AllFreeNovel
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It's a happy memory, so I don't mind sharing. "I was twenty-one and just graduated. A few friends and I had been obsessing over Riot for months, and they played a show in New York on the night of our graduation. So, we went and somehow got backstage passes. I met Declan and became a groupie." I laugh at the happy memory. "Nine months later, we were married with a baby."
"Oh, my goodness, I love that! I'm a little jealous. I've been a Riot fan for years but never got lucky enough to meet anyone from the band. And look at you, you're married to the one and only Declan Valentine."
Emotion clogs my throat, and I don't want to risk crying by strolling down memory lane and sharing stories from the simple days when I was young, carefree, and so in love with my baby boy and my husband.
"The band has been silent on social media for a while. What are they up to? Where is Declan?" Nice try, but I'm not going to share that detail. His whereabouts over the last three months is confidential. Only close family and those involved with his band know. We can't risk it leaking to the media and ruining his image. We've worked too hard to keep a clean image of him online when time and time again, he's liked to fuck it up.
"He's away, behind the scenes doing band stuff.” I lie easily. “I've got to go now, but next Friday, it's a date." I set three twenties down on the table, grab my bag, and wave to Karina while rushing out before she could say anything more.
I'd just steppedout of the elevator when I see Dean sitting in the waiting area, busy scrolling through his phone. I haven’t seen or heard from him since the moment we shared at the lighthouse on Monday. I don't say anything; instead, I stand staring at him.
He must feel my presence because he looks up at me with that boyish grin of his. "Are you gawking at me?"
Busted. I nod. "I'm enjoying the view." He laughs and stands, his body standing to his full height of six-foot-five, an entire foot taller than me. I'm grateful for my heels that allow me to be four inches taller than usual. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought we could drive together to the construction site to meet Sadie. Shall we?" He gestures toward the elevator, and I nod, falling into step beside him.
The elevator ride is silent.
The walk to his car in the parking garage is silent.
The drive to the construction site is silent.
"Well,well, well… Look who it is! Dean and little Camille." Sadie greets us the moment we step out of Dean's car. She smirks, giving him a tight hug that lingers too long. Her hug to me is one armed and quick, and I’m glad.
I don’t miss the way her eyes look over our left hands that both contain wedding rings, a small laugh leaving her pink painted lips. "I always knew you two would end up married."
"We're married, but not to each other," Dean speaks for the first time since we left my office. Briefly, I cringe at his snappy tone.
"Wow, I'm actually surprised. Everyone in high school expected you two to end up together."Yeah, Sadie, me too."I always wondered what became of you, Dean. I never heard anything more about you after you went away to university. Anyway, let's get started, shall we? We can catch up later." She looks exactly as she did all those years ago, only now she's older and more mature looking.
Now that I don't hate her as much as I once did, I can see what all the guys in school were crazy about.
Sadie fucking Marshall is beautiful. Big blue doe eyes, long blonde hair, a figure that any girl would kill for, and boobs that I'm willing to bet money are fake. Unlike me, she knows what a gym is and doesn't have the curves and big ass like I do.
I have my mom to thank for my curvy hourglass figure, and round, delicious peachy ass.
We spend the next hour with Sadie at the construction site, signing contracts and discussing my vision for the interior. Dean didn't have to be here, but he wanted to. He chose to be here, which means more to me than he could ever know. He wanted to stay and be part of bringing my vision, years into the making, to life. I’m glad that he’s here with me.
After our meeting, we say our goodbyes to Sadie, go back to his car, and he starts driving in the direction of my office.
"So, Karina said that you two had lunch together today. How was that?" This is the first time he has spoken directly to me since picking me up.
I nod. "Yeah, we did. It was good."
"But?" He knows me too well to know there's something else on my mind.
"Well, I don't know if she's told you yet, so when she does, act surprised. But she's been trying to get a double date organized."
"And you agreed?"
"I agreed. Next Friday night, we're going out. On a double date. Us, and our spouses." I hate the double date idea, but Karina proved she wasn't going to let up anytime soon, so I gave in.
One night couldn't hurt, right?
SEVENTEEN
THEN
