Chapter 22
“Ari,”I hear the distant sound of Keaton’s voice but I push it to the back of my mind and snuggle deeper into my duvet. “Ari!” I hear again, this time I am being shaken softly to wake me up. I roll over onto my back and throw my arm across, swatting him.
“Leave me alone,” I groan, fuck, my head is pounding. Why did I decide to drink so much?
“We have a problem,” and I don’t miss the urgency in his tone.
I sit up, ignoring the way my head spins as I do. My hair is messy, my mouth is drier than the desert and I feel exhausted.
“Problem?” I hum, my eyes slowly falling heavy.
I squint my eye as I turn to face him and see him holding up his left hand, a wide ass grin on his face and I focus on the tacky yellow band that sits around his finger. Slowly lifting my own hand, my eyes widen when I see a yellow band wrapped around my ring finger with a large, pink heart shaped gem.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I just about manage as I reach over and grab the garbage can beside the bed and empty the contents of my stomach.
Shit.
Flopping back in the bed, I pull the sheets up to my chin. I’m naked. Shock. No doubt had the hottest sex last night but I can’t remember even a smidge of it.
“Your dad’s been on the phone,” and I facepalm myself, Keaton leaning towards me, playful green eyes, long unkept stubble and hair pulled in every direction.
We definitely fucked.
“Great,” hitting my hands into the duvet I sigh in frustration. “Going to have to talk to him now aren’t I? I can’t be mad at him when I agreed to marry you. What were we thinking?”
“Vegas Keaton was thinking,” he nods his head and my phone pings.
Turning my head to look at the bedside unit, my phone screen is lit so I reach for it and sigh when I see the numerous messages from my dad.
“I don’t have the energy to speak to him.”
“He has already screamed at me, give it a few hours,” Keaton scoffs a laugh before his fingers wrap over my hand. My eyes focus there for a moment, the wedding band that sits perfectly on his finger makes my heart thump a little quicker.
“How bad have we fucked up?” I breathe on a whisper, lifting my eyes and settling on him.
My dad’s best friend.
My husband.
“Depends how you look at it?” his thumb rubs back and forth over the back of my hand.
“And how are you looking at it?” I ask, genuinely curious as to what he will say.
“Like I have a hot as fuck wife on my arm…” he smirks and I let out a small laugh, “but, I know it’s going to cause issues for you.”
“Why for me?”
“Because of your dad. Titus will get over it with me, sure, he’ll be pissed… but he’ll be more pissed that you ran off to Vegas with his hot as fuck best friend and married him.”
“Few facts wrong there but, I’ll let it slide.”
“Oh yeah? What ones?” he teases, pushing up onto his elbow and I miss his touch.
“The hot as fuck best friend…”
His brows furrow.
“I don’t think you’re his best friend anymore.”
“And the hot as fuck…” he waits patiently as I climb out of bed.
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out,” I shrug, walking towards the bathroom completely naked knowing his eyes are me.
Once behind the door, I lock it and a small smile creeps across my lips.
Arizona Mills.
Does kind of have a nice ring to it.
My hangover hitsin full force and I am already over it. Covering my tired eyes with black rimmed large Gucci glasses, I delicately sit down at the breakfast table and ignore the burning sets of eyes that are settled on me and Keaton.
“Well, well, well…” I hear Dex say and I internally curse. “If it isn’t the happy newlyweds.”
Sage elbows him and he lets out a deep rumble of a laugh.
My eyes move to Reese who is rolling her lips and Killian definitely looks worse for wear.
“So, is Titus pissed with you too Killian?” Keaton pipes up beside me and I roll my eyes behind my glasses.
“Pissed is an understatement,” he grumbles.
“I say we just stay in Vegas,” Keaton looks between us all as if this is up for conversation.
“Not going to happen,” I sigh, reaching for the water in the middle of the table and I pour myself a full glass, drinking it in one.
“Thirsty, wife?” Keaton asks and I nearly choke on my intake of breath.
“Don’t,” I warn, my patience already wearing thin.
Killian chuckles softly and I watch as Reese swats him away and gives him a warning stare down.
“I’m starving, you guys eaten yet?” Keaton announces to the table and they all say no. I take that as my moment to gaze down for just a little while to see the gold band locked around his finger and my heart flutters for just a moment; but then real life smacks me in the face, hard. We need to get it annulled.
This isn’t a real marriage.
It was a stupid, drunk bet.
Both of us are two pig headed and strong willed to be seen as the weaker person. So, we went through with the marriage.
Stupid.
Stupid, stupid, girl.
My phone buzzes on the table and I don’t even look at it. I don’t need to. I know it’s my dad.
“Want me to speak to him? He is my father-in-law now…” Keaton licks his lips before they pull into a smile.
“I’m going to bury you,” I seethe, cutting my dad off and pushing away from the table and walking towards the buffet table.
Nausea floats through me making my stomach turn, my mouth watering and not in a good way. Suddenly, I feel hot and clammy as I try and ignore the feeling. Mind over matter. Mind. Over. Matter.
I continuously repeat to myself.
A hand grips on my shoulder and I freeze.
“You okay?” Sage asks softly and I look over my shoulder at her.
“Yeah, this hangover is kicking my ass. Feeling clammy and sicky…” I pause for a moment as another roll of nausea consumes me and I can’t help but turn my nose up at the smell of the cooked food.
“Hangover?” a brow lifts and I nod.
“Was so sick this morning. Could still be the back end of that stomach flu I had flying over. I thought it was motion sickness, it did sort of calm down, but I think the alcohol has made it worse,” and I hate it, but I whine. I am the worst when I am unwell.
Sage reaches for my glasses and pushes them on the top of my head. Squinting at the bright lights I cast my eyes down.
“Why would they make it so bright when ninety percent of their guests are hungover?” I groan, reaching for my glasses but Sage stops me.
“I don’t think it’s stomach flu,” she finally says.
“Sure it is,” I half laugh, eyes widening when they bring fresh bacon out and I gag. “Don’t be silly,” I laugh her off and step away from the buffet table to take my seat next to Keaton, but I don’t miss a chance to look over my shoulder at her as she loads her plate up. Dex is beside her now, arm wrapped round her waist as he places a soft kiss on the side of her head.
“You okay?” Keaton asks me quietly as he stands from the table and I just nod, suddenly unable to speak. “Want some food?” I shake my head from side to side. My appetite is gone. “Okay,” he says and hovers for a moment and I half expect him to place a kiss on the top of my head, but he doesn’t and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Killian and Reese.
“You okay?” Reese asks, leaning across the table and taking my hand in hers.
“I will be once this hangover leaves.”
“This feels like déjà vu,” she smirks as she looks at a grumpy Killian.
“I bet… how did you decide about an annulment?” I ask, pulling my hand from Reese and filling my glass up once more.
“That’s a story for another day, but I can point you in the right direction when you’re ready.” She smiles softly before standing from the table, tapping Killian on the shoulder and pulling him up with her and suddenly, I am alone.
My thoughts are loud, and Sage’s voice is the only thing on repeat.
I’m not alone long when she sits in front of me, giving me a small smile and I cover my mouth with my hand as the smell of her food fills my nose.
“How far gone would you be if you were pregnant? Hypothetically speaking, of course.” Sage’s question catches me off guard and I focus on her, staring and in a state of shock.
“Sorry?” is all I manage after a minute.
“How many weeks late are you?”
I blink again, mouth opening and shutting like a damn goldfish.
“I’m not,” I furrow my brow, shaking my head from side to side as I reach for my glass. I roll my lips, casting my eyes down for just a moment before rolling my shoulders back. A knowing smile sits on her face as she drinks from her own water glass.
“Are you?” I stare at her, waiting and hanging on for the words to slip past her lips.
She nods, and I see the happiness that is painted over her face. “Ah, Sage, that’s amazing…” I pause for a moment when realization smacks me in the face, “wait, is that why you think I’m pregnant?”
She laughs.
“I don’t think, I know. The way you’re feeling and acting was how I was in the early stages of my pregnancy. So, how many weeks are you?”
I sit, dumbfounded and wait for the shoe to drop.
Pregnant?
IfI was, I would be about three, four weeks if that… which means it could be either Keaton’s or my web cam friend… shit.
“I swear I’ve had my period this mo…” and as soon as that sentence leaves me, I realize that I in fact, have not had my period. “Fuck,” I put my head in my hands.
“It’ll be okay,” Sage’s hand cups over mine, rubbing her thumb in slow circles across the back of it as I breathe through the crushing anxiety that has presented itself in my chest.
“Will it?” I whimper as I lift my head to look at her, tears threatening.
“Keaton seems cool enough, and now you’re married… seems like fate, right?” I shake my head from side to side. “What?” she laughs, “he is not cool or…?”
“It may not be his…” and I’m going to throw up. Sage reaches for a napkin and pushes it into my hands as I empty the contents of my stomach in a somewhat discreet way and I am grateful my stomach isn’t that full.
I am just grateful no one else is around us, they’re all still over getting their food and coffees.
“Let’s go pick up some tests hm?” Sage smirks and I want to cry.
“Not yet,” I shake my head, “I just want to enjoy the rest of the morning without thinking or worrying about the possible human that will reside inside my womb for the next eight months,” I puff out my cheeks just as Keaton sits next to me and places a coffee down in front of me and a bowl of cereal.
“I know how much you like cereal,” he says softly as I try and hide the sick filled napkin.
“Thank you,” my voice cracks at his small gesture and I manage to keep a poker face, but inside, I am full blown ugly crying.