. “ Mi esposo ”
Then Miguel dropped the mic and ran over to sweep his new wife into his arms and kiss her soundly before raising a glass of champagne in a toast:
“A todos nuestros amigos, les deseamos amor, salud, dinero y tiempo para disfrutarlos. To all our friends, we wish you love, health, money, and the time to enjoy them. ?Que vivan!”
The crowd cheered.
Miguel then pointed at Adam, making his pulse stumble a little. “And you, my friend. You’re next.”
Adam recoiled before he could stop himself, ignoring Mel’s curious look as he covered his reaction with a joke. “I’m not kissing you.”
Laughter filled the ballroom.
Miguel gave him a flat look. “You know what I mean. You’re the best man I know, Adam Foster, and I wouldn’t be here now if you hadn’t gotten me through those terrible days during the war. I owe you more than I can ever repay. Thank you, my brother.”
They shared an awkward bro hug as Adam struggled to act normally under the scrutiny of the people around them. He felt like a fraud, an intruder here where everyone was in love and happy and worthy. He didn’t belong. He needed to go before they figured it out and kicked him to the curb.
Then he turned and found Mel waiting, watching him with heat and hope and obvious affection and he went to her, pulled by some unseen connection, one he didn’t understand and one he was sure would disappear as fast as it appeared. As the music started again, Adam pulled her into his arms and swayed with her, shell-shocked and dizzy from feelings he didn’t understand and wanted to run and hide from, yet here he was with Mel. Her warmth made him yearn for privacy, so he could remove that frothy bit of nothing she called a dress and pleasure her until he didn’t know where she ended and he began. Until neither one of them could let go. They might not have a future, couldn’t have one, but they had tonight, and it would have to be enough.
All too soon though, Camille pulled Mel away from him to get a drink at the bar, and Adam watched them walk away, feeling like he’d just lost the most precious thing in his life.
He’d only ever felt that once before, the day his mother walked away.
“She’s great, man,” Miguel said, slapping him on the shoulder. “Does James know you’re in love with his sister?”
“What?” Heart skittering against his ribcage, Adam stumbled back a step. “No. What? No. I don’t love Mel. I’m just helping her out and?—”
He bumped into several other guests he backed up toward the exit, Miguel’s smile morphing into concern.
“Buddy, wait. What’s wrong?” Miguel said, following him.
Before Adam could make it out of the ballroom though, Mel returned, taking his arm. “Dance with me.”
A sweet, slow ballad had started, the words Spanish, but the angst translated just fine. Adam found himself led back to the dance floor and against Mel’s body. The scent of her sweet perfume seemed to penetrate the daze he was in, slowing his pounding pulse as she cuddled closer to him. They fit together so perfectly, not just in bed, but out of it, too.
Does James know you’re in love with his with his sister?
Adam closed his eyes. No. He didn’t. How could he when Adam just realized it himself. And it was the absolute worst thing that could happen to him. Because it meant he failed.
Failed to protect Mel. Failed to protect himself. Failed to keep their deal. Failed pretty much everywhere, as usual in his life.
His pulse beat like a countdown clock, signaling his impending doom.
“Okay?” Mel asked, looking up at him.
He shook his head because no. He wasn’t okay. He never would be again. “Let’s go upstairs.”
“Okay.”
Adam led her off the dance floor and out into the lobby, the elevator ride up to their room a blur. He loved Mel and he shouldn’t, couldn’t. He wasn’t good enough for her, would never be good enough for her.
It didn’t stop him from wanting her on a soul deep level.
If this was their last night together, here in this fantasy palace, then he wanted to give her a night so passionate and perfect she’d remember him long after she’d left him behind. It was the least he could do.
It was the only thing he could give her really. He had nothing else.
As they entered their room and made love, every touch, every look, every word, tightened the spring inside him until he shattered completely, giving her everything. Showing her with his actions how much he cared, since he could never say the words.
And afterward, when she fell asleep in his arms, he gathered the shards of his broken heart and tucked them away again in the shadows, just like he’d done all those years ago when his mom left. He’d gone into this with his eyes open, knowing how much he stood to lose and now it was over. Mel was off-limits and his life would go back to normal.
Even if Adam would never look at normal the same way again.