Those eyes slide to me as he shrugs. “The getting together part of the story is a bit of a nightmare.”
Wyatt snorts.
Seth shakes his head, wincing at the memory.
Tell me more. Right now. One of you, before I perish from the adrenaline that comes with craving a good story!
“It was worth it,” Penny says, finally returning from picking an hour’s worth of songs on the jukebox. She slides in behind her future husband, wrapping her arms around his collarbone. He reaches up to rest his hand on hers as if it’s muscle memory. She glances down at him. “Right?”
“Every second of it,” he confirms.
Her smile softens, and a part of my heart gives a violent tug to remind me that it’s still there. I ignore it, drowning it in with a large gulp of a disgustingly strong, pathetic excuse for a martini. Go back to the morgue, you stupid heartstring.
“And the rest of you?”
We listen to their stories, laugh at their memories, and I find myself liking each of them more than I did an hour ago. Avery and Penny’s friendship is special, that much is clear, but they all have their ‘something special’ with one another. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that each one of them would burn the world down for the others.
This is more than friendship. This is a family.
“Special delivery!”
Lauren slides two full trays stacked with tequila shots onto the table.
Arden visibly cringes, shaking her head. But before she can argue, they’re being passed around and she’s politely sliding hers toward Carter with a subtle hand.
He smirks, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, and quietly promises that he’ll drink hers for her. When he leans forward to talk to Seth, Boston—who is on his other side—glances in my direction. A shot has yet to make it all the way to me, and he seems to be the only one who noticed. He pulls one from the tray and hands it to me over Carter and Arden’s backs, but he doesn’t say a word.
I would expect nothing less from Boston Black.
I smile sweetly. “Thank you, Wedding Date.”
He lets out a long, tired sigh. “The name’s Boston. Just in case you forgot.”
I shoot him a look. “Like I could ever forget the name of the most handsome man in this bar.”
He smiles, despite himself, and shakes his head.
Carter leans back in his seat again, cutting off our conversation. I doubt Boston had much more to say, anyway. He’s a man of little words and I’m a woman desperate to pry them out of him.
The sound of a knife clinking against a glass grabs both of our attention.
“To Declan and Penny!” Avery says, standing at the head of the table. She raises her glass, and we all follow suit. “Two of the best people in the world. We are so excited to be celebrating with you this week, and can’t wait to watch you become husband and wife. For every fight and every obstacle, you both ended up right where you were supposed to be.”
She takes in a breath and rips her eyes from Penny, coughing out a laugh as she fans her face to prevent the tears from falling.
“I have never been happier about a happy ending,” she says, forcing a teary smile. She lifts her shot glass, meeting Penny’s eyes again. They share a lingering, understanding look. Like they know the hell it took to get here and the reward was worth it. “I love you, Twin.”
Penny’s too choked up to talk, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Stop crying, you baby,” Avery barks, wiping her own face. “To Penny and Declan!”
“To Penny and Declan!” everyone chants, laughter fluttering over the table like an old, familiar song. Glasses clink together to make the melody and I nearly shut my eyes to enjoy the peace of it all.
Wyatt leans backward in his seat and looks up at Penny, still wrapped completely around her soon-to-be husband, holding her tequila shot in front of her. He extends his shot to hers.
“No parole,” Wyatt says, flashing her a crooked smile.
She clinks her glass against his. “No parole.”
