Page 65 of The Trick

“William Roy Van Tassel,” my mom begins to reprimand, before they both break out into laughter.

“Since when do you call me William?” my dad laughs.

“Ok, then Bill, whatever,” my mom playfully scoffs.

I look up to where Delilah is standing next to Maddox, who looks insanely hot, dressed in all black, as usual, with a new harness draped around his broad shoulders that tapers down to each of his thighs. Delilah motions her hand for me to join them.

“Guys, I have to go,” I interrupt their banter.

“Of course, honey, we love you” my dad says.

“And Blair, please, try to not do your usual,” Mom interjects.

“What might that be, mother,” I chide.

“Oh, I don’t know, kill someone? Behead them? Break the law?”

The three of us all begin to laugh. “Rich coming from you mom, don’t act like you haven’t gotten into some trouble on Halloween. Need I remind you of when you helped Glinda with her ex?”

“Yeah, yeah. That was then, I’m a changed woman now,” she says, still laughing.

“Totally, that’s why you’re at the Moretti’s Gala,” I tease.

“Listen, Blair Bear, we’ll let you go, but we will see you guys tomorrow. Oh! Be sure to leave the stairs where I left them,” dad says.

“Huh?” I ask, obviously confused.

“To the grave plot silly, Maddox called me earlier this week and wanted help digging it.”

No wonder, I’m so screwed up. Here I am about to marry my killer husband, all puns intended, and my dad is telling me to be careful in a dug out grave plot? Fucking Christ.

“Got it,” I nod about to say goodbye, when I see a sliver of gray hair sneak in front of my vision.Shit.

“Uhhh, I really have to go,” I say, my eyes locked on Maddox who looks increasingly agitated with the guest who just strolled in.

“Ok, honey. I can’t wait to see the ring. Maddox made sure that Cam–” My mother is cut off by a painfully intentional cough from my dad.

“No, not Cam. Remember what Glinda said,” my dad cryptically says.

“Ok guys I have to go,” I say, hanging up the phone so I can head to where Maddox looks like he’s about to kill someone.

CHAPTER 30

“Nice of you tojoin us, Cam.”

“I don’t know why you still insist on calling me that,” Cam sneers, irritatingly surprised by the venom in my tone. It’s not that I don’t want Cam here, it’s just that her expectation of calling her anything other than the name I’ve referred to her as for well over a decade is out of the question.

My hand remains outstretched, my fingers curling in and out, “I don’t have time for this right now,” I grit through my teeth. “Just hand it over. We’ll discuss this later.”

Cam closes the tense space between us, while I keep my hand outstretched, refusing to give in.

“No, I will not. Not until we discuss this,” Cam says, holding on tighter to the small coffin shaped box. “Of all days, Maddox.” The emotion is ripe within her voice, which startles me. Usually, Cam is as cold as ice, but this raw vulnerability is not something I’m used to, and I don’t like it. “Please.”

“Whatever. We’ve gone this long without rings, I guess we can make this official without them,” I say, swatting my hand in the air.

Cam remains stoic, standing in front of me. “You know Maddox, there’s a lot that we’ve gone without for a long time,” she begins and, somehow, such a simple statement, makes my stomach turn. “But I hope you remember what he used to say–”

“Stop,” I seethe, with an iron tight jaw. “You have a lot of fucking nerve bringing this up today,of all days,as you put it.”

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