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“Well, I appreciate it.” I nod toward the back of the house. “I’m going to go see what else needs to be done.” I walk down the stone path, away from the group, and when the backyard comes into view, I nearly trip over my own two feet.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?” Levi claps a hand on my shoulder and I give him a sidelong glance. He’s one of Harley’s best friends—has been for years—and he has quickly become one of mine as well. “I don’t think ‘good’ is the right word,” I say, gazing out across the yard. My eyes scan the scene in front of me, pausing on Laney, who is tying a bow on one of the willow trees. When she looks over at me and waves, I return the gesture.
“Dude, don’t flirt with my girl.”
“Really?” I ask incredulously. “You really want to go there? You do realize that you’ve seen parts of my fiancé that you should’ve never seen, right?” Levi blushes—actually fucking blushes—and I shake my head before looking away. Then I take a deep breath, pushing all thoughts of the past out of my head. “This looks fantastic. Thank you so much for helping me out.”
“You don’t have to thank me, bro. It was my pleasure. You and Harley are two of my best friends, and I was happy to do it. So was Laney. Plus,” he says, running a hand through his hair, “I feel bad that I’ve been so absent recently.” Levi’s face turns serious, and I look over to see him staring at Laney with glassy eyes.
“You’ve had good reason,” I say, nodding toward his beautiful girl.
Levi swallows hard and blows out a long breath before taking off toward Laney. “Come on, dude,” he says. “There’s more work to be done.” I follow behind, my eyes roaming over the stunning decorations. What else is there to do?
Turns out there was a lot more to do. After two and a half long hours of continuous work, everything is finally ready. Standing back, I once again look out over the yard.
It’s just as I’d pictured it—like something out of a book. White lights are woven into the trees, which are accented by dozens of hanging lanterns. Two rows of white wooden chairs are arranged on either side of the makeshift aisle, and hundreds of white rose petals line the path leading to a large wooden archway. Closing my eyes, I picture Harley walking toward me, her beautiful smile on display, and my heart swells inside of my chest.
I hope she says yes.
Opening my eyes, I look over to the left side of the yard and a wide smile splits my face. Levi and I spent the better part of the morning assembling a large wooden floor that Quinn had rented from s
omewhere. Putting it together was bitch, but I’m glad we did because it looks awesome. There are several round tables covered in white linen cloths, and the chairs are accented with light purple bows. A band is warming up on a small stage, and the caterers are working diligently to set up the food. It all looks so perfect.
The perfect wedding for the perfect girl.
“She’s here!” Max yells, barreling through the yard toward me. “She’s here!”
“Thanks, Max,” I say, patting his back as I walk toward the driveway with my heart on my sleeve.
This is it.
“Tell me again why we’re going to your mom’s house?”
Pulling down the sun visor in the car, I admire my hair in the little mirror. The stylist didn’t do anything special, just touched up my highlights and put some loose curls in my already wavy hair, but I have to admit it looks damn good.
“Because I have to get my heels for tonight,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Okaaaay. But why does your mom have your heels?”
“Why do you have to ask so many questions?” she says, sounding less annoyed than her words might indicate. The drive to her parents’ house is short, and I smile when it comes into view. But that smile quickly fades.
What is Tyson doing here … and my parents? Is that Max?
My head snaps toward Quinn. “What is this? What’s going on?” Quinn stops the car in the middle of the lane and puts it in park. I glance at where Tyson is standing and watch him take a hesitant step forward. His hands are shoved deep in his pockets, and he looks nervous. Quinn throws up a hand and Tyson’s steps falter. I look back at Quinn, eyebrows raised, silently begging her to tell me what’s going on.
“You know I love you, right?” she asks.
“Of course I do.”
“You deserve the best, Harley. You deserve everything in life that you’ve ever wanted—plus some—and I just want you to remember that when we get up there, okay?”
I nod and glance toward the house. Everyone is now standing in the front yard a few steps behind Tyson, and I can’t help but feel like this is some sort of intervention.
What in the hell is going on?
I swallow past the lump in my throat as Quinn drives the rest of the way up the lane. After she parks, she immediately pushes open her door and climbs out, but I’m frozen in place. In a matter of seconds, Tyson is opening my door. He offers me a hand and I allow him to help me out of the car.
“Hey.” Tyson cups my face in his hands, his brown eyes roaming over my face. “You look gorgeous.”
