7: Congratulations, But That's Fucked Up

It wasn't until the door swung open that I realized what had just happened. "Hey, you okay?" Brooks asked and I slowly turned my head to look at him. Tears rolling down my cheeks freely. I shook my head from side to side and instantly his arms were wrapped around me. "What happened? What did he do?"

I didn't know what to say to Brooks, because I knew once I told him he'd be running down the hall to hunt him down. I just wanted to hold on to him. "He kissed me," I finally choked out and loosened my grip around him, expecting him to leave, but he didn't. He just stepped closer, and held me tighter.

"Hey Veronica, it's your turn. Hey everything okay?" I heard Mike ask from behind me. I composed myself long enough to pull away from Brooks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumbled before leaving the two boys in the hallway and headed back into the hotel room.

It when then that it came to me, what I wanted tattooed on me for the rest of my life. I sat down in front of the tattoo artist and held out my left wrist. "What can I do for you darling?" He asked with a thick British accent causing me to smile.

"A Victorianesque heart with the roman numeral 'twenty-one' blended in to it somewhere. I trust you, you're a professional, you have free reign."

"I think I like you," he laughed as he sterilized the area around me and prepared his needle and ink.

As the needle dragged along my skin, I couldn't feel it. I actually couldn't feel anything now that I was thinking about it. I was numb again. I was back in that state of mind where Steve had to come in and fuck everything up. Someone grabbed my free hand and I looked over and smiled at Mike. "You doing alright?"

"Yeah, this isn't as bad as I thought it would be," I smiled over at him and he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "I like you. You're a good guy."

The corner of his mouth curled up and his eyes squinted, "I like you too."






I stood in the bathroom, getting ready for the cocktail party that the family held every year. I picked up a new black dress the week before, knowing I had a new set of eyes that I wanted to impress. I finished with my makeup and glanced down at my new tattoo quickly. You could barely tell the '21' was in there, but I knew it was. Brooks was the best thing that's ever happened to me in my life, and I knew with this tattoo that he would always be with me. Be that strong support that I would need in my life. If I ever met a man that disagreed with this, then he just wouldn't be right for me. With me comes Brooks as well. I smiled inwardly and left the bathroom and met the boys in the kitchen.

"Wow."

"Damn girl."

I blushed as I took in their appearances, both looking great in suits. Brooks kept it summery in a linen khaki suit with a white shirt, left unbutton. Mike on the other hand was looking very James Bondish in a black suit, white shirt and black tie. He even had the aviator sunglasses resting on top of his head.

"Wow boys, I feel like the luckiest girl at the prom," I smiled soaking each of them in.

"Ready Niko?" Brooks asked as I linked my right arm through his left, and then my left arm through Mike's right.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I smiled and we left the room.

Upon arriving in the banquet room I couldn't believe we had assigned seats. Sure there were forty or fifty of us, but was a seating chart necessary? I picked my name up off the table and read 'Table C' I looked at Mike, he had the same, but Brooks was holding 'Table B'. I looked at him with sad eyes but he kissed me on the cheek and we wandered through the room and found our tables. Luckily Brooks was right behind me at his table, unfortunately Steve and Ashley were directly across from me at the same table.

I felt Steve's eyes raking over my body and I tensed up, feeling the room close in around me. Mike picked up on my uneasiness and placed a finger under my chin, pulling my lips up to his awaiting ones. He pulled away and looked me in the eyes, momentarily glancing over at Steve. "I love you."

Whaaa-?

Acting, right. I opened my mouth to say it back, but he kissed me instead. I felt my cheeks catch fire, and covered my stupid grin with my hand. I looked around the room to see Ashley looking at us with admiration in her eyes, Steve on the other hand. He looked like he could kill Mike. Asshole.

Conversation was flowing easy with everyone at our table, and at one point, I reached behind me and grabbed Brooks' chair, dragging it to our table. "Everything alright?" He asked whispering in my ear.

"Yeah, so far anyways. He keeps looking at Mike like he wants to kill him though."

"And that's the whole point why we brought Mike remember? Make him jealous, make him realize he's an ass."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Let me see your tattoo," he smiled grabbing my hand and flipping it over, resting my hand on his thigh. He bent over to look at it closely. "Is that . . . is that the number '21'?" He asked bringing his head up and looking me in the eyes.

"Yeah. I didn't think anyone would be able to see it."

"Why . . . why did you do that?"

"You're my back bone Brooks, and when you're all the way on the east coast I'll always have you now."

He reached his arms around me and hugged me. No words needed to be said, that’s just how I wanted things. We got each other, no questions asked.

I heard the clinking of a spoon to a glass and pulled away from Brooks to see Steve standing at the table, grabbing everyones attention. I wanted to roll my eyes, dramatically, but kept my composure, feeling Mike’s fingers lace through mine.

“I wanted to welcome everyone to the Jaharus/Laich family reunion. On behalf of my family and myself, I wanted to thank everyone for taking out time in their busy schedules to come here and celebrate what an amazing family this is.”

Everyone erupted into a small round of golf claps, and I slapped my hand on my thigh once or twice, not really feeling the spirit Steve was trying to project to the family.

“One thing that is so beautiful about this family is the acceptance of others we bring into our circle. I wanted to thank you all for welcoming Ashley to this family like she was one of our own. And now there is nothing I want more than to make her officially one of our own.” I felt my heart stop beating and my breath catch in my chest as Steve reached into his pocket. In agonizingly slow motion, he went down on one knee. Much like he did with me some three years before.

I lost all of my senses except for my vision. All I could see was Steve’s mouth moving, a sparking diamond ring in his hand, and then Ashley jumping up with her hands covering her mouth nodding her head. I closed my eyes numerous times, thinking for sure that this was all a dream. A sick, sad dream. Or at least a prank that someone was playing on me. No way in his right mind would he propose to his girlfriend mere hours after kissing me. No way, right?

“Niko! Veronica!” The voices of Mike and Brooks in my ear were what brought me back to reality. This really was happening. He really just did that.

“I’m sorry, I have to go,” I state as I stand up from my seat, and slowly make my way out of the banquet hall. It was when I heard the click of the door behind me that I pulled off my heels and ran down the hall. I didn’t know where I was going, all I knew was that I had to get far away from what just happened. I ran into the lobby, numerous guests looking at me with frightened eyes. I slowed myself down and looked out the back windows to the dock floating on the lake. I opened the back doors and made my way outside, not even realizing the heavy downpour and the thunder and lightning off in the distance. After I made it down the first flight of stairs, I gave up. I sat down on the wood planked walkway and broke down in tears.

“Veronica!” I could hear Brooks yelling from the door I had just walked out from. Moments later, two warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me in to their warm chest. I grabbed onto his water soaked linen blazer and cried in to his chest.

“Why did he do that? Why is he such an asshole?”

“I don’t know Niko, I don’t know. Let’s get you inside though okay? There’s a big thunderstorm on it’s way.”

“I can’t move. I don’t want to move. Just leave me here.”   

“You’re going to catch a cold or worse get struck by lightning.”

“I don’t fucking care anymore Brooks. Those options sound fantastic to me right now.”

He sighed obviously frustrated but just held me closer. “Is there anything I can do for you? Anything you need?”

“Tequila. Seriously Brooks, I’m not joking right now. I need my boys, a bottle of tequila and a good movie. I need to forget this shit, right now.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll go see what I can find.” The minute his arms were unwrapped from me, a new set of warm arms found their way around my body.

“Look at me,” Mike whispered and I brought my head up to look into his eyes, tears falling quickly down on to his hand that rested beneath my chin. “That guy in there is a complete asshole, and you do not deserve to be put through what he puts you through. You are an amazing woman and it’s a damn shame that he doesn’t see that, because everyone else around you can. Please don’t, do not, wish you were that girl right now. You would be miserable.” I nodded my head, digging my face into his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"He just told me a few hours ago that he still loves me! That he wishes things were different!" I shouted, suddenly pulling away from Mike. "Fuck him, he's a fucking asshole and I feel sorry for his girlfriend."

"Come on, let's get you inside," Mike stood up and offered me his hand. I reluctantly placed my hand in his and we made our way back to our room.