Page 9 of Liberty
I laughed as she was absolutely correct. We argued more than we ever talked. “Ok, so how are we going to do this wedding thing?”
“How?” she repeated.
“Yeah. If we don’t get along.”
Turning, she grabbed a dish towel and dried her hands. “I will do all the bride’s stuff. You do the groom’s stuff. Then we shouldn’t have to spend any time together really.”
“Our parents thought we would have to. But you’re saying we don’t?”
“Yep…Groom stuff would be making sure the guys dress nice. Maybe throw Justice a stag party, but you cannot have strippers out here, so IDK on that.”
I laughed. “We have plenty of strippers.”
Staring at me in astonishment, her jaw dropped. “Oh, my God! How could you say something like that?”
I shrugged. “Dang, maybe you should chill a bit and realize it was just a joke.”
She scoffed in disgust. “Not funny, Liberty. These women are with their boyfriends now, they can’t be strippers for a stag party for their own family!”
I raised my hands up. “I know that. It was a joke, Belle. God, where is your sense of humor?”
“Well, it isn’t in the gutter where yours must be!” She tossed the towel down onto the counter. “Guys like you are so old school. I mean you do know that women can have male strippers too, right?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “But I doubt you will find any Chippendale models out here.”
Shaking her head, Belle went around me. “I am done here. So done.” She headed through the swinging door.
I again followed her. Glutton for punishment I suppose. Or was it something else? Maybe my brothers were right. It bothered me that this woman hated my guts when she should be falling into my arms. Wow, a challenge that was it! The answer to why I just couldn't leave this alone. I’d never lost any kind of fight. I suddenly realized it did bother me that she might actually like Fate and did not like me. Holy shit. This was a deep rabbit hole that I knew better than to go down. A path that could end in a chaotic disaster.
She headed out the back door to the patio.
Yep, following her, I went down that path I knew better than to take. Insane as it was, I just didn’t like to lose. Darkness had fallen and the lights weren’t on out there. I stopped at the exit door and flipped them on.
Suddenly, Belle turned around and came back in to tap the light switch. Darkness fell on the porch again. She barely looked at me as she huffed and went back outside.
I felt curious as to why she would want to sit in the dark. So, yes…I went out too. Pausing, I looked all around and did not see her. Finally, I saw movement and swung my gaze over to the cement stairs at the back.
She sat on the steps and not on the patio.
Pushing the challenge even further, I went over and sat on the wide step next to her. My eyes were now adjusting and I could see her better.
Belle seemed to ignore me while gazing upward at the night sky.
I sort of felt surprised to find that she was a star gazer. A girl like her did not seem to be free spirited enough. I stayed quiet as doubts crept in now. Maybe I got this girl all wrong? I didn’t think so before as everything she did and said fit the uptight kind who knew everything and acted entitled.
I tilted my head back and was astounded at how bright the sky was here. Back home, we would sit on our front verandah and look up at the stars. Or we were sometimes out on the open plains, camping under the inky endless heavens. My brothers and I knew all the constellations. We were well versed on astronomy as our dad had taught us that very science when we were boys.
“Orion is really stunning tonight,” Belle said softly.
I paused.She knew the constellations? Ok, back the fuck up here.“It really is and I’m surprised. It usually doesn't show well at this time of year.”
“Yeah, winter is when it happens in this part of the world.”
Whoa, she’s for real on this knowledge.“You know a lot about astronomy?” I asked in shock.
“I should, I took a class on it in college.”
I halted. Another shocker. “And why did you do that?”
