It was getting late and I wanted to sleep, and my bulked-up ass was also pretty sore from Damon’s pounding, but Jon had a lot on his mind. At least I mostly just had to nod and smile or agree to the freight train of his conversation.
But then came the moment I’d been dreading.
“I can’t wait to meet Shane!” Jon bubbled. “Will he be coming for Christmas as well?”
“No,” I said. “Shane…won’t be coming to Christmas.”
“But he’s definitely still coming to the wedding, right? God, I can not change that seating plan around again,” Jon moaned.
“Yeah. Yeah, he’s still coming to the wedding.”
I don’t know who said it. It sounded like me, but it couldn’t have been, right? Because that was the perfect time to get it over with, to admit I’d been dumped, take the pity and the commiserations on the chin, and get Jon to move the damn seating plan around again.
But seeing Cooper and Jon so happy and in love was tough, and I was tired, and—maybe most of all?—I really wanted to see Damon again.
ASAP.
So, yeah. I lied.
“That’s great,” Jon said in relief. “Mama Kincaid would have lost her shit if we had to change things up again. Sorry, Cooper,” he added, turning to his fiancé, “but you know it’s true. Your mom is a lot.”
The irony of his statement didn’t seem to occur to Jon. He was also the kind of guy most people described as “a lot” behind his back.
That said, he wasn’t wrong about Mrs. Kincaid, either.
“Oh, I know,” Cooper agreed with an easy smile. “And that’s good news, Tyler. But right now I think we should let you get some rest.”
Thankful that Cooper, at least, could read the room, I saw the lovebirds out the door, locked it for the first time in a long time, and leaned against it, letting out a long breath.
There was only one thing I could do now. I picked up the phone and, instead of sending a brief text to Damon to let him know I got home safe, I called him instead.
“Ty, what’s up?” he answered, sounding alert and worried. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Physically, at least.”
“Oh, damn,” he said with a sigh. “We really need to make more time for aftercare. I knew I should’ve made you stay over.”
I gave a wild laugh. “You know what, I kinda wish you had. But it’s not about the aftercare, man.” I breathed in deep through my nose, and decided to just get it out there. “So, listen: you know how you offered to play the part of my ex for this wedding…”
Chapter 3
Damon
“Do I look okay?” I tugged at the buttoned-up collar of my shirt in the mirror, uncomfortable with how strange it felt, and pulled off my tie. We were already half an hour late for the first night’s welcome party. I undid the top button and felt like I could breathe again. “I don’t have to wear a tie tonight, right? It’s more informal?”
Tyler dashed behind me. He’d been running to and fro ever since I arrived, as though there were little fires to stomp out, and they kept sparking up around his cabin. It was a nice place—a log cabin on the outside, and on the inside, dark wood walls, a whole bunch of modern furniture that was also surprisingly comfortable, and a cozy loft area for the bedroom, accessible by a sturdy ladder that could also be pulled out and locked to become a staircase.
I couldn’t wait to get Tyler up to that loft later on.
“Mrs. Kincaid is a stickler,” Ty said, screeching to a halt behind me. “You definitely need a tie. Oh, God. We’re so fucked. We’re so fucked.”
The adorable freckles across his nose were standing out starkly. I turned and took his shoulders. “Hey. Blakely. We’re not fucked. This is just a bit of fun, something to get me out of New York while my douchebag ex is there, and to get your friends off your back. We’re not, like, robbing a bank or something.”
He took three deep breaths, looking into my eyes, as I resisted the impulse to kiss him. Under my hands, his shoulders started to descend from the ends of his red-brown hair to a more normal position. “Yeah? You with me?”
“I’m with you.”
“Just three nights. Just a bit of fun. Hell, once we’re done with dinner tonight, I wouldn’t mind having a bit of fun back here, you know what I’m saying? We’re far enough away from the house, right?”
