AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, this is fun,” Trent says cheerfully from right behind me. The animosity on Alastor’s face morphs into a grin as Trent steps forward to greet him with a bro-hug.
I roll my eyes. Trent has this annoying habit of always seeing the good in people, which means he can’t see that Alastor is, in fact, the devil. I take another sip of my beer and turn back into the room. I don’t have to like it, but Trent’s a grown man and he can decide for himself who he wants to be friends with. And the fact that Alastor is Xavier’s best friend kind of means we’re stuck with him whether I like it or not. It helps to know he’s as happy about the situation as I am, which is to say not very.
“Can I assume this means Xav’s ready to roll?” Trent asks, not even a shred of doubt in his tone, as though the idea of Xav pulling a me and ducking out at the last minute would never even cross his mind.
And no, of course that’s not something I’m actually hoping for. Come on, I’m not that much of an arsehole.
“He’s waiting downstairs,” Alastor confirms.
A broad grin stretches across Trent’s face. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
I set my drink down and follow Trent out the door, determinedly ignoring Alastor as we make our way down to the beachfront pavilion where the wedding is being held. As soon as we get outside, we’re hit with a blast of that Koh Samui humidity, making me once again wish I could just be out in the water.Tomorrow, I tell myself. Tomorrow I can hit the surf. I can spend the entire day out in the ocean. All I need to do is get through today first.
2
Alastor
“All good, mate?” I give Xav a pat on the shoulder when Trent, Jack, and I catch up with him downstairs at the beachside pavilion where the ceremony is being held.
“Yeah. Perfect." Xavier's voice is distant and he's not even sparing me a glance, his attention solely fixed upon his soon-to-be husband.
My lips curve into a wry smile. I’ve always liked Trent Darcy and he’s grown even more in my estimation over the last couple of years since he and Xav have been together. Any guy who can make my best mate smile the way Trent does is definitely a keeper, so I’m more than okay to be standing beside them today while they promise to spend the rest of their lives together.
Trent’s best friend, on the other hand...
For the sake of the special day, I try not to let my feelings about Jack Macey show too clearly in my expression. But just between us, the guy’s a self- centred, unreliable dick. He’s been that way ever since high school and I have no idea why Trent still puts up with his shit. I guess the guy must have
omeredeeming qualities, but whatever they are, I can’t see them. And I don’t think great hair and a nice arse count.
“Stop glaring,” Xavier chides, and I jolt a little, surprised to have his attention on me.
“I wasn’t glaring,” I protest, making my expression as innocent as possible.
Xav rolls his eyes. “Sure. Okay.”
Trent’s face splits into a characteristic grin, his eyes sparkling with levity. “It’s going to be a fun rest of our lives, isn’t it?”
Xavier sighs. “We’ve survived two years without blood- shed. I think we can do it.”
I give an annoyed shake of my head and return my attention to Jack, who has wandered off amongst the milling crowd and is now being fussed over by an elegant Asian woman who I’m pretty sure is his mother. My lip quirks up at the clear discomfort radiating from Jack as she attempts to fix his tie and smooth his hair.
“Alright, Mum—Jesus, I’m not five,” he grumbles, tearing himself away from her and hurrying back to Trent’s side. As though deliberately trying to annoy his mother, he reaches a hand up to rub at his hair, before shifting his tie slightly out of place. I roll my eyes.Passive aggressive, much?
I’m loath to admit it, but his hair actually looks a lot better now, with that rumpled, just-got-out-of-bed look. I’m not about to tell him that, though.
“What the hell are you two doing here?”
I snap my head around to find Trent’s sister, Alicia, staring daggers at me and Jack.
“Where are we supposed to be?” I ask a little hesitantly, not liking the look on her face.
“At the front, waiting for the grooms to walk down the aisle,” she exclaims, waving her hands in the air. “Didn’t you listen to anything at the rehearsal?”
“Umm...” To be fair, I’d just gotten in from twelve hours of travelling and was more interested in drinking cocktails and flirting with the bar staff than going over all the minute details for today’s ceremony. I mean, all I need to do is stand there and look hot, right?
Alicia lets out a frustrated groan. “Boys.”
“Chill out, sis,” Trent says calmly. “It’s not the end of the world.”
