Until Then (Cornerstone Book 2) (26 page)

Michelle sat next to Simon on top of Uncle Pete’s picnic table and watched the boats motoring about on the lake. The colors of the sunset reflecting across the water reminded her of graduation night. That seemed like a lifetime ago.

Simon put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. “What are you thinking about?”

“That night you threw me into the freezing cold lake.”

He laughed aloud. “It wasn’t
that
cold.”

“Not when I was in your arms.”

A look of remembrance crossed his face, and he grinned.

“Hey, buddy!” Tom waved at Simon as he and Sarah rounded the corner of the house. “Hi, Michelle.”

“Hey, Tom.” She greeted him with a smile. “How are you?”

“I’m very well, and you?”

“Super.”

The lovely girl standing next to him held her hand out to Michelle. “Hi, I’m Sarah. We haven’t been formally introduced.” She flashed a look of disapproval at Tom.

“Oh, sorry. This is my fiancée, Sarah.” Tom grabbed Sarah’s left hand and shoved it in Michelle’s face.

Sarah pulled her arm away and elbowed him. “Sorry. We just got engaged, and we’re very excited about it.”

Michelle laughed. They were cute together.

The guests took their seats on lawn chairs and blankets that were scattered about the yard. Pete sat with his neighbors chatting and smoking cigars. Maggie’s parents and their best friends, Dave and Vi, were seated around the bonfire circle, while Tom and Sarah sat in lawn chairs closer to the dock.

Simon kept glancing toward the side of the house. Michelle didn’t have to ask why. There was still no sign of Maggie.

He hopped down and went to get them drinks. When he returned, he leaned in close and nipped her earlobe. “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered.

She grinned and playfully grabbed his knee in that way of theirs, then kissed him.

“Mags!” Sarah suddenly shrieked and came running across the lawn.

Simon ripped his lips away and trained his eyes on Maggie, who was standing across the yard watching them.

Maggie gave them a weak smile, then took a sparkler from Sarah and followed her across the lawn toward Tom.

Michelle glared at Simon until she caught his eye. “Seriously?”

He had no reply.

Despite Simon’s earlier behavior, they cozied up on a blanket when it came time for the show. The fireworks were breathtaking, bursting in brilliant flashes of red, white, and blue against the starry night sky.

Michelle rolled over, draped her leg over Simon’s, and rested her head against his arm.

“It’s hot,” he whispered, then abruptly shifted so he was propped up on his elbows.

She laid back and stared over at him. There was no doubt in her mind that his eyes were not fixed on the sky above, but on the pretty girl seated across the lawn.

Tears burned her eyes, and she did her best to fight them off.

I’m losing him.

After the fireworks, the guys worked on starting the bonfire, while the ladies congregated around the picnic table. Maggie seated herself across from Michelle.

“How are you, Chelle?” she asked.

“Fine.”

“How’s it going with you and Simon?”

“Great.” She couldn’t talk to Maggie right now. If she did, she would lose it, and that was not something she wanted to do. She just wanted to get through this night and go home.

Maggie didn’t push her for more conversation. She started talking to Sarah about wedding plans, chitchatting with her mother and Vi, and joking about the guys fire-making skills.

“Good job, honey,” called Sarah.

Tom gave her a thumbs-up and jumped back suddenly when a large flame licked up at him. “
Ah
!”

The girls laughed. Even Michelle smiled at that.

“Aren’t they so strong and manly?” teased Maggie. “We made fire.” She mocked them in her manliest voice.

“Let us see you do it better, Canon,” Simon called across the yard.

Maggie strolled across the lawn toward him, and Michelle could feel the jealousy start to burn inside her.

One at a time, Simon took her hands and put the gloves he’d been wearing on her.

Michelle thought she might lose it right then and there. Seeing him touch Maggie nearly pushed her over the edge.

Simon patted Maggie on the back. “Go for it.”

Maggie glanced over at Simon, who was poking at the fire with a stick. “What is it with guys and fire?” she asked. “Pyro.”

“It’s a bonfire. You’re supposed to burn stuff,” he replied.

“Go roast a wiener or something,” Maggie commanded. “Make yourself useful.”

He laughed at Maggie’s comment, and Michelle’s heart ached. That laugh was supposed to be all for her. She glared at him when he walked over and grabbed a hot dog and went about roasting it on a stick. He didn’t seem to notice she was still sitting there. And the looks he and Maggie were giving each other were unacceptable.

Michelle could stand it no more. She walked over and wrapped her hands around Simon’s bicep. “Simon, can you take me home now?”

He continued to roast the hot dog.

“We should have coffee next week.” Maggie smiled at her, so clueless, as usual.

Michelle clung tighter to Simon’s arm and kept her thoughts to herself. She could barely control her anger. It was all-consuming.

Simon finished the hot dog and walked across the yard to get a bun.

Michelle watched Maggie’s eyes follow him. If she didn’t leave now, she would definitely say some things she would later regret.

She glared at Maggie, then swiftly turned and walked away.

“For you, Canon. Enjoy,” Michelle heard Simon say.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Simon hand the hot dog to Maggie as he passed by.

Maggie grinned at him. "I'm a vegetarian." She tossed the dog into the fire.

Michelle rolled her eyes and walked as fast as she could to Simon’s car and waited.

Simon clicked the button on his keychain to unlock the doors, and they climbed in.

“Everything OK?” he asked.

Michelle looked over at him and shook her head. A little burst of air escaped her nose in disgust.

“Chelle?”

“That was humiliating.”

He looked down in shame.

“Just take me home.”

When she arrived at the office on Monday, there was a large bouquet of roses waiting for her with a sweet card that read:

Michelle,

I’m so sorry for everything. You are my best friend in the world. Please don’t give up on us.

Love always,

Simon

She so wanted to believe that they could make their relationship work. But, more and more, she felt him slipping through her fingers, and she didn’t know what to do about it.

“Put on your best dress, Chelle. I’m taking you out tonight.”

She grinned into the phone. “What’s the occasion?”

“Remember how I was up for that big wedding?”

She gasped. “The governor’s daughter? Oh, Simon! You got it?”

“I got it!”

She could hear the excitement in his voice, and she pictured him standing there holding the phone with a huge smile on his face. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you. Can you meet me at my place at six?”

“I’ll be there.”

Michelle put on her red halter dress with the wispy skirt that fell just above her knees. She always felt beautiful in that dress. She curled her hair for once rather than twisting it up in a messy bun and even applied some makeup. She stared at her reflection. Her walnut brown eyes really popped with a little eyeshadow and mascara. Deep red lipstick completed the look.

She arrived early to Simon’s apartment and let herself in. She helped herself to a glass of iced tea and noticed a card tucked just under the edge of Simon’s laptop, which sat open on the counter. She tugged the card out. It was an invitation from Tom and Sarah to attend a surprise birthday party for Maggie at State Grounds a few nights before. He hadn’t mentioned it, and they had been together that night, so she knew he hadn’t gone. Maybe he truly wanted to make this work.

She jiggled the mousepad on his laptop to pass the time on Facebook. The screen lit up to reveal Simon’s email inbox. There were many unopened messages. She was pleased not to see Maggie’s name among them. But when she scrolled further, there was, in fact, a previously read message from Maggie dated the same day as her birthday party. Her heart began to race as she read.

Simon,

Thank you for the pictures. Best gift ever!

You were missed tonight.

Maggie

Michelle noticed that the message was in reply to one that Simon had sent to Maggie that same day. She scrolled down to see the content of the original message, which read:

Happy Birthday, Canon!

Click
this link
for your gift.

- S

Curiosity got the better of her, and she clicked the link, which took her to an online folder of images from the photography conference in Vegas — the same conference where Simon and Maggie had kissed.

There were several photos of girls hanging on Simon, posing, and laughing. She recognized a couple of them from the photographer dinner they had attended. Maggie was in the photos, but she was standing off to the side, not participating in their silliness.

The last photo, however, made Michelle’s breath catch.

Simon was dipping Maggie back. His nose was close to hers, their faces only inches apart, and they were smiling, while the other girls laughed behind them. The way Simon was looking at Maggie in the photo was so different than the way he looked at her.

She paced the apartment in a panic.
If I don’t do something fast, I’m gonna lose him.