Page 65 of Forbidden King (Magnolia Falls)

Fuck yeah. I just want to make it official. Ruby said she’ll go to Vegas with me after Romeo and Demi’s wedding. She doesn’t want to take their rain cloud or some shit.

Steal their thunder, you dickoyster.

River

Whatever. Just be prepared for a call that I’m hitched. No fancy ceremony for us. Just a little Vegas wedding with a cutout of Elvis in the background and no drama.

Romeo

Sounds pretty damn good to me. My mom is driving me crazy with all the questions lately. By the way, Hayes, we had our fitting this week, so you’ll get alterations when you get back. Which better fucking be before the wedding.

Hayes

Wouldn’t miss it for the world. But this fire is blazing, and I’m fucking tired. How’s my sister doing, King?

She’s doing good. The bookstore is kicking ass. You have nothing to worry about.

Nash

Yeah, King’s been a good boy, keeping an eye on her. Hence, the reason he isn’t getting laid. He’s taking his job very seriously.

Hayes

I didn’t say you couldn’t go out and get laid. I just said to make sure that dickhead Barry stays away from her.

Saylor is not the reason I’m not getting laid. I just haven’t felt like going out. I’ve lost my mojo.

That wasn’t a complete lie,although Saylor was the reason that I wasn’t getting laid. But that was because I only wanted her, and that couldn’t happen. But the rest was true.

River

This happened once before, remember? We were all worried about you because you weren’t going out.

Nash

Dude. That’s when he had a bad case of the shits, and we found out that he was lactose intolerant. His blue balls were fine back then.

Romeo

Is that when he nearly shit his pants at the Golden Goose?

You are a bunch of insensitive pricks. Midge has since stocked dairy-free cheese for me at the diner. And I have a sensitive stomach. My dick was highly active and working just fine during that time.

Hayes

My advice. Go get laid. You’ll be cured.

I’ll google it.

A bunch of emojis came through, and I laughed as I set my phone down and walked through the cemetery, making my way to where my parents were buried. Side by side. Both my parents had been born and raised in Magnolia Falls, and they’d raised me and River in the city, but this place had always been home for them.

I dropped to sit in the grass and tipped my head up to let the sun beat down on my face. I came here often. I didn’t have memories of my parents while they were alive, but I’d been coming here since I was old enough to walk on my own to visit them.

I’d heard every story there was to tell from those who had known them, and from those details, I’d gathered I was a lot like my mother. River, apparently, took after our father. Our parents were ridiculously in love, and they were fabulous parents in the short time they were with us.

My brother remembered them and grieved them.

My grandparents suffered the loss of them, and I’d felt that throughout my life.

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