Page 84 of Love Me

“Who’s her?” Carter asks.

“Gloria! She’s missing! I know he fucking did something with her!”

I look at Sawyer as he’s rolling his eyes. “Is he seriously talking about his fucking beloved office chair?” I ask.

“Unfortunately. I caught him in here trying to steal mine. I didn’t fucking take her, I gifted him the godforsaken thing.”

“Then who did?” Dallas yells, looking at me and Carter.

“Maybe ask Blaire? Isn’t she back at work? She hid her the first time.”

“How’s it feel to be back, dumbass?” Sawyer asks Dallas as they both straighten out their shirts.

“Good. But payback is a bitch to whoever took her. And I’ll find out sooner than later.”

“And if it was Blaire?”

“I have my ways of punishing her,” he says with a wicked gleam in his eyes that I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing.

“Alright, to business. Let’s get this meeting started,” Sawyer tells us, and we all get into it, taking turns going over plans for the rest of the year, progress updates, and a slew of other things on the agenda.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and not wanting to ignore it in case Hannah or Charlie needs something, I pull it out and glance at it in my lap while Carter goes on and on about his irritation over this stupid fucking journal article that still hasn’t happened, and the elusive writer who is dicking him around.

Cynthia Haven: I hear congratulations are in order, son-in-law. Jay and I will be returning to Aspen Ridge much earlier than planned. Looking forward to the reception this weekend to celebrate your nuptials, however untimely they were.

What the fuck? Blowing out a heavy breath, I look back up to find all eyes on me.

“Problem?” Dallas asks, breaking the new silence suspended between us.

I hold up my phone and wave it in front of us withCynthia’s text pulled open. “You guys hear that Hannah’s parents are coming back to town early? Apparently there’s a reception this weekend to celebrate my marriage.”

All three of them bust out in laughter. They know I fucking hate this kind of shit. When Hannah said she wanted to get married at the courthouse, half of me died in happiness, the other half only wanted to give Hannah her dream wedding and would have done whatever she wanted. But I hate having all eyes on me, and ultimately, was so thankful for something just the two of us. That’s not to say I don’t want to give her a redo. Preferably a ceremony where it doesn’t smell like dirty-ass mop water.

I’m much quieter and typically more reserved than my brothers and even sister. I’d take a night in watching movies with my woman by my side over going out any day of the year. I know that Hannah isn’t going to want a reception either, but I’m not sure if I should speak for both of us without talking to her first.

“Sounds like Cunty-McHaven,” Dallas says. “What’s with these shitty-ass parents and how’d we get so damn lucky?”

“I don’t know, but that shit isn’t happening unless Hannah wants it to.”

Over my dead fucking body.

CHAPTER 26

hannah

Surprisingly,when Liam arrives at my apartment, Charlie is walking into the kitchen with a duffel bag dragging behind her while I sit at my little table and deal with the bullshit texts I just received.

“Bear! We get to stay with you! Can Garbage sleep with me every single night?”

Liam drops to his knees, always talking to her on her level.

“His name isn’t Garbage, it’s Billy, remember?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I like Garbage better though. Soooo, can he?”

“He sure can. You have to promise to keep him nice and snuggly warm. He likes to cuddle.”

“I promise. I can do it. Yippie! I’m gonna go get Mr. Pancake, and Spaghetti-o, they’re coming with me to your house, too!”

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