23. Pen
23
PEN
L ake insisted on driving me to Wren’s, saying the guys were meeting up for a drink and that he’d pick me up whenever I was ready. It felt different from the times Carter would go out, and I hadn’t minded in the slightest when Lake had kissed the hell out of me in his sister’s kitchen either.
She’d thrown a dishtowel at him before chasing him out the door with a laugh. I’d barely taken my coat off when Reid and Harlan came in, Harlan carrying two huge bags that he placed on the counter without a word.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Reid says casually.
Harlan’s gaze moves from Wren to me before landing on Reid again. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to guys’ night?”
Reid scrunches up his face. “I grew up with those animals. Besides, I’ll trade bar food for wine and chocolate anytime.”
“And I’d rather be home, Christmas,” Harlan says pointedly, and I can’t hide my smile as Reid’s cheeks heat. They’re adorable and even though I haven’t talked to Reid in a long time, I’m so incredibly happy for him.
For them.
“Save it for later, you two,” Wren says, earning a glare from Reid and a smirk from Harlan. “Harlan, have you met our runaway bride? She’s Lake’s best friend; we’re just stealing her for the night.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Harlan says, offering me his paw of a hand. I take it and smile.
“You too.”
Stepping back, he nails Reid with a stare. “You owe me.”
“That’s not the threat you think it is,” Reid teases, following his boyfriend out the door and stumbling back in a few minutes later, flushed and panting.
“Need to stick your head in the freezer?” Wren asks him as I take a long sip from my wine glass.
“I can’t help that my boyfriend is hot.” Reid grins as Wren hands him a glass. “Speaking of hot, please tell me your boss is some chiseled city god you plan to bang in his office.”
Wren narrows her eyes at him as I shove a cracker in my mouth because wow that was descriptive.
“You realize you’re not supposed to sleep with the people you work with, right?” she says, making him shrug and me reach for another cracker.
“Why?” Reid says before turning toward me. “Pick a side.”
“What? Oh,” I stammer as they both look at me expectantly. “I think coworkers is fine, but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to sleep with your boss.” I pause, frowning for a second before lifting a shoulder and letting it drop. “But what do I know? I ran away from my wedding and have been shacked up with my best friend that I’m now dating and having sex with so…”
“That’s my girl,” Reid preens as I stare at my half-empty glass accusingly because that was totally an overshare—not that they seem to mind. “We’ll get to you in a second.”
“Then yes ,” Wren huffs, “Merrick Ellis is the type of man you want to bend you over his desk and ruin you for any other man. But hotness aside, he’s done nothing but stomp through the building to and from his office. He’s an asshole, and I’m already tempted to find another job.”
“Don’t do it,” I tell her. “Job hunting sucks.”
“This calls for more wine,” Reid says, grabbing the bottle and motioning toward the couch. I laugh as I sit and tell them the entire sordid tale of running away from the altar, kissing Lake, going to see Carter and close out my old life, and coming home to Lake and being happier than I’ve ever been while also being blacklisted for every job I applied to.
“And then today, when you texted, I was standing in the middle of Dress Me Up looking for the wedding dress I fell in love with but thank God didn’t wear because it would have been tainted.” Slumping back in the chair, I sigh. “Not that it matters; it wasn’t there anymore.”
“When you marry my brother, it will be perfect,” Wren says confidently.
“As long as he’s there, that’s all I need.”
Wren and Reid stare at me, their expressions adoring and I feel it too, because marrying Lake—when he asks me—will be nothing like marrying Carter. It’ll be for us, and damn if that doesn’t have me smiling the rest of the night.