Page 104 of Come Back to Me

I stare at my shoes. “Maybe Ididfeel like wallowing. A smidge.”

“I’m too annoyed to be smug. You, you, you,hypocrite! Just you wait until I tell Parker!”

I blow my second raspberry of the day at her, but she flips me the bird then storms out of the bathroom, the whole outfit so hot, she’s steaming.

“How do I look?”

“Banging.”

“Tee!”

“Fine.” I take in the cream linen dress and the cardigan she’s knotted on her shoulders—country club chic. But her Birkies tone it all down. “Relatable, beautiful, and like you don’t have a billionaire’s stick up your ass.”

“Thatcan be arranged,” Colton practically purrs from the doorway.

I roll my eyes as we lose a good three minutes with them gawping at one another like they’re engaged in an epic eye fuck.

“What time’s the journalist coming?” I ask, breaking this apart.

Honestly, I need to arm myself with skunk spray when these two get like this.

Colt visibly shakes himself down before answering, “Ten minutes.”

“Jesus. This is really happening.” Zee’s teeth nibble on the bottom lip I just painted with stain.

“It’sLa Femme, Zee,” I comfort. “They’re more interested in your outfit than your ideologies. Anyway, they want to know about the wedding, not Clyde.”

“We started this way so you wouldn’t have to freak out,” Colton soothes. “You’ve been through the PR protocol with the team and you’re ready for anything they can throw at you.” I’m not sure if that’s his idea of being her cheer squad, but he sucks at it.

“You got this anyway because you’re fucking awesome. I wouldn’t be friends with you if you weren’t.” I study my nails. “I only allow the best in my life.”

Zee chuckles, but when she approaches me, she snags my hand and draws me to my feet. Her hug is less embrace and more cage, but I’ll take it.

“You are going to rock this. Canada will learn you are brilliant and that Colton is a lucky-ass man.

“You’re going to tell them about your wedding day—the sanctioned bits—and then everyone in town is going to watch the segment and realize what dumb fucks they were for ever questioning your morals because you, my darling, are better than Deep’n Delicious, maple syrup,andhockey. It’s time they knew that.”

Her bottom lip trembles, but she firms it quickly. “Love you.”

“Love you too. Now, go and rock this shit.”

Nodding, she releases a breath then lets go of me to stride over to her husband.

He presses a kiss to her temple, whispers something in her ear that makes her snicker.

Over her head, he shoots me a grateful smile.

I nod.

As they walk out hand in hand, I follow, keeping back so I can monitor the situation from afar.

No way I won’t be attending.

Unlike my best friend, who takes the world up on her shoulders, I have no problem ignoring PR protocol if the journalist gets nasty with Zee…

Cody

A few days later

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