Page 58 of Pretty Little Rocker

I’d expected the elusive Vaughn to join us, but he was busy making all the other wedding preparations. Like venue and reception decisions. Even though I had yet to meet the man, he was already taking good care of my friend.

It made me miss my own guys. I hadn’t seen them since Sparks and Jamie had tucked me into bed Monday morning. We’d shared a few texts and they had called me each night before I went to sleep, but there had been nothing but silence from Ky.

Which should have told me everything I needed to know about where he and I stood. But a part of me still held out hope.

After a few minutes, Abi finished chewing her latest bite of pineapple and gave me a beseeching look. “I still have to tell Mom and Dad.”

Groaning, I set my fork and knife down, no longer pretending to eat. Abi was the pregnant one, so why was I the one with an upset stomach? “Let me guess. You want me to go with you to explain everything to Kin and Jace?”

“Plus Aunt Lucy and Uncle Harris,” Abi said with a nod. “Please, please, pretty, pretty please? They might not kill me if you’re there to protect me.”

We both knew she was being overdramatic, but Sammy growled something low in a language I didn’t understand. Abi wiggled her finger at the other woman. “Stop with the Russian. Remember your manners.”

“Fine,” Sammy said petulantly.

For the next few hours, Sammy, Abi, and I played dress-up, selecting dresses for the wedding the next day. Abi went simple with a long-sleeved, sparkly, A-line, boho, sequined wedding dress. Sammy and I stuck with the boho style that had a bobbinet skirt, low back, and a plunging V neck. Both of them were in a vibrant blue that Sammy and I agreed matched the shade of Abi’s eyes.

Once the dresses were sorted, Vaughn put us in the back of a car that looked futuristic with all the safety features. Sammy mentioned that it could take a dozen IED hits and still keep going. I chose to think she was teasing, but Abi didn’t laugh when I did.

On the way to Abi’s parents’ house, I called my own to make sure they would be there for our little chat. I had very little faith that this meeting with our parents would go well, but I would stand beside Abi through anything. She wasn’t just my best friend. She was my person.

Our driver, a large man by the name of Walter, opened the back door for us, but Abi instructed him to wait by the car. I took her hand, entwining our fingers as we walked up the driveway and onto the front porch. It felt like we should knock, but then I scoffed at the ridiculousness of such a thought and used my own key to unlock the front door.

In the living room, all four of our parents were already sitting, chatting quietly as they drank coffee. Abi froze in the doorway, but I pulled her the rest of the way inside until we stood in the middle of the room.

“Girls,” Jace greeted, sounding intrigued. “You both made it sound like this was important. Care to enlighten us as to what the fuck is going on with you two?”

Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, my bestie looked up at me pleadingly. I lifted a brow at her, daring her to grow a pair—and as far as I knew, she might already be doing just that if she was pregnant with a boy.

Huffing at me, she clenched her fingers around mine to the point of pain then stuck out her free hand, showing off the engagement ring that could no doubt be seen from a space shuttle on the moon. Vaughn seemed to have a penchant for marking his wildfire.

“I’m getting married!” Abi exclaimed.

Complete and total silence followed her announcement. No one even blinked as they looked from her hand to her to me and back again. Over and over and over, until Jace shot to his feet. “The fuck you are!” he roared.

Which was absolutely the worst possible thing he could have said to convince Abi she wasn’t going to do something.

Releasing my hand, she crossed her arms over her chest and cocked a hip. “Dad, I’m getting married. Tomorrow, actually. Because I want to have the ceremony before you and Mom leave for tour.”

“What? But we haven’t planned anything,” Kin whisper-shouted. “There are a million things that need to be done, including the cake and dress. Venue. Everything!”

“All that has been taken care of,” Abi reassured her mom soothingly. “Vaughn has it all handled. All you have to do is show up at the wedding tomorrow. Dad has a tux already. He wore it to that awards show just a few weeks ago. And you have a hundred different dresses you haven’t worn yet.”

“Abi, this is ridiculous. We don’t know this boy!” Jace tried again.

“Man,” she corrected. “Vaughn is a man. I met him in Creswell Springs. We fell in love.”

“I’m calling Lyric,” Mom grumbled. “He will know who this guy is.”

“No, he won’t, actually,” Abi informed her. “Because he wasn’t around the Angel’s Halo MC. He’s… His name is Christian Victor Vaughn Vitucci. He’s the eldest son of Cristiano and Anya Vitucci.”

All the air was suddenly sucked out of the room, maybe even the house. “Vitucci?” Dad choked out. “As in… Fucking fuck, Abi! A mafia prince?”

Sighing, because they were being way overdramatic in her opinion, Abi straightened her shoulders and met each adult’s eyes before making an even bigger announcement. “I am marrying Vaughn tomorrow. And you are all coming to our rehearsal dinner tonight to meet his family. Because that is exactly what we are going to be from this day on.”

“Abi—”

She glared at Jace, who snapped his mouth closed. “And you will be kind and cordial. Because whether you like it or not, I love Vaughn. And…” She sucked in a breath and released it in a rush. “I’m pregnant with his baby.”

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