Bentley (Hawthorne Brothers Book One)(31)

The beat picked up as the crowd danced and sang along to it the whole way through. The time came, I looked around at everyone else, and we thrust our arms into the air and started making the letters. I kept up, and I saw Bentley smiling from ear to ear as he watched me do it, all the while dancing right beside me. I used to think he would’ve been too cool to do all this, to dance like this, but after getting to know him and being with him here tonight I could see that he was definitely as goofy as the rest of us, if not more.

We danced for about twenty minutes before getting sweaty and deciding to go get something to drink. We walked up to the bar and got two glasses of water to try to replenish what we’d lost.

“So, having fun?” he asked.

“Yeah, I am. I’m glad I came today,” I said with a smile.

“I think the night is only going to get better. It’s still pretty early, you know,” he said.

“I still think I should talk to your mom, you know? I didn’t really get off that well with her earlier, and maybe I should say hi? I don’t know,” I said.

“Yeah, I like that idea a lot. I know she’s still talking to people, but I’m sure after dinner things will get better,” he said.

“That sounds good. Be there with me for it?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else,” he said, grabbing my hand.

The wedding might not have started off on the best foot, but I was confident that it would turn into a great night for everybody involved. I’d seen Candice, though she’d kept on the other side of the dance floor and didn’t try coming over to us or especially Bentley. Maybe Cash and Liam scared her on the way over here, because things seemed to really change after she came here with them. Hopefully they were looking out for their brother. It didn’t seem like they liked her.

I pulled out my phone from my purse as I sat down at my seat while Bentley was nearby talking to some friends from high school that his cousin knew. Nina asked me how it was going in a group text with Maggie, and I kept them in the loop with what had happened so far.

“Are you kidding me? What a bitch. Even if you two weren’t dating you’re still there with him, and it’s rude to try to butt into that,” Maggie said.

“Yeah, you need to watch your back before something happens,” Nina said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What if she tries something? She obviously never sees him, and might not even live nearby. She might think this is her only chance at redemption, and sometimes bitches like that will do whatever it takes to get you out of the picture and themselves into it,” Nina said.

“Keep an eye on Bentley,” Maggie said.

“I’ll try. There’s still a lot of reception to go,” I said.

“We’re here if you need us,” Nina replied, and Maggie sent a thumbs-up emoji.

I looked over at Bentley and I caught him looking back at me, a drink in his hand, as he smiled while his friend must’ve been telling him an intense story with the way he was using his hands and facial expressions.

It was soon announced that dinner would start being served in a few minutes, and Bentley said goodbye to his friends and came back to the table.

“Doing okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m good,” I said with a smile.

The rest of his family came over and sat down, and the servers started to bring out salads and some bread. I sat there, nervously, as I looked around the table. There was Cash, Liam, Ed, Carol, Bentley, me, and two other people, I think his aunt and uncle, though I wasn’t quite sure. Either way it was a packed table, and I tried to figure out where I fit in.

“This looks so good,” Carol said as the salad was placed in front of her.

It wasn’t a traditional one, instead having cranberries, raspberry vinaigrette, nuts, and some other veggies. I stuck my fork in and began to stir it up a little to spread the dressing around, before my attention was caught.

“You’ve been awfully quiet tonight, Bentley,” Carol said.

“Not a lot to say, I suppose,” he said.

“Let’s not pester the boy, Carol. We’re at a wedding, and it’s a happy time,” Ed said.

“I was just stating something, Ed. You don’t have to get on my case about it. I just want to make sure my boys are having a good time, is all,” she said.

“Things have been a little tense, if you haven’t noticed,” Bentley said.

“I don’t know why,” Carol said.

“Gee, I wonder, Mom,” Cash said.

“What? Candice? Oh, calm down, all of you. You aren’t going to get far in this world if you have to hide in the corner whenever someone you know walks into a room. You need to just deal with it with a happy face. Smiles,” Carol said.

“Yeah, not all of us can or want to do that,” Bentley said.

“I know it’s awkward, but she means well. You know that,” she said.

“Yeah,” Bentley said, before taking a bite, as if he’d given up on arguing with her.

I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to interject and become enemies with Carol, so I bit my tongue and let Bentley and his brothers take the heat. I knew that once I talked to Carol later and introduced myself, things would be much better.

•••

A few hours had passed, and as the reception started to wind down and the stars began to come out, I still hadn’t talked to Carol. I’d watched her, wanting to go over there when she was free, but she seemed to be more popular than the bride and groom.

“I have to go to the bathroom. Are you going to be okay?” Bentley asked.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I said.





Chapter Twenty-Six



Bentley



The bathroom was empty as I walked in and up to a urinal. The couple beers I drank had caught up to me, and with some dancing still left to do, including a slow dance with Anna, I had to make sure I was on top of my game. I flushed the urinal, walking over to wash my hands, when the door opened and I looked up in the mirror to see who it was.

It was her.

“Get out of here,” I said, turning around.

“Oh come on, Bentley, my little grease monkey, don’t act like this,” Candice said.

“You shouldn’t be in here, Candice. This is the men’s restroom,” I said.

“I don’t care what it says on the outside. The fact is that now we’re alone, and I have some things to say to you,” she said.

“There’s nothing to say to one another. Nothing at all,” I said.

“I admit that I fucked up, and that you had every right to end things and not come back to me. I screwed up, what more do you want me to say? Things have changed, though, Bentley, and I want another chance,” she said.

I wiped off my hands, casually, as if to blow her off and not give her the power she craved. I knew her tricks, I knew her games, and I knew she craved power and control. If I didn’t give those to her, she’d have nothing.

“That won’t be happening. I’ve moved on, and I’m quite happy with my life these days. I have big plans, and they don’t involve you,” I said, throwing away the paper towel.

“What? With that chick you brought? Please, as if she’s anything close to me,” she said.

“Thankfully, she’s not. She’s nothing like you and that’s what I love about her,” I said.

“She can’t make you happy, Bentley. She doesn’t know what you like,” she said.

“And what do I like, Candice? Do I like being cheated on? Do I like being abused? Do I like a drunk of a girlfriend who claims not to be accountable for her actions?” I asked.

“Wow, that’s low, even for you. I have a problem, Bentley, you know that. How dare you,” she said.

“No, how dare you! How dare you come into this bathroom when I’m in here. How dare you come to this wedding. How dare you even fucking talk to me as if I like you or want anything to do with you. I don’t. It’s over,” I said, walking towards the door.

“No! I won’t let you leave like this,” she said, barricading herself in front of the door.

“Candice, move,” I said.

“Kiss me one last time. If you kiss me and tell me you feel nothing, I’ll go away. But if there’s the slightest hint that you still like me, you need to give me a chance to redeem myself. We can be happy together,” she said.

“Please move or I’ll move you myself,” I said.

“If you touch me like that I’ll scream,” she said.

“Do what you must, but you’re not in control of me any longer,” I said, grabbing the handle and pulling the door open.

“Wait!” she said as I walked outside.

I turned around, and it hit me. Or rather, she hit me, but not with her fists. Jumping in, she kissed me, her whiskey-laced lips pressing against mine as a flood of emotions came over me. Sadly for her, though, they weren’t ones made of love or lust, or even forgiveness. They were ones of disgust, and ones of anger that she’d even try something like this.

She pulled away, looking at me with a tilted stance, before looking past me, over my shoulder. I turned around, and my heart sank. It was Anna, standing there staring at us, as tears formed in her eyes and I saw her lip quiver.

“No!” I said, with my hand out.

“How dare you,” she said, running away.