Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,72
Grease 2 are our all-time favorites. We have watched them over and over since we were young. I grew up wanting to be Stephanie Zinone.
“These are the most!” Elle says in her best Patty Simcox voice.
We all slip into the jackets and a pair of black Wayfarer sunglasses, and then we prance out together.
Walker starts to whistle as we all turn and pose.
Sophie snaps a hundred pictures, and then we start to mingle. Brandt and his mom are seated with Pop Lancaster, Ria, Jefferson, and his wife, Madeline. He avoids my eyes as I stop by to say hello to the table.
“You look adorable, Bellamy,” Miss Elaine gushes.
“Thank you. You look pretty snazzy yourself.”
She is dressed in a house dress and pearls à la Lucy Ricardo. Brandt is in jeans, and a white tee with a box rolled up in the sleeve. His hair is mussed, and he looks like a greaser who just had a woman pressed against a muscle car with her hands pulling at it.
A cry sails through the air, and my eyes follow it. Myer and Dallas are sitting at a table with Beau. Faith is in Dallas’s arms, and she is bouncing her as she tries to carry on a conversation with Faye, her old boss at the diner.
“Excuse me, but I think my niece is putting out the Auntie, come rescue me distress call,” I say before beelining to my sister-in-law and relieving her of the baby.
Elle and Sonia join me in fawning all over her in her tiny onesie with a poodle on the left corner and a pink tutu.
We are all on the floor, dancing Faith around, when Ricky comes and tugs Sonia to the side.
“Scott texted, and everyone is there. Can we head over now?”
“What?” Sonia asks, confused.
“It’s Saturday. I told them we’d be over after we popped in here for a few minutes,” he says like she should have known.
“We’re not leaving, Ricky. I did a lot of prepping and helped plan this party for Doreen. A woman who practically helped raise me. I want to stay.”
He shrugs. “Suit yourself. Find a way home. I figure the game will run late tonight,” he says before walking away.
Sonia follows him. I hand the baby off to my mom, and Elle and I go with her.
“Are you kidding me right now?” she shouts after him once we are in the hallway.
He turns. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
“I spend every Friday and Saturday night doing what you want to do, with the people you want to do it with. I barely get to see my own friends anymore. I ask for you to come with me this one time, and you are bailing to go drink beer and play cards at your friend’s smoky trailer, like we do every other freaking weekend?”
“Yeah. I came here and made an appearance for you, and now, I’m bored.”
“Bored? There is food and a dance floor and an open bar, for goodness’ sake,” she screams at him.
“I ate. I had a whiskey. I don’t like to dance. You know this.”
“You are the worst. Do you know that? I keep making excuses for you and doing everything I can to keep you happy, and you do absolutely nothing to make sure I am. You make no effort with my friends. You make no effort for me. I thought if I just hung in there and gave us time, then things would get better, but you don’t want better. You’re completely content with the way things are. Content with your wife crying herself to sleep most nights. Content with embarrassing me in front of the whole town.”
He just rolls his eyes at her words.
“Do you even love me anymore, Ricky? Did you ever love me?”
“Of course I love you. But that doesn’t mean I have to love these people. I didn’t marry them. I married you.”
“Yes, you kind of did. Because they are part of me. A big part, and if you hate them, then you hate a big part of me. That might be fine for you, but that’s not the life I want.”
His phone chimes, and he looks down at it.
“We’ll talk about this later. I’ve got to go,” he says before walking out the door.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I say to Elle as we watch Sonia run to the restroom in tears.
I should go after her, but my legs carry me to the exit, and I chase after her good-for-nothing husband.