Page 115 of Stay Toxic

Four and a half weeks later, I was standing in the middle of a church, getting married to the love of my life.

The only downfall to the entire evening was a certain detective crashing our after party.

Sometimes you just gotta let me be dramatic, and I’ll be normal again in a few hours.

—Brecken to Shasha

BRECKEN

“You’re fucking crazy, Brecken,” Shasha whispered in my ear as he walked off toward the coffee counter.

I stuck my tongue out at him, causing someone behind me to laugh.

I turned to find another girl standing there, watching us.

“Hello,” I said, trying not to be angry but failing miserably.

God, why did the man have to be so beautiful?

“Troubles?” she asked.

I shrugged, then decided…fuck it.

I didn’t have anyone else I could talk to.

“Well,” I said. “First, we’re at another coffee shop, and he and I are walking inside, and he lets me go in first, then holds the door for the girl behind me. She strikes up a conversation with him, and the man decides to hold one back with her. Meanwhile,I’m left standing there awkwardly at the side. All I can think about is the fact that this man is way out of my league.”

The woman’s lips twitched. “Did he tell you that?”

I scoffed. “Uptight stick up his ass Shasha Semyonov? Of course not. But look at me.” I gestured at my leggings, messy bun, oversized sweatshirt that I’d stolen from my high school boyfriend, and old as fuck Vans.

“I think that he loves you, bestie.” The woman smiled. “He’s been glaring at every person in here who even comes close to your space.” She glanced at my enlarged stomach. “And just sayin’, but you’re taking up some extra.”

I laughed and held out my hand. “I like the idea of being a bestie again. My name is Brecken. What’s yours?”

She took my hand and shook it. “You kind of know me, but you kind of don’t. My name is Faina.”

A little girl ran up to the woman and threw her arms around her knees. “Mama!”

The girl was around a year to a year and a half.

Since I had no baby experience, I couldn’t exactly say how old, but she was young.

“Ahh, my Catya.” Faina bent down to scoop up her child. “Catya, I’d like you to meet my new best friend, Brecken. Brecken, I’d like you to meet my daughter, Catya.”

The little girl was lifted up, and a familiar pair of chocolate-brown eyes stared at me with a face that I once knew well.

Viveka.

My heart stalled in my chest as I realized what Faina had meant earlier.

A man came up to her side and threw his arm around the both of them and said, “Boss.”

Boss.

I turned to Shasha and said, “Is this really her?”

“This is her.” He nodded.

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