CHAPTER 11
Future, Meet Past
Autumn
I look in the mirror and turn my head to the side, taking in my face. My jaw is still slightly swollen, but for the most part, I have healed completely. I know I’m the one who said that I hated being beautiful, but when I was able to see myself in the mirror at the hospital for the first time, all I could think about was how disgusting I looked. My face was swollen and deformed, my lips cracked from being so dry. It wasn’t so much that I cared what I looked like, but I was worried Kenton would see me and the look of love I was so used to receiving from him would turn into something else. I didn’t want that.
I should have known better though. The first time he saw me without the bandages covering my face, his hand gently cupped my cheek while his eyes told me everything I needed to know. I knew he loved me before everything happened, but now, I will never doubt it again.
I look down at my hand and remember when I saw my engagement ring for the first time. I was sitting up in bed, my head swimming due to the pain medication I was on, but Kenton was there to see me and I never wanted to go without spending a single second with him. We were talking. Well, he was talking; I was writing everything down on a white board they had given me. My face was bent towards my hand when my eyes caught on something on my finger. At first, I thought it was a bug, but then my eyes focused on the sapphire and diamonds and my breath caught in my throat, making me feel like I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen.
“Breathe, baby,” I heard him urge, and I gulped down a lungful of oxygen as my eyes filled with tears. “Will you marry me?” His hand covers mine on the whiteboard before I could write YES. “I already told everyone you’re my fiancée, so you have to say yes. Maybe I should take your pen from you so you don’t have a say,” he mumbled, and I growled. “So what will it be? You gonna make an honest man out of me?”
His hand left mine and I wrote MAYBE in large, bold letters on the board.
“You must feel better if you’re f*cking with me.” He smiled and my heart contracted. “Now, will you please just f*cking say yes?”
If I could have smiled, I would have. My head bent and I wiped the board off before writing YES across the whole surface. The smile that lit up his face was one I would never forget until the day I die. His fingers went to the ring, rolling it back and forth on my finger.
“We’re getting married,” he whispered. I nodded, feeling tears fill my eyes. “Thank you.” His forehead touched mine. I lifted my hand and held it against his cheek.
I shake my head out of my thoughts when I hear something coming from down the hall. I peek my head around the corner just in time to see Tubs running with a pair of Kenton’s boxers, taking them with him down the stairs. I shake my head and go back to getting ready, figuring that Kenton can deal with him. I hear Tubs bark and Kenton growl, and I start to laugh.
When my eyes go back to the mirror, I see the dimple in my cheek I didn’t have before the shooting. My hand lifts and my finger runs over the mark. It’s funny how something that seems so innocent can come out of something so painful.
I clear my head and finish getting ready. Tonight is the night I marry Kenton. Well, kind of. When I got out of the hospital, Kenton wanted to go right to the courthouse and get married, but I wanted to at least have his family there to witness us starting our lives together.
He didn’t agree with me. He didn’t want to put it off another day, so we compromised. We got married two days after I was released, and he promised me that, when I was completely healed, he would throw me a huge reception, where I could wear a dress and he would wear a suit, and that way, I could have the wedding pictures I really wanted.
I finish my hair and makeup, and when I hear someone coming up the stairs, I smile as Tara calls out my name.
“In the bathroom!” I yell, touching up my lipstick.
“Your dog molested me when I walked into the house. I think it’s time you got him fixed.”
“We can’t. Not yet anyways. Only one of his balls has dropped,” I tell her, walking into our bedroom.
“Seriously?” she asks, and I can’t help the laugh that escapes me.
“Seriously, but don’t bring it up in front of Kenton. It’s a sore subject.”
“What’s a sore subject?” Kenton asks, walking into the room, wearing his usual jeans and T-shirt. I cannot wait until later—when I get to see him in his tux.
“Your dog having one ball,” Tara teases him.
His eyes narrow and I shake my head.
“What time are you heading to your mom’s?” I ask in a rush, knowing what’s coming if I don’t change the subject.
“I’m leaving now. I just came up to kiss you,” he says sweetly.
I smile as he walks towards me. His eyes move from my mouth to my cheek and then to my eyes. I see pain cross his features, but he quickly covers it. He told me the other day that he loves my dimple, just hates what it reminds him of. I can’t imagine being in his position, thinking he was going to die. He hasn’t talked much about what happened while I was in the hospital, but before he left, I could sense that he was ready to snap at any moment.
Since he got back from Vegas, he’s seemed much more at ease. He hasn’t told me what exactly went down when he was away, just that I was safe now. I asked about the police and what they were doing, but all he told me was that sometimes justice isn’t provided by law enforcement. What that means is anyone’s guess.
His mouth touches mine in a soft kiss, bringing me back to the moment. When my eyes meet his, I take a deep breath, willing myself not to cry.
“I guess I’ll see you at the altar.” I smile, and he shakes his head, kissing me again.
“You’re already my wife,” he says against my mouth.
“I know,” I whisper then start to giggle when I hear Tara making gagging noises. I look around Kenton at her. “You know I have seen you with Finn, right?” I ask her, watching a blush creep across her cheeks.
She and Finn got together while I was in the hospital. She had been in the ER while I was being worked on and was a wreck when they took me to the ICU. Finn found her sitting in the hospital chapel and didn’t leave her side. Since then, they have been inseparable. It’s funny to watch him with her. He never lets her leave his side when they are in the same room. Life is crazy sometimes. The guy who seemed to take life as a joke has done a complete turnaround.
“Oh, shut it,” she growls, picking up a pillow from the bed and tossing it at me.
I laugh and Kenton kisses the smile off my face. This time when he pulls away, it takes a few minutes to pull myself together enough to finish getting ready.
“You know you don’t have to do this, right? We can run away and live on a beach somewhere, drinking from coconuts and using banana leaves as clothes,” Justin says.
I look at him and raise an eyebrow. “First of all, that’s sick. I don’t want to even see you without a shirt, much less wearing nothing but a banana leaf. Second, you’re like a brother to me, so that’s just weird. And third, I’m already married to Kenton, so it really doesn’t matter if I walk down the aisle or not at this point.”
I watch his eyes go soft and he puts his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side before kissing my hair. “I love you too, sis, and I’m honored to walk you down the aisle.”
“If you mess up my makeup by making me cry, I’m going to kick your ass,” I tell him, putting my arms around his waist and laying my head against his chest.
When I was little, I used to wonder who my dad was. My mom never talked about him, and if I did bring him up, she would get pissed, so I learned quickly not to ask questions. Kenton asked me if I wanted him to look for him, but I don’t know if I want to do that. When Nancy and I talked about the wedding—or renewal of vows—she asked who I wanted to walk me down the aisle. At first, I said no one, but then I thought about all the people I have gained as family here. Then I thought about Link and wished he would be here to do it, but he was taking care of the club for Sid. Then I thought about Justin, how much he means to me, and how important he is in my life, and I knew it had to be him. We may not be blood, but I know deep down we are family—maybe not in the traditional sense, but in every way that counts.
“All right. Let’s go before you get my suit all wet,” Justin says as we hear the music begin.
I look at myself in the mirror that’s propped up against the side of the door one last time, making sure my dress is still in place. The white lace dress with cap sleeves that drapes under my shoulders hugs my body, showing off every curve until it reaches mid-thigh and bellows out similar to a mermaid’s tail. I fell in love with this dress immediately when I tried it on at the bridal shop.
I pull the veil over my face and down around my shoulders, taking a deep breath. Tara looks at me and smiles, and I smile back as she opens the door. I take in the backyard of Kenton’s parents’ house. There are chairs on the grass, where all of our family and friends are seated so they can watch us say our vows. At the end of the aisle, Kenton is standing under a large arch that’s been covered in tulle, lace, and flowers. My breath catches in my throat when I look at him in his tux. He is always gorgeous, but right now, as his eyes take me in, I have to do the same. His broad shoulders are covered in black material that shows off the expanse of his chest and the strength in his arms. His hair looks like he has been putting his hand through it all day, and the dark hue around his jaw that is always visible only adds to his hotness.
He asked me if he should shave, and I told him that, if he did, he wouldn’t be getting lucky until his scruff grew back. He laughed and smiled, picked me up, put me on the bathroom counter, and ran his jaw along my inner thigh before looking up and whispering, “Told you you would love it.” Then he proceeded to shove his face between my legs, making me scream out his name. He was not wrong; I loved the way I could grab fistfuls of his hair to hold him in place and the way the roughness of his facial hair felt between my legs.
I come out of the memory as I make it to the end of the aisle, and Kenton takes my hand from Justin. When I look into his eyes, his travel down my body and he mouths the words, “Holy shit.” I smile bigger and look into his eyes.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Kenton and Autumn,” the pastor says, and my eyes go to him. “Is there any—”
“We’re already married, so you can skip the part about anyone not wanting us joined together,” Kenton says, cutting the pastor off, and I feel my cheeks get pink as everyone in the crowd starts to laugh.
“Okay, we’ll skip that part,” the pastor says, looking at Kenton and laughing. He continues the ceremony, and when he asks Kenton if he will have me as his wife, Kenton’s eyes come to me and I see the same look in his eyes that I saw the first time he said, “I do.” Every ounce of love he has for me is there right on the surface for me to see.
I don’t even remember saying, “I do,” when my veil is lifted and Kenton takes my mouth in a kiss that is way too hot for all of the people who are there to witness it. His tongue delves into my mouth, his body pressing against the length of mine. One hand is on my ass, his other hand on the back of my head, forcing it to the side so he can get deeper. I moan into his mouth as I feel his erection press into my belly.
The moment is broken when the catcalling and clapping starts.
He rips his mouth from mine and his lips go to my ear. “You’re so f*cking lucky my whole family’s here.”
I close my eyes tighter and press my legs together the best I can to temper down the throb that’s started in my core. When I open my eyes, I’m almost bent backwards and Kenton still hasn’t stood up.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, looking at everyone watching us.
He presses his hips into my waist, letting me know why we’re stuck. After a second, he stands us up and wraps his arms around me.
“How long until you can walk without me guarding you?” I ask him while trying not to laugh out loud.
“Glad you think this is funny, babe, but I have no idea how I’m going to make it through the rest of this party. You in that dress is a recipe for blue balls,” he mumbles, giving me a squeeze. “If the cameraman wasn’t at the end of the aisle waiting to capture this moment, I would say f*ck it, but I don’t think I want our kids looking at our wedding album one day and asking what’s wrong with my pants.”
I start to laugh and bury my face in his chest. It takes a minute or two for me to get my laughter under control, and by the time I’ve calmed down, his hard-on is no longer pressing into me. I tilt my head back and he leans down, kissing me one more time. This time when his mouth leaves mine, his hand goes behind my back and his other under my legs. I squeal as he lifts me into the air, shouting, “My wife!” More applause breaks out and I shake my head, looking out over the crowd at everyone I have come to know and love.
I look around the backyard and smile. It’s now dark, and there are twinkling white lights running overhead across the entire area. The center of the yard has been turned into a dance floor with tables set up along the edge, each with a large centerpiece in the middle made out of large glass bowls with candles floating in them and stones at the bottom that match the forget-me-nots and white roses I carried in my bouquet. The whole backyard looks like something out of a romance novel.
“I’m so happy for you and Kenton,” November says, bouncing April, one of her little girls, on her thigh while another runs around us.
Her and Asher’s other kids are off running around with the rest of the kids at the party. Kenton told me that the Maysons are trying to take over the world with their offspring, but I didn’t believe him until there were kids running around the backyard.
“Thank you,” I tell her, smiling at the little girl on her lap. She holds her hands out for me to take her, and I look at November, who nods. “Hi.” I smile, looking into her cute little face.
She pats my cheek with her hand then pulls herself closer to me, laying her head against my chest. I feel tears start to sting my nose then look around when I feel someone watching me. My eyes meet Kenton’s and his go from mine to the little girl, who is now fighting to keep her eyes open as she plays with the stones of the necklace I’m wearing.
“Looks like you’re going to be joining the club soon,” November says.
“Oh, no, I don’t think so,” I murmur before looking down at the sleeping baby girl in my arms then over at Kenton, who hasn’t taken his eyes off me. The look in his eyes makes my belly flutter, and the word, “Maybe,” comes out of my mouth before I can think better of it.
November starts to laugh, and I look at her and smile.
“Autumn, you’re needed out on the dance floor,” I hear through the speakers set up around the backyard.
My eyes go to the dance floor, and Kenton is standing there in the center with his hand reaching out to me. I get up from my chair, handing a sleeping April to her mom. I walk to the dance floor, my stomach in knots. When my fingers touch Kenton’s, his hand wraps around mine and he pulls me into him just as All of Me by John Legend starts to play. Tears fill my eyes as I listen to the lyrics of the song. When Kenton’s lips whisper words of how he loves all my curves, edges, and imperfections, my face goes into his chest and the lyrics of the song sing to my soul like they were written just for us.
When the song ends, Kenton looks over my shoulder and nods, and I turn my head to see who he’s looking at. Sid is standing off to the side, his hands in his suit pockets. I put out my hand to him and he shakes his head, walking towards me. He saved my life the night I was shot. If he hadn’t been there, I have no doubt I would have been shot again. I put my hand in Sid’s as I feel Kenton kiss my hair. He still doesn’t like Sid, but he now tolerates him.
I finish my dance with Sid and go right to Kenton. His arms wrap around me and I look up into his eyes, saying a silent, “Thank you.”
The rest of the night is a complete blur. I don’t know if I will ever be able to get my shoes off; they feel like they are imbedded into my feet. I have laughed and danced more tonight than I ever thought possible. When all the men went to the dance floor, I almost fell out of my seat laughing, watching them dance to Larger Than Life by the Backstreet Boys. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect night.
“You’re not going to fall asleep on me, are you?” Kenton asks as he kisses the top of my hair.
“No way. I want to see where we’re going for our honeymoon,” I tell him, leaning my head back to see his face.
“You won’t know until we land.”
“What do you mean?” I know they tell you where you’re going when you check in at the airport.
“Sven’s letting us borrow his plane as a wedding present.”
“Wait. So you’re telling me we’re going on a private plane?” I ask, my mouth hanging open.
“What can I say? I’ve always been curious about the mile high club,” he says with a shrug. A smile forms on my lips and his eyes drop to my mouth. “You like that idea?”
“I kinda can’t wait to show you your surprise,” I reply.
“If it has anything to do with you naked, then I can’t wait either.” He bends down, pressing his mouth to mine.
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I say breathlessly when his mouth leaves mine.
By the time we get into Kenton’s car and head to the airport for our honeymoon, my eyes are so heavy that I’m not sure how I will keep them open. I make it onto the plane and find a seat as Kenton talks to the stewardess and pilot. I can’t imagine living the life Sven does, but he always seems so down to earth. I adjust my wedding dress and lean my head back, just wanting to close my eyes for a few minutes before I go take the dress off.
I wake up, feeling a kiss to my lips then forehead. My eyes slowly open and Kenton’s face is the first thing I see before I look around, seeing the sun streaming through a set of open doors. Bits and pieces of last night come back to me, but most of it is hazy.
“I missed all the good stuff, didn’t I?” I ask.
“You slept like the dead, babe.” He chuckles, kissing my nose.
“I even slept through you taking off my dress.” I close my eyes in disappointment. I had on a beautiful, strapless, lace bra and panties that matched it. I know he says that he loves my plain undergarments, but even I thought I looked hot in what I had on under my dress.
“I loved the lace, but I prefer you as you are now,” he says softly, his hand moving under the sheet along my belly then up, cupping one breast before traveling down to run along the top of my pubic bone. His tongue runs over my nipple and he pulls away, blowing on it and watching as it puckers. “Yes, I love you like this.”
He smiles, pulling my nipple into his mouth. This time, the heat has me arching back and grabbing a handful of his hair. His mouth travels from my breast, up my neck, and to my mouth, where he kisses me deeply as his tongue delves into my mouth. His long, thick fingers slide between my folds and down over my * before entering me, curling up, and then hitting that spot that makes my toes start to curl.
“Yesssss,” I hiss.
“Already so hot and wet for me.” He bites my earlobe before licking and sucking down my neck. He moves so that his body is over mine and his thighs are pushing mine apart. His hands hold each of mine, pulling them up near my head. I lift up, biting into his chin. His mouth takes mine, and I moan when I feel the head of his cock touch my * before it lowers, bumping against my entrance. Then the tip slips inside before pulling out, going too far. My mouth pulls from his and I try to lift my hands, wanting to grab his ass to pull him into me.
“Please,” I beg.
“So sweet,” he whispers, bending his head, biting and sucking one nipple before moving to the other one and torturing it the same way.
My hands are fighting to get free, wanting so badly to grab him. His hands shift to hold on to my wrist, forcing my hands flat down on the bed. His hips shift forward and he enters me again, this time thrusting fast and hard. My hips rise up to meet his, my legs wrapping around his waist.
I start to feel that deep tingle in my core, but just when I know I’m going to come, he pulls out, his hands release mine, and his body shifts. Then his hands push my thighs farther apart and his mouth lands on my center, pulling my * between his lips. I come on a scream, my hands holding on to his hair as I ride out my orgasm.
His mouth lifts, and before I even come down from my high, he flips me to my elbows and knees and his hand slides up my spine to the back of my neck, pressing my head deeper into the mattress. Then his hands go to my hips and lift them higher, and he surges deep inside on a swift thrust.
“God, yes,” I moan and start to get up on my hands when they are grabbed from the mattress, pulled behind my back, and used to pull me back into him so hard that the slapping of his skin against mine causes a slight sting against my ass.
“Give it to me, baby. Give me what I want.” He thrusts harder, and this time when I start to feel the pull to come, he releases my hands and pulls me up against his chest. His mouth moves to my ear. His hands separate, one zeroing in on my *, the other pulling one nipple. I come hard and fast, bucking against him. “F*ck, yes,” he mumbles in my ear, his thrusts slowing until he plants himself deep inside me, where I can feel him pulsing.
His hand releases my breast, traveling up my neck and turning my face towards his before he takes my mouth in a deep kiss. He pulls out of me, making me whimper, then flops down on the bed, pulling me down on top of him. I lie there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sound of water while feeling the slight breeze coming from outside glide across my damp skin.
“Where are we anyways?” I ask, getting up on an elbow so I can look down at him.
“Go look out the door.” He smiles, and I debate on whether or not I want to get up before pulling myself away from him.
I find his shirt at the end of the bed and quickly slip it on over my head before walking to the doors. The closer I get to the doors, the brighter it gets outside. My breath catches as I take in the view before me. There is a pink beach that leads to water so blue that it looks like a painting.
“Oh my God,” I whisper and feel hands slide around my waist. My hands slide over Kenton’s and I tilt my head back so I can look into his eyes. “Where are we?”
“The Bahamas.” He smiles, bending down to kiss my mouth.
“Is the beach pink or are my eyes playing tricks on me?”
“It’s pink.”
“Wow.” Who would have thought there was a place in the world with pink-sand beaches?
“What do you say you put on that bikini I saw in your bag and we go snorkeling?” he asks.
I smile and nod before completely turning around in his arms. “Thank you for this.” I get up on my tiptoes, press my mouth to his, and then duck under his arm, running back into the room so I can put my suit on. I hear him laugh and the sound only makes me smile bigger.
The rest of our honeymoon is spent either in bed or on the beach. I can’t imagine it being any more perfect.
*
“Babe, get the door!” Kenton yells from his office.
I roll my eyes and drop the shirt I was folding to the bed. “You could say please!” I yell back, bouncing down the stairs with Tubs right behind me. I hear him laugh but don’t hear him say please.
We have definitely fallen into the role of a married couple—except I don’t cook or clean. We have a housekeeper who comes once a week, and Kenton cooks dinner most nights, because anytime I get near a stove, it’s a recipe for disaster.
I swing the front door open and my world tilts. “Mom,” I whisper in shock. Before I realize what’s happening, her hand is coming across my face in a slap so hard that my head flies to the side.
“How dare you?” she hisses, lifting her hand again. I can hear Tubs going crazy.
“I have never hit a woman in my life, but I will tell you right now. You touch her again and I will put you down,” Kenton growls while stepping between my mom and me.
My hand hasn’t moved from my cheek. I can still feel the sting of her slap, and my body heats up. My vision blurs—not with tears, but with rage. I have been through hell and she shows up here not out of concern, but out of self-preservation. I know exactly why she’s here.
Kenton found my father not long after we got home from our honeymoon. At first, I wasn’t going to contact him, but after a long talk with Kenton and Nancy, I decided I had nothing to lose. If he didn’t want to talk to me or have a relationship with me, it wouldn’t hurt any more or any less than if I didn’t reach out to him. So I called him, and to say he was adamant that I was a scammer is an understatement.
It wasn’t until Justin sent him a copy of my medical records that he called me back. He told me that my mom told him that I’d died when I was three and that I had been cremated. He said that he still had the urn that he believed my ashes were held in. He explained that my mom moved out of the area they lived in a few days after she dropped off what was supposed to be my remains to him, and he never heard from her again.
“Do not come between me and my child,” my mom hisses, trying to get around Kenton.
I don’t even know what comes over me, but the rage I have felt since I was young gives me the strength to get around Kenton’s body, which I swear is expanding before my eyes.
“How dare I? How dare I?” I shriek at the top of my lungs. “I’m sure you’re here because my father contacted you. How dare you keep him from me?! How dare you tell him I was dead and let him believe his only child was killed?”
“Do not talk to me like that. I did what was best for you. He was nothing.”
“Why? Because he didn’t fit into your perfect little world?”
“He was a garbageman,” she says snottily.
“And you slept with him for over two years!” I yell, my hand balling into a fist at my side. I feel heat from Kenton at my back, his presence offering me strength. I know that, with him, I will be able to face any demons I have.
“He wasn’t good enough for me or you.”
“He loved me!” I scream, and without thinking, I smack her. My hand stings from the impact, but seeing the red tinge to her cheek somehow makes me feel better.
Her hand goes to her face and her eyes get big. “You little bitch.”
“I’m not that scared little girl anymore, Mom,” I tell her when I see her hand start to rise again. “You hit me and I will hit you back.”
Her hand reluctantly drops to her side and her eyes start to narrow. “He’s suing me. After all these years, he showed back up in my life and threatened me. My fiancé left me and it’s all your fault.”
“I hope he wins, and your ex is obviously a smart man,” I hiss, and then I take a step back and slam the door in her face. My heart is beating out of control and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my system, begging me to open the door and kick her ass.
She starts to yell, and Kenton picks me up, growling, “Stay,” before setting me away from the door and opening it. “You’re trespassing. I have a gun and will shoot your sorry ass if you don’t get the f*ck off my property, and don’t even think about coming back. There will be a restraining order in place before the night’s up.” He slams the door closed then puts both his hands to the frame, his head lowering between his open arms.
I can tell by his breathing alone that he’s trying to control the urge to go back out there and make good on his threat, whether she’s leaving or not.
“I want to kill her,” he whispers.
I duck under his arm, put my face near his, and wrap my arms around his waist. “I know,” I whisper back. I can feel the anger rolling off him in waves so strongly that it’s almost hard to stand. “Do you think she’ll come back?” I ask.
“She will never get near you again.” He stands, his hands come up to hold my face, and his thumb moves over my cheek, which still feels hot from the slap. “I may not be able to kill her, but I swear she will not have the life she has now by the time I’m done with her.”
I can tell that there’s nothing I can do or say that will change his mind. I don’t even want to try to get him to let it go and let her move on with her life like nothing happened. She knowingly ruined my life—and my father’s—and it’s going to take a long time to build a relationship with him.
“I need to call Justin. Are you gonna be okay?” he asks after a few minutes.
“I’ll be fine,” I tell him softly.
He bends down, pressing his lips to mine in a quick kiss. I watch him walk away before heading upstairs to finish what I was doing. I somehow feel like a weight has been lifted and I was given my power back after what happened with my mom.
“It’s done,” Kenton tells me, coming into the kitchen, where I’m making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
I look at the clock, seeing that he has been in his office for about five hours now. When my eyes go to him, I can tell that the stress and anger that were on his face before are now gone. I know that, with him as my man, I never have to worry about anything. He will always work to make the world a safe place for me.
“I love you,” I tell him, watching his face go soft.
“I know, babe.”
I smile bigger and go to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Now what do we do?”
“What do you mean?”
“There are no bad guys after me, and I’m sure you got rid of my mom for good, so now what do we do for entertainment?” I ask, and he starts walking me backwards until my back hits the counter.
“Now, we see how long it takes for me to plant my kid in you.”
“Really?” I whisper.
“Hell yeah,” he growls back, his mouth crashing down onto mine.
I have to say that I like the way he looks at keeping us entertained.