Page 63 of The Star

I shrug. “You let me listen to Jay-Z when I was a kid, this feels like your fault.”

The bartender puts my dad’s drink down on the napkin in front of him, and he grabs it in his hand and swirls around the ice for a moment before he looks at me again. “You look beautiful tonight, honey. You look more like your mother every day.”

I look down at where my hands are leaning on the bar, sadness creeping into my gut like a toxin. “Thanks, Dad.”

He looks around the room, admiring the set up the hotel has created in their ballroom, and laughs under his breath a little. “We’re a long way from Franklin, huh?”

I huff a laugh, looking over my shoulder to the table that Carson and his friends are sitting at, all of them laughing in one way or another like someone just told a joke. “Sure are.”

thirty

CARSON

Hayden, Levi, and I have spent most of the evening sitting at our designated table at the front of the room, people watching and sneaking miniature bottles of liquor from our mini bar. I keep sneaking peeks at Logan, and most of the time she’s sitting or standing somewhere doing the same thing – minus the alcohol, I think. I watched her have what seemed like a heartwarming conversation with Gary, then get introduced to my grandparents by my mom, but besides that, she’s been pretty antisocial.

My mom is an only child, so there aren’t any cousins here for me to chill with, so I’m happy to have Hayden and Levi here with me. Otherwise, I might have ended up in a closet somewhere with Logan.

Wishful thinking?

I still might try to sneak off with her somewhere, which seems unlikely after what she said to me in the elevator. Seems she’s standing her ground on the wholewe’re not going to happenthing. For now.

There’s a sudden drop in the volume of the music, and then a tapping on a microphone, making everyone’s eyes turn to the little stage that sits at the front of the room. I find my grandma at the mic, smiling a big smile that’s identical to me and my mom’s. She clears her throat, and once the room has fallen to hushed whispers, she speaks.

“Hi, everyone. I’m sure you all know me, but I’m Sara’s mother.” She smiles again. “I wanted to say a few words since tomorrow speeches are limited to the maid of honor and best man–”

“Man of Honor!” I shout, making everyone erupt into laughter.

“Yes, Man of Honor. Sorry,Carson.” My grandma does her best to roll her eyes at me, but she’s sweeter than sugar, so I don’t think she could even if she really wanted to. “When Sara came to me and told me she was getting married, I was trulyoverjoyed.And the more I got to know Gary, I knew why she had decided to head to the altar so quickly.”

I had no idea Gary had even met anyone in my family before, but when he kisses his palm and waves it to her, it shows that he’s more than comfortable with my grandma, at least.

“Gary and Sara.” My grandmother continues, pulling my attention back to the stage. “You two are like love-struck teenagers, and I wish you a beautiful and amazing life together.”

She blows two kisses, one for each of the happy couple, and the room of friends and family claps for the end of her speech. She waves as she steps down from the stage and embraces my mom, pulling emotions from deep in my gut that I didn’t know lived there.

I might be soft for love deep down after all.

My mom’s best friend graces the stage next, but my attention has already run out, so I stand up, telling Levi and Hayden I’m heading to the bathroom.

I walk past a bored-looking Logan on my way, and when she notices me, she grins and checks me out. I wink at her, shooting her a finger gun because I’m justthatfucking smooth.

As I push into the bathroom, I luckily finding it empty. Laying my hands flat on the counter, I lean forward and look at myself in the mirror. My light hair has lost some of the volume my mom gave it before the dinner, but it gives me thatfreshly fuckedlook that chicks are into, so I’d call it a win.

Standing up straight, I check myself out in the mirror, making sure my suit hasn’t gained any wrinkles. Just as I’m turning around to look at the back, the door to the bathroom opens and is filled with Levi’s laughter.

“Dude, are you checking out your ass?”

I spin around, making it very obvious that I was, and he laughs even harder. “Jesus Christ, you’ve got it bad.”

I turn on the faucet, pump some soap into my palms, and wash my hands. “Shut up, bitch.”

He claps his hands together, then points a finger at me. “Only one bitch in this room, my guy, and it ain’t me.”

I finish washing my hands, turn the water off and dry them with one of the towels in the basket on the counter. Throwing it in the bin with the used ones, I turn and lean against the counter. “Do you think Hayden would really hook up with her?”

Levi grins. “Don’t do that, man.”

“So, yes?”

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