Chapter 34: Chapter 34

AVERY

I snuggle against the warm, firm chest beneath my cheek. My eyes open slowly, taking in the bright morning light before I look up. Reed’s happy smile greets me as he hugs me tighter.

“Morning,” he says softly, fingers coming up to brush my cheek.

I give a sleepy grin, yawning as I rest my chin against him.

“Morning.” I hesitate. “Um, about last night—”

Suddenly, the door swings open and Olive bursts in.

“Just checking to make sure you’re not dead,” she says happily before she spots us in bed. A huge grin spreads across her face. “Did you two just finish?”

Reed laughs while I cover my face with my hands.

“Oh god, just kill me now.”

“I was wondering why you didn’t come back to the party last night,” Olive teases. “And I thought I had all the fun.”

“What time is it?” Reed asks.

“Almost six. Got somewhere important to be?” Olive snickers.

“Actually, I do. I’m meeting with a client in an hour,” Reed says before turning to me. “I should get going.”

I nod. Reed clears his throat, giving Olive a sideways glance as she stands there, staring at us.

“Olive, get out!” I shout, tossing a pillow at her.

She laughs and heads for the door. “I’m going. I’m going.”

Once she’s gone, Reed gets out of bed, not bothering to cover himself. I watch his muscular backside flex as he pulls on his underwear, giving me a wink as if he knows I’m enjoying the view.

“I should be done by late afternoon,” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes.

“Okay.”

“We’ll talk then?” he asks, reaching over to brush my hair out of my face.

“Okay.”

He kisses my forehead and leaves.

~What is there to talk about?~ I think as I pull on a pair of pajamas. ~He’s still got his dream girl. One night with me wouldn’t change that, would it? He said it was good, but good enough that he’d choose me over her? No way.~

I expect Olive to burst in any second after Reed leaves, but she doesn’t. I finally shuffle down to the kitchen and find a note on the fridge.

~Went to get balloons and a cake to celebrate you getting laid! HAHAHA. Just kidding. I have to study for a big test. I’m so proud of you, Avery. You’re growing up.~

I groan, grabbing a bottle of water and heading back to bed.

***

I wake a few hours later, coming out to find Josh at the kitchen counter.

“Hey, Josh. When did you get in?”

“I took a red-eye. Landed just after six.” His eyes are tired. “Why are you sleeping so late, lazy bones? Rough night?”

~No. Your best friend wore me out.~

I shrug and grab an apple from the fruit bowl.

“Halloween party.” I take a bite and ask, “What brings you here again?”

“Madison decided she doesn’t like her wedding dress anymore, so we came to the city to shop for a new one,” he sighs. “Just another five thousand to add to the tab, I guess.”

Madison showed me that dress. I liked it. It was a perfect blend of tulle and satin, sparkling with sequins down its extravagant train.

“Has she been changing her mind about a lot of things lately?” I ask, sensing his growing stress.

He scoffs as if I don’t know the half of it. “From flowers to centerpieces and everything in between. If you can name it, she’s probably changed her mind about it.”

“That bad?”

He nods and lets out a frustrated sigh. “We have supplies for four different centerpieces because she decided the flowers she wanted clashed with the table covers. That turned into a big fiasco because when she changed the flowers, she had to change the colors of the bows on the chairs.”

“She just wants it to be perfect, Josh,” I say, reaching out to place my hand over his. “Can I help with anything? Make it a little easier for you?”

He shakes his head and sighs again. “No, but I appreciate the offer, sis. Besides, the wedding is not far off. Just a few more weeks and it will all be over.”

I give him a reassuring smile. “Two weeks, to be exact.”

“Yeah. I just have to survive until then,” he chuckles.

His phone chirps with a message. He groans when he reads it.

I can’t help but laugh. “Madison’s got another request?”

He slumps against the countertop, resting his forehead on its smooth surface. “She’s insisting we pick out new suits. The old ones are apparently no longer the style she has in mind. You up for it?”

~Groomsmen. That means Reed will be there. Can I face him again after what happened between us? What if Josh notices something is different?~ ~This has disaster written all over it.~

But my brother rarely asks for my help, and I can’t resist the urge to ease the stress I see in his eyes, even if it means possibly stepping into a minefield.

“Sure. Let’s do this.”

***

The tuxedo shop is nestled among the city’s busiest streets. Casey is already there, waiting for us as Josh and I step inside.

“Avery, good to see you. Feels like we just parted ways.”

I smile. “When did you end up leaving the party?”

He looks away, blushing. “Oh, it was late,” he says before slipping away to look at bowties.

~Did Olive and Casey…~

I make a mental note to ask Olive exactly what happened while I was…preoccupied.

Josh tilts his head. “What was that about?”

“Casey was at our Halloween party last night.”

He raises an eyebrow. “The infamous lingerie party Olive hosts every year?”

“It’s not a lingerie party, Josh. It’s a costume party.”

“Not the way Olive does it.”

“True.”

“Casey was there?”

“Yep. Olive invited him.”

Josh’s brow shoots up in surprise. “She invited him? Like as a date?”

I nod.

He’s known Olive as long as I have. Olive doesn’t do boyfriends. Her dating history is a revolving door of guys, usually sneaking out at dawn. The fact that she invited someone she likes to a party is huge.

“He’s in for a wild ride.”

“Enough.” I swat at him. “Olive is a sweetheart who deserves all the love in the world.”

Josh bursts into laughter. “Olive? Sweet? Yeah, right.”

The door chimes. I turn toward the sound, a shiver running down my spine when I see Reed enter, his gaze locked on me.

Josh spots him and heads over. As he slaps Reed on the back in greeting, I look away, busying myself with the handkerchiefs. But I can feel his eyes on me, and a blush heats my cheeks.

“Quite the gathering last night,” Reed says as he greets Casey.

He’s still staring at me. His expression suggests he’d rather have me to himself right now.

“You went to Olive’s party?” Josh exclaims. “Avery! You didn’t tell me Reed was there.”

REED

I can’t help the mischievous little grin that curls across my face as Avery’s pretty mouth falls open in shock.

~Oops. Probably shouldn’t have let that slip.~ ~I do love to watch her squirm though.~

She trips over her words for a few moments before redirecting Josh with a question about the colors Madison has in mind for the new tuxes. I try not to laugh as she shoves several items into his hands before dragging him toward the changing rooms.

Casey is off to the side, texting someone.

~Olive perhaps? I wonder what kind of mischief they got up to last night.~

“Ugh! I can’t fucking get this thing on!” Josh’s voice calls out from the stall, frustration evident in his tone.

“Having trouble with the tie?” Casey replies as he pockets his phone.

“Yes! What’s wrong with a clip-on?” Josh answers. “Fucking hell!”

I stand to the side, giving Casey a clueless shrug. I would offer to help, but I hate ties myself and I have a better idea.

“Coming,” Casey grumbles as he heads into the changing rooms, leaving Avery and I all alone.

I quickly pull her into one of the stalls at the far end, backing her against the door.

She gasps. “What are you doing Reed?”

I lean in for a kiss, reaching behind her and locking the door.

“We haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”

“Now isn’t the time,” she whispers, trying not to stare at my lips. “Josh is right there.”

I press my body into her as she stifles a moan. “So, when do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m not sure there is anything to talk about. You still have your dream girl, right? What about her? And what about Josh?! He’s going to blow a gasket if he ever finds out.”

~Tell her~, my brain screams, but I can’t seem to bring myself to do it just yet.

~I just need a little more time, and then I’ll come clean about everything. I’ll tell her everything I should have when I walked into the clinic. What I should have told her a long time ago.~

“Last night was incredible, and I know we both want to do it again, Avery. Why can’t we see where this goes? You know, enjoy ourselves a little.”

“I don’t know. It seems like a bad idea.”

“Just trust me, Avery. Once was not enough,” I murmur, bending to snatch her mouth up in a slow kiss.

She pulls away, breathless. “Fine. And it was three times, for the record.”

She laughs against my lips, slipping her arms around my neck.

I kiss her again, praying it takes Josh and Casey forever to figure out that tie.