Drive(96)

“Reid?” Paige said with tear-filled eyes from the doorway. “Can I please talk to you?”

I looked between them and sighed. “I’ll leave you two alone.”





She’s Everything

Brad Paisley



Dancing. That’s where the real relief came that night. The party was in full swing at the country club, and I could see the wait staff was terrified, and with good reason. Aside from hanging from the chandeliers, the party was out of control. Paige and I were partnered up, dancing our asses off while the accordions rang out through the speakers my cousin Junior rented just for the party, stating the sound system at the club “Didn’t have enough bass.”

“God, I feel awful,” Paige said.

“Hey, at least you caused the drama at your own wedding,” I chided, twisting my hips.

She glanced Reid’s way. “He’s been quiet all night.”

“You really are terrible,” I said as she hung her head. “Paige, he’s here for you. Go talk to him. He’ll be leaving soon.”

“I did. But I know he’s still mad at me.”

Curiosity got the best of me.

“Has he been calling you?”

“Yeah, ever since he left Austin. He called from rehab.”

I let go of her hands. She read my anger. She came quickly to her defense.

“He didn’t let on that he wanted anything more with you. Was I supposed to tell you as much? Twist the knife in for good measure, Stella? He only called once every few months.”

“And asked about me?”

“Yes, and us. He was our friend, you know.”

Standing in the middle of the dance floor, I couldn’t help but to finally clear the air.

“Why can’t you just accept the fact that I love him?”

She crossed her arms. “Love him?”

“Loved him,” I said, playing it off. “And we were together, and it wasn’t some crush on my part or some fling on his. We loved each other, Paige.”

She moved to walk away.

“Oh no, you don’t get to open that can of worms and walk away!” I jerked her to the side of the dance floor and she fought me with guilt written all over her face.

“That’s it, Paige. Do you hear me? God, I’m done paying for it! I loved him! I loved him enough to gamble with our relationship, and I’ve already paid the price. When are you going to let it go?”

“Paige,” Neil said gently, approaching us both.

I ignored him, gutted inside with Reid’s confession of what could have been and the longing I still felt and resented because it made me feel like a liar. It twisted all logic and put me in the position to defend my relationship. My life with Nate. “I wish you knew how it felt to have your chest ripped out like that. You got lucky with Neil!”

“Paige,” Neil interrupted again.

“What?” We both turned to him, our argument permeating the air. Half of the party was staring at us. I looked over to Reid, who was oblivious, talking to a table full of my cousins, a sincere laugh coming out of him. My heart squeezed at the sound. He’d stayed against his better judgment, for Paige, and managed to blend in pretty nicely.

“It’s our song,” Neil said softly to Paige, pulling her ring finger to his lips before he kissed it. Neil’s disappointment trumped my anger. Paige’s tearful eyes ended our argument.

“I’m sorry, Neil. Take your bride.”

Paige turned to me, exhausted. Her emotions had run rampant for once and mirrored mine. I couldn’t fault her for it. “I’m sorry, Stella.”

I nodded. “Just stop trying to protect me from him. I don’t need your protection. I can handle myself.”

I loved her, as much of a drunken idiot as she’d been. And so did her fiancé, who was trying his best to salvage their night.

“I trust you enough to give you away to the man you chose, and I expect you to do the same for me. Trust my judgment. Trust me, Paige.”

With her hand still tied to Neil’s, she leaned in and threw an arm around me. “I will. I promise. Please just don’t let him hurt you again.”

“I won’t,” I said as I hugged her and then drew back to double tap her forehead. She rolled her tear-filled eyes.

“Enough, sister dearest, go dance with your groom.”

“Okay,” she said as he gave me a worried look over her shoulder. “You’re going to show up tomorrow, right?”

“Only for him,” I said as I winked at Neil.

Neil chuckled and pulled his bride to the floor as Brad Paisley sang “She’s Everything”.

Country was my least favorite genre of music, but as I listened to the lyrics while they swayed on the dance floor, my heart tipped in favor of the declaration of love from Neil to his bride. My eyes drifted back to Reid, who was watching me closely. He was listening, too. I mustered up my best smile, but he didn’t return it, his face solemn.

It was a dream to hear those words come from him. Everything. That’s what he’d said. Everything. That’s what he’d promised to give to me.

We’d missed so much time.

There was so much I wanted to know.

I didn’t know where he lived, what his life was like. I just assumed he was living the dream of every rock star, but he’d told me different. As much as I wanted to discredit his words, to throw his notion of us away because of the way he hurt me, I felt a glimmer of hope long forgotten. He was right there, waiting for me. Swallowing hard, I began to move toward him. My father was quick to grab my hand before I got to the edge of the floor.