“This is nuts,” I breathed.
“It’s perfect,” he whispered.
Someone cleared their throat behind me, and Austin reluctantly pulled back, his hand slipping away from my waist. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself, already missing the warmth of his touch and the sense of security it gave me.
“Hi, Austin. I’m Jennie, her best friend,” Jennie said with a grin, stepping forward.
I laughed and moved over to her. “Sorry, that was rude of me. I should’ve introduced you.”
Jennie rolled her eyes playfully. “And miss that ridiculously hot moment? No way. I needed popcorn. It felt like I was watching one of those romance movies where the enemies finally become lovers.”
I playfully pushed her and she chuckled.
“Hi, Jennie,” Austin offered his hand.
He was so incredibly handsome, and after this evening, he was... mine.
On paper. He was mine. On paper only.
“Are you ready?” Austin gestured to his car, and I nodded.
“Let’s go,” Jennie said and piled into the back.
He held the front passenger door open for me, and we paused there for a moment.
I swallowed, taking in his blue eyes, his sheepish grin, the way his smile filled his cheeks. “I’m ready.” I nodded and jumped into the car.
He chuckled as he got into the driver’s side, and we drove the short distance to his mom’s house... to my wedding.
18
austin
She was breathtaking. My soon-to-be wife—God, she looked stunning. The handful of times I’d seen her before, she’d always looked beautiful, but this dress... it did something incredible for her. The way her breasts spilled over the neckline, the way her golden curls cascaded past her shoulders, and that red lipstick—I couldn’t help but think about how much I wanted to see it on my dic?—
Nope. I had to push those thoughts away. We were just roommates. That was the deal.
“Does your mom know about all this?” she asked as we drove to my mom’s.
I nodded. Ledger had told her, and she insisted on setting up the garden in the back for the occasion. I told her she only had a few hours, so I had no idea what it looked like, but I could only hope it wasn’t too over the top.
“Your mom?”
She shook her head. “I’ll tell my mom and brother when it’s done. Maybe tomorrow.”
“We could do it together,” I said as I pulled onto my mom’s street. I glanced over at her for a split second to see her brows furrowed. “I mean, if you want to, of course. No pressure.”
“Right.” She cleared her throat. “No pressure.”
“What do you need from me, Charlie?” Jennie, her friend, asked from the back seat.
“Maybe you could see if Mrs. Cole needs any help.”
My heart fluttered another beat. She remembered that my mom was married and we had different last names.
“Perfect.”
“Jennie, do you think I could get a few minutes with Charlie before we head out there?”
