Page 21 of Sparks Still Fly

I finish my beer, and Raf does the same, then we make our way toward the VIP section to get this night started. Adam is already up there. He wanted to make sure everything was okay before we went up, so we sent him with one of the bodyguards we have hanging around tonight just in case anyone recognizes the two celebrities and decides to do something stupid.

Elaina is absolutely beaming. She’s clinging to Adam like he’s her lifeline as they dance and they’re both all smiles. I’m finally starting to feel a little more loose and at ease as the countless drinks I’ve already had start to do their job.

Maeve is having a good time. She’s been with Taylor and Charlie most of the night. At first, she would hardly look my way, but anytime she has her sunglasses on, her head swivels in my direction.

The Docs on her feet were an even bigger surprise than the wig, but she looks so at ease. Comfortable. I like this look on her more than her usual style these days. Lately, she’s all polished nails and high heels. Never a hair out of place. Even when she’s in leggings and a T-shirt, her makeup is done and her hair is perfectly styled. I know it comes as a part of her celebrity status, but it’s gotta be exhausting.

“Looks like you lost your resting asshole face.” Raf wraps a giant arm around me and hands me another shot, which I happily take. This is so out of the norm for all of us, I think we’re all indulging a little more than usual tonight.

“Yeah, the drinks are helping,” I say right before I take my shot. The fact that I don’t wince tells me everything I need to know. I should have stopped at that last drink. Or the one before that.

“The girls are having fun. Even Charlie’s dancing. Have you ever seen Charlie dance before?” I turn my head toward Raf a little too quickly, immediately regretting it for how dizzy it makes me feel. I swear I see hearts in his eyes as he cocks his head and watches the girls dancing together.

“She’s so beautiful,” he mumbles.

I don’t have the brain power or the bladder control to process what just happened, so I get up and make my way to the bathroom, chuckling at Raf’s dopey face all the way there.

Since I have to be responsible dad for the next several months—for the next rest of my life—I’m using tonight as an excuse to let loose. Who knows when I’ll be able to do anything like this again without worrying about a little person and whether or not they’ll need me. So at least for now, I’m going to drink until I can’t see straight.

14/

maeve james

maeve

Am I dying? Maybe I’m already dead. Based on the throbbing pain behind my eyeballs and the fact that every muscle in my body hurts, I think I must be well on my way to deceased.

A deep growl from the other side of the room has me jumping out of my bed. Every cell in my brain hurts as they knock against one another like pebbles.

Is there an animal in here? How did it get here? Is it going to eat me? Oh bollocks. I’m not prepared to die. Especially not like this. I don’t?—

My thoughts are stopped short as I take in the legs moving on the chair obviously too small for the behemoth of a man sitting on it. My skin tingles in a most unpleasant way, the pebbles in my head still heavily and loudly banging against my skull. As fear starts to settle in, I look left and right, hoping my phone is within reach. No such luck.

I lay perfectly still, awaiting my fate. I could scream. Someone might hear me. But even the thought of loud noises right now makes me queasy. So I wait, and as he lets out another beastly growl, I take in the blond hair and eventually a pair of green eyes I know all too well.

Crap on a cracker. What the bloody hell happened last night?

“Maevey? What are you doing here? Ow, fuck, my back hurts.” He stretches his body over the chair, looking like he could swallow the thing whole and I fight the urge to laugh.

Don’t. That’ll hurt, too.

“This is my room, Owen. What are you doing here?” I see my boots are thrown on the floor, my dress is still on and I’m thankful I didn’t choose anything with a corset. This thing is actually super comfortable, and if I was ever to get married, I might consider this very dress.

“I think I’m still drunk.” He hiccups and finally unfolds himself from the small chair, taking in the significantly larger couch right next to it with a groan.

The fact that I’m fully clothed and he slept on a chair tells me we definitely didn’t do anything regrettable last night. He looks down at himself, wide-eyed as he pats his abdomen and legs, like he’s checking to make sure he has clothes on. When he looks back up at me, I snicker.

“I had the same thought. Nope. No sex.” I move on my bed, feeling around for my cell phone. “Not to worry, I’m fairly certain we were far too drunk to do anything we’d regret last ni?—”“

My words come to a screeching halt as I catch a glimmer of something shiny and gold on my finger. On my ring finger. Of my left hand.

Oh god, oh god, oh god. No, no, no, no, no, no. No. Oh, please, no. Fuck. Shit. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Owen’s chuckle brings me back into my body, because I swear I floated away there for a second.

“This is not fucking funny, you twat!” I get off the bed, marching straight toward him. He’s ruffling his hair with his left hand and I rip it away, releasing it like it’s made out of searing hot lava as soon as I take in the matching gold band on his ring finger.

I stumble back, tripping on the tulle of my dress and I’m about to accept my fate and the pain that is sure to follow as I fall flat on my ass when two big hands catch me.

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