Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
I shrieked again, this time in delight instead of fear. I jumped into his arms and gave him a hug that bordered on strangling. “Hey, doll face,” he said, setting me back on the floor.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” I said.
“These girls over here called me and told me that it would be a major life travesty if you didn’t have your bestest friend in the entire world here for your bachelorette.” Ray and Thia paused their game of pool. “So here I am! You have them to thank.”
“Thank you so much guys,” I said, leaning against Brandon. I’d missed him in recent months. A few phone calls a week wasn’t the same as having him nearby all the time.
“Don’t thank us,” Ray said, lining up her shot.
“Yeah, I don’t even know what he’s talking about,” Thia added with a wink.
“I’m glad they let a boy crash your party, especially since they just tossed one out,” Brandon said with a wink, tossing down his own shot and wincing with one eye shut.
“What? Who?”
“Oh, he means Kevin,” Thia said, sinking the corner shot she’d been aiming for. “He showed up just as you went to the bathroom. Tried to crash our party so we gave him the boot. No boys allowed...” she looked to Brandon, “unless that boy likes other boys.”
Thia looked to Wolf and Rev who were scanning the crowd. “Or unless you’ve been hired to be here for security,” she amended.
They all clinked their beer bottles together. “Hey, is everything okay?” Brandon asked me with a nudge. I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach.
“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” I said, because it was. It’s not like Kevin would make his presence known to a bunch of potential witnesses and then try to assault me in the bathroom.
Right?
I plastered a smile on my face. The rest of the night was spent laughing, playing pool, dancing, drinking, and singing off key at the top of our lungs. At no point did I think of that incident again because I was having a great time.
It wasn’t even lingering in the back of my mind at all. Not even a little bit. Since it couldn’t have happened, it didn’t need to be thought about.
Not when the bar shut down and we all said our goodbye’s. Not when Wolf drove me home. Not when I turned the key in the lock. Not when I pushed open the door. Not when I slowly walked passed Kevin’s shut door before checking in on Bo. Not even when I curled in bed next to Preppy and wrapped myself around his big warm sleeping body.
Nope.
Not at all.
Besides, even if I did have any fears or lingering concerns, they’d have to wait. Tomorrow was already booked solid.
Tomorrow, I marry my husband.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Preppy
“You picked a creepy-ass place for this shindig, Prep,” Bear grumbled. “Was the county morgue all booked up or something?”
“It’s not my fault your as unsentimental as you are a bad dresser,” I said, flicking my cigarette. “This place is sweet and utter perfection. Don’t be pissed at me because Thia made you adult today and wear a shirt.”
“Okay, girls, calm it down over there,” King said, his arm around Ray’s shoulders.
“Ti said you told her I HAD to wear one,” Bear spat, pulling on the sleeves of the dress shirt he had put on under his cut.
“You got played, motherfucka!” I sang in a high-pitched voice.
Thia gave Bear a knowing wave from where she stood over by the front gate. “This thing’s itchy as fuck, I’m taking it off,” he said, pulling off his cut to remove his shirt just as Thia came walking up to us.
“Too fucking late, Beary Boo Boo,” I teased.
“Fuck,” he groaned, shrugging his cut back in place. “It’s a good thing I’m your best man or this thing would be off already.”
“I thought I was your best man?” King asked.
I didn’t get a chance to tell them that neither of them were my best man because just then Thia passed Bear and came up to me instead. “Can I talk to you for a second?” she asked, her pinkish-red hair, which was usually unruly and sticking out in every direction, had been tamed into a pile of curls pinned to the top of her head.
“Uh, sure,” I responded, following her around to a quiet corner. “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever talked more than a handful of times,” I pointed out. “And I could use some new ammo against Bear every so often.”
“Talking would be nice,” Thia said. She reached into the pocket on her dress. “I wanted to give you something,” she handed me a folded piece of paper.
“Ti, I’m getting married today. It’s a little too late for love notes, don’t you think?” I asked, turning the paper over in my hand. Thia giggled and we both glanced over to Bear who was watching us with his arms crossed over his chest and a hard look on his face.