Love Emerged by Michelle Lynn

Author:Michelle Lynn [Lynn, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Michelle Lynn
Published: 2016-05-09T04:00:00+00:00

Dylan

WE WALK INTO THE LOBBY, and Bea hasn’t pulled away from me. I expected her to release my hand when we came in contact with spectators. I’ve noticed it’s her usual behavior. Public affection isn’t her thing. To others, we appear like a couple, and I wish I wasn’t enjoying it.

Tonight’s the first time I’ve thought about the idea of us as more than a hook-up. Have I wanted to fix her? Yes. Be a friend? Yes.

But to knowingly go back into a relationship, let alone with someone who despises commitment? No. The act of changing someone’s beliefs on love sounds exhausting to me, but Bea’s embedding herself into my heart with each day.

When I saw Bea so broken when we arrived in Chicago, a sense of protectiveness over her erupted within me. No one should grow up with the life she endured.

“Oh, look.” She points to where a bride and groom are dancing in the middle of a ballroom with their family and friends circled around them. “A wedding.” The two words purr out of her, as though she’s a die-hard romantic.

We stand outside the doors, watching the groom brush a few tears from his bride’s happy face. They share a sweet kiss and an even sweeter embrace before they face their loved ones, hands joined in unity. A little tug pulls on my heart because I envisioned Ava as someone I could marry. It was a thought in the future. That’s me—the romantic shit that gets stepped on over and over again, like a spider that won’t die. When will I learn my lesson and keep my heart at the door.

“Let’s go,” she whispers into my ear but never waits for my answer.

Instead, she pulls me into the ballroom, situating us among the guests.

“What are we doing?” I lean close, not to alert the strangers around us.

“Relax. There’s, like, five hundred people here. No one will notice us.” She searches the room and points when she spots it. “Bar.”

She drags me away, and I go willingly because maybe a little alcohol will ease my anxiety about crashing someone’s wedding.

We reach the bar, and a line slowly develops after the traditional dances are finished. Bea doesn’t hesitate to make conversation with a few people, constantly waving to strangers who act like they know her. She’s wonderful at positioning herself into other people’s lives.

Her hand is still tucked into my larger one, and it feels nice not to have her fight us, but when she leans her head on my shoulder, it’s even nicer.

“You two are a sweet couple,” an elderly lady says from behind us, making the two of us turn.

“Thank you,” Bea says in the sweetest voice I’ve heard come out of her mouth. “I’m Bea, and this is my fiancé, Dylan.”

Bea and I shake hands with the bluish-tinted-haired older lady who has a tube of pink lipstick smeared across her lips.

Bea comes right back to my side, her shoulder brushing along mine.

“When is the date?” she asks. A little of her pink lipstick has landed on her white dentures.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.