Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 33965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
"It's too early to talk," Brielle groans, reaching for her orange juice. It's not early at all. It's already after ten. "Can't we just eat in silence?"
"Late night?" Chastity snickers, adjusting the headband keeping her hair back. Like me, she's got wild red hair and freckles.
I love that I'm not the odd girl out for once. I got my dad's genes. Shelby got our mom's. Growing up, I was always the only freckled redhead in my class. I hated being the oddball.
Brielle pouts at her from across the table. And then she blushes. "Very late and very interesting."
Chastity holds her hand out for a high-five. Brielle smacks their palms together, earning laughter from the other girls at the table.
"I bet mine was more interesting," I mumble, trying to steer the conversation back on track before they start swapping stories about their sex lives. Some things I don't need to know. "Considering I freaking got married."
Everyone at the table goes silent. I'm surprised no one gets whiplash turning to look at me.
"Say that again," Shelby says.
"I'm pretty sure you heard her right," Dani whispers.
"Uh-huh." Resa nods, her brown eyes wide.
I pull my hand out of my pocket, flashing them my ring.
"Holy freaking shiitake," Brielle whisper-hisses, grabbing my arm before I can hide my hand under the table again…as if someone is going to repel down from the roof to snap photos of it.
"How the heck did you get married?" Chastity asks.
"It's a long story."
"We've got time," Shelby says, completely calm.
"I drank too much tequila and suggested it, so Crue woke up a judge and a jeweler and made it happen," I blurt and then grimace. Okay, so maybe the story isn't that long. Somehow, it sounds even worse condensed, though. Way too many bad decisions crammed way too close together.
"Of course he did," Dani says, trying—and failing—to keep a straight face. "He's kind of a bulldozer when he wants something, isn't he?"
"He's not that bad."
"Uh, really?" Brielle laughs, holding up my arm as if displaying the evidence. "He woke up a freaking judge, Ireland."
"And a jeweler," Resa chirps.
We fall silent as a waiter strolls over to take my order. I quickly look through the menu and pick out eggs and toast before handing it back to him.
"Was Crue drunk?" Chastity asks as soon as the waiter is out of earshot.
Crap. I knew someone was going to ask me that.
"No."
"Oh. My," Chastity whispers.
"I know! What am I going to do?" I groan, hiding my face in my hands.
"Enjoy it?"
I drop my hands to my lap, shocked at Shelby's suggestion. Out of everyone at the table, she's the last one I expected to take this in stride. Honestly, I kind of expected her to freak out a little bit. She knows how much I've always loved Crue, but she's my big sister. She's overprotective by default. Maybe the fact that she's falling in love in her so-not-fake relationship has mellowed her out. Or maybe it's the other stuff that's mellowing her out. Whatever it is, I'll take it.
She gives me a tiny, encouraging smile. "I may have talked to him yesterday after you guys hung out," she says, not in the least ashamed or apologetic. "He had hearts in his eyes over you."
"Clearly," Brielle whispers. "He woke up a judge."
"And a jeweler," Resa, Dani, and Chastity say at the same time and then crack up.
I choose to ignore them, focusing on my sister. "You talked to him?"
"Talked. Threatened. Same difference." She shrugs, which makes me laugh.
Of course she threatened him. I can't believe he didn't mention it, though.
"My point is, he's crazy about you, so stop overthinking and let him be crazy about you."
"Yeah, but what if…?"
"What if what?"
"Nothing. Never mind." I shake my head, pasting a bright smile on my face. "I'm just not thinking clearly."
Shelby scrutinizes my expression, hers full of understanding as she reaches for my hand. "There isn't a single person in your life who has ever regretted knowing and loving you. He won't either."
"She's right," Dani says, empathy in her deep green eyes. "I haven't known you long, and I already love you."
"You're very loveable," Resa agrees.
"Falling for someone famous is terrifying," Dani continues, "but you owe it to yourself to give this a chance anyway, Ireland. You'll always regret it if you don't."
She's right. I know she is. But I'm not afraid of loving Crue. I've done that from afar for most of my life. It's the losing him part that scares me. He's barely even mine, and I already know it'll break my heart if he changes his mind. How much worse will it feel if he decides in a week or two weeks or two months from now that marrying me twelve hours after meeting me was a terrible idea?
People say it's better to have loved and lost, but I don’t think those people ever met Crue Blake. If they had, I don't think they'd be singing that same song.