Page 117 of Don't Make Me Beg
“Keeping the vandalism from you?” I ask, my brows pulling in question.
“Of course not,” my mom laughs, “I’m referring to not being invited to your wedding.”
At that, both of our eyes grow wide as we stare back at her… waiting for the next punch to land.
“I was thinking you could make it up to me by letting me throw the biggest reception this town’s ever seen!” She claps her hands together and squeals in excitement. “What do you say?”
My eyes find Scout as I search for any hint of uncertainty, but her wide smile tells me she feels just as sure as me. Thank fuck for that.
“Why not?” I finally say. “When it comes to my wife, the bigger the celebration, the better.”
I flash Scout a knowing smile because she’s a bigger homebody than I am, but she doesn’t seem the least bit concerned. If anything, she looks excited, which makes my heart ready to explode.
“Seriously? You’re both up for it?” my mom shrieks, jumping up from her seat to hug my dad.
“I can’t wait to get started planning,” Scout says, and the smile on her face tells me she means it.
“Now this calls for celebrating. Frank, can you grab a bottle of champagne?”
My dad’s already out of his seat when he says. “I’m one step ahead of you, dear.”
We spend the rest of the evening sipping champagne as my mom tells us all her ideas for the party. We discuss themes and dates, entertaining all her elaborate ideas without a single argument. It’s only when she suggests we split the party with Bartholomew, since he wasn’t able to have a birthday party this year due to him getting a kidney infection, that I have to put my foot down.
After dinner, Jett finds me and pulls me to the side. “Luka, there’s something I need to get off my chest,” he starts…
I just shake my head and pat his shoulder. “I already know what you’re going to say, man. It’s fine, you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
At first he seems surprised. “How long have you known?”
“Scout told me a while back,” I admit. “At first I was pissed at you, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I’d have probably done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
He eyes me a moment, like he’s trying to decide whether or not he believes me, then finally says, “Yeah, well, I want you to know I’m sorry for fucking things up between you two.” He sneaks a glance over his shoulder, making sure we’re alone, then whispers, “At first I thought you’d lost your mind for what you were doing, but you two seem like you’re really happy. I’m happy for you, bro.”
I hold my hand over my heart before pulling Jett into a hug. “Gee, thanks, big bro. You know I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Yeah, well, just remember that. Now we’re even, all right.” He pushes me away and rolls his eyes, but I can see the hint of a smile on his lips.
“Yeah, sure. I guess we’re even.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Scout
The last stroke of my paintbrush swipes against the brick wall, my breath catching in my throat.
The mural is finally finished.
With just under a week before the festival, I was starting to worry it wouldn’t be finished on time.
Luka’s tent really made all the difference. I didn’t realize how distracted I’d been from having a constant live audience, but now that I’m working in private, it’s like the connection between my muse and my paintbrush has opened up.
It’s been a long road to get here, with plenty of obstacles to overcome, but I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. It’s my first completed project since I’ve returned to myself, and I already know this project will be a highlight of my life. A physical reminder of who I am, how far I’ve come, and proof of what I’m capable of.
And the subject matter couldn’t be any more perfect.
The Phantom represents a protector of this town. He calls us to live a higher purpose, to be the type of people who nurturelove for our neighbor, as well as the land as a whole, and to always do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.
Just like Luka.
