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Nina loosens her grip on me and applies a little blush. “You’re making excuses.” Her voice gentles once more. “What if you found the person who’s right for you and you turned them away, because of your so-called career. Then, when it came time to settle down, you realize that person didn’t wait for you. And they shouldn’t have, because you were selfish. That career you did it all for, you’ll resent. They’ll always be the one who got away, and those kinds of things play on your mind.”
I take my sister’s hand, pausing her mid-brushstroke and ask gently, “Who was yours?”
Her face voids of expression. She quickly dips her chin and clears her throat. When she looks up again, all I see is sadness. Sadness so cutting, my chest aches. She mutters a hoarse, “Doesn’t matter. They’ll always be one who got away, and I can only blame myself.”
Nina carefully adds the last of the makeup, restoring my puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks to near perfection. I stand and pull her close. Her arms wrap around me and hold me tight, and for the first time in forever, I think Nina needs this hug more than I do. “Thank you, Neens. I love you.”
She responds on a squeeze. “Love you too. Now, go talk up some guys. There’re some real Johnny’s out there.” When my sisters and I talk about guys, the hotter they are, the more Johnny-like they are. In fact, I still have a Johnny Depp poster in my room. He sets a high standard.
I love you, Johnny. They’ll never be you!
Pulling apart, I smirk. “Are you telling me I should hook up or somethin’?”
Nina smirks right back. “No harm in a little diddle here and there.”
I chuckle and shake my head, but she’s right. I mentally roll my eyes at myself. Here I am, crying and pouting, when I could be talking to a Johnny. And Lord knows, I haven’t diddled in a while.
Where are my priorities?
I leave Nina to pack away her things and head back outside into the open courtyard. As soon as the fresh air hits me, I close my eyes and breathe it in. When I open my eyes, I smile.
The courtyard looks stunning. Nat hadn’t wanted anything too complicated, going for the less-is-more approach. Always a win, if you ask me. All she wanted was white and apricot sheeting gathered and lining the inner border of the yard. The only extra she asked for was color coordinated Chinese lanterns that will be lit after dark. Finger food was indeed a better choice in this warmer weather, and with no need for tables, people are up talking and laughing together, while the hired waiters bring around trays of food.
My eyes scan everything around me. I look to the left to see a pregnant Tina holding hands with her husband, Nik. A waiter passes them, and Tina’s eyes follow the tray of food. Nik, being Nik, follows her gaze to the retreating waiter’s back before letting go of her hand and walking away. Not ten seconds later, Nik returns with the entire tray of hors d'oeuvres, smiling down at her. Tina looks from the tray to Nik. She takes a tiny morsel from the tray he holds for her, her face turns soft, and with a gentle smile, I see her mouth form the words ‘I love you’. Nik doesn’t respond, but wraps his free arm around her and leans down to kiss her forehead. As his lips touch her, his eyes close and he allows his kiss to linger.
My heart aches, and that bitch Jealousy rears her head for a single second. I want a love like that. One day, hopefully I’ll have it.
Nat and Ash come to stand by Nik and Tina. A smiling Nat hands Tina a small bottle of apple juice before she lowers herself to a crouch in front of Tina’s belly.
I feel a pang in my chest.
Nat splays her hands on the protruding melon that is Tina’s baby bump as she talks to it. Ash reaches over to squeeze Tina’s shoulder. With an understanding smile, Tina smiles before lifting her hand to rest on his. It takes true friends to do what Tina and Nik are doing for Nat and Ash.
You see, Tina is pregnant, but the babies aren’t hers. They’re Nat and Ash’s babies. Tina is acting as a surrogate for them, because Nat can’t carry babies to full term, and that’s just the kind of person she is. To see people unhappy makes her unhappy. She would do anything for the people she cares about. We recently found out there are two babies, but don’t yet know the sexes. Truthfully, Nat doesn’t care what the babies are, as long as they’re healthy.
Holding hands, Lola and Trick make their way over to the group closely followed by a severe Johnny. A Johnny I have never been able to take my eyes off for more than a minute, because he’s so Johnny that my Johnny poster weeps at night, struck by jealousy. Max Leokov slides up behind Nat, smiling a dangerously naughty smile. Without warning, he pulls her up from her kneeling position by her underarms and turns her to face Ash. I can’t help but chuckle at the look and Asher’s face. His jaw tics, any ounce of friendliness quickly replaced by anger.
But Max doesn’t care. He wraps his arms around Nat’s middle in an intimate embrace, lowers his face to her neck, and begins to pepper her with kisses. Ash steps forward, scowling, jaw tight, but Max simply steps back with Nat in his hold. I can’t hear what’s being said from here, but from the sly smile on Max’s face as he speaks and the way the others start laughing, I can tell he’s being a smartass and clearly has a death-wish for winding Ash up the way he is.
Clearly.
I’ve seen what Ash can do when he’s pushed. It’s not pretty.
Ash leaps forward, and like a coward, Max releases Nat,
but quickly moves in front of Tina, arms open expectantly. Tina, being the sucker she is, moves into his embrace, laughing while he smacks wet kisses on her cheek.
A split second before Nik’s fist moves to punch him, Max dodges it, reaches out, and takes Lola’s hand. He pulls her to him, and rolling her eyes, she smiles, allows him to hold her close—almost too close—and dances a slow dance in the middle of their circle of friends. Trick, not liking this, pulls her away from him and tucks her close to his side. She sighs and happily wraps an arm around him.
Max opens his arms to his friends and shakes his head slowly. I see him mouth, ‘You’re no fun’. As he walks over to the bar and finds Mimi, he wraps his arms around her from behind. She stiffens a moment, turns, then relaxes back into him. He whispers something into her ear, and swatting him away, she laughs loudly. He holds a hand to his heart, wearing a mock-wounded expression.
And for a moment, I’m jealous. They truly are a family. A part of me craves to be a part of it. I feel like a geek looking into the cool group at school. Still, I look around for a Johnny I like, and there are more than a few hotties in the crowd, but my eyes keep moving towards the tall, dark, and handsome man with golden eyes and the magic dimple.
Max.
I’ve lost count of the amount of women I have seen him flirting with, and—let’s face it—he’s almost as Johnny as the man himself.
Dare I say, he’s more Johnny than Johnny?
