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“I don’t know. I’ll just check it later.”
The two of us stare at each other for a second and then both move at once. I get to my phone first but she snatches it out of my hand before I can get a good grip on it. Fuck. Why didn’t I set passcode when Julia told me to?!
“Tatum, give me my phone.”
She laughs. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Her finger swipes up and the phone opens right to the texts between him and I. I read the newest one over her shoulder.
Colton: Just be careful, Princess.
“Princess?”
“It’s a joke. He calls me that because I used to play pretty, pretty, princess when I was seven.”
Ignoring me completely, she scrolls up and sees the never-ending texts from the last four days. On Sunday, after I left Maverick’s, Colton had messaged me to make sure I still had his number. Since then, we’ve been in almost constant contact. We’ve talked pretty much all day, every day, so I know how bad it looks as Tatum flicks her finger through the message thread.
“McKenna, these go on for fucking ever.”
I grab my phone from her hand but this time she doesn’t put up a fight. Instead, she turns to me and puts one hand on her hip, looking at me expectantly. I put it back on the bench and run my fingers through my hair.
“We’re friends.”
“Really? That’s what you’re going with? Friends?”
“I’m not going with anything. It’s the truth.”
“Okay, so I take it Parker knows about all those texts in your phone?” I hesitate and that’s all the answer she needs. “Mac. Come on, you know better.”
“We’re not doing anything.”
“Maybe not physically, but you haven’t told your fiancé about you two being friends.” She puts air quotes around the word like the idea of it is outlandish. “If you honestly believed there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing, you’d have nothing to hide.”
I peel the dress down my body and step out of it, leaving me in nothing but the corset and my underwear. “I’m not hiding it. There just hasn’t been anything to tell.”
“You lied earlier. You said that you were laughing at something Parker said, but he hadn’t said anything, had he? You were laughing at a message from Colton.”
“And your point?”
“My point is that you’re hiding it. How would you feel if you found out Parker was spending multiple hours a day texting someone he used to hook up with? Someone who he was over the moon in love with.” I cringe, genuinely feeling sick to my stomach at the thought. Tatum sighs and the two of us sit on the bench. “Trust me, babe. I get it. He’s Colton Brooks. He’s funny, and successful, and has a smile that could light up the room – but he’s never going to be the type to settle down. He’s always going to be the guy who took your virginity and broke your heart a few months later. It sucks, I know, but do you really want to risk your future with a man who loves you to death, for a guy who hurt you like that? I’ve seen the way Parker looks at you. He’ll go to any lengths to make you happy. Don’t give that up.”
With that, she stands and
leaves me alone to think about what she said. I let my head lull back against the wall, wondering if I’m even capable of giving Colton up completely. Now that I’ve had him back in my life, I don’t know that I can.
WE END UP FINDING the perfect dress after spending a total of six hours in the boutique. I lose count of the gowns I try on. Finally, my mother goes to look through the selection and comes back with a gorgeous dress. It has lace on top and no poof at the bottom, allowing the silky material to flow down my body and show off my figure. Once Sophie puts a veil on my head and I turn to look at myself in the mirror, I see exactly why my mother and Ivy started to cry the second I stepped out. It’s beautiful. I look beautiful.
Tatum pays for the dress with the credit card that Parker gave her for wedding expenses and all of us climb into waiting limo. I won’t lie, I’m a little tipsy. After getting caught texting Colton, I started to drink more champagne than I probably should have. Still, no amount of alcohol has helped me figure out what I’m going to do.
We drop Ivy off first, since her house is closest to the boutique. She gives me a ‘we’ll talk’ look before climbing out and heading inside. For a minute, I think Tatum is going to bring the subject up again, but thankfully the fact that my mom is with us makes her decide against it. The limo pulls up to my house next and I smile when I see that Parker is back from his first day of classes. I hug my mom and Tatum goodbye, thanking them for their help today.
As soon as I step inside, I’m greeted by the smell of delicious food. My stomach growls, being empty since brunch. Soft music is coming from the living room and I can faintly hear my fiancé humming along.
I walk through the house and into the kitchen. Parker is standing at the counter, chopping up vegetables. He looks up from what he’s doing and sends a breathtaking grin my way. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling back if I tried. My feet carry me over to him and he immediately places the knife down and wraps his arms around me.
“How was dress shopping?”
“Long.” I extend onto my tippy-toes and place a soft kiss on his lips. “How was your first day of med school?”
“Long.” He jokes. “No, it was great. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I’m excited.”
