Loren cleans it carefully and then places gauze and plastic wrap on it. “Keep this on for the rest of the day. Make sure any time you touch the area that you wash your hands thoroughly first. You donotwant to get it infected. You can use warm water and fragrance-free soap to clean it. Gently. Pat it dry, don’t rub.” He grabs something off the shelf behind me. “Put this lotion on, and make sure everything gets covered in it. Repeat that two to three times a day for the next week. Here’s a sheet that tells you everything you need to know. If there are any issues, or you’re concerned about anything, call us here. Don’t google it.”
“Google is my friend.”
“You need better friends,” Loren says dryly. “When it gets itchy, don’t scratch it. You’ll be tempted. Don’t.”
“No scratching, got it.” I carefully lift my pants, trying my best to avoid the area. It’ll be fun trying to keep the fact that I’m feeling very tender right from Grady. I’ll have to distract him with really good alcohol. I’ll make a trip to a Dan Murphy’s on the way home.
“No regrets?” Avery asks me, squinting as though he’s waiting for me to be all, “Oh, shit, what have I done?”
I hold the door open, gesturing for him to go first. “No regrets.”
Chapter twenty
Grady
Themanstandingatmy door is not the one I’m expecting and the last one I want to see.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Hades tries to nudge past me to see who it is, and I pat his nose and shift so he can’t get through my legs. “No. Sit.”
Sebastian grins at me. “Not happy to see me, Grady? I don’t believe that.”
He pushes a palm on the door when I go to slam it in his face. “That’s no way to treat a guest.”
“Let me know when you see one,” I grouse. “Where’s Quinn?” He’s supposed to be the one here, not Sebastian.
“He’s in bed.”
“Why?” If he starts talking about sex, I’m leaving. I don’t even care that it’s my house. Sebastian can have it.
“He woke up with a cold. Will gave him some medicine, and Peyton bullied him back into bed, so he sent me instead.”
“Because he thought you were a good substitute?” I ask sarcastically. I’d rather postpone. I’d rather go wearing a brown paper bag. Lake would marry me no matter what I’m wearing. We should have just done something with a single witness. Over and done with, no fuss. “Why couldn’t he send Jericho?”
“Jericho isn’t much of a suit aficionado.”
“You’re a snob,” I say flatly. Hades drops to the floor and curls his head over my foot, sneaking in a look that way. He’s not trying to shove anymore, so I let him stay there.
“Guilty as charged. That’s who you want helping you find the right outfit for your wedding.”
“I can wait for Quinn.”
He puts a hand in his pocket and cocks his hip like the arrogant fucker that he is. “The store you have your fitting at doesn’t have an opening for another four months. They only fit you in because I called in a favour.” He winks at me, smoothing a hand down his front. “I spend a lot of money there.”
I didn’t need to know that. “I can go somewhere else.”
“You don’t want to, trust me.”
My face better convey how much disdain I have for him. It either doesn’t, or he doesn’t care, because he pats my shoulder. “Cheer up, big guy, it’s gonna be great. Are we taking your car or mine?”
For fuck’s sake. Why would Quinn do this to me? He could have gotten sick another weekend. Waited a week. Done it last week. I don’t care, just notthisweek.
“Mine.” Then I can just abandon him if he pisses me off too much.
He whistles an extremely annoying tune as he follows me to the car and starts fiddling with the radio like he owns the place.
“Are you listening tojazz?” he asks incredulously as if I can’t possibly appreciate that kind of music.
“Can I help you with something?” Irritation prickles my tone. “Either leave it or turn it off. I don’t want to listen to your music.”
