“What?”
“How?”
“When?”
“No freaking way!”
“You can’t be serious.”
Pandemonium. Chaos. Bedlam And all the other words that convey all of my friends talking over each other and hurling questions in my direction after Grant drops the bombshell revelation I’ve been keeping a secret for far too long.
“Thanks for that,” I mouth to him. Grant smiles wickedly and shrugs at the absolute mayhem he’s caused, drawing an eye roll from me. So much for feeling it out.
The questions keep coming, but this time I can at least decipher who is saying what.
“Taylor Baker, you better explain right this second,” Ivory demands from behind me. Her voice is a bit harsh with a tinge of hurt. We just agreed no more secrets between us and here I am holding in the biggest of all.
“Like a fake marriage, right? Because my best friend did not get married and not tell me,” Gabby says next.
“Was this an accidental Vegas thing?” This from Preston.
Miller pipes up next. “Arranged marriage?”
“I had a feeling. Is this, like, a newthing?” Chase asks.
“What do you mean you had a feeling?” Gabby looks at her boyfriend.
“There are vibes, Princess. You were suspicious too.” He pulls her into his chest.
Ivory exchanges a worried look with Gabby. “Are you in trouble?”
What trouble could I be in that would require marriage? They’ve been reading too many books.
“Shotgun wedding?” Preston asks hesitantly.
“Oh!” Miller’s eyes get big, and it looks like a lightbulb just went off in his head and he finally connected the dots. “Are you . . .” He leans closer and puts a hand over his mouth to whisper “. . . with child?”
“You can’t ask her that!” Gabby slaps Miller in the back of the head.
“It’s a valid question,” he argues.
“Insensitive.” Grant’s words cut through the noise, always my defender.
“Even I know you don’t ask a woman if she’s pregnant,” Chase adds, smugly.
Ivory glares at Preston and Miller. “I thought you knew better than that. Both of you.”
“I’m just saying what other reason would the boss man have to marry her? No offense.” Miller holds his hands up.
“A lot taken,” I deadpan. “Can we at least sit down for the rest of this interrogation?”
Gabby throws her hands in the air. “She jokes. We find out she’s married and she jokes!”
“Don’t be so dramatic. I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets around here,” I toss back at her. It’s a bit hypocritical considering her recently exposed secrets but my defense mechanism is to fight.
“Low blow.”
“Whatever,” I mutter, walking over to the table.
