Chapter 11
I jerked away from the door and looked at Lucas. Standing next to the bed, his erection pointing at me, he looked like a sex-crazed superman with his muscles and his beard and his bedroom eyes. I hurried over to him while flailing my arms towards the door. “Your sister is at the door!”
He stroked my sides and pulled me into his chest. “She’ll go away.”
More knocks sounded at the door. I pushed away from him and ran my hands down my face. “Hold on! Be right there! I’m getting dressed!”
Lucas groaned and looked down at his cock. “This sucks.”
I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “You have to hide.”
He moved around, grabbing his clothes, grumbling. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m not happy about this. Andrew and Warren are going to love fucking with me about it.”
I watched his bare ass move into the bathroom and groaned. I was the sex-crazed one. Without a doubt.
He was hidden, as well as he was going to be hidden, so I did a scan of the room to make sure it was okay and then looked myself over in the mirror over the dresser. I looked...fucked.
Fixing my hair and buttoning my pajamas up to my throat, I shook my head and went to the door. Pulling it open, I tried to look like I’d just crawled out of bed. “What time is it?”
Macy rolled her eyes and pushed past me. “It’s ten in the morning, you bum. I want you to have brunch with me. I miss you.”
I watched her sink onto my bed and winced. “Okay. I just need a bit to wake up and get ready. That sounds good, though. I miss you, too.”
“And I came to apologize desperately for last night.”
A wash of shame hit me. She was apologizing to me while I was hiding her brother in my bathroom. “No need. You didn’t do anything, Mace.”
“No, I set you up with Mark, not knowing that he was an inappropriate idiot. I would have fought him last night, but I was a little drunk myself. It took me waking up and talking to Jason this morning to remember. I’m sorry. So, so sorry. You don’t need to deal with one more asshole after Milo.”
I sat down next to her and shrugged. “He was a raging asshole, but I’m fine, honestly. You don’t need to apologize for him.”
“I just know that this isn’t as much fun for you as it is for everyone else. Between the breakup with Milo and my brothers, you don’t seem like yourself.”
“Your brothers?” Had I squeaked? I’d squeaked. Oh, god.
“Yeah, my brothers. I’ve noticed them bothering you. It’s like nothing has changed.” She shook her head. “They were so mean to you when we were younger, and I really thought they’d gotten better.”
I rubbed at my face, trying to hide the fact that I was blushing. “They’ve been really nice to me so far. And I’m fine, Macy. You don’t need to worry about me. This is your wedding! You have more important things to worry about.”
Frowning, she shook her head. “I’ve seen how tense you are around them.
I don’t know why I thought that ten years would make everything they did to you back then go away.
Of course, you’re still upset about it. Even if they are being nice, it’s not like you can forget all the hell they put you through. ”
I shifted, so uncomfortable with the conversation. “It’s really okay, Macy. Really.”
“It’s okay? Yeah? They told every guy in high school that you smelled like rotting fish and had a disease that made your crotch have constant gangrene.
” She stood up and paced. “They cut your hair off when you were eight and put itching powder in your underwear every weekend for years before you realized it. You were convinced you might actually have gangrene.”
I glared at her. “I don’t need help remembering, Mace. Thank you, though.”
“Are you... Do you like them now?”
I groaned. “Macy! I don’t know. They’re all being so nice and it’s been great not having to think about all that shit they did.”
“They’re winning you over, aren’t they? As glad as I am that you’re not as miserable as I was worried you were, I don’t like that they’re charming you.
” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not liking them better than me, are you?
Everyone always falls for them. They’re great, and I know that, but just once, I’d like to not be in their shadow. ”
My heart ached for my best friend. I pulled her into a hug and then squeezed her cheeks.
“Macy, you’re in no one’s shadow. You’re amazing and wonderful and everyone is here for you.
You’re the bride. You’re the princess and you don’t need to worry about anything.
Especially me and especially me liking anyone more than I like you. You’re my best friend.”
She sank back onto the bed and sighed. “Sorry. I know I’m being crazy.
I’m hungover and tired and the rest of the family is coming in tonight, or tomorrow, and I’ve already got a headache just thinking of them.
And, you know, I do feel a little sad that you’re being won over by the triplets.
You were the only person I ever had who didn’t think the sun shined out of their asses. ”
I grinned. “I assure you, I don’t think anything shines out of their asses.”
“Thank god.”
“And your family will be fine. Your parents will handle most of them. And if you need a break, just have Jason rush you away. It’s your wedding, Mace. Spoil yourself.”
She pulled me into a tight hug and held on. “I love you. Thanks for bringing me back down.”
I didn’t let go of her for a bit longer, guilt consuming me. “I love you, too.”
Finally, she pulled away and stood up. “Okay. I’ll let you get dressed and ready. Maybe a shower. You smell like a man. I’ll go ahead and order food for us, though. Meet me in half an hour?”
“That works for me. I’ll make sure to scrub the stench off of me for you.”
She rolled her eyes and waved me off before leaving.
I sank onto the bed and held my head in my hands. I was a monster. I was trash. I was the worst friend in the entire world. I hated myself in that moment.
A few seconds after the door shut, Lucas was kneeling in front of me, cupping my face in his hands. “That wasn’t great.”
I looked at him, at the sexy man who’d comforted me and then given me wild pleasure the night before, and felt so confused it hurt.
“I’m not even sure what to address first.” He trailed off. “I hadn’t thought about the torture we’d put you through when you were growing up. It left some scars, didn’t it?”
I closed my eyes and nodded. “I think...I think I need some time. I’m really struggling with what I’m doing to Macy.”
“You’re not doing anything to Macy. Making yourself happy isn’t a comment on your feelings for my sister. She knows you love her. And she loves you.” He sighed. “We do need to talk about our history, though. Will you meet us tonight so we can talk?”
I nodded. I needed answers. Ignoring everything from the past wasn’t going to work. When Macy brought it up, I still felt that ache from childhood. It hadn’t gone anywhere.
“Good.” Standing up, he pulled me up and into his chest and kissed the top of my head. “I don’t want to leave you feeling sad like this.”
“I’m okay. Besides, you heard your sister. I smell like a man. I need to shower and get ready to meet her.”
“Let me watch?”
I sent him a withering glare.
“You’re right. Terrible idea.” He looked through the peephole and paused with his hand on the door. “I’ll see you tonight, Cupcake.”
After Lucas left, I spent some time getting ready and then I went down to have brunch with Macy.
Jason joined us, so it was relaxed, and we didn’t have to talk about her brothers anymore.
I ate my feelings, which pretty much assured that I was going to look like stuffed sausage in my maid of honor dress, but I couldn’t help it.
The resort had the best food. Plus, I was stress eating.
We spent a few hours together in the restaurant before Macy convinced me to run into town with her again.
Maggie had latched onto her and wasn’t letting go, but Macy planned a trip to buy lingerie that would get rid of her underaged cousin.
She wanted to get something special for Jason, so we went to the specialty lingerie shop in town with a driver from the resort.
It was nice to get away with just her, and I could almost put aside what I was doing behind her back when we were away from everyone.
“Look at this one.” Macy held up a tiny piece of lingerie that looked like string more than underwear. “Jason would die.”
I laughed. “Is that what you’re going for? Dead husband?”
She put it back and then grabbed a bra set that was just as minimal. “This would look great on you.”
I rolled my eyes at her and moved on. “Are you planning on sticking to something white?”
“Why? We both know I’m not any kind of virginal.”
Laughing, I walked around and stopped short when I spotted the most beautiful piece of clothing I’d ever seen.
I grabbed the beautiful white lace set that took my breath away and sighed wistfully without even realizing it.
There was silk and lace, and it was all tied together with delicate ribbon.
One light tug and the entire set would slip away. It was so sexy and stunning.
“Oh, Sara. That is so pretty. It’d look fabulous on you.”
I jumped and released it. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. Get it. It’s gorgeous and you’d look like a sexy angel in it.” Macy grabbed the hanger and pushed it into my arms. “You have to.”
I pushed it back towards her. “I don’t need it.”
“Sara, you do. When’s the last time you bought something sexy like this?”
I hated that I couldn’t even remember a time when I had. It’d always just been whatever panties and bras were on sale. Looking down at the set, I slowly shook my head, trying to remember that I really didn’t need the set and I wouldn’t even look all that good in it.
“Get it for yourself, or I’m going to get it for you.”
I recognized the stubbornness in her tone and groaned. She wasn’t kidding. There was no way I could let her buy anything for me that I could ever possibly use for her brothers. Sighing, I took it from her and rested it gently across my arm. “Fine.”
“And buy yourself some nice panties while you’re here. You deserve something sexy.”
I didn’t want to argue with her more than I already had about my panty situation, so I just grunted and walked away.
Once I got started, it was hard to stop, though.
Before I knew it, I was getting fitted for the perfect bra and I was leaving with more matching sets of panties and bras than I’d ever had.
Plus, the little white number was hidden at the bottom of the bag, a secret weight that I couldn’t stop thinking about.
“This was nice. I really needed to get away from Maggie. She keeps telling me about her boyfriend and how he’s probably going to propose soon. She’s in school, still! I’m having to use all of my energy to not shout at her to enjoy her youth.”
I grinned. “Like we did. With a long line of losers.”
She hesitated. “You know what? I think I’ll tell her to marry him as soon as possible.”
We were both still giggling and reminiscing about the different losers we’d dated when we arrived back at the resort.
Macy went to find Jason and show off her goodies before the movie night and I headed towards my room to unload my stuff and maybe try something on.
I had sexy underwear for the first time, and I wanted to put it on and see how it felt.
Who knew? Maybe I’d step into a new bra and panty set and suddenly be a new, confident woman?
Swinging my bag, I almost felt like humming as I went down the grand staircase and was swept into a big pair of arms and pulled back into a dark corner. I gasped just before a big hand went over my mouth to silence me.
“Quiet, Cupcake.”