Page 63 of Of Pranks and Passion

“Go for something hot, like Crystal or Roxy,” I demanded. Seriously, if he was looking to catch them being nosy, the name had to be catchier than Amber.

“Those sound like stripper names,” Jayden pointed out.

“So?”

He snorted but didn’t argue. “Alright. I’ll change it. Was there a reason you called? Not that I’m not happy to just chat.”

Of course, he was happy to just chat. He was the needy brother. I was surprised he hadn’t demanded another dinner recently. He usually bugged me about one once a month atminimum, but every other week was what he preferred. Family was everything to him, and he refused to let me be an outsider.

“Yeah. I need you to help me tell the folks I’m getting married.”

He must’ve just taken a drink of something, because I heard him spit it out dramatically. That actually would’ve been hilarious to watch, and I was disappointed I didn’t think to video call him. Still, I enjoyed listening to him cough and splutter while I took a sip of the coffee Gary had brought me.

Once Jayden had pulled himself back together, he croaked, “I’m pretty sure I misheard you. What did you say?”

“I’m getting married,” I repeated dryly.

“To who?!”

My eyes flicked to Gary, who stood behind the counter, smiling and nodding at a professor who already had their drink and seemed intent on bending his ear for a while. He didn’t look annoyed like I would’ve been, but then again, his job was boring as hell. People telling their stories were probably more entertaining than staring at the wall all morning.

“Easton,” Jayden snapped to get my attention.

With a scowl, I said, “Remember that guy I was helping? The one with the fucked up family?”

“Yeah… Wait. You aren’t marrying him to keep making the sister jealous, are you? I could totally see you doing that.”

Since he knew about the plan to make the sister jealous to get her to back off, I saw no reason to lie to him. As long as he kept his big mouth shut. The fewer people who knew this was a trick, the better.

“Not technically. But she didn’t react like we thought she would, and she threatened Gary afterward. We figured if we made it look real, she’d know he was protected permanently, and she couldn’t screw with him. She won’t stick around after he’s married.”

“How real are we talking? And was it really we, or was it just you? From what you’ve told me of the guy, he doesn’t seem like the type to suggest something so insane.”

I rolled my eyes. “Just me, but he agreed to it. And full wedding real. I want to make a damn point. She sent people to try and assault him because he didn't answer her texts. She’ll never leave him alone. He’d need to leave the state to get away from her, and I’m not letting her chase him away.”

Over my dead body was I letting her chase Gary out of the state. He was going to stay here with his friends, where I could watch over him.

“Only you would come up with a crazy scheme like this,” Jayden sighed. “Alright, as your favorite brother, I’m in. I’ll help you set this thing up. But you need to tell our parents yourself. Christmas vacation is coming in a few weeks. Bring your boyf– sorry, fiancé home for the holidays and introduce him to the family. I’ll stop by this week to meet him first so I can back you up.”

I made a face, but it couldn’t be helped. They had to be involved. Even if we did something as simple as a courthouse wedding, my folks would lose their shit if I didn’t tell them first. And since this wedding was supposed to be big, they’d find out about it eventually.

“Fuck. Fine. But text first. I’m tired of people walking in on me and Gary. I’m going to change the locks on the damn condo soon.”

“Noted,” Jayden chuckled.

This ruse was supposed to be fun. It was getting not fun really quick. My attention shifted to Gary again, and my protective instincts flared. I’d put up with it to keep him safe. I’d marry every damn one of my friends to keep them safe. Pretty sure that was illegal, though.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

GARY

It was getting cold,and I absolutely hated being cold. Easton’s hoodies weren’t enough anymore, but I didn’t have a jacket big enough to fit on top of them. I glared at the pathetic contents of my closet, debating buying a new jacket. Brienna hadn’t asked me for more money in a while, I had enough to afford one, but I was still waiting for her to start demanding again, and I hesitated to spend what I had.

I’d been spending most of my time at Easton’s condo, but the need for warmer clothes drove me back to my dorm room. Nothing really changed, despite me being gone for weeks. Carter’s bed was rumpled, he never bothered to make it in the morning, and the area around the futon was a mess. But my desk was still clean and my stuff was untouched. I still texted him, and we saw each other around campus, but he didn’t seem to care either way if I stayed in the dorm or with Easton. And at least now he could watch as many horror movies as he wanted without scaring the crap out of me.

The door handle jiggled, and I jumped. Damn. I thought I was over what happened by now, but apparently this room mademe uncomfortable. Carter came in, jerking to a stop when he noticed me. The huge smile that stretched across his face made me feel good, and I laughed when he hauled me into a back slapping hug.

“Hey, Gar! Long time no see! What are you doing here?”

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