Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Without explanation, I bring the cup to her lips. She doesn’t know why she’s taking a drink, but she’s a good girl, so when I tip it back, she swallows without question, holding my gaze.
Warmth moves through me. I move the cup away from her mouth, then I explain, “Vanessa wanted to know how her lemonade tasted.”
“Oh.” She flashes the girl a smile. “Tastes good to me.”
Vanessa offers a tepid smile back. “Thanks.”
I catch Cassie’s chin, leaning in and kissing the sweetness off her lips. Initially, I was only kissing her to make a point, but now that her mouth is pressed against mine, her hand reaching naturally to pull me close, I’m wishing we didn’t have to do any of this bullshit, and we could just go home.
Cassie pulls back gently, looking up at me with that loving glint in her eyes. She wants the same thing, but she has a responsibility and wants to help her friends, too.
“Sweet enough for you?” she teases.
“I wish we still had that bed set up in the library,” I murmur.
She grins, leaning in for one more kiss, then pulling away and putting space between us so she can accomplish her tasks without being distracted.
I glance at Vanessa but don’t bother answering about the lemonade. It wasn’t an authentic concern, anyway.
I drift back over to where the guys have gathered. “Vanessa still at it?” Silvan asks.
“She should have tried taking a picture of Cassie’s face and making a mask out of it,” Hex says lightly. “That may have worked for at least a second.”
I crack a smile. I don’t tell him she could get facial reconstruction surgery to look exactly like Cassie, and it wouldn’t make a difference to me. She could never be Cassie.
Vanessa doesn’t really like me, anyway. She’s just another Nina—looking to marry into a certain kind of lifestyle, to snag a certain type of husband. There’s nothing wrong with having a type, but she’s wasting every second she spends looking in my direction because the only wife I’ll ever have is already wearing my ring.
I know the moment the other girls notice it because I hear the dramatic gasp and see Sophie grab Cassie’s hand.
“Oh my god,” Sophie says, her face brightening with excitement. “Did he finally do it?”
“Finally, she says.” Hex shakes his head. “Like we all have a foot in the grave.”
I smirk, but I know he doesn’t get it. I move closer to the girls, and Hex abandons his throne to join us too, never one to miss a show.
Cassie beams, holding out her hand and moving her pretty fingers to draw attention to her new engagement ring. It’s in the art deco style she’s been drawn to since we first got the idea for the wedding theme. I picked an estate piece from the 1920s because I knew she’d prefer something with real history to something new. Besides, I buy her plenty of new jewelry. I wanted her wedding jewelry to be something different.
“It’s so pretty,” Sophie gushes, inspecting it at different angles, probably to judge the sparkle.
Addison drops her clipboard on the nearest table and comes over to inspect the goods as well. “What are we looking at?”
“Tor proposed,” Sophie announces, holding out Cassie’s hand.
“Aww.” Addison takes a look. “Good job, Tor.”
“I love the style,” Vanessa says, sounding much less enthused, but not wanting to be left out. “It’s so unique.”
“It’s perfect,” Cassie says, gazing at me with a fond smile on her pretty face. “For us—and for the wedding theme.”
Addison’s eyes widen. “You already have a theme? Man, so many of our friends are getting married. We’re in for a real war of the weddings. Do you have a date set?”
Cassie opens her mouth, but before she can answer, Hex interrupts.
“Are you pregnant?” he asks, tactlessly, as he often is.
“What? No,” Cassie says, frowning at him.
“Then what’s the rush?” he asks, glancing at me.
“When you know, you know,” I tell him.
And I’ve known for a long time.
Silvan slaps Hex on the back. “Soon you’ll be the only bachelor around this place.”
“And the only sane one,” he says with mild disdain, which only grows when he looks down at the clipboards. “Why am I even here for this? I don’t volunteer for things.”
“Because you have a soft spot for Brynn,” Addison teases, earning a glare from Killian, who loudly drops a stack of Brynn’s signature packets on the table. “Not that kind of soft spot, Tiger,” Addison says, rolling her eyes. “Relax.”
They have a contentious friendship, so Killian still shoots her a look, then he walks away from us, probably to round up Brynn. She’s already at it with a clipboard, harassing a student she saw walking by to sign her petition, but she’ll want to see Cassie’s ring.
“Anyway,” Sophie says, trying to talk to Cassie over the chaos, “what’s the theme?”