I roll my eyes. “Okay? It’s that easy?” I cock a hip out to the side, not fully believing her.
“Let’s remember who got in that awful pink dress for that dinner reception your mother forced you to have after you and Dean ran off and got married. I stood by your side then and I’ll stand by it again, Chels, but this time if he hurts you, you better have money for bail.”
She pulls me into an embrace.
“Is that a deal?” she asks. “If he hurts you, I take a meat cleaver to his nuts.”
“That’s fine because his dick will already be a hood ornament if he does.”
She laughs, and I wrap my arms around my cousin’s body.
“So, are you going to keep stuff from me from now on?” she asks. “Because I’m going crazy with this wedding. Everyone is all over me in there. I have to thank you for taking the pressure off Beck and I for a while.”
“No one can take the shine off the golden couple,” I say like the sullen child I’m acting like.
She breaks away from me and tilts her head. “When you and Dean get married again, you’ll be a golden couple, too.”
What is it with everyone shifting gears so fast?
“Marriage is way down the line,” I say. “If ever.”
“I don’t know, you and Dean always do things fast.”
“Sky—”
She holds her hands up, walking backward toward the door. “I’m not judging. I’m just saying.”
I nod. She’s right. We move fast in everything we’ve ever done. Whether it was five years ago or present. Taking my time around Dean always seems like a waste.
Skylar and I return inside through the back door of the restaurant, my eyes immediately finding Dean at a table with Vin, Mikey, and Beckett. He’s telling a story that has all of them laughing.
“Looks like he’s already in with the guys again,” Skylar says.
“My husband was practically giddy when you walked in.” Zoe comes up next to us with a sleepy Caiden in her arms.
I run my hand over his dark hair. “So peaceful and sweet.”
“When he’s sleeping.” Zoe stares down at her son with love bursting from her eyes.
My gaze scatters across the room, and then double take to my mom’s who’s currently glaring at Dean and my dad who has refused to look at me all evening. It’s his usual M.O. Let my mom handle all the dirty work.
I elbow Skylar. “That’ll never be fixed.”
Sky and Zoe follow my line of vision. Sky’s arm sliding through mine. “She’ll come around eventually. Between my mom and everyone else, she’ll get there.”
My mom won’t make a scene here and maybe that’s why I slid Dean into this family gathering. That way he’s here and she won’t attack him. What would people say if she took me by the arm and escorted me out of the room, or worse was seen yelling at Dean outside the restroom? I’m not sure if her disdain comes from being protective or spiteful.
“Come on, let’s go join them.” Zoe walks toward the table, just as her daughter Molly meets us on the dance floor. She’s doing the floss.
“Way to go girl.” I hold my hand up in the air. She smacks it and then her arms start moving as fast as Jade’s did at my house.
Aunt Liz and a few of my other aunts are watching her and laughing. She’s bragging about her only granddaughter and how smart she is.
Two arms wrap around me, and a chin rests on my shoulder. “What are you thinking about?” Dean asks.
My hands cover his. “Nothing really.”
“I’m assuming since Sky just punched my shoulder but smiled at the same time that we’re good?”
I giggle. “Yeah, another Team Dean inductee, well…”
“Your mom will come around, Chels. Just give her time,” he whispers, kissing my cheek. “Come and have fun with your cousins.”
He leads me back to the table and I slide into the seat next to him.
Mikey’s smile is bigger than when he’s about to get laid. Maybe he knew something I never did.
My mom’s eyes flicker to us every now and then, but she never says a word and neither does my dad.
“Mother fucker!” I walk down the hall, thankful that there’s no clients or potential donors in the office. “I fucking hate Mondays.”
“First off, language. Second of all, I have a soft spot for Mondays.” Victoria types away on her computer.
I roll my eyes. “Still in that love bubble I see.”
She points a newly manicured nail my way. “You are too, unless something just went horribly wrong this weekend.” She stops typing, spinning her chair my way. “Did it?”
“Well, I can’t find the fucking string to my IUD, so now I gotta make a doctor’s appointment. I don’t even know if it came out or it’s floating around somewhere in my body right now.” I cringe.
Victoria’s face pales.
I point to her, circling my finger around her face. “You take those thoughts and spin them back your way. I’m not pregnant.”
“Oh good.” She lets out a breath and brings her hand to her chest. “You guys use condoms?”
“First off, I had an IUD, they’re like ninety-nine percent effective.”
I ignore the boulder in my stomach reminding me that it’s not the getting pregnant part that’s my problem.
“Not if it falls out,” she adds helpfully.
I stand, wishing I would’ve said nothing to her.
“I should call the doctor and see when they can get me in.” I head to my office, my heels clicking on the floor.
“I’d be happy to go with you.” She calls out from her desk.
“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. Plus, you don’t want to be there when my hoo-hah is all open for investigation.” I shut the door to my office, sit in my chair and the entire memory flashes in my head like a car crash. Slow motion and just as hurtful and painful. I cannot go through this again when Dean and I are just now getting to a good place.
I pull out my cell phone, seeing a text from Dean, but ignore it since the doctor is more important at this point.
The receptionist puts me on hold forever, but after I explain what happened, she gives me an appointment for the next day at three. Not ideal, but I’ll take what I can.
I pull the text from Dean up.
Dean: What do you want for dinner?
Such a simple question. One he’s sent me before, but this time I see the path we’re going down. My apartment sits deserted most of the time since Dean’s is closer to downtown and about ten times as nice.
Me: I’m thinking about chilling at home tonight. Is that cool?
The three dots appear and then disappear until another text pops up.
Dean: You want alone time?
I stare at my computer for a second, staring at the selfie I took of me and Dean by the lakefront two weeks ago.
Me: Well…
I type and then I delete.
Dean: It’s cool if you do. My hand doesn’t do nearly the job your mouth does, but I’m sure you can make up for it next time. LOL