“Sounds like it’s bound to happen.” Gage beams with pride straight from his pores, and suddenly I wish this party were on its tail end. I have a feeling tonight is about to give our one-night honeymoon a run for its sexed-up money—in our very ownhome!
Emma chokes. “Well, Ithink—”
Barron clears his throat and wraps an arm around Emma for a moment in that shut-the-hell-up kind of way. “What Emma is trying to say is, welcome to the neighborhood. You’ll be moving in just in time to put up the Christmas lights. The Paragon Estates community takes extra pride in decking the halls. At least the exterior that all cansee.”
Gage wraps his arms around me from behind. “Challenge accepted.” I feel the vibrations of his voice tremble over my back, and I can’t help but purr. “Skyla and I will have that house visible from the moon by Decemberfirst.”
“I can’t wait.” I spin into my beautiful husband’s arms. “And I want inflatables, and a thousand of those little signs that saySanta stops here, and tinsel on all theevergreens.”
“Oh dear!” Emma chortles as if I’ve just said something ridiculous. “I’m afraid we don’t do those kinds of things at the Estates. You’ll have to leave all those inflatables and cute little signs—and, my God,allof the tinsel here at the Landon house where theybelong.”
“Where they belong?” My tone is curt, and well, bitchy, but let’s face it, she drew firsttinsel.
“On that note.” Gage points to the small crowd at the base of the patio. “I think we’d better mingle with ourguests.”
Mia flags me over near the mobile home, and I make a break for my sweet little sister. “What’s up?” I give a little hop toward the girl who holds mylikeness.
“You’re up,” she snarls. “When is that little witch going to be shoved back in that disgusting oversized cage I keep in mybedroom?”
I blink at her a moment. It takes a second to register that the little witch in question is Emerson Kragger, and no sooner do I open my mouth to say something on the topic of cages and feathers than the witchy Goth owl herself shows up on thescene.
“What the hell.” Emerson grunts with that dead charm only she can exude. Her hair is dyed black as pitch, and her eyes are so drawn in with kohl all you see are two bright blue beacons staring back atyou.
“What’s going on?” No sooner do I ask the question than I recall the fact that Rev and Emerson have been rumored to be playing hide the Vienna sausage. And, why yes, I did take a moment to swipe at Revelyn Booth’s boy parts, but only because I have it on good authority he’s dipped said mini wiener into my sister—thus stealing her most prized possession, hervirginity.
Emerson gets in Mia’s face. “This twerp actually thinks I want anything to do with that wannabe biker with a boner the size of aChapstick.”
“Ha!” I bark out a short-lived laugh because Emerson and I happen to be on the same teeny-wieniepage.
Mia gives her a hard shove to the chest. “She slept withhim!”
Emerson gets in her face. “Only to get him off myback!”
“Whoa.” I step in between them. “Mia—clearly they’re not together. So please give Emerson some peace on earth”—I turn to the Goth queen with my lashes lowered—“while she’s still on it. In this form,anyway.”
Emerson bears her pearly white fangs and growls. “You should really consider keeping me around, Messenger. I’ve got balls, and I know how to use them. Not to mention the fact I’m genuinely on your side, unlike that idiot you entered into a covenant with.” She stalks off, and I catch her making a beeline for Pierce and Nat. My stomach goes sour at the thought of Chloe and thatcovenant.
“What’s she talking about?” Mia shakes it off as if she wasn’t all thatconcerned.
“Never you mind. Just stay away from Rev. I’m sorry you had to see his true cheatin’ heart colors shiningthrough.”
Mia rolls her eyes as if the thought were absurd. “It’s not cheating if we have an openrelationship.”
My mouth contorts into all shapes and sizes, but not a word evicts itself. For all the times I’ve been accused of having one of those very same things, it makes my skin crawl to think Mia is partaking willingly in such a ridiculousarrangement.
“Oh, save it,” she snips as she glares at someone coming up from behind. “I learned from the best.” She stalks off, and Gage lands by myside.
“Everythingokay?”
“Right as acidrain.”
“Come on, we’ve got guests.” He leads us straight to Laken and Coop, and I pull her into a tight rocking hug because God knows I need one after that bitch-fest only Emma canprovide.
They both wish me a happy birthday, and I’m quick to wave it off. “This day isn’t about me anymore. It’s all about Nathan—and Barron. I think from now on we’ll just have two parties back-to-back and celebrate both boys.” True as God. There used to be so much anticipation and excitement around my birthday and Gage’s, too, but this year it feels as if our birthdays were the least important news on theplanet.
“Sounds good.” Coop nods Gage over to the side, and they start talking shop. Gage has been helping Coop with West’s football team on and off since last summer, and they’ve just closed out theseason.
“Skyla.” Laken shakes her head and pulls me in by the elbow. “Are you freaking out over this whole Chloemess?”
