27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Josh

I change my shirt for the tenth time, looking in the mirror at the button-down blue one I'm wearing. I actually ironed the damn thing, so I look clean and well presented. My hair is styled with some gel in it that I hardly ever use. I didn't go crazy with it, just enough to keep it looking neat without looking like I actually put any stupid gel in it to begin with.

I'm going to an end-of-the-summer barbeque at Layla's parents' house. It's already almost mid-August, and school is about to start back up for the kids. That is usually when everyone, even if they have no kids, throws their end-of-the-summer bash.

It's one last social event before the madness of the year begins and the weather gets colder.

I'm letting my stupid insecurities get the best of me because tonight Layla wants to tell her parents about the two of us. She is acting like it's the most casual thing in the world. Like we are going to walk into the party hand in hand, and they are going to nod a head and walk away .

I picture it going a bit differently than that. I picture her mom's face turning up at the idea of her daughter dating a man who works in manual labor while her father shakes his head in agreement with his wife.

Now, I'm not saying that her parents are bad people or have ever treated me differently. But I see the men her mom tries to set her up with, or the man, William, she is always talking about her getting back together with.

If that's the vision they have for their little girl, then I will be a major disappointment. And as much as I want to say screw them, who cares what they think, I'm also aware that she loves her parents, and I don't want to damage their relationship.

I promised I would pick her up at three, so I put on a splash of cologne and ran out to my truck.

When I park my car, I don't even have time to cut my engine before she's out the door with a big smile on her face.

Fuck, I love her.

This is the calmest I've felt all day. It's a feeling that happens in an instant when I'm with her.

She opens the door, dressed in a dark green dress, and hops into the truck. "Hi, babe," she says, then leans in for a kiss.

I need her kiss to distract me, so I put my hand behind her head and slam my tongue into her mouth. She seems caught off guard at first, but it doesn't take long for her to match my intensity. I want to live in this moment with her, just the two of us, for as long as I can .

She climbs into my lap, her dress scrunching at her hips, and puts all her weight down on my dick. I wasn't trying to take it this far, but I'm also not complaining.

"Are you okay?" she asks as we continue to devour each other's mouths.

"Just a little," I start when I can get a word in, "nervous."

She pulls away breathlessly. "You're nervous, babe?"

I bite my lip, slightly embarrassed, but nod my head. Then she proves to be the best girlfriend in the world.

She pulls the straps of her dress down until her breasts are exposed. "Do you need a little distraction?"

I grin. "It wouldn't hurt to try."

I grab one of her tits and wrap my lips around her nipple. She moans in response and wiggles her ass on my dick. I'm only thinking about how badly I want to sink my dick into her pussy and not at all about the party.

While I switch to her other nipple, she unbuckles my belt and unzips me until she frees my straining dick. Then she pulls her pink panties to the side and slides down my dick.

I lean my head back on the headrest and watch her as she takes control. Her hands hold tightly onto my broad shoulders for leverage. I grip her ass and help her move.

Her jaw falls as I watch her start to become frantic with need.

"You like riding my dick, Freckles?"

"Yes," she pants as she continues riding me .

When I feel her walls start to tighten around me, I decide I want the final thrusts.

"Lean back, baby," I demand.

She follows my directions instantly, leaning back towards my steering wheel. I don't even give a fuck if she honks my horn and draws attention to us. Let everybody watch me take her to orgasm, it's a beautiful thing to witness.

I grip her hip with one hand then start to rub circles around her swollen clit with the thumb of my other hand. I thrust upward as hard and fast as I can until we are both coming at the same time. Her tits bounce and shake as she screams out her orgasm.

I love how free she is with me. She never holds back. Once I've emptied myself out inside of her, she adjusts her straps and climbs back into her side of the seat.

"I think I'm gonna need to run inside and change my underwear before we go," she giggles as she opens the door and runs inside.

The thought of her sitting in my cum all night is tempting as fuck if we weren't going to her parents' house.

She comes running back outside and hops in my truck.

"Okay. I'm all clean now."

"I kinda like you dirty," I joke as I put the truck in reverse.

It's not even fifteen minutes later, and I'm pulling into their large driveway. Most people have parked in the street, but Layla insists we can park in the driveway.

We hop out, and I do my best to straighten my slightly wrinkled clothes. I still don't regret taking her in my truck. I could never regret a second of my time with her .

She takes my hand and leads me around the house and into the backyard, which has a large white tent. That's one thing about Stella and Dan's parties: They are always catered with a rented tent fit for a wedding reception.

I suppose if you have the money, it could be nice to never do any work to prep for a party, but I kind of like standing by the grill with a beer and the guys.

We spot her brothers sitting at a table under the tent along with Charlotte. Layla makes a beeline for them and immediately takes a seat next to Charlotte.

I'm so damn thankful her brothers know and are cool with it. That makes this so much easier. Maybe they'll have my back if her parents don't react well.

Liam looks me up and down. "What in the world are you wearing?" he asks as his head falls back with laughter.

"Seriously, dude," Asher joins in. "Why are you in a button-down, and why is it tucked in?"

"Fuck off, assholes. We're telling your parents about us tonight."

I look around the yard for the full-service bar and spot it just outside the tent behind me. Thank fuck.

"I need a beer before I deal with more of your shit," I tell them and turn around.

I'm standing behind a hoity-toity couple. The man is dressed similar to me, which makes my skin crawl, and the woman is in a fancy dress that looks like she should be at an actual wedding, not a backyard barbeque .

They order their drinks and stick a one-dollar bill in the tip jar. Classy. For all the money they are probably worth, I think they could afford more than a dollar tip, especially when they aren't even paying for their drinks.

The bartender doesn't seem phased as she plasters on a smile for me. "Good evening, sir. What can I get you?"

I nod my head. "Good evening. I'll take one of those beers and a glass of your red."

Once she gets me the drinks, I take a ten-dollar bill and place it in her jar.

I walk back to the table and hand Layla her wine while she's animatedly talking to Charlotte.

"Sorry, Charlotte. I'd get you a drink but…" I look around me. "Do Stella and Dan know?"

She pats me on the arm. "You're so sweet. Yes, they know. We announced to the rest of the family shortly after you got back from Italy."

"So, you guys are telling Mom and Dad tonight?" Eric asks across the table after I take the empty seat next to Layla.

"Yeah, why?" Layla asks as she takes a sip of her wine.

Eric shrugs. "Just wondering why your man is dressed like one of the preppy douches floating around here."

Layla sits up straight, eyebrows raised. "That's not very nice."

Eric has been acting more and more irritable lately. I don't know what the hell is going on at work or in his personal life, but he's about to snap. He's had a rough couple of years, but it's getting increasingly obvious that he is just getting worse, not better .

I squeeze Layla's thigh, signaling to her to let it go. It's not worth it right now.

"So, where are Mom and Dad?" she asks as she looks around the crowd.

"You know Mom," Liam replies. "She's walking around saying hello to every single guest while Dad tries his hardest to get away."

Asher chuckles. "Sounds about right."

"Where's Brie?" I ask, noticing her absence.

"We hired our neighbor's daughter to babysit her for the night. I didn't have the energy to chase her around, nor did I want to pass her off to anyone else," Charlotte replies.

"I would've watched her," I tell her, wishing she was here. She would be a great distraction. "And how old is this babysitter?"

Asher looks at me strangely. "She's in high school. Why? Are you insinuating we didn't do a thorough check of who is watching our daughter?"

I shrug my shoulders. "Just wondering if you chose someone who's trustworthy and old enough."

Charlotte laughs. "She's seventeen and a great girl."

Over the course of the next hour, we eat, drink, talk, and laugh with each other. I almost forget that we still have to say hi to her parents when they suddenly appear at our table.

"Layla, when did you get here?" her mother asks.

"I've been here awhile, Ma. You've been busy mingling. "

"Oh, and Josh, how lovely to see you," Stella says happily.

I stand up and give her a kiss on the cheek. "Nice to see you too, Stella."

I shake Dan's hand and take my seat again. Asher raises an eyebrow at me with a little smirk, and if I could, I'd flick him off right now. They all think it's funny because I've never told anyone but Layla how I feel. She grabs my hand under the table.

This is it. She's about to tell them, I can tell.

"Why don't you two sit down and join us for a minute?" she suggests.

Stella looks around at the guests. "I think we can do that. We've made our way to all of the guests, and everyone seems to be mingling."

I sit up straighter, waiting for Layla to continue, when Stella and Dan's names are called from behind them.

Mother fucker. William and his parents are walking towards us.

"Oh, Martha and Frank. It is so good to see two. Won't you join us? We just sat down to chat with our children for a bit. Oh, William, you're here too. Won't you join us as well," Stella says as she beams at them.

My stomach churns as I watch William smugly take a seat next to his parents and then wink at me.

I haven't seen this fucker in years, and now this is twice in two weeks. Did I do something in another life to deserve this shitty luck?

"So," Martha says to Stella and Dan, "how are things going? "

"Oh, everything is lovely. Charlotte and Asher are expecting, so we are thrilled to have another grandbaby on the way."

"Congratulations. What wonderful news," Martha replies.

I watch the table exchange pleasantries while my entire body itches to get away. It shouldn't be this hard to tell her parents that we are a couple. Why is this happening? I'm not sure how long I zone out, but Layla appears with another beer and wine. She takes a seat next to me.

"Oh, and William just found out that he will be taking over at the company. Frank has finally agreed to retire."

"I'm sure you're so proud," Stella replies.

"I guess I'll be doing business with you from now on, William," Dan jokes.

"Watch out. I'm smarter than my old man," William says while they share a laugh.

I look around at the rest of the table. Liam rolls his eyes and looks away. At least I'm not the only one who sees through the bullshit of this conversation.

"Oh, Layla, when are you going to give my poor William another chance?" Martha looks over at Layla with a mischievous smile. "I don't know if you heard, but he is now the president of the company."

"That's right, my dear," Frank cuts in. "You won't have to work another day in your life."

Red, hot anger is now coursing through my veins. This is where William gets it. I almost feel sorry for the poor chump. He was bound to turn out this way with parents like this. Not that my parents are any better .

Mine are far worse. At least his are bragging about him and not treating him like a bug to be squashed.

Stella claps her hands together. "Oh, how sweet would that be. We'd love to see Layla settle down and with someone like William, who is so eager to take care of her."

I see Layla's shoulders deflate while Asher, Eric, and Liam are all cringing. They all know that must be a low blow for me.

I can't sit through anymore of this matchmaking. Standing, I straighten my shoulders, turn on my heel, and stride away. I don't know where the hell I'm going, but I find myself at the edge of the lawn looking out at the water.

I try to take deep breaths, reminding myself that I'm older now and that what others say or think about me doesn't matter. But even I can smell my own bullshit. I realize I've been gone for some time. I'm sure Layla will be looking for me, so I peek over at the tent to see if I can find her.

But instead of a worried girlfriend, she is still sitting at the table laughing at something William's mother is saying.

I'm stunned.

Is there a part of her that wants to be with William? Why is she sitting there with them and not coming to find me?

I feel like a needy piece of shit right now. All I want to do is storm over there and make a scene to let everyone at that table know that she is taken. But the more I stand and watch everyone laughing, the more I end up feeling like an outsider to their world.

Everything I felt comes flooding back. Then it happens: William finds me from across the yard and winks. It's like I've traveled back ten years to that very night when he made me feel the same way I'm feeling right now.

Nothing has changed.

My breathing is erratic, my body is trembling with anger, and I am in no condition to go back to that table. I can't be here for another second.

Instead of doing the honorable thing and saying goodbye, I prove to everyone that I'm the low-class man that they think I am, and I leave.

I storm around the house, hop into my truck, say a little prayer of thanks that no one is parked behind me, and leave.