Page 34 of Lock 'em Down

Stella barks out a laugh and then hides it with a sip of her wine.

Leif flashes me an apologetic look.

Mom nearly has a coronary.

I start to sweat. It feels like everyone’s eyes are on me and a flush works over my skin. I’d love to blame it on the tequila but I’m pretty sure it’s just the knowledge that I have to come clean. Before Leif can add any more colorful descriptions of me.

“We got married!” I announce.

Leif’s mouth drops open.

Stella freezes, looking shocked.

And Mom? Well, Mom drops her wine glass, and it shatters, little pieces of glass skittering over the tabletop. We all jump back as the white wine floods the table and drips to the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” Mom and I exclaim in unison.

For a heartbeat, I’m jarred back to an old memory.

To Levi. To the night he chucked a bottle of champagne off a balcony in Barcelona. He was wasted, high, and emotionally spiraling. I sighed with relief when it landed on the hood of a parked car instead of a passing person.

But when Levi advanced on me, his eyes wild and reckless, I was truly terrified for the first time in my life.

I drag my hand over my face at the memory, shielding my expression. That was the night everything went sideways. After that, Levi got on a plane, checked into rehab, and we never spoke again. Nope, all correspondence to gain access to the photos he took of me went through our lawyers. To this day, I’m still relieved they never leaked.

I drop my hand to find Leif staring at me with naked confusion and curiosity in his expression. He’s managed to keep Mom and Stella in their seats and he’s using all the napkins on the table to blot up the mess.

“I got it,” the server says, appearing with a broom, dustbin, and towels. “This happens all the time.”

“I doubt that,” Leif manages with that half smirk.

I snort and roll my eyes, reaching for levity, as my heartbeat continues to pulse in my temples.

The server cleans our table efficiently. Once we’re all seated again, she reappears with a tray of food.

A new type of tension hovers over the table as we stare at each other over the appetizers Mom and Stella must have ordered while Leif and I were kissing behind the bar.

“We’re gonna need more alcohol,” Leif suggests.

“Another round,” Stella agrees.

The server offers a tight smile and nods, scurrying away.

“You got married,” Mom repeats.

“It just happened,” I offer.

Mom glares at me. “Camille Coleman, that doesn’t just happen! What the hell were you thinking? After everything, everything that’s happened.” She looks at me with heartbreak in her eyes. “And now, you’ve got your whole future ahead of you. This job, this chance, and you—you get married to a stranger in Vegas!”

“He’s not a stranger. You know him,” I point out pathetically.

Mom groans, dropping her face into her hands. She pulls in a deep breath and for long moments, we all stare at her, waiting for her outburst. Except, it doesn’t come. Instead, Mom lifts her head and the strangest expression crosses her face. “You’re married, Cami.”

I clear my throat. “I am.”

“You’re married to Leif,” she repeats, her voice a bit dazed.

“Uh-huh,” I agree.

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