Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67553 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” I sighed. “Are you really okay with how fast this is moving?”
I mean, it really was a lot.
“I’m perfectly fine,” he said. “How about you?”
I thought about it long and hard for a few seconds before saying, “I feel like this was exactly how everything was supposed to happen.”
“Could’ve gone without the you getting hit in the face with a chair thing and then choking on a piece of celery after,” he pointed out.
I snickered and gingerly laid my head on his chest before saying, “What’s next?”
“Next, you plan a wedding,” he said. “We get married before you get too big to fit into a wedding dress, and we have a very happy ever after.”
I leaned my head back so I could see his face before saying, “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
Four and a half weeks later, I was standing in the middle of a church, getting married to the love of my life.
The only downfall to the entire evening was a certain detective crashing our after party.
Sometimes you just gotta let me be dramatic, and I’ll be normal again in a few hours.
—Brecken to Shasha
BRECKEN
“You’re fucking crazy, Brecken,” Shasha whispered in my ear as he walked off toward the coffee counter.
I stuck my tongue out at him, causing someone behind me to laugh.
I turned to find another girl standing there, watching us.
“Hello,” I said, trying not to be angry but failing miserably.
God, why did the man have to be so beautiful?
“Troubles?” she asked.
I shrugged, then decided…fuck it.
I didn’t have anyone else I could talk to.
“Well,” I said. “First, we’re at another coffee shop, and he and I are walking inside, and he lets me go in first, then holds the door for the girl behind me. She strikes up a conversation with him, and the man decides to hold one back with her. Meanwhile, I’m left standing there awkwardly at the side. All I can think about is the fact that this man is way out of my league.”
The woman’s lips twitched. “Did he tell you that?”
I scoffed. “Uptight stick up his ass Shasha Semyonov? Of course not. But look at me.” I gestured at my leggings, messy bun, oversized sweatshirt that I’d stolen from my high school boyfriend, and old as fuck Vans.
“I think that he loves you, bestie.” The woman smiled. “He’s been glaring at every person in here who even comes close to your space.” She glanced at my enlarged stomach. “And just sayin’, but you’re taking up some extra.”
I laughed and held out my hand. “I like the idea of being a bestie again. My name is Brecken. What’s yours?”
She took my hand and shook it. “You kind of know me, but you kind of don’t. My name is Faina.”
A little girl ran up to the woman and threw her arms around her knees. “Mama!”
The girl was around a year to a year and a half.
Since I had no baby experience, I couldn’t exactly say how old, but she was young.
“Ahh, my Catya.” Faina bent down to scoop up her child. “Catya, I’d like you to meet my new best friend, Brecken. Brecken, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Catya.”
The little girl was lifted up, and a familiar pair of chocolate-brown eyes stared at me with a face that I once knew well.
Viveka.
My heart stalled in my chest as I realized what Faina had meant earlier.
A man came up to her side and threw his arm around the both of them and said, “Boss.”
Boss.
I turned to Shasha and said, “Is this really her?”
“This is her.” He nodded.
I placed my hand over my heart and nearly started crying.
This was her.
The baby was safe.
Viveka had done it!
“Oh,” I sniffled. “That’s the best thing ever.”
Fuck you, Jolessa, for thinking she couldn’t.
“She’s so beautiful,” I whispered.
The man beside Faina grinned. “She is.”
“Hurry up and order, would you?” I heard called from my sister. “I really need to talk to you!”
“Fine, fine,” I said as I patted Shasha on the chest. “Can you order for us, husband?”
He winked. “Sure.”
I turned to Faina. “How do you feel about extracting secrets?”
“I love it.” She beamed.
I gestured for her to follow me to the table that McCoy, Nastya, JJ, and Milena were already occupying.
Faina took a seat, and then I turned to McCoy and said, “Okay, start.”
“You have to promise this goes no further than this table.” She narrowed her eyes.
The distress I could see on her face had me instantly offering up a promise.
“I swear on my life—” I started, but my sister interrupted me.
“I’ve witnessed your life lately. Swear on something else.” McCoy glared.
I sighed. “I swear on my George Strait autographed guitar that I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
My sister wilted. “Okay, so I slept with Kincaid McCall.”
Everyone gasped.
“You slept with your sworn enemy?” I leaned in.