Face-Off at the Altar Read online

  Looking to her left, she found Libby coming toward her, camera in her hand. “I have a lot to be happy about,” she said, eyeing her aunt who, for the first time since yesterday, wasn’t glaring at her. “What are you doing? Are we trading off?”

  Libby shook her head. “No, everyone is seated, waiting on Lucy and Benji. So I decided to come talk to you since I’m sure they’ll be a little longer. Thank God the wine is flowing.” Mekena didn’t say anything as she looked down, tinkering with her camera. Libby leaned against the wall before letting out a loud sigh. “I was an asshole yesterday.”

  “You were,” she agreed and Libby sighed again.

  “I’m sorry for that.” Mekena looked up, holding her gaze. “I got used to you being with me. Being all pathetic and lonely with me. What can I say, kid? I’m a poor excuse for a human. I’m holding on to something that happened almost thirty years ago, still so bitter, and I was happy to have someone who was bitter and upset like me. But I had no right to judge or be a bitch to you when you decided to get your head out your ass and take what makes you happy. For that, I’m sorry.”

  Mekena nodded. “You don’t have to hold on, Libby. Let go. Be happy.”

  “Eh, I’m set in my ways. I’ll grow old, be alone, and I’m okay with that. But you have such a long, beautiful life to look forward to, and my God, the way he looks at you. It’s breathtaking.”

  “He’s amazing.”

  “He is,” she said with a smile. “I’ve watched him, and he loves you, Mekena.”

  “He does,” she agreed, her heart skipping a beat. “I want you to meet him.”

  “I want that too.” Coming closer to Mekena, she asked, “Do you forgive me?”

  Mekena didn’t even hesitate. “Of course.”

  “Good,” Libby said as an exhale. “I felt horrible for being a dick to you.”

  “It’s okay, it happens. And I should have told you about the job.”

  “Yeah, but it’s such a great opportunity. You’ll do great, you love shooting games.”

  “I do. A lot.”

  “It’ll be excellent, I just know it,” Libby decided with a nod. “You won’t fly out tomorrow, right?”

  “Nope, I don’t know when I will. I might fly later, and drive back with the rest of my stuff. I don’t know yet.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll start packing up for you. I have nothing else to do.”

  “You could make an eHarmony page.”

  “Or join Tinder.”

  “Or Match.”

  “Or Plenty of Fish.”

  Mekena gave her a dry look. “I’m trying to get you a relationship, and you just want sex.”

  Libby shrugged. “Hey, sex is enough for me.”

  Rolling her eyes, she leaned into her aunt, laying her head on her shoulder. “I want you to be happy.”

  “Eh, how about you be happy for both of us?”

  Mekena smiled, knowing her aunt wouldn’t budge. She was right; she was set in her ways, and the sooner everyone accepted that, the better. “Done.”

  They stood in silence for a moment before Libby exhaled. “She moved out.”

  Mekena’s breath stopped. “Who?”

  “Skylar. Your parents told her she had to get help or get out. She got out.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, they’re worried.”

  “She’s a big girl.”

  “You’re right, but she needs help.”

  “And she’s the only one who can help herself,” Mekena said, looking to Libby, and she nodded. As much as she knew she should feel something more, she couldn’t shake the anger. She couldn’t believe what her sister had done, but one thing was for sure, she wouldn’t make excuses for her.

  “You should call your mom, though, tell her you love her. She’s struggling.”

  Mekena averted her gaze, chewing on the inside of her lip. “Okay, I will.”

  “Hey.” Hearing Markus’s voice, Mekena looked past Libby to see him coming toward them with his hands in his pockets. “Have you guys seen Lucy and Benji?”

  Mekena grinned as she hooked a thumb to the door. “She’s ‘changing.’”

  “Ew, freaks,” he commented before going to the door and banging his fist on it. “Hey, you sex fiends, people are hungry!”

  “Ten minutes!” Lucy called, and Markus scoffed.

  “Please, Benji can only last thirty seconds,” he called back before grinning over at Mekena and Libby.

  Reaching for him, she took his hand and brought him closer before holding her other hand out to Libby. “Markus, this is my aunt, Libby. Libby, this is my boyfriend, Markus.”

  Markus grinned as he held out his other hand and Libby took it. She wasn’t smiling but she wasn’t glaring either, so Mekena took that and ran with it. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

  Libby nodded. “You too. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Markus’s face filled with nervousness. “Good, bad, or both?”

  “Both,” Libby said with a wink before she cupped his shoulder. “But I’ll stick with the good.”

  “That sounds great to me,” Markus decided and Libby nodded.

  “Me too.” Looking to Mekena, she smiled. “I’m gonna head out there.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Mekena said, and then she heard laughing from behind the door once more. “Or maybe an hour. Who knows?”

  Libby laughed. “Do you think we’ll get paid more if we get hurt in the brawl for food?”

  “Is it in the contract?” Mekena asked, and Libby paused.

  “Shit. No, I should put it in the next one,” she said with a wink, and Mekena grinned as she walked away, leaving her with Markus.

  “Looks like you guys worked everything out.”

  “Yeah,” she said, tearing her gaze from her aunt and onto Markus. “She apologized.”

  “Good,” he said, kissing her temple.

  “She said she’s gonna start packing my things up. I guess she thinks I have the job.”

  “I know you have it.”

  “How?” she giggled, getting chills from his lips tickling her temple.

  “You’re the best,” he said simply. “And Elli Adler isn’t an idiot. She wants the best. Just make sure you always shoot the left side of my face, it’s my best side.”

  Giggling, she smacked his chest. “You’re silly, and plus, both sides are great.”

  “Stop sucking up, I’m still going to sleep with you,” he whispered against her jaw, and her head fell back as she laughed.

  “How lucky for me.”

  “Exactly, and if you don’t stop being so hot, I’m going to take you against this wall.”

  “Markus Reeves! I’m wearing a black dress that shows off nothing.”

  “But I know what’s underneath,” he whispered, nibbling on her neck. “And I want it all.”

  “Jesus, man, I’m working. Control yourself,” she demanded, breathless as his hands snaked around her, cupping her ass.

  “Never,” he said before capturing her mouth with his. She knew she shouldn’t get lost in his kisses, but that wasn’t possible, no matter how hard she tried. As he drew the kisses out, her insides went to mush and the spot between her legs filled with heat. Pulling away, she gasped for breath as he started to pull her away.

  “Markus, I’m working.”

  He stopped at the door. “Time check!”

  “Markus! Please!” Lucy complained, but then she laughed. “Ten minutes!”

  “We got ten minutes,” he said to her before pulling open the door to the room beside Lucy’s, a room that appeared to be a coat closet. “Which is really twenty.”

  Closing the door, he pushed her into the wall, his body crashing into hers before she said, “And what in the world do you think is going to happen?”

  He grinned, his teeth so white in the dark closet. “I mean, I can tell ya, or I can show you.”

  Her breath caught as he took her camera and set it carefully on the ground before taking