Page 86 of Sunshine with You
“That’s what I said, and I told her to talk to you about it, which sheclearlydidn’t do.”
When we reach Chickies, the brighter atmosphere is blinding. Soft purple lighting glistens off the chandelier at the center of the bar. A karaoke stage sits in the corner, surrounded by ornate white floor tiles. Plush seating surrounds low round tables throughout. The two of them head to the back while I stop at the bar for some bottles of water. If she’s as wasted as she sounds, she’ll need it.
I pass Willa at a table full of ladies packing up their things, and she points me toward the closed party room door. Chase and Ashlie are standing on either side of the doorway.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking back and forth between them. Choked sobbing seeps from under the door as Chase tries to push it open.
“She’s sitting against it.” Ashlie pounds on the door with her fist. “Kayla, girl,moveso we can open the door.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Kayla’s voice shakes as a loud wave of emotion erupts out of her.
Chase knocks lightly. “Kayla, baby, please. Let me in.”
Kayla’s muffled growl is accented with a bang against the door. “I told you not to get him, Ashlie!”
“Then you shouldn’t have locked yourself in there!” Ashlie fires back.
“Baby, please…” Chase pleads.
“No. You’ll just get upset.”
“I promise, I won’t. Just…open the door?”
“No!”
“Fuck’s sake,” I mutter, handing the water to Ashlie. My sister’s as stubborn as I am, but I won’t hesitate to use brute force to get in this room. Nudging Chase out of the way, I plant my feet. “Kayla…” I ram the door with my shoulder and gain a few inches, wedging my foot in the gap. “You know I’ll push you out of the fucking way. Open the goddamn door.” I shove again, and there’s a responding yelp as glass crashes on the other side. The few inches I gained disappear as soon as she recovers and pushes back against it. “Kayla! Iswear-to-Go?—”
“Fine!”
The door swings open, banging against the wall. Kayla stands in the middle of the room, shoulders slumped, her locs covering half of her face. Her cheeks are shiny from tears.Shit. I haven’t seen this version of my sister in a while. Her Type A personality can hide a lot, but every few years, something tips her anxiety off the edge. Wedding planning broke the camel’s back, apparently.
I lean against the doorframe as Chase rushes in, crunching over the shattered bottle of wine on the floor. He walks her to a nearby folding chair, squats in front of her, and wipes her cheeks with his thumb. Watching him display this easy, intimate act of care—so similar but wholly different from the PDA I’m used to seeing from them—makes something click in my head.
Thisis what I want, this unapologetic display of love and devotion. The protectiveness I felt on the plane last night, the jealousy at brunch this morning, it all amounts to this. I want to be everything for the woman standing across from me with worry etched across her face as she stares at our best friends. I have half a mind to step over and comfort her, secrecy be damned. But this moment isn’t about me, or us, so I slide my attention back into the room.
“Baby…” Chase sweeps the hair out of Kayla’s face and reaches for a cocktail napkin. “We don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, we do. It’s a month away. We’ve already paid for everything.”
“You think I care about any of that shit? Kay, I’ll shut it all down tomorrow if it’s not what you want to do.”
“Idowant to.”
“Then what’s…?” Chase looks to the ceiling and blows out a frustrated breath. “Please, talk to me.”
Kayla doesn’t answer right away, and I glance at Ashlie, who shrugs, hugging the bottles to her chest. Just as I’m about to step closer, Trevor sidles up next to her and peeks into the room. Heat flames in my chest when he rests his hand on Ashlie’s back.Stop.Fucking.Touching.Her. Trying to ignore the fiery rage building inside, I clench my jaw, molars grinding hard enough they squeak in the process. Resisting the reflex to spring forward is getting harder by the second, but reacting would make me look like a controlling prick.
“Here, let me hold those for you.” Captain Gentleman grabs the bottles from her, then turns to me. “I closed out the tab at Ripley’s, and I’ll drop those two off at home whenever they’re ready.”
I tip my chin up to acknowledge what he said before turning my attention back to the room. Trevor leaves, but my impulse to stake my claim doesn’t.
“What if I’m not good at it?” Kayla whispers, eyes cast to the glazed concrete floor.
“Baby, you’re already good at it. You’re the best damn wife I’ve ever had,” Chase teases. “If it’s a technicality causing all of this turmoil, then I don’t want it. Just say the word, and I’ll cancel it all.”
“But—”
“But nothing. I’ll do anything for you, including taking marriage off the table. I love you. My only priority is you and your happiness. Screw everything else.”
