Page 45 of Why Not Forever?

Adalie’s hands cover her mouth. “Oh, shit!”

“What?” I ask.

“It was when you got the job at Sterling, wasn’t it?”

I nod. “Right before.”

She rounds on Vic. “I can’t believe you! You were friends, and you slept together, then you just cut him out?”

“Adalie,” I say. “It’s fine.”

Vic shakes her head. “It isn’t. To be honest, I can’t believe me, either. It was stupid and rash and I don’t think I’ve ever apologized. Iamsorry, Tanner. You didn’t deserve how things happened. I practically ghosted you, which wasn’t cool, and because they’re my friends,” she motions at Derek, Adalie, and Spencer, “they kind of stopped being yours. And that’s not fair.”

I look down at the beer I’m holding. “If we’re going for honesty here, I probably wouldn’t have been a good friend, anyway. When I started at Sterling, I immersed myself in it pretty hard.” I meet her eyes again. “I’m a grown man, Vic. I don’t have zero friends other than my brother because of you. I did that to myself.”

“But we’re friends now,” Adalie states, staring hard at each of us in turn. “Regardless of what might happen between you and Vic from here on out, you’re our friend. No takebacksies.”

I meet Vic’s eyes, because it doesn’t matter what I want. If she’s not comfortable with me being friends with her friends, I won’t be. She needs them more than I do. She nods, so I hold out my hand and Adalie shakes it. “Deal.”

Chapter 17

Vic

Thebachelorettepartyisa huge success. Everyone has a lot of fun. We play games and take pictures. We eat the food Lis and her team prepared and drink the beer we bought from Hops Scotch Brewery. When the night is over, Tanner leans close to ask if I’m ready to go.

Sophie, Lis’ sister-in-law, calls out, “Are you guys going home to have sex?”

I meet her gaze and respond with utmost dignity. “What my husband and I do in the privacy of our apartment is our business.”

Tanner laughs. “Are you ready to leave then, Mrs. Marcus?”

“Yes, Mr. Marcus, I am.”

I take his hand and let him draw me to my feet. When I’m standing, we’re very close together and I gaze into his dark brown eyes. How did I end up here? Why am I not supposed to kiss him again?

“I think I’ve maybe had a little more to drink than I thought,” I whisper. “Damn Derek and thatDrink Ifgame. I’m certain he had some of those cards simply so I’d have to drink.”

We’d played it about a dozen times throughout the night, and I swear, every time we did, he made me drink for almost every card he pulled.

Tanner chuckles, wrapping his arm around me so he can help me stay steady on my feet. “It’s all right. I’ve had less. Quite a lot less, in fact. I switched to what the preggos are drinking about three hours ago.”

I pout. “You had fun, though?”

He guides me carefully down the stairs. “I did. It was nice to get to know a few more of your friends a bit better. The ones I haven’t gotten to see much.”

“How did you know who to invite? You’ve never even met Trish and Gina, let alone their husbands.”

We make it to the ground floor and he steers me to the door and out into the cool night. “Derek’s sisters. I left Spencer in charge of the guest list. I told him I wanted Wyatt and Addison here, but otherwise, he could invite whoever he thought you’d like to have.”

“That’s sweet. You’re sweet.”

“Only for you. Get in drunky.”

I blink, realizing we’re already at the car. I straighten. “I am not drunk.” I open the car door. “This is the passenger side.”

“Yes.”

I glance at him. “You’re driving.”

---