Page 38 of Truths

The wind leaves his lungs as he stares in awe. No woman in the history of his life has ever told him he's right. “I am? Like... for real?”

His reaction earns him a chuckle, and she looks into his eyes. “I guess I'm scared. First, that you'll do what Justin did. I know it's not fair to hold his actions against you, but it's hard not to think you will after seeing Evie. I also never thought Justin would cheat, and I never expected to find what I did. It's a lot to overcome, and I promise, I don't want to find a reason to leave. I love you, too, Bodie.”

“What else are you scared of?”

Her lip quivers, but she doesn't look away like he expects. “That you don't really love me. That you think you do but will realize it was all some weird hero complex thing and go back to your ex. She and I couldn't be more opposite.”

He smiles. “I talked to Lex, and she made a good point. I don't love you because I have Justin's heart. If that were the case, I'd be longing for the parents who wrote that letter, too. I feel nothing for them. And you're good for me. You challenge me. I know that if I got sick again, you'd never let me push you away like Evie did. You'd fight me to the death to be right by my side, and you don't pull any punches. What I see is what I get, and I never realized just how much I wanted that before you.”

“You're not sick again, right?”

The concern in her tone has him out of his seat and next to her in an instant, pulling her into his arms. “No, I'm fine. But I knowyou'd be there if I was. And I think Justin helped intervene to stop you from jumping off that bridge by putting me there. And having me near when you decided to play in the sketchy part of town. And again, when you faced off with robbers carrying semi-automatics. But that's all he played a part in.”

“You just can't help yourself, can you?”

His lips touch her forehead. “I need you, Jolie. With me and on this planet. I've never been more scared to lose anything than the moment I met you.”

“I need you to be honest with me from now on,” she says, pulling back. “Even if you think it's going to hurt me. I need to know you'll always be the one to tell me the truth.”

“I promise.”

“Let's get matches and go home. I want to finish what I started with those candles. I have plans.”

Kissing her, his tongue slides into her mouth and tastes the sweetness from the ice cream. Pulling back, he smiles. “Yes, please!”

Chapter Fifteen

Griffin's Beach

Lex

Colt sits next to Brock on the folding seats right outside the cabin, and Lex can't help glancing at him as she stands next to Grayson at the altar. She's never been a best man before, and it feels strange standing up in the wedding wearing a black dress, but it's what she was told to do.

“I now pronounce you, Mister and Missus Grayson Tate,” Dean “Gunner” Owens says. “You may kiss the bride.”

Lex claps as Grayson dips Ashley and kisses her passionately. Felicity Short stands next to her sister-in-law, but her eyes don't meet Lex. The two of them haven't spoken a word to each other since Lex left Griffin's Beach. She struggles to look at Felicity, a woman she once considered one of her best female friends,after she'd been on the “let's leave the Drifters men” team when everyone panicked about the Savage Slashers. Especially when Felicity didn't seem to find any issue with leaving Ky, taking the kids, and never seeing him again.

The Short family has been her surrogate family since Lex was a child. Diesel was the father hers could never be, stepping in where she needed a father figure. Something Lex will never forget. The moment Felicity joined the bandwagon to leave Ky and Diesel behind, Lex and she almost came to blows. The woman who's been an old lady longer than Lex wanted to take the coward's way out, and that never sits well with her.

“You look gorgeous,” Colt says as she walks down the aisle next to Felicity, the two women as far apart as possible. “Hottest best manI'veever seen.”

“Best woman,” Grayson corrects him with a smirk. “Thanks for being here, Lex.”

“Oh, yes, Lex just gets all the praise for gracing us with her presence,” Felicity says with a roll of her eyes as she walks away.

Ky walks up and narrows his eyes at Lex. She sees the big brother she always wished she had. “Are you ever going to tell me why you two aren't friends anymore?”

“You'll have to ask your wife.”

Ashley hurries over and hugs her tightly. “Thank you for coming!”

“Like I'd miss this for the world. You know, it's kind of because of me that this even happened, so...” she says and laughs.

Considering Grayson was a police officer when he and Ashley first got together, their relationship was more than a little taboo. Lex fought for them, and she won out, but even Lex never thought Diesel and Ky would let the two getmarried. Then again, when he took a bullet for Ashley, not letting them get married would have been a total dick move.

No one from Grayson's family showed up, and it's obvious they disagree with his choice of wife. Ever since they were little, it was very clear which family was on which side. The Tates were on the side of good while anyone associated with the Drifters was on the side of bad. Terrible, terrible evil. On the plus side, they got the small wedding they wanted. The only people in attendance outside of Ashley's family are Lex and Colt, Jennings and Tess, Psycho and Lacey, and Brock and Summer. Everyone important to both of them.

“Lex!” Lacey exclaims and hurries over to wrap her in a large hug.

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