Page 163 of What About Us

“Okay, you let that sit until it’s dry,” Harper says.

We’re all over at Xander and Ivy’s place, and it’s the night before my wedding.

Finally.

It felt like this day would never get here, and I had to fight tooth and nail for it, but it’s happening. And instead of going out to get drunk in Bitterroot Valley, I really just wanted my closest friends and sisters here with me. And Xander’s house is always fun because we can spread out.

“Did you and Chad exchange wedding gifts?” Jules asks me.

“I got him a nice watch,” I reply. “I have no idea if he got me something. I mentioned it at one point, but we haven’t discussed it since.”

I know that my family doesn’t love my fiancé. They’ve not kept their feelings hidden at all, and the fact is, Chad doesn’t care.

He always says that the most important thing is that we care about each other, and no one else’s opinions matter.

And he’s right. I know he is.

But I’m so close to my family, and I wish they liked him too.

Are Chad and I a love match made in heaven?

Fuck no. He’s never given me an orgasm. He only likes to fuck in the dark, missionary position, at bedtime. Never anywhere else. I once tried to give him a blow job in the car, and you would have thought I’d just told him I wanted to tie him up, make him suck on a ball gag, and peg the man all night.

Needless to say, it didn’t go well.

But there’s more to life than sex.

That’s going to be my mantra for the rest of my damn life.

Or, maybe once he’s elected to office, he’ll chill out a bit and will be open to trying different things.

Yes, I hear myself. I’d also be screaming at my friend to stop thinking she can change a man and get the fuck out now.

But there are good things about Chad, too, and damn it, I want to marry him.

I do.

And I’m nervous.

What if everyone’s right and I’m doing the wrong thing?

“You’re quiet,” Ivy says as she passes me a plate of cheese and crackers. “Talk to us. Are you scared? Nervous? So excited that you might pee your pants?”

“Maybe all of those,” I say and take a bite of cheese.

Cheese makes everything better, even when I shouldn’t be eating it.

“That’s normal,” Darby says. “Of course you’re nervous. Marrying someone is a big deal. It’s a huge decision.”

“You’re not helping.” I reach for more cheese. “I don’t like that you all hate him.”

“I mean, ‘hate’ is a strong word,” Harper says and presses her fingers to my face, checking my mask. “Like, I hate hair in the drain of the shower and when Belle has a diaper explosion.”

“Are you comparing Chad to actual shit?” I ask her, and if my face could move right now, I’d lift an eyebrow.

“No, I’m saying I hate those things. I don’t feel quite that way about Chad.”

“That’s not terribly comforting,” I reply and turn to Indie. “Help me out. He’s nice, right?”