Page 8 of What If We Do

There’s no way that dress didn’t cost a fortune.

She laughs. “Nope. Not insane. Just ready to have an absolute blast today and if this thing turns into rags because of all the fun we’re having, so be it. And then I’ll be able to say good riddance to bad fucking rubbish. You still in Magallan?”

She pops her hip and waits for my reply, which comes just as naturally as taking her hand in mine. “Hell yeah, I’m in.” I squeeze her hand for good measure. “Let’s get your luggage and go have some fun.”

“Great. I’m starving and ready for some southern barbecue.”

“I know just the place.”

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“Mmmm! Oh, my God, this is delish! You weren’t lying when you said you knew just the place, huh?”

I lick the sauce from my fingers. “Yeah. Bubba’s is one of my favorite places to eat here. I tell everyone I know to come here when they’re in town.”

She smiles. “Sincere word of mouth from a celebrity. That’s impressive.”

“I don’t know that I would consider myself a celebrity.”

“Uh, I beg to differ,” she scoffs with a hint of humor. “You make millions playing hockey for one of the best teams in the league.”

“You wouldn’t have thought that yesterday. Fuck, that game was brutal.”

“I saw parts of it.” She lifts her shoulder. “When one team wins, that means one team has to lose, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“You’ll get ’em next time. I have no doubt.”

I wipe my mouth with my napkin and sit back in my chair. “So, tell me about you.”

“You mean Ledger didn’t give you my life story?” Her grin makes me smile and sends a bit of a jolt through my stomach at the same time. She seems so down to earth and easy going, which I very much appreciate.

“Nope. All he told me was that you’re an influencer who had an unbelievably dreadful day. He told me why you’re hereand that you were looking for a plus one. Not to bring up a sour subject but I’m sorry about the wedding. No matter the circumstances, you didn’t deserve to be disrespected like that.”

She tries to shake it off like it’s no big deal but I have a feeling deep down she’s more bothered than she’s letting on. “You know, sometimes life has a way of pointing you in a different direction. One completely opposite from where you thought you were going and you just have to learn to…be okay with it, I guess.” She takes a sip of her beer before digging into another chicken wing. “He would’ve hated this, by the way.”

“Bubba’s?” I ask with a lift of my brows.

“Mhmm. He would’ve seen this as some trashy dive totally beneath him.” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “I should’ve been more honest with myself. The stuffy Stepford wife life isn’t me and even though it hurt at the time—I mean, he didn’t even fucking show up—I know it’s all for the best. I don’t hate him.” A small smirk plays across her lips. “But I’ll definitely take advantage of his money since he already paid for this honeymoon.”

“Savage,” I tell her.

“Ha! That’s me. Savage Scarlett.”

“I dig it. So, what makes you happy? What sets your soul on fire?”

Her earthy green eyes meet mine and I swear to God they sparkle. “Living life to the fullest sets my soul on fire.”

I cock my head to the side. “What do you mean by that?”

She leans forward, her gaze still holding mine. “I mean, do you ever have those moments where you’re lying in bed thinking to yourself, ‘I don’t want to spend day after day in the same fucking cubicle or working for the same rich CEO who doesn’t give two shits about your life.’ I mean probably not in your case, since you play hockey and it’s a sport I’m guessing you love it more than anything, but still. You get what I’m saying.”

“Even playing a sport I love every day I totally get what you’re saying, yeah.”

She pulls her arms into her chest and takes a deep breath. “I just want to…live in the moment, you know? My job, although stressful at times, allows me experiences I would never have otherwise and I live for that. I look at every day as a gift. An opportunity to share something about life or the world around me with my followers and that’s what makes me happy. Making people happy makes me happy.”

“I think that’s great. You certainly have the personality for what you do.”

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