Page 21 of Fate Forever and Always

I looked over at Nick and mouthed, “Thank you.” He held up his hands and smirked again. He acted like none of this washis idea, but I know it was. I told him I wanted to be alone on my would-be wedding day. He hardcore called me out on my bullshit and immediately told me I shouldn’t be alone and that he would make sure of it.

We watched a bunch of movies and ate a ton of Spanish food, which is my mom’s specialty. Aubrey’s parents left just after lunch, and my mom left a few hours later. We played a few board games once it was just my friends and me. Brielle won almost every game; she always does.

Aubrey’s phone rang a few minutes after we started our game of Clue. When I looked up at her, I saw the worry in her eyes, but she didn’t say anything. She got up, eyeing Nick, then answered the call as she left the room. Nick got up and followed her immediately. I excused myself from the rest of the group. I said I had to pee, but I was just being nosey. They were in Nick’s bedroom, so I leaned against the door to see if I could hear anything.

Nick was doing his best to whisper.

“Fuck you for even trying to call today. You don’t deserve to even breathe the same air as her. Don’t fucking call this number again, you piece of shit.”

I knew it was Jake. I opened the door without considering how close they might be standing to it. Aubrey jumped back, the door nearly missing her. She gave me a heavy-hearted look before pulling me back into the hall before I could even fully step into his room.

“I’m sorry. I tried to keep it away from you today, but he kept calling.”

“I get it. You don’t have to hide it from me, though. He called multiple times and left me messages this morning, but I didn’t listen,” I admitted.

“How? Didn’t you block him?” she asked.

I felt a little embarrassed admitting I hadn’t, so I shook my head and looked down at my feet. “I haven’t been able to block him. I tried the other day, but it felt too…I don’t know, final. I guess I should make it final?” I looked back up at her.

She shrugged. “Well, I kind of think so, but do it when you’re ready, I guess.”

Nick’s voice came from the doorway. “Ready for what?”

“She was going to—”

“Make dinner. I was going to make dinner.” I cut Aubrey off, and she gave me a weird look. We don’t lie to each other; Nick is included in that.Why the hell did I do that?

He saw the weird look and gave one right back to the both of us. “Well, that was the worst lie ever, but I’ll let it go because I know Aubrey will tell me later.”

He walked away, whistling.

Smug bastard.

I turned and pleaded with Aubrey. “Please don’t say a word to him about Jake.”

She looked at me with pity. “I won’t bring it up, but Cal, if he asks me, I won’t lie. You shouldn’t be talking to Jake at all. Block him, okay?”

I nodded. “I will.”

NICK

I spent most of today ensuring everything was perfect for Callie. I didn’t want her to spend any time thinking about the fact that it was supposed to be her wedding day. After everyone left, Aubrey and Callie went to get pampered. I scheduled amassage and pedicure for them right around dinnertime. Callie thinks her mom paid for it. I asked her mom to keep it that way.

Link stayed to help me clean up while he waited for Aubrey. When we were done, we sat down to play some Xbox. It is unbelievable how close he and I have gotten. I first learned about Link when Aubrey went to find her biological dad. The first time Aubrey told me she was dating him, she made a joke about dating a more buff version of me. I didn’t believe her, but then I met him. It’s scary how alike we really are. We have the same job, likes, dislikes, and even the same sense of humor. He fit into Aubrey’s life seamlessly. The biggest plus about him is that he loves my best friend just as much as I do. The only significant difference between us is our experience with women.

“Cal told me you decided to go to the Bahamas with her.” He looked over at me.

“Was that a question, or are you just letting me know?” I chuckled.

“I don’t know. I just think it’s great you took our advice and are going. I think you guys will have a lot of fun. Callie deserves to have some fun.” He said it with a smirk, but wasn’t looking at me. His eyes stayed focused on the screen. I paused it with my gaming controller to get his attention.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Nothing.”

He was still smirking.

“Dude, tell me what that meant?” It came out like an annoyed child, and I honestly felt stupid because I knew exactly what he meant.

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