Page 35 of Wood You Knot

“Okay, sure. That’d be great.” I smiled.

“Cool. As soon as Isla does up your business cards, give me a few, and I’ll hand them out. Once you’ve done a few weddings as a second shooter, you can be added to our list of photographers we recommend to brides and grooms…if wedding photography is still something you want to do after you’ve tried it. Who knows, you might hate it.” She laughed, her eyes sparkling with levity.

We spent the next two hours talking about anything and everything. By the end of the night, I knew so much about each of them that I felt like a part of the group too. They didn’t just monopolize the conversation to talk about themselves, but shared stories and hyped one another up. They had the kind of friendship I’d always read about and seen depicted in movies but had never had the fortune of being a part of.

“Once a month we try to meet up for drinks. You two should join us again next time,” Ophelia said at the end of the night when we were standing at the bar paying our tabs off.

“Yes, join us again next time! It was so good meeting you both.” Annalise was very affectionate, and she wrapped Lilah and me both up in her arms at the same time and pressed sloppy kisses to our cheeks. “Welcome to Hartwood Creek, ladies.”

Isla’s husband was reportedly waiting outside for them, and he’d be driving Annalise and Ophelia home. I hadn’t planned on drinking as much as I had, but I was far too tipsy to drive, and I knew that. Unfortunately, I’d been the one to drive. Lilah had walked to the school, and Tabitha had gotten a ride with Laurel to the committee meeting, then talked us both into going to The Quarter Lounge after.

“Huh. Guess we better call a cab? Or walk?” I said before immediately hiccupping. Lilah giggled.

“We could split the cab if you’d like?” she offered.

“No, no, no. No one’s taking a cab.” Tabitha shook her head back and forth. “Nix will drive us. He only had the one beer three hours ago, so he’s good.”

At the mention of his name, I looked up and saw Nix was still there, sitting with his friends, only he had a tall, half-full glass in front of him with what I could only assume had soda in it. It certainly wasn’t the beer I’d seen him with when we first arrived.

He turned his head, spotting us at the bar and catching me mid-perusal, and the corner of his lip kicked up in a half grin. He said something to his friends, and Auston stood up to let him out.

Auston and Nix both tossed a few bills down on the table. No sooner had they stood up, then two women were sliding into their vacant spots. Neither Donavon nor Noah seemed put out by their arrival, though. Both women were stunning—one of them with long dark hair and an edgy vibe to her, while the other woman had lighter brown hair and an almost hippie vibe to her.

Nix said something to the edgy girl, and she fired off a response that made him grin. The jealousy that surfaced caught me off guard, and I looked away when he and Auston started heading over.

“Ruh-roh, testosterone incoming.” Tabitha giggled, waggling her eyebrows at Lilah and me.

“Ugh, better not be that Noah guy again.” Lilah frowned, refusing to turn around and look.

“Noah’s not that bad, he’s just a big flirt,” Tabitha explained, rising to her cousin’s defense.

Noah had approached Lilah earlier in the evening to ask her if he could buy a drink. When she turned him down, he immediately turned to me with the bluest eyes and a dazzling grin that probably did earn him a lot of yeses. He wasn’t unattractive, by any means…but he certainly wasn’t looking for forever.

I’d turned him down, too—what girl wanted to be the second choice, anyway? He must have been drunk to think I’d say yes. But the look he’d worn when he first walked over was calculating, almost like he knew we’d both turn him down but was still doing it.

In fact, Noah was watching both Nix and Auston with a smirk, and I was beginning to think his actions earlier this evening were driven by…something that my tipsy brain struggled to connect.

“Ready to go?” Nix asked Tabitha, and she nodded. Then he looked at Lilah and me. “Anyone else need a ride home?”

“Yes, please.” Lilah sighed with relief.

“You only have three seats in your truck, though,” Tabitha pointed out sweetly, blinking up at Auston as if waiting for him to chime in. I opened my mouth to suggest taking my car, but Tabitha shot me a look, discreetly shaking her head.

Auston picked up what she was suggesting. “I can give someone a lift home.” Was it my imagination, or did he quickly glance at Lilah with hope? Tabitha sent me another look that said, see?

Lilah bit her bottom lip. “I’m a little out of the way. I live in the suburbs behind the school.”

“That’s where Auston lives too,” Tabitha exclaimed, clapping with delight. “Okay, so you ride with Auston, and Nix, you can drive Sage and obviously me home.” She had a content smile on her face as if she was pleased with herself about this blatant setup.

Neither Lilah nor Auston seemed to mind, though. There was a tension between them that even I’d picked up on in my sangria haze, and I think they both were a little more than thankful for the opportunity.

Once we’d made the arrangements and split off in the parking lot, I noticed Tabitha was beginning to look a little green, her satisfied smile slipping with every wobbly step she took.

When we reached Nix’s truck, she started to groan as if in agony. “Ugh, I feel like I’m gonna be sick,” she admitted, leaning over and clenching her stomach.

It was almost as if Nix expected it, though. He waved a finger at her. “If you puke in my truck again, I’m going to be mad as hell, and you’re going to be the one to clean it.”

“I did that one time,” Tabitha squeaked, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.

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