Just an Illusion - The B Side Page 8

  “There’s no chance it was wrong and the cord was in the way of anything?”

  Darren laughs. “Her legs were spread wide open and she was showing off her hoo ha.”

  “Dude, maybe reword that for future conversations,” Noah says, patting him on the shoulder.

  “Aww, she just wanted you to have time to pick a cute name for her so she doesn’t end up with something horrible like Sunbeam Stratocaster Miller. She already knows how rock stars roll.” Belle laughs at my words as Darren pouts because he knows damn well I’m right.

  “We should celebrate. You guys want to go to dinner?” Noah asks. “We can get the security crew here in less than an hour. Anna and Wyatt will be here before then, and Sawyer and J should be back by then, too.”

  “Hell yeah. What do you say, Belle? You up for food?” Darren asks as he pulls her to him and rubs her belly.

  “I’m game. Nowadays, food always sounds good. Hopefully, I’ll lose the baby weight as fast as I’m going to gain it.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a little cushion for the pushin’,” Darren replies with a devilish smirk.

  “You two are my witnesses that he said that. When my ass is as big as a doublewide, you remind him what he said.”

  Pointing between Noah and myself, I tell her, “We got your back, Belle. When are you going to tell Veronica?

  “How about now? Noah, want to meet my mom? I know she wants to meet you. Let’s Skype her.”

  “Sure, why not?” Veronica is the closest thing I have to a mother and he’s not even the slightest bit fazed.

  “Hey, Mama!” Belle says enthusiastically once Veronica picks up the call.

  “Hey! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “A few reasons. One being Mel wants you to finally meet Noah. Mama this is Noah, and Noah this is our mom, Veronica.” Belle passes the phone to Noah and he flashes her that same panty-melting smile he gives me.

  “Sweet Jesus have mercy. No wonder you stole my baby girl’s heart. You’re enough to give an old woman palpitations. Good thing I’m not really that old,” she adds with a laugh, and Noah joins her.

  Climbing behind him on the bed, I duck my head over his shoulder and wave. “Hey, Mama, we miss you!”

  Veronica clucks her tongue at me and nails me with one of her motherly glares. “Girl, you don’t have any time to miss me while you’re keeping company with this good-looking boy, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

  “I always miss you, Veronica. But I am going to give the phone back to Belle because she has bigger news.”

  “It was nice meeting you, Veronica. I hope we can take you to dinner when you come back and our schedules line up,” Noah tells her with such sincerity it makes me want him all over again.

  “It was good meeting you, too, Noah. Take care of my girl.”

  Noah hands the phone to Belle, and I whisper in his ear, “That was so fucking hot.” He smiles and shakes his head but pulls me around from behind him and into his lap.

  “Alright, Belle, what is your news?” I hear Veronica now but I can’t see her anymore.

  “Darren has something he wants to show you.”

  “Girl, did you only call me to get me worked up? My heart can only take so many attractive younger men in a day, and I’ve already had my fill of Marcus today.”

  “Mom! Stop!” Belle isn’t even mad; she’s cracking up. This is Veronica and all of her sassy glory. “I’m turning the phone to Darren now.”

  Darren is standing by the wall holding the balloon to his chest. As soon as Belle turns the phone, Veronica screams. Only Darren can see her face, and he’s smiling like a loon.

  “Oh my goodness! It’s a girl! Congratulations, Darren. Now, Belle, turn me around so I can blow you a kiss.”

  When Belle turns the phone around, I take a peek over her shoulder to find Veronica blowing kisses at the screen as tears stream down her cheeks. “You’re making me feel old before my time, but I am so excited for this new addition to our family. I just knew it was going to be a girl. As soon as I get back, we’re celebrating. I love you all, but we have dinner reservations and I have to go. Noah and Darren, you take care of my three girls.”

  After a round of “We wills” from the guys and “love yous” from me and Belle, she finally disconnects the call. Noah sends Belle and Darren out to get ready and texts everyone the plans for tonight. When he finally turns his attention back to me, he smirks.

  “What?”

  “Belle’s mom is kind of hot.”

  Even though I know he’s joking, and Veronica would never steal my man, a lick of jealousy pounds through my veins. “Too bad. You’re already taken and I don’t share.”

  “Do I sense a little jealousy, Mel? Because I have to say that is extremely sexy. And for the record, I don’t share what’s mine, either.”

  Damn, I don’t know what it is, but he keeps turning me on today with only his words. “Am I yours, Noah?” I ask, teasing him, and he pounces on me.

  “That’s not even funny, but just in case you need clarification, you are one hundred percent mine. One day, when we say our vows, everyone will know it, too,” Noah says as he pulls me into an utterly heart-stopping kiss.

  Noah’s words ran through my mind all night while we were out with our friends. I’m not sure why he is so fixated on marriage, but I also can’t deny how much deeper our connection has become since the Sara incident.

  But still, my inner self wants to know if it’s more than Noah just being ready. Does it have to do with his relationship with Sara? Or maybe Marilyn? And if it does have to do with Marilyn, is he still afraid of losing his girl to Sawyer? Because that will never happen. My heart will always be Noah’s; I just need to find a way to make him believe it.

  “Noah is going to flip when he sees what you got him for Christmas. I have to admit, even my ego is wounded a bit that you’re giving it to him and not to me.” Eli was happy to come with me today, and he got his driver and his security team to go with us. We’ve had the best day; I’m excited our friendship has easily picked up from where we left off.

  “I’m sure your ego can handle it. Besides, you and Rory seem to be hitting it off. What’s up with that?”

  He pushes my shoulder with his and then shrugs. “We’re just getting to know each other. It’s not a big deal. She’s a cool chick, though. Would it bother you if I asked her out?”

  “Not at all, Eli. I want you to be as happy as I am. Noah and Sawyer may have something to say about it, but you’ve got my blessing.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure they will. But anything worth having is worth fighting for. I guess I just need to figure out if it’s a road I want to go down.”

  “You’ll figure it out. They don’t have to know right away. Take time to get to know her first before you let anyone try and talk you in or out of something that may not even take off.”

  Eli looks up at me thoughtfully. “You’re the same Amelia, but you’re different, too. We grew up, Mel. How the hell did that happen?”

  “I don’t know. Most of the time when I look at you I still see the same cocky, teenage boy staring back at me. But you’re not him. Hell, you’re not even in a boy band anymore. I should have told you this sooner, I really love your solo stuff.”

  Eli blushes at my words. No matter how famous he gets, he’s still a small-town boy deep down inside. Rory would be lucky to have him.

  “I’m surprised you even listen to my stuff.”

  “At first it was hard, I’ll admit that. But after some time passed it was easier, especially once you went out on your own and it was all new. When there weren’t any memories tied to it, it wasn’t as hard.”

  He leans back in his seat and looks me over cautiously. “You do know “My Everything” is completely about you, right?”

  Turning my attention to fiddling with my bracelet, I deflect his stare. “I wasn’t ever sure … but I wondered.”

  The melodic notes p
our from his lips and I shut my eyes against them, hoping they don’t get to me.

  She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears

  That I wish I could unsee.

  Why?

  She screamed

  Because I’m a bastard and I’m sorry but you’re still my everything.

  Thankfully, he only sings a few notes and then smiles sadly at me as he shakes his head. “I just wanted you to know, in some way, I was sorry and I loved you.”

  Squeezing his hand, I meet his eyes. “I knew, Eli. I was being selfish and guarded, but I knew. I wish I’d told you sooner I forgave you. But we’re here now, and I still love you to pieces, just not in the same way.”

  He squeezes me back and flashes me his adorable smile. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to see the man Eli has become when so much of him reminds me of the boy I used to love. “Right back at you, Mel. So when are you going to give Noah his gift?”

  “Tonight, hopefully. I don’t want to do it with anyone around for obvious reasons.”

  “Could you imagine the conversation that would spark? Hell, I’d pay to be there for that.”

  “Shut up!” We’re both laughing; it feels good.

  His driver pulls the car into the driveway. Rory and Noah are sitting on the porch waiting for us. I wonder if he knows she’s probably hoping to catch a glimpse of Eli.

  “Do you want to come in?” I ask, noticing how his eyes dilated and locked on Rory as soon as he saw her.

  Tearing his gaze back to me, he replies, “I probably should be going. My family is going to be at my house soon. You know how the holidays are.”

  “Sure, I get it. Make sure you give my love to your sister.” I’m being snarky and he knows it.

  “You know she feels bad about that. After all that shit went down with you, I lit her ass on fire for it. I’m not sure it makes a difference, but she’s cool now. She’s happy if I’m happy. Having you back in my life is all I ever could have wanted for Christmas.”

  “Careful there, I sent you a present that should be at your house now and it might be something you want more.” The sparkle in his eyes makes me smile.

  “Not possible.”

  “We’ll see. Come on, at least get out and say hi so they don’t think something strange is going on. We’ve been in here probably longer than Noah’s comfort zone can handle. I see him bouncing around out there. I’m sure it’s driving him crazy that we’re in here.”

  “That man has it bad for you. It’s a good thing you’ve got it bad for him, too. Let’s put him out of his misery.” Eli opens the door and helps me out of the car. Noah is striding up to us confidently, but Rory is hanging out on the porch. I wave her over and the hint of a smile turns up at the corner of her mouth. I’m sure she didn’t want to seem anxious and now she has no reason to.

  Noah wraps his arms around me and pulls me into a massive hug. “I’m sorry,” he says, throwing me off guard.

  “Why would you be sorry?”

  After placing soft kisses against my neck, he whispers in my ear, “Because now I know how much it sucks to be waiting around all day for you. You’ve put up with me disappearing for the last three weeks without so much as a peep. I think you’re the better half in this relationship.”

  “I think we’re both a great half and that’s what makes us work so well. But I’m back now, so why don’t we go inside and do whatever it is your family does on Christmas Eve?” Rory and Eli have already struck up a conversation, but I interrupt long enough to give him a quick peck on the cheek and a hug. “Let me know when you get your gift,” I whisper into his ear and then wink at Rory. Her face flushes an adorable shade of pink; she’s got it bad for him.

  Noah’s eyes narrow as I pull him into the house. “What was that wink for, Mel?” he asks, stopping me as soon as we step through the doorway.

  “You caught that, huh? It was nothing, Noah, don’t worry about it.”

  He’s not having it, and he pulls me down the hall, closing his office door behind us quietly. “Spill it, Mel.”

  With his arms crossed over his chest he looks sexy as can be. All his colorful tattoos are peeking out from underneath his t-shirt, and all I want to do right now is lick him from head to toe. But I can’t.

  “Noah, it’s up to Rory to talk to you about this. Please don’t force the issue.”

  He drops his arms and stalks toward me, caging me in against the door. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply before opening them and pleading with me. “Please don’t tell me Eli is the guy she was talking to me about having a crush on. I’m not sure I could take it.”

  Pulling his lips to mine, I caress the side of his face. After a lingering kiss, I exhale contentedly. “Your lips were made for mine.”

  His eyes are twinkling, but he’s still schooling his features into a scowl “Don’t change the subject, Mel. Your perfect lips aren’t going to distract me from what is going on with my sister.”

  “Fine, Noah, but I seriously don’t know what is going on with Rory. You’re going to have to ask her yourself because she hasn’t talked to me about this.”

  It takes a second before the impact of my words sets in. “That means he’s talking to you about her? Fuck me. No. Just no … this is not happening. Over my and Sawyer’s dead bodies.”

  Taking his face in my hands, I force his eyes to meet mine. “He’s a good man, Noah. He’s made mistakes like we all have, but he’s grown from them. What if they have what we have? Let them see where this goes and stay out of it. I know you don’t want to admit it, but your sister is a grown woman and she’s having sex with assholes. At least we know Eli. We know he’s a good guy, and we know where to find him if he fucks her over.”

  “Don’t you mean when he fucks her over?” he growls.

  “Nope, because I don’t think he’s that kind of man anymore.” I can see the instant he gives into me—his eyes light up, his features soften, and he leans into my caress.

  “Alright, I’ll leave it alone because I trust your judgement more than anything. But let’s not mention this to Sawyer or anyone because for now I’d like to pretend it’s not happening.”

  “Sounds good to me. So what did I miss today?”

  Noah pulls me to him, his erection obvious. “Well, I missed the fuck out of you. Can you tell?”

  “Mm, I can, Mr. Weston.” He moves his hands under my shirt, but I quickly push him away. “Nope, there’s no time for that. I’m already later than I thought I’d be. I want the rest of today and tomorrow to be everything you hoped it would be. It’s our first Christmas together, Noah.”

  His mouth crashes against mine, making my body tingle from head to toe. Who knew loving someone so much could change the dynamic of everything? As he pulls away, he hugs me in the way only he can: with his whole heart and soul.

  “The first of many, Mel, don’t forget that.”

  “Never.”

  “Alright, so we already made Christmas cookies, but my mom has some more homemade eggnog out there. We’ve all finished wrapping presents, and my mom is dying to fill the stockings. It’s her pride and joy to do it every year.”

  “Well, come on, then, show me the true magic of a Weston family Christmas. Just give me a quick minute to put my bags in the room. You’d better not go in there and peek.”

  “I’m not a peeker. I love surprises. Sawyer, on the other hand, is a major peeker. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s out there right now shaking presents under the tree.”

  Laughing, we walk hand in hand to our bedroom. Sawyer is sitting at the dining room table wrapping presents. Guess he didn’t finish with the rest of them. “Hey, Princess, have fun with Boy Band?” Instead of answering him, I flip him the bird as I walk by, and he busts up laughing. “I might have deserved that,” he calls out behind us, making me smile. Sawyer and I have definitely found our friendship groove.

  “Stay,” I tell Noah as I slip into the room and hide my bags in the bathroom
. Hopefully, no one will go digging through a cabinet with tampons to find a present.

  When I step out of the room, Noah takes my hand again and we go join Christmas Eve in progress. Eli must have already left because Rory is playing on the floor with the girls. Karen and Owen are in the kitchen making drinks.

  “Amelia! Would you like some eggnog?” Karen is flushed; she’s got a serious buzz going on already.

  “Sure, I’d love some.” She hands me a glass filled to the rim, bourbon floating on top. After taking a sip, I breathe through my newly cleared nasal passages. This is so strong it might as well be moonshine.

  “Christmas secret, the drunker my wife gets the more liberal she is with the booze,” Owen tells me in a mock secret all while pinching Karen’s ass. My eyes didn’t need to see that, but they’re so fucking cute I can’t even complain. I’d say Karen isn’t the only one who is drunk.

  “Come on, Mel, you don’t have to watch my parents get frisky.”

  “Oh, Noah, you wouldn’t be here if we didn’t get frisky,” Karen jokes with him, and even though I’m blushing, Noah is laughing good naturedly. No wonder he’s so in love with the idea of marriage; he’s got some pretty good role models.

  As we make our way into the living room, his parents keep laughing behind us. Diane and Rob are sitting on the loveseat looking like they’re ready to get frisky themselves. “Does Christmas make your entire family horny?” I whisper in Noah’s ear.

  He chuckles. “Maybe, or maybe it’s the free-flowing alcohol and the lack of any hostility. Everyone is happy on Christmas.”

  The ringing doorbell overpowers the Christmas music playing lightly in the background.

  “Pizza’s here!” Saylor yells excitedly and runs for the door.

  “I got her!” Sawyer calls out, and Diane sits back down with Rob. A few seconds later, Saylor runs back into the room.

  “Mommy! Uncle Jordan’s here and he brought a girlfriend!”

  Jordan and said girl come in on Saylor’s heels. Although the girl looks horrified at the thought, Jordan laughs it off. “Everyone, this is Allie. She’s new to town and just started working at the bar. Allie, this is my family.”