“Yeah, hold on.” Xeni sent Sloan the picture of them with clasped hands high in the air, husband and wife.
“Girl,” Sloan said.
“What?”
“Are you sure you just met this guy? You two look so happy.”
“I mean, we were having fun, but that was mostly chaotic energy manifesting itself as joy.”
“Uh huh, sure. So, when do I get to meet him?”
“Never?”
“Nah. No way. You’re not hiding a whole ass husband from me.”
“No, I’m hiding a whole ass husband from everyone. You’re the first person I’ve told,” Xeni confessed.
“Wait. You haven’t told your parents? You haven’t told your mom?”
“Nope.”
“You know Joyce is going to flip out, right?” Sloan laughed. She’d hung out with Xeni’s mom a handful of times and heard dozens of stories of her day-to-day antics. She knew the headache Xeni was in for if and when she found out that Xeni tied the knot without even so much as a phone call.Ifbeing the key word. She knew she should tell her parents. She should have told them as soon as it happened, but then she’d have to tell them everything and that wasn’t an option at the moment.
Besides, Xeni was owed her own secrets for a while. Thirty years should about cover it.
“She’s going to flip out, but I’m going to worry about that when I get home.”
“That’s true. How’s the packing going?”
“It’s not. My mom wanted me to look for something for her. I moved some stuff around, but I haven’t actually moved anything yet. Had to get married for the money first.” Just then, Xeni heard Mason moving around inside the house. She stayed put, though. He was probably looking for the bathroom.
“Don’t say that. He’s in love with you. Pictures like that don’t lie.” Xeni knew Sloan was only kinda joking. Sloan was a hopeless romantic, an optimistic dreamer, whereas Xeni was a realist. Who believed in witchcraft? It didn’t have to make a lick of sense to be the truth.
“He is definitely not in love with me and even if he were, it wouldn’t change anything. This isn’t a romcom. If anything, it’s some sort of sick joke at my expense. You understand that after I dig through all my favorite aunt’s possessions and decide what to do with her houses, I then have to fly back to L.A. and explain to my family why this woman left me a literal fortune?”
“Well, at least you have money to hire someone to come help you pack.”
“That is true.” Xeni heard the porch door open. She looked over as a shirtless, sleepy Mason stepped outside, rubbing his eyes. “Sloan, hold on one sec. Hey.”
“Everything alright?”
“Yeah, just talking to my friend. I’m bragging about suddenly having a husband.”
“Don’t tell her how good looking I am. I don’t want to make her jealous.”
“Too late. She’s seen photos.”
Mason sighed and hung his head. “I don’t know if I can handle two women at once, love.”
“I’ll be in in a sec.”
“Okay. Take all the time you need. I’m going to see about that ice cream.”
Mason slipped back inside and Xeni was glad no one else was around to witness the dopey grin on her face.
“Hey, sorry.”
“Was that him?!” Sloan practically screeched.
