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Not LittleBit.
I turned my eyes to Marv, surely he wasn’t in on this too. But his eyes were on Justice, shining as a soft smile played at his lips. “Actually,” Knix said drawing my attention back, “we were just stopping by Alex’s for a special dinner. We didn’t expect to see youhere.”
“Special dinner?” I couldn’t seem to stop repeating everything they said. It was as though I were an echo in the room—an echo of a past self, an echo of a past romance that went awry. What did they mean by “after everything that hadhappened?”
I didn’t realize I’d spoken the question aloud until Marv answered for me. “Oh, you know,” he said lightly. “With Teddi. It just got to be too much. You couldn’t handle it. We couldn’t handle it. Teddi has no problem with Justice and we’re happy likethis.”
“You’re...happy?” Without me? They were happy withoutme?
Marv nodded. “Yeah, actually…about that special dinner…” He turned his back on me, facing Justice as he got down on one knee. “I’ve decided that I can’t wait fordinner.”
My breath caught in my throat as one by one, all of them fell to their knees. Justice eyed me over their heads, a wicked smile on her lips as Grayson leaned forward and kissed the back of her hand and Texas did the same with the hand heheld.
Stop.
“Justice. I know we haven’t been doing this long, but you mean so much tous.”
Stop.Please.
“We don’t want another day to go by withoutyou.”
I can’t takethis.
“Will you do us the honor…” Knix took her hand from Texas. Bellamy fromGrayson.
No!
“Of becoming our bride? Will you marry us?” Marvfinished.
I screamed. I screamed until my lungs burst. I screamed until the whole restaurant shook and the windows shattered and the walls fell down and my knees scraped against the hard floor and my throat burned and my ears bled and I couldn’t hear myself screamanymore.
The only thing I could hear was my name being shouted over and overagain.
Harlow!
Harlow!
Harlow!
* * *
“Harlow! Wake up!”
I jolted, my eyes slamming open as my chest heaved. My eyes darted around the brightly lit room. Over me, Grayson, Bellamy, Knix, Marv, and Texas stood—all of them with concern and worry written on their faces in various forms. I couldn’t stop it. I flung myself at the nearest one—Bellamy—as I began tosob.
I choked on my tears as I clung to his big broad shoulders. Even as I pressed my face against his neck and shut my eyes, I could feel the palpable confusion in the room. Bellamy moved me back onto the bed and sat back with me curled up in his lap as I cried. He patted my head, running his fingers through myhair.
“Harlow?” Marv’s voice was nearby, just to the side. I lifted my head and turned to meet his stormy gaze. “What happened?” heasked.
“I-I-I—” I couldn’t get the words out. They stuck in my throat, threatening to suffocateme.
“Was it a nightmare?” Knix asked as he moved close to Marv, bending down low so that I could meet his gaze aswell.
Inodded.
“Do you want to tell us what it was about?” Grayson asked as he approached thebed.
He looked like he’d just gotten out of bed. Hell, I didn’t know how or if he’d heard me from the pool house, because just like everyone else, he was wearing pajamas. Noting my pointed look and confusion, he looked down at his sweatpants and wife beater before answering my unspoken question. “I was in the kitchen getting a glass of water,” he said. “No cups in the poolhouse.”
