Page 65 of One Night With You

“No, but she almost kicked her friend in the balls. The guy had no clue what he was doing. I mean, they’re friends and all, and the poor blind date guy was a little rude, but Livvy handled herself.”

“We need to kick some ass?” I asked.

“You know that she won’t let us handle anything. But I am tired of being on the outside when it comes to finding that bastard ex of hers.”

“You know I could do it,” Hugh said, playing with the rim of his glass. “No one would be the wiser.”

“Just because you’re not a Montgomery doesn’t mean she won’t murder you like family.”

“I love how that made total sense. And I’m not taking the Montgomery name. I’ll get the tattoo, but I’m not taking the name.”

“Fine, but Montgomery is going to be my middle name.”

“Montgomery’s already your middle name.” As her mom was the Montgomery, and that meant Daisy’s last name was technically Knight.

“So you’re going to keep Daisy and Knight and your middle names and then take Hugh’s?” I asked, shaking my head. “That’s a mouthful.”

“I want the same last name as Lucy. Because whatever children that we decide to have later, they’re going to have that name too. So it’ll just make paperwork easier.”

“And, she gets to have the longest signature known to man,” Hugh said with a laugh, before kissing the top of her head.

“I hate the fact that it’s always that women change their names, and men never really have to.”

“My dad did,” I said, speaking of Lincoln. “It made sense because the family they wanted to be connected to were the Montgomerys. But not everybody has to. Just like nobody has to get the tattoo.”

“And yet I am being folded into the cult,” Hugh said with a good-natured laugh.

“It’s okay. We’ll get you the pamphlet so you understand,” Daisy said with a twinkle in her eyes, and I glared at her over Claire’s head.

Daisy just wiggled her eyebrows, laughter dancing in her eyes, and I knew that she was going to harp on this.

“I mean, eventually Kane’s going to make Phoebe an honest woman, and then she’ll get the tattoo as well.”

“Did someone say my name?” Phoebe said from the other side of the room. Between the music and the ten people talking at once, it was actually pretty hard to hear. Thankfully.

“We’re just wondering when you’re getting your tattoo!” Daisy called out.

Kane scowled, but I saw the nervous energy. Well then. It seemed like maybe she’d be getting the tattoo sooner than we thought.

And it was only because I knew Kane so well that I could even tell that. He gave a shake of his head, and I put my finger to my lips, promising I would keep the secret.

Kane was going to propose to Phoebe. That meantPhoebe would be forever our family.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, because if Phoebe was part of it, Claire would be. But she was already with me. Why was I having such a fucking hard time with this? Why couldn’t I just live in the moment.

“Not to bring down the conversation, but have you heard anything from the hospital?” Hugh asked, as everyone else moved on to their conversations.

Claire squeezed my hand, as Daisy wiped away a tear. I had told most of the people in this room about not being able to donate yet, and the whys of it. It was fucking heartbreaking.

“No. No real news. I get updates from the family. The mom made a group chat with everybody. I mean, I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do other than just try to stay healthy.”

“That’s such a tough thing. I’m sorry, man.”

“How is Buckley doing?” Claire asked.

“He’s still sick.”

“I meant emotionally. I know that they were talking about going with a foundation for a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but just day to day. Maybe we can give him a little party to lift his spirits? If his family agrees.”

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