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“Your entire …” I gasp, ignoring Darcy’s snort. The magnitude of what Lily is saying hit me. “So, your brother … God, your parents?”
“Everyone, Katie. Even our grandma,” Lily wails. She covers her face with her hands again. “God, even the pediatrician who delivered me. I’m so embarrassed.”
I laugh. She’s embarrassed? What about how I’m feeling?
“Shit.” Darcy chuckles gleefully. “Didn’t I tell you she was a shithead? God, I’d be mortified. Everyone else I could handle, but the fact that Adam saw it? I’d kill myself—”
“Not helping, Darcy,” I snap.
I sit down on the bed. I feel numb, until I remember he’ll be back soon.
I have to get out of here.
Even if it’s only for a minute, I need to get out of this room and clear my head.
“Stay here and keep an eye on Lily.” I snap at Darcy as I walk over to the door. “I’ll get our things from our room.”
I stalk down the hallway, alternating between intense surges of anger and spontaneous fits of laughter. To anyone passing, I must look crazy, but I don’t care. Not only did he see that video, I have to sit in his car for seventeen fucking hours and pretend I’m fine? I laugh, because this is ridiculous. There’s no going lower than this.
I’ve hit rock bottom and landed hard on my ass.Chapter SixAdam“Hold up, you’re driving back home now?”
I stare at Julian as the words explode out of his mouth. You’d think I’d just told him I was riding a unicycle back home to visit my sick donkey. This is why I didn’t tell him about Lily. I can only imagine his reaction to that.
“Yes.”
Visiting Mom was the only thing I could think of that I knew he wouldn’t try to talk me out of. Because family always comes first. I feel bad about using Mom as an excuse, but I’ve spent three years building up my relationship with Alberto. I can’t risk Lily, Darcy or Katie messing everything up.
“But why the fuck are you going to drive?” Julian rants. “You’re going to miss the wedding. Why not fly back?”
“If I leave now,” I say. “I’ll have plenty of time. It’s only seventeen hours each way. At worst, I’ll be back Saturday night.”
“Fucking great, you’ll have a few spare hours up your sleeve,” he mutters. “Why don’t you book in a winery tour or a cheese tasting—”
“Julian, it’s my mom.”
He sighs and glares at me. “Fine. Just make sure you’re back in time, or I’ll kill you.”
“I will be,” I assure him.
“And say hi to your mom for me,” he grumbles. “I’m sorry she’s not well.”
“I better get going,” I tell him, ignoring the twinge of guilt his comment causes. “Hey, can I take your car? I don’t want Alberto to know I’m going.”
“You haven’t told him?” he asks, surprised.
“I figure I’ll be back before he notices I’m gone.” I shrug. “If I’m not, just tell him you sent me off to do wedding things.”
“Wedding things?” he repeats.
“Tell him I’m choosing your wedding night lingerie.” I grin at him. “Racy, lacy and revealing, right? What size are you again?”
“You’re a fucking comedian,” he mutters.
The moment he turns around to fetch his keys, I take his phone out of my pocket and slide it onto the table. Just as I’m moving my arm back into place, he turns around, so I awkwardly step forward and hug him.
He stiffens, surprised by my sudden intimate gesture, but then hugs me back. I can think of only two or three occasions in the course of our entire friendship where we’ve hugged like this, but what the hell. The guy is getting married and there’s a chance I won’t be back in time to see it.
“See you soon,” I say.I step into the elevator and look up, my lips lifting into a smirk when I see Katie. She frowns and stares down at the floor. Anything to avoid looking at me. An awkward silence fills the air as we both just stand there. Well, it’s awkward for her.
“I wanted to ask you something…are there more?”
“More what?” She asks, confused.
“Songs,” I explain patiently. “I thought your songs could be on our playlist.”
She glares at the numbers on the control panel, not acknowledging me at all.
“If you’re trying to work out how to stop this thing, it’s that button right there.” I reach forward, but her hand shoots out and grabs my wrist. She swings me around, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Don’t you dare.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Aggressive. I like it.”
“Let’s get something clear,” she says. “Just because I agree with you, doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it—”
“You’d be shocked how many women have said that to me,” I cut in, winking at her.
“Don’t talk to me,” she mutters, pushing past me as the doors open.
