The Loyal Groom Read online

  “Yeah, thanks to you.” She looks down at her feet, but I can see the blush in her cheeks.

  “You’re in band?” I ask as I point down at the small case she’s carrying. I can tell she’s eager to change the subject, and I don’t mind.

  “Oh, yeah, I play the flute.” She holds it up like I can see through the case.

  “Me too.” Her eyes land on mine, and I shrug. “I mean not flute, but I’m in band. I play percussion, but I’m terrible.” She smiles so big this time I can see her braces. She must realize it the same time I do because she hides them and looks ahead. “I’ve got it first today. You?”

  “Me too.” She bites her bottom lip as we walk up the hill and into the band auditorium.

  Kingswood Prep requires its scholarship students to have an extracurricular activity. When Lindsey signed me up for band I could have killed her, but now I’m thinking I should thank her. She said guys who played the drums were cool, and I didn’t need to get my expensive brain knocked around on a field with a bunch of assholes.

  “Will you sit by me?” Rosy asks as we enter the music room.

  “Every chance I get.”

  When I look at her I try and think if I’ve ever felt this good before, and I can’t recall a moment that felt so nice. Just having my eyes on her makes all the pain go away, and it feels like it’s going to be all right.

  Chapter 3

  Rosy

  A few years later…

  “That’s not the dress we picked out.” I turn from the mirror at the sound of my mother’s voice, and I’m surprised because I didn't know she was home.

  A small part of me was hoping she’d forget the prom was today since she and my dad spend most weekends in the city. When I was young it bothered me they were always gone, but not so much anymore.

  “I went with something else.” I shrug one shoulder, hoping to avoid the confrontation.

  We hadn't picked a dress at all. She sent a link to a dress in a group text between me and her stylist. They agreed it was perfect and it was sent over. I tried it on and hated it, and when I looked in the mirror I didn't see myself. All I saw was my mother—someone I never want to become. I hate having that feeling, but it’s the truth I hold inside.

  When I was younger I missed a lot of things because I was sheltered. The past couple of years, Darian and his sisters have opened my eyes to a world beyond my own and taught me lessons my expensive school would never teach me.

  “It’s homely.”

  “I think you mean hippie.” Although I’d call it bohemian, I don’t want to break that down for her.

  She would fall over dead if I told her I got the dress from a thrift store. But after I got discouraged trying on designer dresses last week, I asked the twins and Lindsey to go shopping with me. They agreed if they got to pick the places we checked out.

  When we pulled up to the thrift store I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t find anything. Lindsey said if we didn't we’d hit the mall next but to give it a try and I might be surprised. I was, but I should have known because Lindsey is an old soul that can somehow see into the future. At least that’s what I say when I’m teasing her, but I think we all know it’s because she has more street smarts than anyone.

  “Ugly. Is that a better word for you?” My mother huffs and scrunches her nose at me. Once upon a time I would have jumped to fix whatever was irritating her, but the thing is, she’s never not irritated.

  I think the dress is perfect, even if I’ll never convince her of it. The back is bare, with soft lace running up the side to tie around my neck. It shows a beautiful V line to my breasts with decorative flowers spilling down to the floor. A thin silk ribbon tied around my midsection makes my hips look rounded and shows off the hourglass figure I’ve grown into over the years. Thankfully my mother's small jabs about my weight have tapered off since she noticed they were wasted on my ears.

  Besides myself, there’s only one other person whose attention I want on my body, and it’s Darian. And much to my pleasure, he has a hard time keeping his hands off of me. Even with as excited as we are when we’re alone, we haven't gone far. I’m really hoping that tonight is the night. It’s never been the right time or place for us to do more than heavy petting, but tonight will be different.

  “When are you leaving? You’re not going with that boy, are you?” she asks, taking me away from my thoughts.

  “He has a name, and you know it.”

  Darian and I have been a thing since he stole my heart that first day of school. Everyone knows it, and everyone is pretty much over it at this point. It’s been years, not to mention we’re closing in on graduation and everyone will be starting a new path. I bet I’ll never see half these people again, and I’ll be too happy to get out of this town.

  Thankfully, Darian and I are going to the same university. It would have been awful to do the long-distance thing. My mother is going to lose it when she finds out we’re going to the same college, but I have no plans on telling her anytime soon.

  “You’re really still on this boy? Your father and I had hoped it was some bad boy phase.”

  “He’s not a bad boy.” I throw my hands up.

  He might have threatened a few guys at school over the years, but only assholes who made stupid sexual comments in my direction. The same kind of guys my mother would be over the moon about me going to prom with. It takes everything in me not to explode, but it's pointless because she’ll never understand.

  “Why are you doing this to us? You know we don’t care for the boy.”

  Her words take the air right out of my lungs, and my eyes burn with tears. I hate that my family is this way. Darian is always judged for things he cannot control, and it makes me heart ache that they are so openly rude to him when he’s only ever been nice to them and treats their daughter with nothing but sweet kindness. They should be happy I’ve found someone like Darian because I truly believe he’s a rare breed of man.

  “I love him,” I say firmly, and my mom drops her head.

  “You’re a silly little girl, and I’m putting an end to this now.”

  “I’m an adult. You can’t tell me who I can and can’t date.”

  “I can while you’re under this roof,” she seethes, and I grab my purse off my bed and pull out my phone. Darian is almost here, and as I’m about to text him, she grabs my arm. She might be mad, but I know she’s not going to kick me out. If word got around she’d lose face, and that’s the one thing she would never sacrifice.

  “Don’t make me pick, Mom. You won’t like the answer.” I pull my arm free from her grip and leave my bedroom.

  When I get to the front door, I pull it open right as Darian is about to knock. I step out quickly, shutting the door behind me and smile a little too brightly up at him.

  “You look handsome,” I rush to say. I’m so used to the school uniform it’s nice to see something different.

  “I’ll wear it every day if you come running toward me like that.” He threads his fingers with mine before he leans down for a quick kiss on my lips. “You look beautiful.”

  I still remember the first time I saw Darian, and even then I didn't think he could get any bigger. He’s still growing, and somehow I feel like I’ve only gotten shorter as he towers over me.

  “Thank you.” I lean into him as we walk over to the old Bronco he got a few months back. He was working all kinds of odd jobs to save up and when he finally got it I piled into it with his sisters as he took us around town. It was such a happy day for him…and all of us, really. Darian is unstoppable when he puts his mind to something.

  “I take it I’m not seeing your parents?” He tries to play it off like he doesn't care, but I know he does. I can see it in his eyes, and it makes me want to go back inside and yell at them.

  “No.” I shake my head and look away.

  “Hey.” Darian puts his finger under my chin until I turn my eyes to his. “Don’t feel bad about shit they do. You’ve got no control over that.”<
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  “I know, I’m not going to let them ruin this.” I place my hand on his chest as I smile softly. “I’ll always choose you.”

  He opens the door for me to get in, and I really don’t want to go to prom anymore. I want to be alone with him, and I want him to know I want him.

  “I promise you that you’ll never regret choosing me,” he says, and it’s not just a promise, it’s a vow.

  Chapter 4

  Darian

  After Lindsey graduated high school, she convinced Gina to let her stay as long as she pays rent. The twins did the same two years ago when they graduated, and I always wondered if it was because they didn’t want to leave me behind. I never had the courage to ask, mostly because I liked believing this version.

  Things changed from the state paying Gina to keep us up to all of us paying her so we didn’t have to separate. When I turned eighteen two months ago, for my birthday gift my sisters paid my rent until I leave for college this summer so I didn’t have to worry about money while finishing school.

  I didn’t know what to say, but I know that somehow, some day, I’ll return the favor. The three of them give me shit twenty-four hours a day, but I also know that they believe in me and push me to be the best I can be. They even filled out college applications and scholarship paperwork for me.

  Luckily, Kingswood Prep opened all the doors it said it would, and I got a full ride. They not only cover my room and board all four years, but I got a grant to cover everything else while I studied. Lindsey cried the day I gave her the letter, and the twins jumped on the couch so hard it broke in half. Gina wasn’t happy about any of it because she knew it meant our time with her was coming to an end.

  Lindsey’s been working as an assistant manager at the local diner for the past couple of years. She works every hour the restaurant is open, but she likes the place and it’s decent money. I know she’s been saving up for a house so that Amber and Allison can move in with her, since I’ll be taken care of in school. She told me the other day she’s hoping to become manager soon, and I have no doubt she’ll be running that place before they know what hit them.

  The twins work as maids in one of the nicest hotels in town. From the stories they’ve told me they seem to love the hotel gossip, and the tips are better than any of the other jobs they’ve had. One of the perks is they get discounts on rooms and they got me a suite for prom.

  My three sisters crossed their arms over their chests and all gave me “the talk” before I left to pick up Rosy. Being older and all in my business, they know I’m still a virgin and that Rosy and I haven’t had sex. I have no doubt they gave Rosy the same talk, only I’m positive I was the one that got the extended version that included getting her off and not being a selfish asshole.

  They were the ones that took Rosy to the health department to get on the pill last year because that’s what Gina did with them. It might have been the smartest thing she ever did with the way the twins cycle through guys.

  As I hold Rosy’s hand in my Bronco on the way to prom, I think about how my sisters have had a hand in keeping us together. Rosy’s parents don’t like me; they’ve made that clear every time I’ve been in their presence. Even though Rosy doesn't tell me what they say behind my back, I see it in the way they look at me and the questions they ask. Try as they might to push me away, none of it matters because I’m still here, right where I’ll always be. But for them trying to keep us apart, my sisters have somehow managed to make us closer. For that alone, I’ll forever be indebted to them.

  “You look like you don’t want to go in,” I say as I take the key out and turn to face her. Rosy shrugs and looks down at her hands. “Hey,” I say, and her eyes find mine. “It’s my prom, too, you know.”

  “Like you care.” She rolls her eyes, but I see the smile tug at her lips.

  “I care about having a dance with you.”

  “Really?” she counters, raising her brows in challenge.

  “Really.” I bring her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “We have to be able to tell our kids someday that we actually danced at our prom.”

  She bites her bottom lip to hide the smile as I lean in and kiss her. I know she loves when I talk about our future, and I do too. We’ve got our lives planned out, and I’m ready to blow this school and get to it. But before then, I want to make sure we get all the experiences, including the ones we might not be too excited about.

  We make it in and get our picture taken, then slow dance to a couple of songs. There’s no one else here tonight that we want to hang out with, and when Rosy tells me she’s ready to go, I nod in agreement. Maybe we should have done more to make friends, but after years of people trying to put us in boxes, we decided to create our own and keep everyone out.

  “Amber told me she got us a suite tonight,” Rosy mentions casually as we drive away from the prom and toward downtown.

  “Yeah.” I take her hand, but she doesn’t look at me as she keeps talking.

  “She told me we’re staying the night.”

  “You okay with that?” I ask, and she nods, her cheeks flushing. After a moment I squeeze her hand. “I got you something in the back.” She turns around and grabs the small black bag I have sitting on the seat behind us.

  “What is it?” She bounces in her seat, and this is why I love giving her presents. She says she’s always so happy because mine are the best, but maybe I don’t have much to live up to. Her parents were always just giving her expensive stuff instead of the things she would actually enjoy.

  “Look inside and see.”

  She opens up the ribbon and then reaches inside. She pulls out several things and squeals with excitement until she holds up the last item.

  “Darian,” she says softly as she looks at the silk and lace.

  “The cozy clothes and shoes are for tomorrow when we leave the hotel. I didn’t think you’d want to wear your dress again, no matter how fantastic you look in it.”

  “And this?” she asks, touching the lingerie.

  “I wasn't sure how you would feel tonight, so I got you another option.” Rosy hasn’t ever been shy about her body, but we’ve never been naked together either. “I’ve never done this before…I mean, neither of us have, so I just thought, I don’t know, maybe it’s the wrong thing-”

  “It’s perfect,” she cuts me off and places her hand on my thigh. “All of it, it’s perfect.”

  My heart races as we pull up to the hotel, and she puts all of her gifts back into the bag. She smiles at me, and I hop out and wave off the valet as I go around to open her door.

  We’re both quiet as we check in and completely silent on the elevator as we ride up to the top floor. It’s not that I’m nervous, I’m just so out of my depth on what to do that I don’t want to say the wrong thing and ruin the night. Rosy is so perfect and special, and she deserves everything.

  As we get to the double door at the end of the hall, she takes the key from me when I can’t get the card reader to work. As soon as the light turns green we open the doors and then we stand there as we take in the space. The view of the city is incredible, but that’s not what has our attention. Because all over the floor and on every surface, the room has been decorated with rose petals and flowers.

  “Oh my god, Darian.” Rosy looks around and sees the bed in the distance with rose petals shaped in a heart on top. “This is too much.”

  She turns to me with tears in her eyes as she jumps into my arms. I’m kissing her before I can explain my sisters probably set this up, but maybe I won’t admit to that right this second…or ever.

  With her lips on mine and the door closed, it’s like we’re in our own world. One that’s just the two of us and we make the rules. Her legs wrap around my waist, and without thinking, my hands go to her ass, and I carry her into the bedroom.

  I place her on top of the rose petals as I stand up and look down at her. She’s like an angel in her dress, and I can’t help but think that she was put on this earth to save
me. I undo the tie on my rented tux and take off the jacket and shoes. She sits up on her elbows as she watches me strip out of my clothes until I’m only in boxer briefs.

  “Should I?” She motions to the bathroom, and I shake my head.

  “Let me undress you.” My voice is so low I hardly recognize it as I kneel down on the floor at the foot of the bed and unstrap her sandals.

  When they’re off her feet I kiss the red lines they’ve made across the top and around her ankles. I keep on kissing my way up her soft calves because I can’t help myself. All we’ve done in the past has been a few makeout sessions where I’ve slipped my hand under her shirt and she’s cupped me over my jeans. But I’ve done my share of fantasizing about this moment, and I don’t want to rush it.

  Rosy sits up and cups my face before she presses her lips to mine. Somehow we both know that this moment is special, and it’s not one either of us is ready to hurry.

  We take our time as her hands run across my bare chest, and I shiver at the touch. There’s not a lot of physical affection in our family for reasons I’ve never explored, so to feel her skin on mine is like a drug. All the blood in my body rushes to where her fingers connect on my skin, and I’m like a magnet as I follow her every movement.

  “I love you so much, Rosy,” I say, looking into her eyes, and my fingers touch the clasp of her dress.

  “I love you too, Darian.” She nods, and with one quick tug, the material of her dress falls away from her neck and pools around her waist.

  She smiles softly as she stands up and unties the ribbon at her hips. I’m still kneeling on the floor as it falls to her feet and she’s left in only a pair of cream-colored lace panties. They look so delicate, like a puff of air would make them dissolve, and I want to do just that.