Page 59 of Wedding or Not

Plus he got a really easy prompt.

I can see the flash of amusement in his eyes as he reads.

Then he steps over, bends down toward me, and presses a kiss on my lips.

Just a brief, light one, but it sends a pleasure apocalypse rushing through me.

Then he clutches his chest and drops to the floor, stretching out in a limp sprawl.

“A kiss before dying!” Audrey calls out less than two seconds later.

On its heels come loud recriminations from Tessa on the opposing team about how it was too easy and Wes somehow cheated and how next time Wes was absolutely, positively going to be on her team.

All these are ignored in the general laughter and applause. Wes stands up, gives a mock bow, and then lifts me partly out of the chair so he can sit down and pull me back into place beside him.

And I have the most ridiculous feeling.

Like I’m proud of him.

Proud that he’s so clever and quietly funny and that he fits so well with my family.

Proud that he’s attached to me.

I’ve never experienced anything like it in my entire life.

After the game concludes and most of the platters of food are empty, we’re still sitting around chatting.

Aunt Grace has made a couple of hints about how it’s getting late, but the girls are pretending they haven’t heard them, and no one is pressing the issue.

The girls don’t want the evening to end.

Neither do I.

The laughter and camaraderie tonight has been broken by very few tiffs or whines, something that doesn’t always happen. I’m pretty sure it’s Wes’s presence. Even Tessa is old enough not to want to embarrass herself or act childish in front of a cute guy.

For whatever reason, it’s been a great evening, and I don’t want it to end any more than the girls do.

Plus Wes is still right beside me, his arm draped across my shoulders. He’s idly playing with my ponytail, and I really like it.

We’ve been rehashing all the tests Parker and Iris have this week and when they’re possibly going to study for all of them. Then the conversation trickles into a stretch of silence, and I’m afraid Aunt Grace is finally going to wrap things up.

But then Parker gives me a mischievous look and asks loudly, “So are you two really going to get married or not?”

My throat tightens in a clutch of nerves.

Wes’s hand stills in my hair.

Aunt Grace murmurs, “Parker, don’t embarrass them.”

“It is a good question,” Audrey says, shooting me a significant look. “And I’ve never heard an answer to it. Are you just pretending for a while until you call off the wedding, or are you going to get married for real?”

I turn to meet Wes’s eyes. They offer no revelation.

“We could… we could go either way. I always assumed the social media attention would die down again like the first time, but we’re still getting a lot of action.”

“There’ve been tons of requests for collaboration and partnership from influencers and wedding businesses, including wedding-day possibilities.” Natalie has a way of speaking that comes across as authoritative without being bossy or obnoxious. It makes people listen. It makes people think she’s right. “I think y’all should do it. A few more months of this, and we’ll be rolling in money for at least three years.”

I’ve been looking at the schedule and the accounts every day for weeks now, and I agree.