AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She chewed on her lip and playfully lifted her brows. “Promise?”
I reached around her back, not giving a damn if we had eyes on us and squeezed her ass over her wet jeans. “Fuck yes, sweetheart,” I said before slanting my mouth over hers, not waiting for her to meet me halfway this time. Because now I knew she was as all in as I was.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHARLOTTE
VIRGINIA - THREE WEEKS LATER
“I’m serious. Really. No more social media or dating for a long time,” Lucy said around a bite of celebratory cake.
“Sure, sure, I bet you’re serious.” Instead of cake in my hand, I was holding and petting Gray and Tessa’s cute little dog, Lucky. “I’ve heard this before. You’re taking a social media and dating break,” I went on. “Mmmhmm.”
“I’m detoxing.”
Then why was Lucy staring at the handsome Marine with the backward cap and shades on, talking to Oliver across the crowded backyard of Gray and his wife’s home?
“We have a new start at life, and I want to put my old ways behind me,” she continued. “Maybe I’ll even go to school. Honestly, no clue what I’ll do, but I’m starting to dig the East Coast vibes.”
I set Lucky down, and he darted over to Carter’s dog, Dallas, to play with him. He got around extremely well on the prosthesis Gray had created for him, and my heart swelled at the sight of the furry little tripawd cuddling against Carter’s big dog. “You’re digging someone who happens to live on the East Coast is more like it.”
“Mason lives in New York, not here. And I think we should just be friends,” Lucy said while finishing the last bite of her cake.
“Mason and Mya were once upon a time ago just friends.” Jack had filled me in on their full backstory over the last three glorious weeks we’d spent together.
It’d been difficult visiting Mom’s grave in California, but he’d been there for me. Holding my hand while I’d introduced him to my mother. Then he gave me a moment alone where I silently told her how I knew he was the one.
We’d then spent several days in Spain packing up what was left of my life there. Of course we may have stayed a bit longer than needed to enjoy Palma together . . . without many clothes on.
Once back in the U.S. again, and in between meeting several of Jack’s friends, along with apartment hunting with Lucy, Jack and I spent every moment together. We were a little addicted to each other. And every warning I’d ever given my sister about not falling too hard, or too fast, for someone, had gone out the window with Jack.
Yep, I was head over heels for the man. And even though we’d yet to say the L word, it was on the tip of my tongue, dying to break free from my mouth.
“Yeah, well, that didn’t end so hot for Mya and Mason, did it?” Lucy pointed out, drawing my focus back to her and the party.
I looked over at Mya holding Jesse’s adorable son, Remi. She was trying to encourage Carter to take him, but the man shook his head and . . . did he just panic walk backward into Mason to escape?
When Camila came over and took Remi from Mya instead, Carter removed his sunglasses and just gaped at her. And, well, that was interesting.
“Well,” I began, remembering again what we’d been talking about, “I think things ended for Mya and Mason the way they were supposed to.”
“Now you sound like Camila,” Lucy said, her tone soft and playful. “But I still think Mason’s hung up on Mya. And who wouldn’t be? She’s smart, funny, and gorgeous.”
“Those are also descriptors for you, by the way.” I rolled my eyes at her, forgetting I had on sunglasses, so she missed it.
“Well, like I said, I’m turning a new leaf. Doing things differently.”
I was about to open my mouth and offer some more words of wisdom, but then remembered I needed to stop momming her. It was time she lived her own life. And I had to let go. Well, not let go-let go. She’d always be my family, and I’d always worry about her, but I could still do that and let her find her own way.
Lucy tossed her plate in a nearby trash bin, then came back alongside me where I’d chosen to hang back and people-watch. I was still a bit nervous to be there with so many people who knew the real me. It was a lot to take in.
Jack had told me Camila said she’d be seeing us again soon, but neither of us had expected it’d be this soon. At least it was for something celebratory. Jack had been incredibly over-the-moon happy when he’d learned his best friend and his wife were expecting. Being there to celebrate with Gray and Tessa seemed the perfect reason to reunite with everyone.
Time and time again, Camila really did prove she somehow knew things. Heck, she’d kind of been right about my future. I did die. I just came back, thank God.
And she’d even been on point about Shannon from the reality show not having a long life. She didn’t survive her first week in jail, getting caught up in a fight there. I hadn’t wanted her to die, but she did work with the cartel who tried to kill us, so I didn’t shed any tears at the news.
My head was still spinning from everything that went down, though. Sadly, the body of the woman Brant had killed after season one had yet to be found. And Erik was still MIA. I had a feeling we’d never hear from Erik again, and I supposed I was okay with that.
