Page 100 of Stone Promises

“I may have invited a few friends over to welcome you to your new home.”

My face cracks open with a smile. “You planned a surprise party?” I ask.

She nods. “Well, not so much surprise anymore.”

“Shit, Mal.” I take her hand. “Sorry I ruined it. I promise to act surprised. Is that why you wanted to go by Kyle’s first, to stall?”

“We’re not supposed to show up at our new place until after six,” she says. “I was going to take you back to Kyle’s and, um . . . distract you.”

I laugh. “Distract me, huh?”

“Yeah. But now that you know about the party, I really need to take a shower and get ready. I didn’t think this through very well. I’ve got kid germs galore on me and I’d like to straighten my hair and—”

I bury my face in her neck, licking her throat and stopping her train of thought. “I vote for distraction,” I whisper in her ear.

She moans silently. “I promise you all the distraction you can handle later. Maybe we can even sneak in a quickie at the party. But I really need a shower. One of my students was pretty sick today.”

“Okay, fine,” I pout. I realize she’s probably put a lot of effort into this party and the least I can do is let her look her best for it. “But I’m going to hold you to both. All the distraction I can handleanda quickie.”

~ ~ ~

I’m not sure how one woman could have pulled it all off, but she did. Mallory somehow managed to make this place ours in a matter of a week. She told me she sweet-talked the manager into letting her have the keys so she could get started putting her touch on it. She even outfitted our master bedroom with brand new furniture. She gave everyone a quick tour when we got here. When we got to the bedroom, I was sure to hold her back and tell her exactly how I planned to break in our new bed.

“So you planned a party, went shopping for bedroom furniture, and got our new house in order—all during the very first week of school.” I shake my head in awe. “I’m marrying Superwoman.”

She laughs. “I prefer Wonder Woman, actually.”

The only people who couldn’t make it are my parents. With the exception of theDefconcrew who were at our engagement party, everyone else who was there is here tonight. Even Megan. Her parents moved her to Boston a few weeks ago so she could start at MIT. Mal sent her a train ticket and Ethan and Charlie graciously agreed to house her for the weekend. Smart girl, my fiancée. We wouldn’t want anyone around to hear me make her scream my name later.

The women are all fawning over baby pictures. Skylar and Baylor, two of the three Mitchell sisters, both had little girls in May. They gave birth to cousins who are only two days apart. Mallory told me all about them this summer. She’s going to make a great mom, I know it. We probably should’ve had a conversation about kids before getting engaged. I know what she went through at sixteen. And I know she wants kids someday. I just hope we’re on the same page about it.

The doorbell rings and I look around the room, confused. Everyone I know is here. I open the front door and see my manager on the other side. “Hi, Paul.” I look behind me. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t know you were in town. My fiancée threw me this surprise housewarming party.”

He rolls his eyes. I’m assuming at the wordfiancée. “I know,” he says. “She invited me.”

I look over my shoulder at Mal, but she’s busy with the women. “She did?”

What that woman will do for me never ceases to amaze me. She hates Paul. She knows Paul hates her. But she’s trying to forge an amicable relationship between them. Damn, I love her.

“Don’t look so surprised,” he says. “I can be a decent guy sometimes.”

I hear heels click on the tile in the common hallway and stick my head out the door. “Oh, hell no.” I push Paul out the door and shut it behind me so we’re standing outside in the hall. “What the fuck, Paul?”

Heather and Lila walk up to us. “Sorry,” Heather says. “I got stuck signing autographs in the elevator. Can you believe I got propositioned again? By a fan, no less. When will they understand things never work out between actors and regular people?”

I find myself shaking my head at how uncanny the similarity is between Heather and Mallory. Of course, their physical appearance is where the similarity ends. And I’m certain now that’s what drew me to Heather in the first place. But the two women couldn’t be more different in personality. I swear to God if I were to Google ‘bitch,’ Heather’s picture would show up under it. I sure as hell knew how to pick ‘em back then.

I give Paul a look of death. “Why would you bring her here?”

Paul shrugs like he has no idea I hate the pretentious she-devil standing next to him.

Then I greet Lila, who is an old friend of mine fromMalibuwhom I dated briefly before Heather. “Hey, Lila. Nice to see you.”

Lila pulls me in for a hug. “Oh my gosh, Thad, it’s been so long. I hear you’re engaged. Congratulations! And you’re moving to New York? How exciting. I can’t wait to meet your fiancée.”

I always liked Lila. I should never have broken up with her for Heather. But Lila wasn’t into drugs and Heather and I were. And my priorities were all fucked up back then. She was and still seems to be a great girl. “I’m glad you could come,” I tell her.

I turn my attention to Heather. “Surely there is something better you can find to do with your time than hang out with my fiancée and I in our new home,” I say, with no uncertain meaning.

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