Page 108 of The Love of My Next Life
“You look beautiful,”Andrea says, snapping yet another picture of us in our cheesy prom dresses.
Claire giggles and spins in a circle. I force a smile and try to keep my nails from digging into my palms.
It’s not a truce. We’re not okay. It’s more for our parents’ sake than anything else, but that doesn’t matter to Claire. She’s excited that I agreed to go with her at all. She doesn’t care the reason behind it.
Andrea takes a few pictures of Claire and Josh on the front porch, and then makes me stand up there with them for a few more shots, documenting my senior prom third-wheeling for life.
It’s hard to smile when I don’t care about any of this.
I take a few pictures with my dad, and then with Claire and Andrea.
“I wish Macon was here for some pictures,” my dad says, making me wince.
The fondness in his voice irritates me. I don’t know if I want to cry or throw something. Macon’s not allowed to have a good relationship with my dad, not if he won’t even talk to me. In one breath, I want to hate Macon so badly, and I want everyone else to hate him, too. My dad should be on my side and should therefore hate Macon with me.
But then in the next breath, I want to protect Macon. I want to keep him. I want him to be mine, again, even if only in secret, and knowing I can’t have him hurts more than anything else ever has.
“He picked up a shift tonight,” Andrea says, walking back to my dad and sliding her hand behind his back. “He’s been working so hard lately.”
“He’s a good kid,” Dad says, pressing a kiss to Andrea’s head.
As usual, they ignore Claire’s scoff, but I don’t. I sneer at her, then roll my eyes, and she turns bright red. I’m so over her bullshit. Macon might not be my favorite person, but I’m not okay with Claire badmouthing him anymore, and she knows it.
The limo Josh rented pulls up just in time. Dad and Andrea tell us to have fun. We don’t have a curfew tonight, but we promise to be safe.
They think we’re going to the After Prom event at the local bowling alley, but I doubt we will. Claire will probably go to Josh’s, and I’ll probably find something to do with Sam.
Either way, though, I don’t plan to be home until dawn.
Josh pulls out a bottle of champagne once were in the limo and hands Claire and me each a glass. I tip it back and down it all in one go. I hold it out to Josh with a smile.
“More, please,” I say, and Claire giggles.
She thinks this means I’m going to have fun. It doesn’t. If I have to endure senior prom in the same hotel banquet hall where Dad and Andrea got married, I’m going to need alcohol. The closer we get to the venue, the more I have to fight off the memories of everything that happened after Macon kissed me in the courtyard that day.
The limo pulls over too soon, and I look up to find Claire’s guilty face.
“What did you do?” I growl, and her mouth drops open.
“I did it,” Josh interrupts. “He doesn’t have a date, and he’s my best friend. Don’t be a bitch, Lennon.”
“Don’t call me a bitch, Josh,” I spit, and he rolls his eyes just as the door opens and Eric slides in.
“Hey, guys,” he says nervously, then he smiles tightly at me. “Lennon. Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Ugh. He’s so freaking nice. He doesn’t deserve my wrath. I send him a genuine smile.
“Glad you’re here,” I say, and his shoulders visibly loosen.
Two more glasses of champagne and we’re pulling up to the hotel. Because I’m a little wobbly, I gladly take Eric’s offered hand as I climb out of the limo. I also willingly loop my arm in his as we walk into the venue.
“You doing alright there, Lennon?” Eric asks with a laugh, and I smirk.
“Feelin’ pretty good, Masters,” I quip, and his brow furrows slightly. I cock my head to the side. “What?”
“Oh. Nothing,” he stammers. “You just, uh, you just kind of sounded like your brother, is all.”
I stiffen, then unloop my arm.
