Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125866 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
My personal favorite was the book wall, where mine and Kyle’s names were written in gold script on the spine of a fake book. When we opened it, it had our table number in it.
Each table also had photos of Clay and Giana, as well as a chapter or two from Clay’s hideously written “book” about their love story. Apparently, it was part of what he called his “grand gesture” to get her back after he messed up, and each table told a little of the story — photos included.
We ate dinner with all the tension from cocktail hour completely gone, and then everyone was on the dance floor. Clay and Giana left only long enough to cut their cake and visit with the older guests of the wedding who were sitting along the perimeter of tables.
The bouquet toss happened about midway through the night, and though I pretended that Mary and Riley had to pull me out against my will, I didn’t miss the way Kyle covered his laugh with one hand as he watched me gain my stance and prepare for the throw.
That thing was mine.
I hiked up my dress in both my hands, ready to dive like I did for the volleyball last night, if necessary. But I didn’t have to. Giana tossed the bouquet of flowers made from book pages up in a perfect arc —
For Riley.
Shit.
I thought about losing the bet with Kyle for a split second, but my pride won out, and I jumped in front of Riley — who was somehow even more petite than I was.
She blinked in surprise when I snatched the flowers, and then all the other girls cheered and surrounded me.
The guys joined us then, and Leo poked Mary’s side. “You didn’t even try!”
“When are we going to have time to get married?” she barked back at him. “I’m running the shop and you’re about to play your first season in the NFL.”
He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her close, his mouth against her ear. I don’t think he realized I could still hear him when he said, “Am I going to have to put a baby in you to tie you down the way Clay did with G?”
Mary flushed a deep red, and so did I, tearing my eyes away from them.
“Riley, you didn’t try too hard either,” Kyle assessed. “After all, I know how you fought for the ball when we played five hundred.”
Riley shrugged, looking over to Zeke. “Bouquet toss is for women who aren’t already married.”
There was a long pause.
And then a chorus of demands for her to explain.
She laughed, leaning into Zeke before holding up her left hand. “None of you idiots noticed the ring?”
Giana and Clay had run over at this point, and Giana gasped before clutching Riley’s wrist in her hands and studying the dainty yellow sapphire.
Immediately, she started sobbing.
“Oh, my God! I’ve been so focused on the wedding I didn’t see! I’m the worst friend ever!”
Clay consoled her with a chuckle as Riley leaned into Zeke again. He put his arm around her, and she looked up at him like he hung the moon. “We eloped.”
“Of course, you two would elope,” Julep said. “Is this just because you didn’t want to have to wear a frilly dress, Novo?”
Zeke sucked his teeth and leveled a look at his friends. “This girl wore her damn leggings.”
“We were hiking!” Riley defended.
The chaos continued through the night, and I found that I really had started feeling better. Everything that had happened earlier with my mom was compartmentalized and shoved away for the moment. Kyle and I danced and laughed, and when the guys pulled him away for shots, the girls tugged me over to the photo booth.
The night was winding down when the DJ put on a slow song, and Kyle slid his hand into mine, dragging me out to the middle of the dance floor. We smiled at each other as his hands found my waist and mine threaded around his neck, both of us finding rhythm in a slow sway.
“It’s kind of crazy,” he said, shaking his head as his eyes washed over mine.
“What is?”
“Two weeks ago, you were just a memory. And now…”
I swallowed. “I can’t believe how fast this has all happened. I mean, I hated you. I never wanted to see you again. And then you showed back up in my life, and… it just feels like a whirlwind. One moment I’m just your agent, then I’m your fake girlfriend, then you’re meeting my son, and then I’m here and nothing feels fake anymore and I just… I don’t…”
“I know,” Kyle said, thumbing my jaw with his brows furrowed. “We can slow down. We can pull back. We can be just friends, whatever you need.” He paused, chewing his bottom lip. “Are you ever going to tell me why you hated me?”