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“To Sky!” Jo yelled, thrusting a slender hand in the air. Champagne sloshed over the rim of her cup.
“To Sky!” Everyone met her glass.
Their smiles were contagious and Jewel found herself laughing without restraint. She’d never experienced such warmth and genuine friendship. To be honest, she hadn’t thought she could smile this hard after… everything.
“Thanks, guys.” Sky tossed a short, bouncy curl away from her cheek. Warm, brown eyes sparkled. “I can’t imagine celebrating my bachelorette party with anyone else.”
“I still think we should have gone clubbing,” Carrie said, draining her glass.
“We go dancing every month, Car.” Jo rolled her eyes.
Carrie snorted. “We hang out at Sweet Treats way more than that.”
“It’s fine. I love this place.” Sky smacked Carrie’s arm. “Stop complaining.”
Jewel slinked to a corner and sighed. Last week, they’d batted around bachelorette party ideas. Jo and Carrie toyed with going dancing, hiring a party bus with strippers or relaxing at a spa.
Sky had knocked them all down, claiming she didn’t want to do anything special. But Jewel knew why she’d rejected those ideas.
It was her fault.
Jewel couldn’t stand to be touched, so dancing in a crowd or hiring male strippers wasn’t an option for her. Going to a spa would be a nightmare. She’d been prepared to quietly back out of whatever plans were made so she didn’t spoil anyone’s fun.
Sky hadn’t given her the opportunity.
Jewel had never met a soul as pure and good-hearted as Sky Johnson. Her boss didn’t know the details of her past, but she’d protected her anyway and looked out for her so Jewel could avoid uncomfortable situations.
Sticking around Sweet Treats had been a selfish move, but Jewel had never felt such acceptance. Just the thought of moving away from these women was akin to torture.
Last year, she’d broken down and shared a glimpse of her past with Carrie, but what she’d revealed hadn’t even scratched the surface.
It was better if they thought she was just a strange, socially awkward woman who’d been abused as a child. In fact, this past year had been so perfect that she’d started to believe her own lie.
“Jewel, what are you doing over in the corner!” Carrie yelled.
“Here.” Jo pulled up a chair. The legs scraped against the ground, moaning in protest. Jo slapped the seat and tucked her legs under her, head tilted toward Sky who lounged in the chair across from them.
Jewel jogged over and took her place in the circle.
“So, I’ll ask the question on everyone’s mind,” Carrie said, munching on one of Sky’s savory chocolate brownies. “How are you and Joon holding up with the no-sex rule?”
Sky’s light brown skin reddened.
Jewel pulled her lips in and tried to hide her amusement.
Jo wiggled her eyebrows. “Have you caved yet?”
“No.” Sky rolled her eyes. “And neither has he. We both agreed that staying abstinent until the wedding night will make it even more special.”
“I doubt you ‘both’ agreed to that,” Carrie snorted.
Joana burst out laughing.
“A relationship is built on more than just the physical,” Sky said like a teacher to a pack of misbehaving students.
Carrie shook her head, clicking her tongue in disagreement. “I admire you two. I really do, but I can’t imagine holding out for so long. Benson tortured me for three weeks before we got to business. Now we can’t keep our hands off each other. Let me tell you, we’ve soiled every part of that club…”
“Ew! TMI!” Sky lolled out her tongue.
