Page 111 of The Love Syllabus

Serena:Hell yeah! Expose that monster.

Mama:You’re so brave, Kerry.

Vicky:I’ll send them over to the Governor, judge, and GBI first. We’ll make sure to do this right before we release all hell on his ass.

Gabe:You sure you wanna do this? There’s no going back.

Me:You’re right, there isn’t. We only move forward around here.

Vic smirks, lifts my hand to his lips, and presses a slow, reverent kiss to my knuckles. “You’re bold as hell, Ms. Kind. And I’ve never been prouder to be your man.”

“Oh yeah? Just how proud are you?” I arch a brow, lips curving.

Then, he slides his hand under my dress and shows me exactly how proud he is.

~~~

When we arrive at my parents’ house, the barrage of cars automatically stands out. Everyone’s here, but I’m not quite sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

I don’t have to wonder for long because as soon as we open the door, Syd and Ari bulldoze us with hugs and kisses.

“Finally!” Ari says, squeezing me tight. “We missed you so much! How was the honeymoon?”

Vic and I freeze. We blink at each other. Then, a loud, uncontrollable laughter erupts.

“Honeymoon?” Vic chuckles, shaking his head. “It was just a weekend getaway.”

Ari’s face scrunches in pure disappointment. “Oh. I thought for sure you would’ve got married. You guys have been dating forever.”

I choke on my own laughter while Vic frowns. “Forever?”

Syd leans into Ari’s ear, but everyone hears her little whisper. “She must’ve told him no. Daddy ain’t got no game.”

I lose it. Vic’s mouth falls open, and everyone in the room bursts into laughter.

Vic scowls at his daughters, but there’s amusement dancing behind his glare. “Okay, you two, we didn’t go get married but we definitely brought back some of your favorite desserts, including carrot cake. Now, go play.”

The girls grab their treats and bounce off, giggling all the way to the backyard. Vic shakes his head, muttering, “Ain’t got no game? Our Disney trip is officially cancelled.”

I snort. “You spoil them too much for that threat to ever be real.”

He grumbles something under his breath before we step further inside, where Serena’s sitting smugly on the couch.

“Aha! Told y’all!” She shouts, shooting to her feet and holding out her hand expectantly.

Around the room, groans and grumbles fill the air as my friends and family start begrudgingly pulling out cash and sending money to her phone.

Dad shakes his head. “Nope, not believing it. Not my innocent little angel.”

I frown. “What the hell is going on?”

Serena waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, nothing. I just knew you were gonna have that freshly fuc—”

“Serena!” Kiera snaps, shooting her a glare. “Old…” She looks at Vicky, whose waiting to snap. “der.Ol-derpeople are in the room.”

“I don’t know ‘bout you Vicky but we’re the youngest lookin’ ones in here.” Mom says as she glares at my friends. “But what I thinkRena wastryingto say is… you’re glowing, Kerry. You must’ve hadlotsof fun in New York.” Then, she turns to Vic and winks.

I gape. “Y’all made a bet about me?”

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