And, of course, I paved the way with Lex’sdream.
Things couldn’t get any worse if theytried.
* * *
The restof the weekend drones by—the air iced with Lex’s cold shoulder. Monday, she doesn’t bother showing up for her shift. But Tuesday evening—just after the lunch rush and prior to the dinner onslaught, she graces the bar with her presence once again. Only it’s not me she’s come to see. It’s Low and Levi. It’s the day of their rehearsal, and since they’ve decided to hold the nuptials right here in the bar, this is where the entire wedding party hascongregated.
An anxious wedding planner buzzes around us, situating, organizing us in the banquet room where the special event will take place, followed immediately by thereception.
“Come, come.” The yippy brunette scuttles me to the mouth of the banquet hall before plucking Lex from the bar itself. Lex is breathtaking this afternoon. Some might think those bright pink lips are caustic, but to me they call out like a siren. Her shoulders are open, spine straight as a pin, head slightly tipped back, and with that spiked leather jacket, she might as well be lethal. But I’ve always liked the fact Lex had a bit of a twist to her, just the right amount of kick to make life interesting. “It’s show time, and there can be no delays! Stand right next to this handsome man right here, link arms. Quick! Quick!” She doesn’t bother waiting for Lex to perform the miracle. Instead, she stabs Lex’s arm through mine, and we both hold our limbs, stale in the air, avoiding any real contact. Not that I’m avoiding Lex in any way. I simply know better and am afraid I might go home without a limb in place. “Once the music gives the cue, I’ll motion you both down the aisle.” She snaps her finger. “Andgo!”
Lex practically yanks me across the runner like a kite, causing the animated brunette to blow that gilded whistle around her neck like a ref at the SuperBowl.
“No way, no how, young lady!” She runs Lex and me back to go and proceeds to demonstrate the proper cadence in which we should strut down the aisle. “Nice—and slow,” she says with each staccato step, her voice mimicking the rhythm. “Take—your time.” She takes another dramatic step forward. “It’s not—a race.” She motions for the two of us to begin. “Andgo!”
Levi stands at the opposite end of the room, which at the moment seems to have stretched infinitely. The white runner splits the banquet hall, and there’s an arc at the far end that waits to receiveus.
“Don’t get any ideas, Collins,” she grits through her teeth—her eyes set deadahead.
My stomach relaxes, and I feel as if I can breathe for the first time in four days. At least she’s speaking tome.
“Don’t you get any ideas, Maxfield.” I dish it right back, hoping she’s buying it. With a woman like Lex, there is no room for groveling, no room for shriveling and begging. For as much as she likes to be in control, she likes to becontrolled.
“What?” she hisses as we slowly throb our way down the aisle. “Don’t you even waste your time with that ridiculous reverse psychology. You and I both know you messed up bigtime.”
The two of us keep our gazes locked ahead, but I can feel the heat index rising to my left. Lex is boiling mad, and I won’t lie—I don’t mind it onebit.
“No one says big time anymore.” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep fromsmiling.
“Oh hush. I don’t care what you or your trendy friends say. I’m saying it, and that’s all that matters. You made a mistake, and now we’re both paying forit.”
My heart jackknifes in my chest as if it’s just heard the magic words it’s been waiting for allnight.
“Bothpaying for it?” I’m only slightly amused by this because I happen to believe it. “So you do want meback.”
“Never!” Her voice rises,incredulous.
We hit the makeshift altar, but instead of breaking separate ways, Lex remains glued to my side, and we both end up to the right of Levi. He looks at me a moment before ticking his head toward her, but I choose to ignore my good friend. I’m not as interested in the rules and regulations of his holy matrimony as I am in keeping Lex by myside.
“Face it, Lex”—I tip my head back as Raven and Brody come up next, and Low dances her way down the aisle with her sister—“you know we’re not finished by a long shot. Deep in your heart, you realize I wouldn’t do anything to spite you. You’re just too afraid to look at the facts for what theyare.”
The human Chihuahua vibrates her way over, her red glasses oscillating over her nose. “What’s this?” she squawks, plucking Lex from me, and if I had to guess, Lex didn’t want to leave any more than I wanted herto.
“You’re to break left when he breaks right.” The jumpy wedding planner scuttles in a circle. “Under no circumstances are the two of you to remaintogether!”
Low glares at me, so does Raven, but I don’t dare look at Lex. I know for a fact that both Low and Raven have been apprised of the sorry state of ourrelationship.
“I couldn’t agree more,” Lex sings, practically giddy for the first time in her life, and I take a moment to steal a glance her way. She’s gloating, her lips pulled into a self-satisfied smile. “In fact”—she catches my gaze and holds it—“I don’t think we should ever be togetheragain.”
Low jumps over to her flame-haired friend and nearly loses an eye on that spike strip Lex has lined herself with. “Ho, ho, ho!” she belts it out like old St. Nick. Only something tells me come Christmas morning, the odds of finding Lex in my stocking are slim to none. “Play nice, you two. The big day is less than a week away.” She turns to me, holding her papier-mâché bouquet smug to her hip. Low looks pissed, but deep inside, I’d like to think she’s rooting for us. “How about a ceasefire until after kickoff? Kickoff being the point in the evening when Levi and I make our grandexit.”
“There will be no ceasefire,” Lex spits it out like machinegunfire.
“Why would there be?” I raise my voice just a notch, and the wedding planner covers her mouth in fear. “You’ve never backed away from a good battle before, have you,Lex?”
“All right, you two.” Levi nods my way. “Behave. We’ve got about ten more minutes, and you can both go to your corners tosulk.”
“Sulk?” Lex bites the word at him, and Levi leans back as if it had the power to knock him over. “Don’t you accuse me of sulking.” She wags a finger at him in quick succession. “I’m over it. I’m overhim.” Her voice curls as it rises in octave. “And I don’t needyouof all people telling me tobehave.”
