Page 97 of Fate Forever and Always

“I thought Nick would have told you. He has known for a while that I was going to do it.”

“Nick fucking knows, and I didn’t?” I slapped him again. “What the fuck! How could you guys not tell me?”

“Well, you weren’t talking to anyone, Callie. What did you expect me to do?”

I looked down at my feet. “Shit, you're right. Sorry.” I looked back up at him. “I’m really sorry.”

He pulled me into a hug. “I know you are, and I'm sorry you didn’t feel you could come to any of us for help.” Then he pulled back to look at me. “Don’t do that shit again.”

I was about to speak, but the door opened. Aubrey leaned on the doorframe and crossed her arms.

“Am I interrupting something?”

I knew she wasn’t the least bit concerned about catching us in a hug. She knew better than to think I would ever do something like that to her. But I knew how to make her blood boil a little. I looked her dead in the face and smirked. “Yeah, actually, you are. I was just about to take his pants off and suck his dick.”

Lincoln's face drained of all its color.

“No.. no.. it's not—”

Aubrey put her hand up. “Stop stammering, Link. She was just trying to make me mad.” She looked back at me while still talking to him, “It didn’t work.”

She and I remained staring at each other for a moment. I needed to get her to forgive me if I was going to be able to celebrate with her in a few days. Joking about sucking her boyfriend’s dick probably wasn’t the best way to break the ice.

“Link, give us the room, please?” I asked.

He looked at Aubrey for confirmation.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to fuck her or anything,” I joked.

Aubrey gestured for him to leave. He kissed her head and then widened his eyes at me. I got the silent hint to fix it as he’d demanded a few minutes prior. Once the door shut, she sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me, waiting for me to talk.

“Did you need something?” I asked.

“Nope,” she said curtly, popping the p.

“Then why did you interrupt us? We were just getting to the good part.” I smiled, knowing my smile would make hers appear.

She smiled but tried to hide it by looking down at her hands. “Shut the fuck up.” She paused, then looked back up at me. “I am so fucking mad at you.”

“I know.”

“Callie, you can't do shit like that. We don’t keep secrets. I hate that you didn’t—”

“I know.” I grabbed her hand.

“Callie, you almost lost everything.”

“I know.”

She stood up. “Stop saying you know. I hate that.”

We both laughed.

“I know,” I said one more time with a big smile.

Her smile matched mine. “God, I fucking hate you sometimes.” She let out another laugh.

I sat next to her and pulled her into a big hug. Then I looked her right in the eyes, knowing she might try to choke me out, and said for the final time, “I know.”

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