Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 85154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85154 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“Wow.” He snickers. “What if I needed you to marry me?”
“You’d better be down on one knee and have a big-ass ring for me,” I joke with him and my hand comes out to squeeze my neck. “But seriously, I know how important this is to her. I know how important her family is to her. I also know I’m not going to let her down.”
“I believe you,” Stefano states. “It’s just, it’s you.”
“Yeah, it’s me, and you should know I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“But what if, like, things get blurry?” he questions and Addison slaps him. “What?”
“It’s none of your business,” she hisses at him. “Literally not your concern. Remember the other day when Avery got upset because of something that happened that had nothing to do with her. What did you tell her?” She raises her eyebrows. “Not your monkey, not your circus.”
“It is my monkey and it’s my circus. It’s my concern. She’s my cousin,” he explains, “and he’s my best friend.”
“And they are two grown-ass adults who can make their own decisions,” Addison puts in. “Now what you need to do is ask them what they need.”
“Yes,” I agree with her. “You need to help me.”
“With what?” Stefano gawks.
“Realistically, how fast can we be married?” I ask Addison and she looks at Stefano before turning back to me.
“It’s just the two of you?” she asks.
“Yes.” I nod, knowing that whether he agrees with us or not, Stefano will also be there. There is no way he wouldn’t be. At least I hope he’s there.
“You don’t want any decorations, right?” She walks over to the desk, leaning over it and grabbing a pad from the top of it and a pen. She turns to look at me, waiting for me to answer.
“Well, yeah.” I look at her. “Obviously, let’s add some decoration.” Stefano looks at me and I’m not sure what he’s thinking. Frankly, I’m not even sure what I’m thinking. “I’m not a savage,” I quickly add. “Even if it’s fake, I’m not going to the courthouse with her, so I think we should add some decorations. She deserves better than that.” At this point, even I’m unsure of what I’m saying or why I’m saying it.
“Okay,” Addison says. “I’m assuming since you will be having decoration, you will also be wanting flowers.”
“Her favorite flowers are orchids, but I’m not sure how that would be in a bouquet,” I tell her. “She also loves roses but the cream or white ones or the light pink ones, not another color.” They both look at me shocked. “I bought her purple roses once, and let me tell you, I will not make that mistake ever again. And I don’t want one carnation either.” I shake my head. “I bought her those once and she asked why I hated her.” I laugh thinking back to when I bought that for her. It was at the beginning when we were getting to know each other, and if I have to be honest, I was falling for her. But then I knew if I went there with her, I would lose her friendship, so I put her in the do not even think about category since then, and that is where she is going to stay. Forever. I don’t have much in my life, relationship-wise. I have parents who I talk to maybe twice a year, Christmas and birthday. Then I have my work friends, who are more like colleagues. It’s not like I would tell them my deepest darkest secrets. So besides Stefano, who is my go-to all the time, Eva is my ride or die, and there is no way I’m losing any of that. “What else?”
“Well, food would be my next question.” Addison writes down something on the pad. “But it’s just the two of you.”
“Right,” I say, rolling back on my heels, “but you two will come, right?” I look at the both of them and they both nod their heads. “So it’ll be four of us, plus Avery.” I snap my fingers. “She can be the flower girl, or whatever it’s called.”
“She would love that, obviously,” Addison coos. “She gets to wear a fancy dress and probably a tiara, you might be her favorite person that day.”
“My parents are in town,” Stefano reminds me.
I close my eyes for just a moment before letting out a huge breath. “Your father is going to kick my ass.”
Stefano smirks at me. “Yes.” He nods at the same time, his smirk going to a full-blown smile. “But the good news is he’s a bit older now, so it’ll hurt a touch less.”
“Well, that depends,” I waffle. “Who else is in town besides your dad and mom? Your family usually travels in packs.”
Addison can’t help but laugh. “That’s a good one.” She points her pen at me. “They do travel in packs. When he told his parents about Avery, ten people showed up.”