Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(23)

A couple people smiled while Kat seemed to be pleased.

“What are the girls like in the Army? Are they all butchy?” Branch asked. Leave it to him to open his mouth about other women as if I didn’t know it was purposely to get under Kat’s skin.

“Much to my surprise there are plenty of beautiful women in the armed forces. In fact, it’s a lot like college. We just walk around in camouflage and work out way more. We go out for drinks, play games, and lack sleep.”

Kat giggled and said something under her breath to Melissa. “It sounds just like college.”

“Yeah, if every day was like rush week,” Branch rudely commented, while waving down the waiter for another drink.

While I sat there looking at my brother I noticed how the years had changed him. Maybe I just didn’t recall ever feeling scrawny, or perhaps it was the fact that I was so much bigger than he was now. “I’m hoping to eventually work in a recovery unit. My sarge thinks I should focus on marksmanship, but I don’t know if that’s all I want to do. I think I’d rather help people, instead of focusing on destruction.”

None of the people at the table could respond to my statement. It was like they were shell-shocked. They couldn’t have understood what I was preparing to walk into. There was a good chance that I wouldn’t be coming home. I had to be realistic. Bad things were happening overseas, and I was about to be right smack in the center of it all.

“Can we talk about something else now? It’s my wedding eve.” Branch was all about himself, just like he’d always been. Every statement he made caused me to wonder what the hell Kat saw in him.

“Yeah, sure. I was simply answering a question.”

“Wait,” Melissa interrupted. “I’d like to hear more. My cousin is in the Navy. He always has the best tales to tell.”

“I don’t know if I have anything worthwhile to talk about. I mean, I’ve lived on a base for quite some time. My day is like anyone else’s with a job. I wake up and put in the time, and then I’m done.” Explaining what it was like for me seemed so boring, but Kat’s friend was staring at me like I made millions of dollars selling paperclips. She was whacked.

“Maybe we should order dessert,” My mother stated. “The pastor will be here soon for the rehearsal.”

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kat looking at me. Quickly, she turned away, I suppose because she was embarrassed I’d caught her. For the next several minutes it kept happening, each time one of us would turn away before we were discovered. It made no sense to me. She was acting like a teenager does when they’re crushing on someone. Obviously that wasn’t happening between us. She was about to get married.

After dinner, we all made our way into the hall where the ceremony was to be held. The pastor waited for us to come forward before beginning to explain what would happen. I know it was by accident, but instead of positioning my brother across from Kat, he grabbed me by the arm and stood me right in front of her. I could hear gasps around the room while Kat and I stood still staring at one another.

As fast as he was able, Branch shoved me to the side. The look on his face made me want to laugh, but I held it together, even as everyone else in the room laughed at the discrepancy. The whole time I kept turning back to meet eyes with Kat. I couldn’t understand why, but I felt like she was upset about something. I wanted to pull her aside and ask her what was going on, but understood it wasn’t the time or place. After the wedding I figured things would be easier. Branch would let his guard down and I could make sense out of everything that I was feeling.

When the rehearsal was over, we all went back to the bar, except for my parents, who retreated to their room early. Even though I don’t think my brother needed another drop of alcohol, he kept pouring them down. Meanwhile, Melissa also continued binge drinking, as well as throwing herself at me in front of everyone. She kept smiling at me, sticking her chest out, I assume to get me to look at her cleavage. Honestly, I tried. I thought that if I put all of my attention on her, I would get by with little peeks of Kat. Sure, it was terribly wrong, but it was all I could do to prevent from walking over to her and ruining my life some more.

Then Branch went too far. “So, what room did you say you were in again?” He inquired.

“I didn’t. It’s seven zero two. Why?” I expected him to say he was kicking my ass later, but that was far from what came out of his mouth next.

“You hear that, Mel? Write it down for later. I’m sure it’s been a while since he’s had a ginger.”

I faced him, ready to throw down. He’d taken things too far. I figured Melissa would get angry for him making a joke out of her having red hair, but instead she seemed even more convinced that she had a chance. “Don’t speak for me, Branch. You have no idea what I do with my free time.”

I refused to look at Kat. The first reason was because I didn’t want to see her disappointed face. The second was because I did. I wanted to know that she was offended, so much that she didn’t want to marry him. This guy, the one that was acting a fool, was the true identity of my brother. He may not present it all the time, but behind closed doors he was selfish, heartless, and out to make sure he won at whatever he’d set out to do.

Melissa came over, wrapped her arm into mine. “So, should I join you in your room?”

I stared directly at Kat when I replied. “Maybe later.”