Page 162 of Failure to Match

Oh, and the Harrison sisters were losing their actual minds over the whole thing. The two of them were ticking tear bombs. You never knew when one of them was going to break into sobs of inconsolable joy.

The first time Jackson told me he loved me in front of Molly, she burst into tears and did not stop for a solid thirty minutes.They were over the moon—kept baking me treats and offering to help me shop for a dress. You know, for the wedding ceremony.

... The one I still hadn’t told Ria about.

She was going to murder me when she found out. So… in less than ten minutes. But hey, at least my parents knew. They’d been skeptical at first, just until Jackson had turned on the charm. I was kind of hoping tonight would go the same way.

I was restless, my fingers fumbling with the zipper of my jacket as I watched the city lights blur by from the back of the car. When Jackson noticed, he gently slipped his hand over mine.

It helped. Always did.

“Can I ask you something?” he said.

“Please.” I needed a distraction.

“Why is Cat coming with us?”

Toebeans was currently loafed up on Jackson’s other side, purring softly as my soon-to-be husband (!!!) scratched the sweet spot behind his left ear.

“He hasn’t seen Adrien in two months,” I said. “If he smelled him on us when we got back, he would... I don’t know, actually. This is the longest the two of them have been apart since they met. Plus, Adrien asked me to bring him.”

He’d already taken his allergy medicine and everything. The two of them were ridiculous together.

“I don’t know if I ever told you the story, but Ria lost her mind the first time Adrien and Toebeans met.” I bit down a smile as the memories rushed back.

“Why?”

“Her and Adrien absolutely despised each other. And Toebeans... well, you’ll see.” It was the strangest thing. I still couldn’t make sense of it.

When the car finally slowed to a stop, I scooped Toebeans up into my arms (he still wouldn’t let Jackson hold him) andpractically bolted into the building, a fresh rush of nerves and excitement going straight for my knees.

I was bouncing on my heels by the time the elevator doors finally groaned open, and before I’d even had a chance to step into Ria and Adrien’s foyer, Toebeans had wiggled out of my hold and sprinted. He knew exactly where we were. There was no stopping him.

“Jamie?!”

“Ria!”

Where was she? I stumbled out into the foyer trying to locate where her voice had echoed from. Fucking Adrien. There were so many goddamn plants in their penthouse that I couldn’t?—

She tackled me.

It came from my left, and I hit the rug with anoomphas Ria squealed with utter delight, squishing all the air out of my lungs.

I may have also squealed.

There was alotof squealing.

“Hi!” she exclaimed as I giggled through the tightest hug to have ever been hugged. It was going to cost me a couple of ribs for sure. Well worth it.

“Hiii.” I’d forgotten how good she always smelled. Like my best friend. Likehome. “I missed you, Ree.”

“Missed you, too, angel.” She gave me one last squeeze before pulling away.

“Holy shit, you’resotanned.” I grabbed her freshly freckled face for closer inspection. Her skin was perfectly sun-kissed, making the slash of honey-gold cutting through her left iris even more striking. Pride bubbled up my chest as she grinned. My best friend was so beautiful. I’d missed her so much.

“I lookgreattanned,” she said.

“You totally do,” I agreed. “Did you have so much fun?”

---