Need Us by Amanda Heath Page A

let’s go get some cake.” Then she drops my hand and races out of the church.
    I happen to catch Pierce’s eye and he shakes his head. He walks over to Rachel and offers his arm. She looks unsure but I think I hear him growl at her and she quickly accepts. Channing walks up to me and throws his arm around my shoulders. “I remember when you used to have a different girl in your bed every week. Now you’ll have to get by with just one.”
    I huff. “I’ll pretend you didn’t say any of that because I know you’re just being a little bitch.” Then I punch him in the stomach. Not hard, it’s more like a love tap.
    He drops his arm with a laugh and we head to leave out of the church and walk over to the reception area. “I’m surprised you didn’t write Wesley a song to sing today.” He sticks his hands in his pockets, giving him a relaxed look but I know he’s anything but relaxed. Not with Paisley here.
    I shake my head. “I’ve written her enough songs to fill up two CDs. It’s no longer new and original. Hell, I’m not even going to sing today. It’s my wedding, I get to relax. No standing up in front of a hundred people and performing.” After Juilliard the performing has lost its spark. I just don’t enjoy it anymore. That’s why I’m glad I never listened to my mom about becoming the next Justin Beiber. I’d rather spend my time with kids, teaching them about the instruments that I love. Music is everywhere and in everything we do. That’s why I took the Meadows teaching position. Now I get to teach little kids about music whenever I want. It doesn’t hurt that my new wife is also teaching History at the same place. Well, she’s at the high school and I’m in elementary but it’s in the same general area.
    “I guess that’s a good thing. I don’t think any of us could handle another song about how much you love Wes. It’s starting to make you look like a girl.” Channing smirks at me and shrugs his shoulders. The prick.
    I smack him on the shoulder but I don’t say anything. A year ago we would mess around and say insulting things about the way we loved our women. I can’t do that to him anymore. He doesn’t deserve to be reminded of a time when Paisley made him happy. Everyone says you should cherish the times you spent with the person you loved when they are no longer around. That’s true if they passed away. Paisley walked out of Channing’s life with only a letter. She didn’t even explain to him why she did what she did. I read the letter, shortly after Lily had to knock his ass out with a drug cocktail. Paisley told him she loved him but she couldn’t go through with it. She went on to say it was her and not him, that it could never be him. He was perfect and she was the one with issues. I don’t think the girl stopped to think for one second what she was doing. But that’s Paisley for you. When it came to Channing, she didn’t think about things, she just charged head on.
    In the end, she hurt him more than he could ever hurt her. I didn’t understand the problem to begin with. Considering he thought rainbows shot out of her ass. Once upon a time I thought she was hot and I wanted to do her but that was for one second and before I saw how Channing looked at her.
    The thing I love the most about Channing is the way he lets people in. He lets them in slowly, takes his time getting a feel for them. That’s what he did with Paisley and that’s what he did with me. We might have been five but even at five Channing was more mature than anyone at that age should be. He had to be though, what with the mother he had. That woman scared the shit out of me up until the day she died. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead but that woman is rotting in hell for the shit she did to Channing. And sometimes I wish I’ll be going to hell so I can spit on her, since I never got to do it while she was alive.
    “Since the groom has just graced us with his presence, please come join your