“We are. Are you glad this party is finally here?” I inquire, and he looks at me knowingly.
Emmett’s been stressing out about this event since they finalized the paperwork two weeks ago. Fortunately, Lizzy gave him creative control over the menu, which she thought would help, but it probably didn’t. Emmett is a perfectionist and couple that with his baby and one of the first large events he’s had… he’s been an absolute wreck.
“It looks amazing,” Will chimes.
Emmett looks up and sees a server walking towards him. “I’ll chat later,” he leans over and kisses my cheek. “Beckett. Will,” he nods before moving to meet the server.
“He seems stressed,” Beckett notes.
“He is. He loves this place and wants it to do well.”
“I was looking at their menu while I was waiting for Beck to get ready and it looks like they have some amazing food.”
“It’s all very good. I’ve tried most everything and you really can’t go wrong. Although…” I reach over to one of the tables and grab a card with the menu printed on it, then nod. “Yea, he has a select menu and this,” I point to a sandwich named ‘The Lizzy’, “is a special gourmet sandwich he made exclusively for the event tonight. And judging by the fact she’s not completely lost her shit, I don’t think she’s seen it yet.” I grab another menu and slip it into my purse. I’ll frame it with a nice matte and give it to her as a gift. A sandwich named after her, at her engagement party? Emmett went all out for her. I’d like to think he would have done it anyway, but I think part of it is because of me. He knows how much Lizzy means to me, so he wants it to be absolutely perfect for her.
We move to the side of the party, so we aren’t awkwardly in the middle of the dining room and they download me on everything that’s happened in the last two weeks since they were last up, which isn’t a ton. Beckett met Will’s mom, who recently started dating a man that Will called ‘fun’. He doesn’t elaborate with his description and I don’t dare ask after Beckett gives methatglance.
Beckett told me how mom’s been in a panic the last several days in prep for their Costa Rican getaway- the only reason they aren’t here. They’ve had it booked for months now and Lizzy forgot. My parents were bummed, but promised they would be at the wedding whenever it was and sent her a nice gift, she opened yesterday. A leather-bound vow notebook with their names embossed in gold foil on the front. Lizzy cried, then immediately video called them oohing and aahing over it, at which point mom started crying. It was a mess and the call wouldn’t be complete without a little jab at the end about mother looking forward to getting me that gift one day soon… hopefully.
She’s so wrapped up in the idea of marriage for me, even if it’s not what I want. Although, I guess to be fair, I haven’t told her that. Maybe I should start planting the seeds next time I see her.
Lizzy waves me to her side as she walks around the room talking to everyone. I love how inclusive she wants me to feel, even though this is her day. One of her many days. I can’t help but smile as I watch her work the room.
Glowing.
She’s absolutely glowing.
I’m so happy for her.
“You’re smiling.” Callum walks up beside me, hooking his hand around my waist.
“She’s so happy.”
He lets out a low hum. I know what he’s thinking. What he wants to say.
But he won’t.
We had an in-depth talk after my brother and Will left last time. He tried to convince me of everything I was giving up to be with them, but I shut him down. I told him I’d made my choice and I wasn’t leaving, so I didn’t want him bringing up weddings, kids, or my future happiness anymore.
“She’s glowing,” he agrees softly.
“What’s going on?” I turn to him, slipping my hand in his.
“Nothing. I just saw you over here looking so fucking delicious and I wanted to claim you. Mark you as mine, and by extension ours, since we can’t all claim you tonight. Men are looking at you in this dress and let’s just say it’s driving us all wild.”
I look around the room and see Emmett flittering from server to server, checking and prepping food, while Jax and Knox are standing with their heads together near Beckett and Will’s table, watching Callum and I.
“Well, you know I only have eyes for you four and no one else.”
He smiles, “You better.”
“Well, there was this one guy.”
His hand flattens on my lower back and he pulls me in tight, our hips touching one another, his cheek pressed to mine. “If you so much as think of another man, I will find him and end him. You are ours and no one else’s and if I have to fuck you right here in the middle of this floor to prove it, then I will,” his voice is low, and lethal, but a second later he changes to light-hearted, “But that would most definitely ruin your friends party and we don’t want that.”
“We don’t want that?” I mumble, my pussy clenching from his feral possessiveness. My mind was still stuck on him fucking me right here in the middle of the floor. I know other words were said, but they just sound like woo woo woo in my head.
If you would have asked me a year ago if I wanted a man to say those things to me, I would have said hell no, but when he does it. Fuck! It turns me on like a match in a gas can.
