by Eden O'Neill
This fucking dude. I popped my own collar. “You look like us, bro.”
He smirked. “Right.”
“Tell me, Mallick.” I propped an arm on his shoulder. “You going to hang with us all day or…”
Royal elbowed me. Again, weird as fuck. He rolled his eyes. “He needs a suit too. I’m sure the guys told you he’s a part of the wedding party.”
“They did.”
“So don’t make a thing out of it.” Royal lifted his eyes. “Anyway, I think we’re about done.” He pointed to Mallick. “You need to check in with Em or anything? Wedding stuff?”
“Yep. She did want to go over some of the particulars since I’m in town. After, I thought I’d hang out with you guys, though. If you don’t mind?” He shrugged. “December said I could tag along with her and the girls tonight, but I didn’t want to cramp her style being the only guy.”
LJ grinned. “You mean, eating dick cake and hanging at the strip club with a bunch of screaming women isn’t your thing, Mallick?”
Royal growled. “Em and I agreed no strippers.”
“Nah, man.” Knight propped an arm on his shoulder. “You said you weren’t doing strippers and hoped she wouldn’t.”
“Same thing,” he said, but a noticeable heat lingered there I felt. I obviously wasn’t too keen hanging out at a vineyard like some uppity-ass goober, but if that kept dongs out of Cleo’s face, I didn’t mind.
Yeah, this girl is totally in my head.
Might not be a bad thing, though.
“Well, you better hope that’s the same thing.” A darkness hit Knight’s eyes. “Greer doesn’t need to be seeing all that shit.”
“Would you guys just trust your girls?” LJ waved his arms. “Billie told me December said there weren’t going to be any strippers. We’re good.”
He pounded it out with us, but I noticed Mallick’s ass smiling a little too much before he joined in with his nod. He may know something we didn’t know. Being December’s man of honor and shit, but he better hope for his ass he didn’t know anything. We, Royal, may be civil with him now, but how the tides would turn.
Me: You heard from December about tonight?
Even still, it didn’t hurt to check, and as the guys broke off to get back into their street clothes, I texted Cleo.
Cleo: Yep, all set for tonight. Sounds fun too! The girls have rented a yacht. I was kind of worried about that at first, but it sounds exciting. LOL.
How could this girl be fucking cute through a goddamn text? I wet my lips.
Me: You’ll be fine, Girl Scout. Anyone goes overboard you’ll save their ass *wink emoji*
Cleo: Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Haha. It does sound fun, though. I’m excited.
Me: Good. Like I said, you’ll be fine. You have fun.
Cleo: You too. *heart emoji*
Me: And no strippers will be there, right?
I couldn’t help myself. They may be on a yacht, but…
Cleo: Doesn’t sound like it.
Me: Doesn’t sound like or…
Cleo: Jax.
Me: Just check will you please?
Cleo: *eye roll emoji*
She could roll her little emoji eyes at me all she wanted as long as there weren’t dicks flying in her face.
Cleo: Okay, just heard back. There will be NO strippers.
Me: Are you sure?
Cleo: Zero strippers.
Me: Okay, good. Have fun.
Cleo: You too. *kiss emoji*
Now, that I’d take. Smiling as I put my phone away. I was going to help my buddy enjoy his night, chilling at a vineyard, then the club later tonight, a nice trade-off for some peace of mind, I supposed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cleo
Okay, so there were definitely strippers.
There were strippers in the suite the girls had booked. Then strippers again on the party bus heading away from the hotel room. The finale had been strippers once more joining us all on the party yacht, and I got to stare awkwardly through the spaces of my fingers during it all.
I honestly hadn’t lied to Jaxen. December had texted me, telling me there would be no strippers. Apparently, they’d been a surprise because when December opened the door to the suite her friends had rented for our “pregame” drinks, a couple of officers with thighs the size of great oak trees and arms the size of cannons not only made her drop her drink on the carpet but fall back into her friends. She’d invited Knight and LJ’s girlfriends, of course, Greer and Billie, but also her high school friends Shakira, Kiki, and Birdie. It’d been the latter to book the strippers apparently.
“Oh my god. Royal is going to kill me!” December’d said as they had swarmed the hotel room. She’d looked like a knockout, of course, raven-colored tresses pulled up and pinned out of her face. A few strategically placed, curled spirals fell from the front and back of her do, nothing but a bold red lip on her mouth while she rocked a “Bride to Be” sash on her deep black dress. The rest of us wore “Bride Tribe” sashes, her friends equally hot and gorgeous. For starters, her friend Kiki looked like a model and apparently, had done a lot of print work lately in South Korea. Her jet black hair fell to her butt like mine, and since all December’s high school friends were tall, I actually blended in with them pretty well. I guessed they used to all play basketball in high school. Shakira and Birdie still did in college.
They’d all hugged December and kept her from fleeing, assuring her things were fine.
“Ramses has got the guys covered,” they’d said, and I had definitely heard the name before since it was unique. I guessed December had chosen her guy friend as her man of honor. “We made him promise to keep the other guys busy. It’s your night, girl!”
“That fucker knew about this!” she squealed, but laughed when the strippers grabbed her hands. She shook her head. “Royal is going to fucking kill him.”
“That’s if Knight doesn’t first. Oh, God.” This from little Greer who looked definitely just as mortified as me when large as hell dudes appeared and quickly began stripping every shred of clothing but the little piece of metallic man-panties they wore. I definitely think she was the youngest, and she hugged up against me, the pair of us an awkward fit of giggles and mess when the guys sashayed around us. Billie, LJ’s girlfriend, on the other hand, didn’t necessarily look comfortable when the strippers came around, but she didn’t appear stiff either. She may have been around the block a few times and merely laughed, clapping the party on.
She’d nudged me at one point. “I’d hate to be this Ramses guy later. Because once LJ finds out…”
She’d whistled after that, making both Greer and I laugh. Apparently, all the guys were just as intense as Jaxen.
It honestly made me smile. These guys were so hard, but seemed to love just as hard. I mean, I saw that with all three of the other girls, and I don’t know. It just made me think about Jaxen. Made me think about him in a way that warmed my stomach. I wondered if he loved just as hard.
I had a feeling he did.
Anyway, after the, um, impromptu surprises, the party eventually settled down on the yacht. The strippers hadn’t stayed long since they’d been with us half the night, and the girls and I settled in for a more intimate dinner of laughter and conversation. It was nice, just sitting around and hearing everyone’s stories. They were all in college except for Kiki who was a working model, and Shakira and Birdie planned to go into pro ball after they graduated.
“So proud of my girls,” December had said, true joy on her face the whole night. Especially when things died down and she just got to be with her girls. She was always smiling, happy, and when she wasn’t talking or the topic of conversation, she played with the ring around her neck. I recognized it.
In fact, Billie and Greer had the same rings, playing with them often as well. They were like the ring that Jaxen wore. I asked Greer about that at one point. She and I had stayed pretty close in our band of awkwardness, and she said it’d b
een Knight’s and he gave it to her.
“It means something to all of them,” she said, grinning, and by the way the girls all played with their rings, I could see the symbol meant something to them now too. These guys were all so very intense, deep. They were multi-layered, and though they didn’t appear to wear their hearts on their sleeves, they seemed to not need to. They showed how they felt in other ways apparently, and that almost seemed, I don’t know. Better. More special.
I considered that while I thought about Jax, thinking about him definitely more than once. I wanted to call him, like every second just to talk to him. It reminded me of when he called me that day at the coffeehouse just to talk to me.
I may be getting in a little deep here. Actually, I was probably beyond that. I had serious feelings for him, hard ones. He made my stomach just feel like it was going to explode and unravel at the same time, but only in a good way. I wanted him so deeply, wanted it to work. I knew in my heart he could love just as hard.
I just hoped it wouldn’t break me.
After dinner, we were all just chilling on the yacht, having drinks and basking in the light ambience. The sun had set and the boat was docked so we all had clear views of moonlit water while a local jazz band played off shore. Funny enough, I had no anxiety about the setting where I might normally have had. I felt okay, at peace, and something I hadn’t felt for a long time being around the water. My little brother’s death had changed so many things.
Jax: Hey, how you doing?
I knew he had something to do with it, Jax, and he always seemed to pop in right when I was thinking about him. I smiled.
Me: Really good. How about you?
Jax: Well. You girls having fun? No issues with the water, right?
My heart warmed that he was thinking about that, about me.
I darted my gaze around. Now that things had died down, everyone just chatted on deck, nothing but smiles around. It’d been a pretty awesome night.
Me: I’ve been good. No issues. *smile emoji* The girls and I are having fun too. Just hanging out.
Jax: Cool, Girl Scout. Real, cool. I knew you’d be okay.
My heart danced again.
Jax: Glad you girls are having fun too.
Me: Yeah, we are. It’s been great.
Jax: Great. So, uh, anything you want to tell me?
Crap.
Me: Tell you?
Jax: LOL. Yes, Girl Scout. Anything you want to tell me? Think long and hard.
Oh, no.
I didn’t want to panic, though, and give both myself and everyone else away.
But still if he knew.
Too much silence passed, and Jax’s text message bubbles popped up.
Jax: This isn’t a trick question. Just want to know if there’s something you probably should be telling me.
Me: Promise you won’t get mad?
Jax: Just tell me, and I’ll decide later.
Shit.
Me: Okay, so there were strippers, but I had no idea they’d be here. Really, I honestly didn’t.
Okay, so I was weak. Very weak, but it sounded like he already knew.
Jax: Figured.
Me: You did? How?
Jax: Ramses Mallick. I’m sure you already heard, but he’s December’s man of honor. Anyway, he’s hanging with us, and whenever the topic of you girls kept coming up, the fucker couldn’t keep the grin off his face. It was sketch as hell, so I felt like something was up. Some of the other guys picked up on that too, so Knight threatened to beat it out of him while the rest of us watched.
Oh, God.
Jax: It would have come to that too had LJ not managed to get his phone. I gotta give it to that fucker Mallick. He’s nothing if not loyal. Anyway, it was in his text messages back and forth with some of December’s friends that the girls had hired some. It was supposed to be a surprise for her or some shit.
I face-palmed myself.
Me: Are you mad?
Jax: Nah, not really.
WTF?
Me: You’re not? I mean, I’m happy you’re not. But you’re not?
He’d been very specific he wanted me to have nothing to do with exotic dancers of any kind.
Jax: LOL. No, Girl Scout. I’m not. After all, I call you Girl Scout for a reason.
Me: What’s that supposed to mean?
Jax: It means you’re innocent as hell and you probably spent half the night cringing and the other half hiding WHILE you cringed. I’m sure it was more awkward than anything else for you.
He thought he just knew me too well, didn’t he?
Me: Well, I didn’t hide…
Jax: And you just proved my point. LOL.
I rolled my eyes.
Jax: You’re cute. You’re innocent, and that’s one of the things I love about you.
He loved…
Jax: So, no, I’m not mad. Frankly, I’m having more fun watching these other bastards I call my friends lose their shit instead. The cavalry is coming by the way. Just thought I’d give you a heads up.
December popped up in her chair in the next second, flaring her arms.
“Shit, they’re coming!” she exclaimed before the other women surrounded her. “Ramses said the guys found out. They’re coming!”
Before everyone knew it, everyone’s phones started blowing up. Greer was instantly on hers, and Billie the same. They clearly were talking to their boyfriends, judging by the looks on their faces, and December was on hers too.
“Royal,” she started but wasn’t getting a word in. She rolled her eyes. She covered her phone. “Guys, prepare yourselves. They’re coming in hot.”
She returned her phone to her ear, clearly trying to talk down the conversation. Meanwhile, Shakira and Kiki surrounded Birdie who was on her phone yelling about something.
“Dude, you were supposed to keep shit quiet,” I heard Birdie say. Odds were she was speaking to Ramses herself. She groaned. “I mean, you had one fucking job to do, bro.”
The whole boat in a panic, I shot off a text.
Me: Something tells me the others know.
Jax: Uh-oh. LOL. Well, anyway. I’ll see you soon. Expect some fireworks. *wink emoji*
But I noticed not from him. He really seemed fine.
Like he trusted me.
I never would have ever thought we’d come to that place. But we had, somehow, someway.
I started to text him back that I was actually looking forward to seeing him in all the chaos, but my phone buzzed first.
My face fell.
Mom: What is this?
Mom: Why was I sent this?
Mom: What’s going on? Is this true?
Mom: I can’t believe this…
I had no idea what my mother didn’t believe was true.
My thumbs hovered to text back, but suddenly a picture buzzed through.
My stomach twisted instantly.
Jaxen… Jaxen and me in bed with his hand on my ass while he snapped a picture above us. He’d taken it the other day when we’d first started sleeping together again.
The night Lawson had left me on the side of the road.
But my mother had this.
Why did my mom have this?
Mom: Honey, your dad is very upset. Me too. What is this?
Oh my God. Dad had seen this?
Me: How did you get this?
Mom: So, it’s true? Of course, it’s true. I saw it. Oh, God. You slept with Jaxen, honey?
My mind whirled as her text message bubble surfaced, pure and absolute dread colliding with me. I waited for her response, but my adoptive father buzzed in.
Dad: I need an explanation for this. Tell me you guys didn’t…
But we had. We did. I just didn’t know why they had this picture. Mom said someone sent it to her, but the only person who had that picture was Lawson and me. Jaxen sent it from my phone.
Lawson.
Had he done this? Sent this? I mean, he could have. He had my mom’s number. Did through his mom since our
mothers were friends.
I waited with bated breath as she drafted her text back, feeling like I was going to fall over the side of the boat.
“Where the fuck are they?”
A growl from behind as the yacht rocked and five guys the size of marines shoved their way onto the scene. The quickest had been Greer’s boyfriend Knight, who made a beeline straight for her.
Her mouth parted. “Knight?”
“Where, Greer? And you better hope I find them first because Royal—”
“Is pissed the fuck off.” Directly behind, Royal pushed his way onto the scene. Of course, December rushed right to him, her hands up.
“Babe—”
“Don’t ‘babe’ me. We said no strippers.”
She patted his chest. “Okay, I didn’t technically say that.”
“Not helping your case, Em.” He was forced to stop his charge when December grabbed at his hands. “Tell me where they are. I’ll be cool. Just tell me were the fuck they are.”
“Well, I’m not going to be.” LJ this time, stalking his way over to his girl. “Beauty queen, really? You tell me there’s no strippers. I believed you. No strippers. I’m telling these guys to relax and trust our girls, and here I am looking like an asshole.”
“I mean, it doesn’t take much, my man.” A tall guy holding a casual grin sauntered into the belly of the beast. I didn’t recognize him, but his playful eyes and relaxed expression reminded me almost of Jaxen’s as of late. I mean, aside from the fact this guy was probably a head taller, held far more curl in his brown hair, and sported a golden complexion that made him naturally tan where most people around here had to try for it. He leaned into LJ. “I mean, you did just rush a bachelorette party.”
“You don’t talk, Mallick,” LJ growled. He started to go after the guy until Billie tugged him back.
She frowned. “You guys are Hulking out over nothing. Anyway, the strippers are gone. No harm done.”
The twitch in LJ’s eye said different and he draped an arm across Billie’s shoulders like he was staking a claim. Meanwhile, both December and Greer were still trying to talk their guys down, and in the chaos, I spotted Jaxen. He watched on for a bit like I had before colliding gazes with me and after that?
